late July, 2005
- Elvis, ghosts and generations of Coast residents have haunted Ocean Springs' Julep Room
By ALLISON MATHER
(Pascagoula Mississippi Press, July 31 2005)
The low, dark ceilings, nightly live music, original brick fireplace and rumors of Elvis frequenting the corner booth certainly add to the ambience. But for patrons and employees alike, there's no question which element makes The Julep Room unique. "It's the people. It really is the people," said Mark Shaffer, the manager and bartender at the Ocean Springs landmark.
... The Julep Room's most famous patron, Elvis Presley is rumored to have frequented the corner booth. Elvis met Biloxi native June Juanico in the summer of 1955 during one of his shows, and the relationship lasted about three years. "It was the summer of 56 when he used to come to the Coast," Shaffer said, explaining that Biloxi was a major resort town that drew everyone famous or notorious, and U.S. 90 was the only East-West corridor at the time. "So anybody that was somebody had to come through here," he said. "They (Elvis and June) would come here and hang out. It was dark and quiet and smoke-filled. It was a piano bar," Shaffer said. ...
- Don't be cruel: Big Jon's moving - Giant, blow-up Elvis was the first to go
By Tony Kindelspire
(Daily Times-Call, July 30 2005)
"Elvis has left the building - that's a true statement." So says "Big Jon" Kroneberger of Big Jon's Auto Sales. True enough, the 30-foot inflatable Elvis that drew the attention of so many drivers on South Main Street these past few years has been sold at auction - the same place Kroneberger bought the eye-catcher years ago to draw attention to his car lot. Elvis is gone, and it won't be long before Big Jon himself abandons South Main Street and takes his business to Denver, possibly by Sept. 1, he said. ...
- Bentley Thrilled to Get Opry Invitation
(Yahoo! News / Associated Press, July 30 2005)
He sure wasn't thinkin' 'bout an invitation to the Grand Ole Opry. Country singer Dierks Bentley was in the middle of a show at the House of Blues in Los Angeles when he got word that he was chosen to join the cast of the venerable radio show. ... The Opry, which turns 80 this year, is the longest continuously running radio show in the country. Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Roy Acuff, Johnny Cash, Kitty Wells, Bill Monroe and Elvis Presley are among the thousands who have performed and become stars there.
- Eminem Rents Theater, Buys Condo
(teenhollywood.com / United Press International, July 29 2005)
Rap king Eminem took a page from rock king Elvis Presley and rented an entire movie theater so he could watch a movie with his friends.Presley would frequently buy up all the seats in a theater so he could enjoy films without fan interruption. Except the real Slim Shady, aka Marshall Mathers, one upped -- or make that 13 upped -- Presley by buying tickets for all 14 theaters inside the Las Vegas Palms Hotel and Casino's Brenen Movie Theater, "Access Hollywood" reported Thursday. ...
- Sirius Satellite Radio To Feature Elvis Week
(Yahoo! News / Associated Press
, July 29 2005)
The King is back! The annual honoring of Elvis Presley also known as Elvis Week will take place on August 8 through August 16 and will be featured only on Sirius Satellite Radio's Elvis Radio. Elvis Radio will be broadcast live from Graceland and will feature interviews with special guests such as Joe Esposito, Elvis' road manager for 17 years, producer Jerry Schilling, members of the American Studios House Band, who backed Elvis in Memphis and The Jordanaires, who sang with Elvis up until the 1970's. Moreover, Elvis Radio will broadcast the 28th Annual Elvis Week Candlelight Vigil ceremony and procession. This special coverage will be on Monday, August 15 at 5:00 p.m. ET. Sirius' Elvis Radio is the world's only official, authorized all-Elvis, all-the-time radio channel.
- California man says joke lost-and-found ads aim to make people smile
(Grandforks Herald / Associated Press, July 29 2005)
A California artist and self-proclaimed hoaxer says he's having fun with lost-and-found ads, and he hopes others are, too. Rory Emerald, 38, of Anaheim, who also goes by the name Julian Lee Hobbs, said he has been hitting newspapers across the country with ridiculous lost-and-found ads since June. One that ran Thursday in The Forum newspaper classified section said: "FOUND on Fargo Ranch: Elvis Presley's Original Tour Bus w/many personal items still inside. In order to claim, must identify." Emerald said the impetus for his ads was the Michael Jackson trial. He said he got tired of seeing bad news on TV. ... Emerald said he enjoys the responses and tells callers up front about the joke. The Elvis bus got such a wild response, he said, that he has been letting his answering machine take most of the calls. ... After curious readers began their calls, Emerald said, he even got reports of Elvis sightings in Fargo. ...
