mid August, 2005
- Still shook up by Elvis
(Sydney Morning Herald, August 17 2005)
Thousands of fans from around the world packed Elvis Presley's home today to pay homage on the anniversary of his death and prove the rock'n'roll king is still not forgotten. Twenty-eight years after Presley was found slumped on the floor of the bathroom at his Graceland mansion in Memphis, the gardens were still packed for the annual vigil of fans carrying candles, wreaths and teddy bears and wearing any Elvis memorabilia they can lay their hands on. At midnight, when the official vigil started the temperature was a wilting 31 degrees Celsius. But it did not deter fans, many of whom were not alive on August 16, 1977 when Presley died at the age of 42 from the impact of years of prescription drug abuse.
For most the memorial week theme, "Elvis Lives," is more than a marketing slogan. "If he weren't dead, we would have known by now," said Bill Vick, who travelled from Sydney, Australia to attend the vigil for the ninth time. "But that doesn't mean Elvis Presley is not alive." Vick, a 1950s and 60s-era rock and roll singer by trade, finished his blue, black and white chalk sketch of a young, brooding Presley, circled by candles and facing the famed Graceland gates, just minutes before midnight. But Vick's portrait was not the only tribute on Elvis Presley Boulevard in front of Graceland. Twenty-somethings from Germany hoisted beers to a nearby Scot in a kilt who sang along to Presley hits such as That's All Right, Viva Las Vegas and Burning Love, blaring from loudspeakers. Fans speaking a myriad of languages, from Dutch to Japanese, mingled on the street as The King performed, via taped concert footage, on giant screens.
Dozens erected shrines - from simple pictures of Presley and his parents to elaborate designs spelling out Presley's name in flickering candlelights. Professional Japanese Elvis tribute artist Mori Yasumasa was among the throng that made its way to the grave. "I wouldn't miss the vigil," said Yasumasa, a former champion of the local impersonator competition. "This is the highlight of my year."
For other fans, like Dorian Baxter, founder of Christ the King, Graceland Independent Anglican Church in Ontario, Canada, this is more of a pilgrimage. "Elvis has been a great instrument to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ," said Baxter, a reverend who often performs in Elvis garb as Elvis Priestly. "And coming to Memphis in August," continued Baxter, dressed in a white linen suit and black silk shirt, "is just my way of paying respect to the man whose music has helped me bring people to the Lord".
This year the event was televised on the internet and on select cable channels, according to Elvis Presley Enterprises (EPE), who said it had reached 12 million homes in the United States. Presley's endurance is witnessed everywhere from his chart-topping American and British re-releases and remixes in recent years to the $US100 million ($A130.23 million) that Presley's sole heir, Lisa Marie Presley, received for selling EPE to New York-based CKX Inc, an entertainment company that also owns the hit television series American Idol. But perhaps Presley's lasting legacy is no better visible than in Memphis, beneath the near full moon at midnight as Presley sang Love Me Tender and thousands of fans, paused in their candlelit procession to toast the world's first rock star with the echoing refrain: To The King.
Photo: AP
- Thousands meet in memory Elvis Presley
(SABC News, August 16 2005)
Twenty-eight years after the death of Elvis Presley, the pop star has not lost any of his luster. Thousands of fans flocked to the former Presley home at Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee to pay tribute to the rock and roll king who died on this day in 1977. Holding candles, fans from 10 to 80 years old, stood in queues that snaked around the mansion as they listened quietly to Elvis tunes. Presley's popularity has continued to grow over the decades. His music and Elvis Presley Enterprises rakes in a whopping $40 million a year. Last year Forbes magazine listed Presley as the world's top earning deceased entertainer.
- Elvis came here to think: Despite published reports, typical pursuits aren't what drew The King to the valley
By Bruce Fessier
(The Desert Sun, August 16 2005)
Few of Elvis Presley's favorite hangouts in Palm Springs get mentioned in the hundreds of books about the rock icon who was born in a shotgun shack in Tupelo, Miss., in 1935. Many of the published references to Elvis in Palm Springs are erroneous. Elvis, who signed with RCA Records in 1955, made his first trips to the West Coast in 1956 for concert, television and film appearances. There have been reports he might have passed through Palm Springs between then and 1958, when he was inducted into the Army.
