January 8-9, 2005
- Elvis a perfect role model for today's musicians: The King stirred fans and foes just by being himself
By Andrew Sywak
(San Francisco Chronicle, January 9, 2005)
"Elvis was a hero to most but he never meant s--- to me/ Yes, he's a straight-out racist/ The sucker was simple and plain." So raps Chuck D of Public Enemy in the 1990 song "Fight the Power," about the late King of Rock 'n' Roll who would have celebrated his 70th birthday Saturday. Chuck D's iconoclasm may have had some bite in 1990, but today it sounds more like a statement of fact to those born after the black-and-white television era. Even though Elvis still retains enough of a rabid following to prompt one fan to recently spend $455 on three tablespoons of water that came out of a cup he drank from, to much of America he's just a kitschy anachronism dragged out by oldies stations and tipsy karaoke singers.
This is a shame, for if today's aspiring musical artists -- many of whom dream of subverting the established order while attracting legions of adoring fans and vast riches -- seek a model, they would find one without equal in Elvis. In his ascendance to pop stardom in the mid-1950s, Elvis blazed a path of genuine rebellion stirring up more controversy than all the Limp Bizkits, Marilyn Mansons and Eminems put together. Ultimately, what makes Elvis such an enduring icon is his unwitting initiation of a dramatic cultural shift that no artist or pop star has since approached. You don't have to hum along to "Don't Be Cruel" to appreciate the fact that, when it comes to outraging the parents and influencing youth, Madonna and Michael Jackson don't come close to Elvis.
... Elvis' great coup was that he was shocking without intending or wanting to be. He never tried to be a rebel, or to be provocative. That is true rebellion: when you are yourself and outrage and rebellion follow you. "It was not in him to lie or say anything malicious," an assistant to Sun Records owner Sam Phillips said. "He had all the intricacy of the very simple." ...
- The King returns to reign in charts
(Yahoo! News, January 9, 2005)
Elvis Presley is back at the top of the UK singles chart, 27 years after he died. The King of Rock'n'Roll has knocked Steve Brookstein off the number one spot with the re-release of Jailhouse Rock, which topped the US and UK charts for the first time in 1958. It is Elvis's 19th chart-topper and comes the day after what would have been his 70th birthday. ...
- Elvis lookalikes All Shook Up
(Irish Examiner, January 9, 2005)
Elvis impersonators were all shook up tonight as the King rocked to the top of the UK charts on the weekend they celebrated the largest Elvis Presley Convention in Europe.
Singer Leigh Casling left more than 200 Elvis hopefuls in heartbreak hotel to scoop first prize in the Elvis contest on what would have been the Rock 'n' Roll legend's 70th birthday. His victory came as the re-release of Jailhouse Rock knocked Steve Brookstein off the number one spot to become the 999th song to reach the top of the UK singles chart. Mr Casling, from St Alban's, Hertfordshire, was among hundreds of followers at the Walk A Golden Mile In My Shoes Elvis Convention in Blackpool this weekend.
The grounds maintenance manager, who only did his first gig as Elvis in March last year, competed against 39 other look-a-likes to scoop a £2,000 (euro 2,900) win in the annual contest last night. He said today he hoped the massive interest in Jailhouse Rock and the expected release of each of Presley's number one singles over the next few months would help him take to the stage full-time. ...
- Lott bio details GOP rise in Congress
(Clarion-Ledger, January 9, 2005)
What do Elvis Presley, Howard Hughes, Kim Novak, Marilyn Monroe and Sen. Trent Lott have in common? The story of their lives all have been told by Peter Brown, a New Orleans-based author who is helping Lott with his autobiography, Master of the Game. ...
- Briefly Speaking: Elvis's birthday celebration draws to a close
(Whitehaven Appeal, January 9, 2005)
Every year Graceland presents several days of events, a condensed version of August's Elvis Week, surrounding the anniversary of Elvis Presley's birthday, Jan. 8. The final Elvis legacy in laser light show will take place at the Memphis Pink Palace Museum planetarium, 3050 Central. For time and admission information, call 320-6362. Tours of Elvis's former Lauderdale Court home held daily, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., will end Tuesday. The unit is available to rent for two- to six-night stays. For directions, rental reservations and more, visit lauderdalecourts.com or phone 521-8219. Free walk-up visits to the Meditation Garden at Graceland, where the gravesites of Elvis and members of his family are located, are daily, 7:30-8:30 a.m., and today, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
- Elvis fans celebrate the King's birth
By LEESHA FAULKNER
(Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, January 9, 2005)
TUPELO - From old to young and in between, Elvis Presley fans flocked to the two-room house where he was born and sang happy birthday to him Saturday. Blaine Baldwin, 11, grinned as she strode toward the chapel to pay homage to the King on his 70th birthday. Her aunt turned her on to Elvis. Now, the Plantersville 6th grader has papered her walls with Elvis photos handed down from her aunt. "I think he would still look like he was when he was 20," Baldwin said when asked about how she thought he would look today.