- Rockabilly's queen still on a roll
By RICK NELSON
(NEWS TRIBUNE, July 29 2005)
The "Queen of Rockabilly" used to date the "King of Rock 'n' Roll." But thanks to the vagaries of popular music, Wanda Jackson was largely forgotten by all but hard-core fans while Elvis is revered long after having left the building. But Jackson, who performs at Seattle's Tractor Tavern at 9 p.m. Saturday and at Olympia's Ladyfest at 6:15 p.m. Sunday, is enjoying a much-revived career. ... She might even sing songs from her upcoming album, a tribute to Presley, which will feature one titled "I Wore Elvis Presley's Ring." "I still have the ring," Jackson said. "I wore it around my neck for about a year. I talked them into holding the album until January 8 to release it on Elvis' birthday. It's my tribute to him." ...
- August Event Calendar (05)
By Vannie Ryanes
(BellaOnline, July 29 2005)
Elvis fans will remember that Elvis Presley died August 16, 1977. Those who can will flock to Memphis to celebrate the man and his music. Those who can't will help to celebrate his special week from August 8 to the 16 from where ever they happen to be.
- Remembering the Music: Promoter knows Elvis rocked Tupelo 50 years ago
By M. SCOTT MORRIS
(Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, July 29 2005)
A DJ from the old days says the Elvis Presley timeline has become all shook up for some people. "They talk like Elvis only played Tupelo twice, in 1956 and '57," said Bob Ritter, a Pontotoc record dealer. "His first show was in 1955. I know because I promoted it." ... Those who recall - and according to Ritter, there was a pretty big crowd - will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Elvis' first rock show at the Mississippi-Alabama Fairgrounds in Tupelo on Monday, Aug. 1. ...
- Man files lawsuit over sour eBay deal
By CHRIS ENGLISH
(Bucks County Courier Times, July 29 2005)
A thwarted attempt to sell his "Elvis" car on the Internet auction site eBay has Gene Epstein all shook up. And it's not because he's in love. In fact, the 66-year-old Wrightstown resident is so angry he's filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia against the upstate New York man who Epstein claims reneged on his eBay bid to buy the 1969 Mercedes Benz once owned by Elvis Presley.
According to the lawsuit filed against Jason Shepherd of Ballston Lake, N.Y., Shepherd entered a "buy-it-now" bid of $245,000 for the car during the Feb. 29, 2004, auction. Thinking he had a buyer, Epstein said he grew increasingly frustrated when several attempts to reach Shepherd to follow through on the sale were unsuccessful. When Epstein and his Yardley attorney, Mark Reilly, reached Shepherd, he claimed the bid was a mistake made by his young daughter, who accidentally hit a button on Shepherd's computer, according to Epstein. The Courier Times was unsuccessful in attempts to reach Shepherd for comment.
Epstein said Shepherd's explanation is false because eBay bids must be confirmed by several steps and no sale could have been completed just by one mistaken click on a computer. Representatives from eBay couldn't be reached for comment. "This guy did this," Epstein said of the bid. "I don't know whether he did it out of maliciousness, or was showing off for some friends or something, I don't know. I'm not in the back of his mind, but he's concocted this story about his daughter I don't think is believed by anyone in the United States." Shepherd's alleged bid and failure to follow through has soured subsequent attempts to auction the car, which still hasn't been sold, Epstein said. ...
- New York man sued over eBay dispute
(Newsday.com, July 29 2005)
A 66-year-old Wrightstown resident filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia against a New York man who reneged on a bid he made on eBay to buy a 1969 Mercedes Benz that was once owned by Elvis Presley. In his lawsuit, Gene Epstein claims that Jason Shepherd of Ballston Lake, N.Y., entered a "buy-it-now" bid of $245,000 for the vehicle. ... The lawsuit is seeking for Shepherd to pay the original bid, along with $150,000 in damages. ... Epstein said, however, that he would settle the case if Shepherd issues a specifically worded apology he drew up and pays a "token" amount. ...
- "Accidental" eBay bid causes shake-up
Posted by Anne Broache
(news.com / Philadelphia Inquirer, July 29 2005)
Let's say you decide to offer up a silver 1969 Mercedes-Benz limo -- once owned by Elvis Presley, you're quick to note -- on eBay. You set the "buy-it-now price" at a quarter of a million dollars, and, lo and behold, someone bites. But you never see the money. This troubles you. You may even be, dare we say, all shook up.
That's what a 66-year-old Pennsylvania man claims happened to him in a lawsuit filed last month with the U.S. District Court in Philadelphia. In the latest episode of online-auctioneering scandal, a local TV news station is reporting that Gene Epstein, a retired car dealer from Wrightstown, Penn., has sued Jason Shepard, a 40-year-old sales representative from Ballston Lake, N.Y., for $245,000 -- the amount of the original bid -- plus $150,000 in damages. It remains to be seen whether the Shepard's argument -- that his 2-year-old daughter accidentally hit a key on his computer and locked the bid into place -- would hold up in court. "It was not a prank, not a joke," he told the Philadelphia Inquirer earlier this month. ...
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