But Elvis didn't fall in love with Palm Springs until the mid-1960s and even then he didn't fall in love with what attracts most stars to the desert today. Elvis didn't golf, he didn't play tennis and he didn't go to charity benefits. He did like to use his huge arsenal of guns, many of which are now on display at Graceland in Memphis. The Palm Springs Police Department let him use its old shooting range and, every now and then, Elvis would use his television for target practice - especially when Robert Goulet or Mel Torme would appear on the screen. Ken Parker of Hallmark TV has recalled having to get out of bed to sell a new TV to one of Elvis' aides after one of his shooting episodes.
Elvis bought a dune buggy from his late friend, Liberace, and Elvis and his guys used to love jumping the sand dunes at night, when it was most dangerous. The late John Phillips of the Mamas and the Papas recalled almost having an accident with him in the dunes. Elvis generally didn't hang out with rock or movie stars in Palm Springs. Priscilla Presley and other Elvis associates have said he came to the desert to escape the "phoniness" of Hollywood. But stars such as Cybill Shepherd, Connie Stevens and Barbara Leigh have said they dated Elvis and spent weekends with him in Palm Springs.
Palm Springs was a place where Elvis played, but he also said it was where he came to think.
- Gamblers give up on Elvis
(channel4.com, August 16 2005)
Bookmakers have revealed that wagers have all but dried up from fans betting that Elvis Presley is still alive. Over the years bookmakers William Hill have taken thousands of bets that Elvis will be found alive, but in the last year fans have stopped placing bets. Bookmakers have now lengthened the odds of Elvis being found alive from 100/1 to 1000/1. "The biggest odds we have ever given was a Elvis related bet, we offered 14 million to one that Elvis will crash land a UFO into Loch Ness hitting the monster," said bookmaker Rupert Adams. "It is perhaps the end of an era, where even his most ardent fans no longer believe that Elvis could have remained hidden for so long."
- Elvis and Chagall: Perfect together
(ynetnews.com / Associated Press, August 15 2005)
In the world of the Elvis faithful, art is often judged by the quality of its black velvet background. Mention a 20th-century master like Marc Chagall to the fans at Graceland and you're likely to draw little more than blank stares. But a lecturer on Chagall sees an artistic connection between the Russian-born Jewish painter and the Mississippi-born king of rock 'n' roll. "They had a message for us, and that message is hope, reconciliation and love," said Vivian Jacobson, who will present an "Evening with Elvis and Chagall" this month at one of Memphis' main art museums. ...
'Deathaversary' week
Taking in a show of artwork by Presley fans, Smith was moved by a piece depicting a jump-suited Elvis on stage with the faces of his mother, Gladys, and father, Vernon, floating in a wisp of clouds above. "It takes a lot of time to do these things," Smith said. "You don't just throw this stuff together." The art show at Graceland, Presley's famous white-columned house, is part of a weeklong string of dances, fan-club meetings and Elvis impersonator contests held each year on the death anniversary. The bacchanalia peaks tonight with a candlelit procession of several thousand fans to Presley's grave beside the Graceland swimming pool.
Most of the Elvis faithful will be gone when Jacobson gives her lecture Sunday, but she hopes to draw new fans to both Presley and Chagall. The program at the Dixon Gallery and Gardens will feature slides of Chagall's work accompanied by Presley's music. Jacobson, a speaker for the North Carolina Humanities Council, delivers six to 12 lectures a year on Chagall's work to churches, synagogues and community groups. She is a former president of the American Friends of the Chagall Biblical Message Museum in Nice, France. "Many people who know Elvis don't know anything about Chagall, so they learn about Chagall," she said. "And a lot of Chagall people really don't know anything about Elvis."
Chagall windows
Jacobson said she began listening to Presley's music a few years ago when a friend gave her an Elvis CD. "Because I know and love the paintings of Marc Chagall, I could pick out 20 in my mind, visualize the paintings, while Elvis was singing 'The Wonder of You,' " she said. Chagall, who died at age 98 in 1985, dealt often with religious themes. Among his best-known works are 12 stained-glass windows at the Hadassah-University Medical Center in Jerusalem that tell the Old Testament story of Jacob and his sons.
Of course, Elvis didn't write his own songs and many were performed first by other entertainers, but for Jacobson, his recordings rise to the level of art, nevertheless. She also sees comparisons in Presley's and Chagall's personal lives. ...