Presley died at age 42 in 1977. But folks from East Tupelo, especially, remember him as though they just passed him in the store. Billie Clayton, 67, recalled walking home from school with Presley. "He was just one of the kids," she said. Over at Johnnie's Drive-In, where Elvis munched on hamburgers, Chris Deaton and Jo Harbor lined up about 250 burgers for expected guests. Nobody here knew Elvis when he sat in one of the booths near the wall, but they keep alive the memory.
- City's tender tribute to The King: Still stuck on Elvis, crowds mark what would have been his 70th birthday
By Brent Hopkins
(Daily News, January 9, 2005)
Hair gel -- check. Sequined jackets -- got 'em. Blue suede shoes -- uh-huh. Elvis Presley's birthday required many accessories. To pay tribute to The King, who would have turned 70 on Saturday, dozens of decked-out well-wishers turned out at Radio Recorders, the Hollywood studio at Santa Monica Boulevard and Orange Drive where Elvis cut some of his classic tunes.
City Councilman Tom LaBonge unveiled a sign commemorating the spot, country star Dwight Yoakam tipped his hat and fans remembered the man and the mystique. "Elvis Presley was truly one of the greatest artists of our time," gushed LaBonge. "I loved him. I remember when he did the '68 comeback special, going to school the next day and mimicking all the moves for my friends." When LaBonge fronted Joe Bush and the Hubcaps in high school, he said, it was Elvis' "Treat Me Nice" and "Love Me Tender" that rounded out the set list. Two decades later, he crooned, "You're so Young and Beautiful" to his wife on their wedding day. On Saturday, he sang a rousing backup to "Jailhouse Rock." LaBonge, who pushed to have the City Council declare Saturday Elvis Presley Day, dedicated the sign outside the historic studio, where his idol laid down "Blue Hawaii" and "Can't Help Falling in Love."
Nearly 50 years later, Presley's spirit still reverberates within its carpeted studios. Yoakam, who rehearsed his last studio album and shot two videos on the premises, said he felt The King's energy in the air whenever he plugged in. "You can't help but feel it," Yoakam said. "I really believe that the particles (he sent) banging into the woodwork remain. This is one of the few great remaining studios where all those legendary performers recorded." "Elvis had such a great influence on American music and he was most comfortable here," said Paul Schwartz of Sun Valley, a partner in Radio Recorders. "The people who worked here had tremendous integrity and respect for the music." In his day, Presley might have nodded hello to Frank Sinatra in the hall or bumped into Nat "King" Cole in the john. Today, only photographs, memories and classic songs remain.
"When I was a kid, my old man was so strict, he wouldn't let me listen to Alice Cooper or Kiss," said George Thomas, an Elvis tribute artist who performed two numbers in the main studio. "All he'd listen to was Elvis Presley, so I'd soak it all up. It's great to be in here. You can really feel his presence."
- Live Bands Know the Wonder of Elvis Hit
By Sherna Noah, PA Showbusiness Correspondent
(scotsman.com, January 9, 2005)
Researchers have discovered which Elvis song is performed most by live bands and tribute acts - and it's The Wonder of You. The track, which shot to number one in 1970, is the favourite Elvis hit, followed by the 1969 hit Suspicious Minds. All Shook Up, which reached Number One in 1957, is third on the list of most performed songs. The information has been collated by royalty payments group the Performing Right Society in 7,000 live music venues in the UK. Can't Help Falling in Love, which Elvis sang, is fourth in the list, followed by Blue Suede Shoes.
Other songs in the top 10 include Teddy Bear (6) and Jailhouse Rock (7), which is set to be Number One again today, marking what would have been the King's 70th birthday. Hound Dog is eighth, followed by Don't be Cruel and Always on My Mind.
- Elvis fans gather in Los Fresnos to celebrate 'The King'
By JEFF RAYMOND
(Brownsville Herald / Valley Morning Star, January 9, 2005)
In 1973, Elvis Presley performed in Honolulu, Hawaii - the first concert broadcast worldwide by satellite. Chad Roy, 26, was still several years from being born. No matter. Having never seen "The King" perform live didn't hinder this Elvis impersonator as he sang and gyrated Saturday during his first performance at the 10th annual Elvis Fest. He even had adoring fans who accompanied him, wearing pink 1950s skirts and grabbing his leg.
As fellow Elvis impersonator Rene Davis explained, 'The King" still intrigues people of all ages 27 years after his death. "You don't see any Frank Sinatra festivals,' he said, describing how Elvis' mystique continued to produce new fans. Davis, of Weslaco, should know. Last year he performed 87 shows in the Rio Grande Valley. Although he never saw Elvis in concert, Davis shares a Jan. 8 birthday with his alter ego. He began impersonating Elvis five years ago for entertainment at a company party. "It's a great cause to keep the memory of Elvis alive," he said. To be a quality impersonator requires more than having the same birthday, however. Having a good voice helps. The bejeweled, sequined jumpsuits cost from $500-$2,000, Davis said. Davis' show includes more than music. He brings 100 scarves to toss out to women in the audience.
Simon Vega, who served in the Army with Elvis while stationed in Germany and has converted part of his Los Fresnos home into a shrine of Elvis memorabilia, began Elvis Fest with about 25 people, mostly family members. Organizers estimated more than 600 people attended Saturday. Because of the popularity of his Elvis tributes, Vega bought land next to his house to accommodate more people. ...
- Nappanee officer plays Elvis on off days
By Susan Lakes
(E-Truth, January 9, 2005)
Suspicious minds might wonder why a police officer impersonates Elvis Presley, the rock 'n' roll icon fondly remembered as "The King." Nappanee patrolman and former police chief John Elliott knows it's all just for fun and fundraising when he dyes his hair black, colors in long sideburns, pulls on the shiny black pants, grabs the scarves and takes the stage as "Elvis Elliott." ...
- Elvis fans gather to celebrate King's 70th birthday
(Canberra Sunday Times, January 9, 2005, p 3)
German Ekvis Presley fans, clad in jean jackets, hats and T-shirts bearing the name of The King, flocked to the spa town of Bad Neuheim to celebrate his 70th birthday with a series of shows and events. Organised by local authorities and the local Elvis Presley Association, the events marking his birthday yesterday included a Las Vegas show, a gospel concert and walking tours of places the singer lived from October 1958 to February 1960 while stationed as a soldier - his only residence outside the United States. ...
- German Fans Celebrate Elvis' 70th Birthday
(CNN / Associated Press, January 8, 2005)
BAD NAUHEIM, Germany - German Elvis Presley fans clad in jean jackets, hats and T-shirts bearing the name of The King flocked to this spa town to celebrate his 70th birthday with a series of shows and events. Organized by local authorities and the local Elvis Presley Association, the events marking his birthday on Saturday include a Las Vegas show, gospel concert and walking tours of places the singer lived from October 1958 through February 1960 while stationed here as a soldier ‹ his only residence outside the United States.
"His voice was magic: there was so much soul, so much heart in it," said Isolde Sueltemeyer, a classical musician from Cologne. Sueltemeyer, now retired, was lucky enough to secure a room Friday in the art deco Grunewald Hotel where Presley lived upon arriving in Germany. Complaints from other residents that his rehearsing was disruptive forced him to eventually find his own house. She was one of several fans who gathered Friday to walk in the footsteps of the man many Germans credit with bringing rock and roll to Europe.
An exhibit at Germany's national museum, Haus der Geschichte, or History House, in the former West German capital of Bonn also commemorates the singer's unique roll in the history of music here.
Ulrich Schlichthaerle, head of the city's tourism office, says officials are only now realizing their city's connection to The King can raise Bad Nauheim's profile. "Out of more than 100 spa towns in Germany, we are the only one that can claim a 20th-century artist resided here," Schlichthaerle said. "Many of them have connections to Mozart, Beethoven or Brahms, but only we have Elvis."
- Can it be trivia when it's Elvis?
By Chuck Yarborough
(cleveland.com / Plain Dealer, January 8, 2005)
If you collected every story ever written about Elvis, you'd have enough newsprint to papier-mache Saturn. And yet, there are things you probably don't know about the King, who was dethroned after a fashion when he died in his Graceland bathroom in August 1977. Here are 10 examples, but be forewarned: Elvis trivia seems to multiply like his sightings. When one occurs, 10 more follow. ...
- Chuck Berry to headline Elvis festival in Tupelo
(Picayune Times / Associated Press, January 8, 2005)
Rock n' roller Chuck Berry, known for his hits "Johnny B. Goode" and "Roll Over Beethoven," will headline the 2005 Elvis Presley Festival on June 3-5 in Tupelo. Berry will perform Friday, June 3, and the headliner on Saturday, June 4, will be country singer Tracy Byrd. The festival will feature Mississippi native Steve Azar and Lee County native Paul Thorn. Travis LeDoyt, an Elvis tribute artist who has performed at numerous festivals, will be master of ceremonies. Gary Bailey, festival chairman, said fans should expect changes this year, including a carnival and a different stage configuration.