- Walking in Memphis, dreaming of desert
By Bruce Fessier
(The Desert Sun, August 14 2005)
It's Elvis week and all is quiet in Palm Springs. Elvis Presley lived in four houses in this one-time village of the stars and stayed at the Spa Resort when it was known for its healing water instead of its tumbling dice. But little is being done to remember the pop icon's death 28 years ago Tuesday - at least compared to Memphis. I visited Elvis' hometown last month and was smitten by the way Memphis uses its heritage to attract and entertain visitors year-round. It's called the Birthplace of Rock 'n' Roll because, even with humidity worse than the Coachella Valley in typhoon season, the city rocks. It's also called the Home of the Blues because it's where W.C. Handy turned the blues into a universally recognized art form by publishing and transcribing the 12-bar sounds of the Mississippi Delta due south of Memphis. There's a statue of him at Handy Park at the blues crossroads at Beale and 3rd Street - the extension of the famous Blues Highway 61.
... In contrast to Palm Springs, the spirit of Elvis is everywhere in Memphis. But, more significantly, the spirit of its heritage is everywhere. It should be a role model for those seeking to re-model Palm Springs. Palm Springs resident Mary Wright recently told me how disappointed she is that much of the historic Palm Springs Racquet Club is being turned into condominiums. ... The new owner, Mike Mueller of Mueller Design Inc. in Los Angeles, actually is adding condos and keeping the Bamboo restaurant open to the public. He says he has design ideas in mind, and he plans to feature midcentury architecture, but I'd love to see the restaurant be an interactive tribute to Palm Springs' glory days with photos, memorabilia and even figures of the old stars who came to the Racquet Club for its unique ambience and food. Add that to "The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies," the Agua Caliente Museum, the Elvis Honeymoon Hideaway and the Palm Springs Art Museum, and you'd have a nice zone to show off Palm Springs' history the way Memphis exploits its music heritage. ...
- Elvis Presley Anniversary, 2005
By Maurice Colgan
(XTVWorld.Com, August 12 2005)
Around this time, every year since 1977, millions of Elvis Presley fans, and the general public, will remember where they were when they heard the news that Elvis had died.
Once again the international media on the 16th August will devote a large amount of time and space to the late singer.
For more than half a century stories about Elvis Presley have bemused and entertained hundreds of millions of people around the world. Thousands of books devoted to his music, movies, and his personal life have attempted to explain the Elvis phenomenon.
The enigma remains.
Because of his innate modesty, Elvis himself did not completely appreciate his unique talent fully, but nevertheless shared it with us unselfishly. His beauty, generosity, and above all his magnificent vocal ability have finally eclipsed the tragic circumstances of his death 28th years ago.
Those of us lucky enough to have witnessed the meteoric beginning of Elvis's amazing career looked on without surprise at the return of his songs to the top of the music charts in 2005. His beautiful versatile voice captures the imagination of the young and old alike. New generations of Elvis fans will take his wonderful music well into the next century.
The great Ludwig Van Beethoven and Maria Callas have company.
Contact:
Maurice Colgan
Swords, Ireland
http://irelandtoo.blogspot.com
- The Indestructible Beat of Bo Diddley: Inside the mind of rock's great inventor
By NEIL STRAUSS
(Rolling Stone, August 12 2005)
At age seventy-six, reeling from diabetes, back problems and a pending divorce, Diddley still brims with life and enthusiasm, displaying the maverick spirit that made him one of the inventors of rock & roll, as well as the square guitar he used to play, to say nothing of the beat that bears his name.
... "[The British Invasion] wouldn't have happened without Bo ... When Bo Diddley's records came out, we'd try and copy them. We were great collectors of whatever we could find of his. It all seemed very glamorous, but we were quite surprised when we went to Chicago years afterward. Some of the people we thought were huge stars were living in pretty dire straits."
And perhaps that is why Diddley is still holding a grudge against Elvis Presley. Before he leaves his Manhattan hotel room, which is so small there is just enough space for a king-size bed and a small writing desk, Diddley recalls a television show he had seen that morning paying tribute to the pioneers of rock & roll.
"They started off with Elvis," Diddley says. He shakes his head sadly. "Elvis was not first. I was the first son of a gun out here: me and Chuck Berry. And I'm very sick of the lie. You know, we are over that black-and-white crap, and that was all the reason Elvis got the appreciation that he did. I'm the dude that he copied, and I'm not even mentioned." Diddley's voice grows louder and he gestures sharply at his chest, where the wounds have only grown deeper with time. "I'm still here -- seventy-six years old, feeling good and still working. But I don't know how much longer I can stand by and see somebody else get all the glory. I've been out here for fifty years, man, and I haven't ever seen a royalty check." ...