... On Saturday in Memphis, Tenn., more than 500 Presley fans gathered on the front lawn of Graceland to celebrate the king of rock 'n' roll's 70th birthday. They sang "Happy Birthday" and cut a cake in honor of Presley, who was born January 8, 1935, and died at Graceland in 1977. His fans gather each year on the anniversaries of his birth and death. This year is special, though, for many because it would be Elvis' 70th birthday. Jerry Engelby of Jefferson City, Mo., said age doesn't mean much when you're talking about Elvis.
"He's immortal. There's no age to him," she said.
- Fans celebrate Elvis' 70th birthday
By ED VULLIAMY
(Manila Bulletin Online / GUARDIAN NEWSPAPERS LTD, January 8?, 2005)
If Elvis Presley were alive - which many believe him to be - he would be 70 years old on Jan. 8. It is a milestone night in the world of global Graceland, a night for what the faithful call Elvents, starring people such as the Chinese Elvis, the Calypso Elvis, the Jewish Elvis, El Vez in Mexico and Emerald Elvis in Ireland.
Meanwhile, the British pop charts are due to be dominated - maybe even topped - by Elvis all over again: Every one of his 18 number one hits is to be re-released between now and the end of April as collectors' pieces for converts and in pursuit of a new generation of fans. Twenty-seven years after Elvis¹s death, "Jailhouse Rock" could go to number one.
And, in a move which has infuriated many fans, Allied Bakeries in the UK is selling special-edition loaves of Kingsmill bread in the shape of Elvis's profile, quiff and all.
Britain's leading Elvis impersonator, Paul Lillie, will be headlining at the Jailhouse Rock restaurant in Woodford on the outskirts of London. Lillie, who trained in classical bassoon and guitar, insists he is "from a rather different background to the average Elvis impersonator." "If you met me in the street," he says, "you would not think that is what I do. I like transforming myself when I perform, I like the theatrical element." Elvis, he says, "had something in his physical presence - he had this androgynous thing, the perfect human being. It's a tall order to impersonate."
Last July, Lillie shared first prize in an Elvis impersonation competition, organised by the Elvisly Yours tribute organisation, with Ireland's Emerald Elvis, aka Mark Leen. Mark Leen runs the Memphian guesthouse in Cork, which has themed Elvis rooms, and will be performing Elvis's music at Cork opera house tonight to raise money for the tsunami disaster. "It's not enough just to perform the songs," says Leen. "You have to enter the spirit of Elvis, who sang a lot for charity." Leen owns pounds Sterling 35,000-worth of Elvis clothing - made by the tailors who dressed the real Elvis - and a pair of gold sunglasses modelled on Elvis's.
Elvis Shmelvis, aka Martin Dias, calls himself Britain's only Jewish Elvis. "There's a black Elvis, a Chinese Elvis and so on, so I wanted to be the Jewish Elvis," he says. "But I got very little Jewish work - just a couple of barmitzvahs. However, the name stuck." He says that "before anyone did anything, Elvis had done everything".
The impresario of Elvis-mania in Britain is Sid Shaw, who runs Elvisly Yours, which started out as a memorabilia shop in London's East End and ended up in central London as a global Elvis institution. Shaw - a former teacher - has a remarkable history of legal battles with the Elvis Presley estate for the right to sell his products - clocks, calendars, sunglasses - on both sides of the Atlantic. He lost tussles in America, but won a landmark case in Britain in 1997, when a judge, Hugh Laddie, ruled that the estate could not own Elvis's name and image. "Elvis is the man who changed the 20th century, and will still be an icon in the 21st century," says Shaw, who wants to open a chain of restaurants called Elvisly Yours, with live tribute music. "I think if Elvis had lived he would still be doing the occasional concert," he says. "This guy changed the world; when you listen to his songs, they sound brand new each time, whereas after you listen to a Spice Girls song four times you're banging your head against the wall."
The re-release of singles began this week with All Shook Up and Jailhouse Rock, and will end with A Little Less Conversation on April 23. There is every chance that one of them will become Britain's 1,000th number one.
Last month was an eventful one in Elvisland, with Lisa Marie Presley, Elvis's daughter, selling an 85% controlling stake in the business that manages her father's music rights and the Graceland mansion to the music promotion tycoon Robert Sillerman for $100m.
The world of Elvis is a sometimes wayward one in which many devotees believe that he still lives. ... Some believe that a wax image of Elvis went into the grave in 1977, while the man himself bought a one-way ticket to Argentina under the pseudonym John Burrows. According to the current edition of the Impartial Reporter in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, Elvis is to stage "the most sensational comeback of all time" at the Lady of the Lake music festival in Irvinestown. "The Elvis Presley comeback concert is scheduled for Wednesday July 19th," says the Reporter, "when the man himself will arrive in Irvinestown, where a fleet of Cadillac limousines will escort him to the concert venue. .." "Any lingering doubts (that Elvis lives) will be quashed," says festival organiser Jimmy Dundas, who nevertheless acknowledges "that people might dismiss the Elvis comeback as 'just another silly stunt', especially after the 'live leprechaun' business two years ago."
- Happy birthday, Elvis ... and, thank you, thank you very much
By Stephanie Howard
(The Examiner, January 8, 2005)
Although the King of Rock 'n' Roll died in August 1977, Elvis lives in the heart of some local residents. Tarry Westley, Blue Springs, and June Moore, Independence, are working on keeping Elvis' memory alive in Eastern Jackson County. Both are celebrated Elvis' birthday, today, in their own way. ... Westley started as an Elvis tribute artist not long after Elvis' death in 1977. One thing Westley likes to emphasize about his work is he's not like many of the Elvis impersonators who dress up to mock "the King." "There was more to Elvis than the sideburns, the curled lips and the shaking leg," Westley said. "And there's more to me." ... "I saw a guy who loved people," Westley said. "He wanted to make other people happy." Westley turned the basement of his Blue Springs home into a haven of Elvis memorabilia. A tree opposite the stairwell was decorated in nothing but Elvis ornaments, and a life-size cutout of Elvis stood behind the tree. ... Westley said the reason people celebrate Elvis' birthday 27 years after his death is because Elvis lived the American dream and because he was approachable. " He enjoyed the people," Westley said. "There's nowhere you can go where you don't meet someone who was an Elvis fan.
But, Westley is more than just a fan. Westley lived in California growing up and had the opportunity to sing back up for Elvis during the "'68 Comeback Tour." While singing back up for the King was exciting, Westley joked it wasn't always glamorous. "All I could see on stage was Elvis' butt," Westley laughed. "You couldn't really see anything through the lights and the cameras." When Westley does an Elvis show now, he does his best to emulate Elvis. He wears jump suits similar to the ones Elvis wore. His wife cuts scarves for Westley to hand out to the women. ...
Tarry Westley, an Elvis impersonator of Independence, sings Elvis' songs in his home recording studio/memorabilia room.
- Hundreds Gather to Fete Elvis' 70th
(ABC News / Associated Press, January 8, 2005)
About 800 Fans Gather on Graceland's Front Lawn to Celebrate the 70th Birthday of Elvis Presley. Would the pompadour be gray? Would arthritis have stilled the swiveling hips? Would the lip now curl above false teeth? If he were still alive, Elvis Presley would have turned 70 on Saturday. But old age and the unfortunate problem of being deceased haven't slowed down the King. ... [as elsewhere]
- At 70th birthday, Elvis career gets fresh start: 28 years after the King's death, his celebrity lives on
By Greg Campbell
(MSNBC News / Associated Press, January 8, 2005)
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Would the pompadour be gray? Would arthritis have stilled the swiveling hips? Would the lip now curl above false teeth? ... [as below]
Jerry Levi of Manchester, England visits Graceland, Tenn. to remember Elvis on what would have been his 70th birthday.
- Fans celebrate Elvis' 70th birthday: 'There's no age to him'
By KEN HEDLER
(CNN / Associated Press, January 8, 2005)
Would the pompadour be gray? Would arthritis have stilled the swiveling hips? Would the lip now curl above false teeth? If he were still alive, Elvis Presley would have turned 70 on Saturday. But old age and the unfortunate problem of being deceased haven't slowed down the King. "There's no age to him," said Jerry Engelby, one of 800 or so fans gathered on Graceland's front lawn for a cake cutting and "Happy Birthday" sing-along. "He's just Elvis." For the faithful, with "Good Rockin' Tonight" blasting from a pair of speakers, Elvis was as hot (or as cool) as ever. ... Word that new owners are taking over Graceland's business affairs and will control how Presley is marketed has some fans apprehensive. They want Elvis presented to the world the way they still remember him. "That's good if it's done in a positive way, the way that Elvis would have wanted it," said fan Engelby. "You have to always think of what would Elvis want. He would want us to love each other, bond together as a family and be kind and giving. We're Elvis family, not just fans."
Jerry Levi of Manchester, England looks at a portrait of Elvis at Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee.
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