- Dead celebrities rule!
Posted by Bob Sassone
(tvsquad, August 12 2005)
Here is the list of the Top 10 Dead Celebrities, as ranked by Marketing Evaluations, a company that has done surveys every year for 41 years:
* Lucille Ball
* Bob Hope
* John Wayne
* Jimmy Stewart
* Red Skelton
* Johnny Carson
* John Ritter
* Jackie Gleason
* Charles Schulz
* Michael Landon
Most of these names aren't a surprise, but I can't understand how Red Skelton is on the list yet Elvis Presley and Princess Di aren't.
- ShopElvis.com re-emerges on eFashion Solutions platform
(internetretailer.com, August 12 2005)
Coinciding with Elvis Week 2005 in Memphis, TN, ShopElvis.com has re-launched on an e-commerce platform powered by eFashion Solutions LLC, Elvis Presley Enterprises Inc. said today. The new site, which sells a wide range of Elvis-trademarked apparel, jewelry and other items as well as music products, has been designed to accept foreign currency and to handle shipping to more than 120 countries. The site is offering free global shipping through Aug. 31. "All transitional work is done, everything is live and working properly and we`re already busy with Elvis Week," said Danny Hiltenbrand, director of merchandise for Elvis Presley Enterprises. EFashion Solutions, which is now responsible for worldwide web marketing and web retailing for Elvis-trademarked merchandise, took over the ShopElvis.com platform in July from FanBuzz Inc., which specializes in operating web sites for professional sports teams.
- Vienna Is Celebrating Elvis Week
By WILLIAM J. KOLE
(Yahoo! News / Associated Press, August 12 2005)
Mozart would be mortified. Beethoven would probably spin like an LP in his grave. But for next week, at least, they ain't nothing but hound dogs to Austrians obsessed with The King. Vienna's Hilton becomes the Heartbreak Hotel on Monday, when "Elvis Week" - seven days of live music, memorabilia and screenings of Elvis Presley films - kicks off for those who love him in Europe, where he never gave a concert.
The festival coincides with the 28th anniversary of Presley's death on Aug. 16, 1977. But it underscores the singer's huge popularity in Austria, Germany and other countries where he's still got fans all shook up. "For me, he was the only unique entertainer in the world," said organizer Wolfgang Hahn, who runs Elvis4You, a new shop in downtown Vienna that sells Elvis music, memorabilia and trinkets. "My mission is to tell people in Central Europe how good he really was."
Presley's popularity in Europe has grown even though he never performed publicly on the continent. The only time he spent in Europe was a 1958-60 stint in the U.S. Army in Germany, during which he visited Paris twice while on leave and stopped briefly in Scotland when the military plane carrying him home was refueling. Harald Molan, a 23-year-old Vienna university student, calls himself "a medium to huge fan." "It's no different than someone who's crazy about Mozart, who has been dead for even longer," he said. "At least there's footage of Elvis on video, which you don't have if you like Mozart." Hahn, who's 42 - "the same age Presley was when he died" - takes his Elvis seriously. He calls himself Wolf Memphis, drives a car that bears an "ELVIS9" license plate (one through eight were already taken by other fans), wears an Elvis guitar pick on a cord around his neck and is the lead singer of Little Memphis, a band that does Elvis covers in English and German.
No pompadours, mutton chop sideburns, lip curls or hip swivels for him. Hahn, a friend of Presley's widow, Priscilla, makes regular pilgrimages to Graceland and sees Elvis impersonators as sacrilegious. "There was just one Elvis. I think it's strange to imitate him," he said Friday. "It's a gag for a birthday party, but we take Elvis very seriously. He started a musical revolution."
Vienna's Las Vegas-style festival, which is expected to draw hundreds of fans, isn't the only Elvis event on offer. French fans plan to gather in Fontainebleu on Aug. 25, and Elvis enthusiasts in England will assemble in Bristol on Sept. 6 for United Elvis Meetup Day. Elvis rocks on in Britain, where a rerelease of his 1959 hit "One Night" soared to No. 1 on the country's singles charts in January. Over the years, Presley tunes have topped the U.K. charts 20 times, beating out The Beatles, which only managed 17. In Italy, where a fan club based at the Memphis Cafe in Milan boasts 430 members, about 70 people recently headed to Memphis, Tenn., on a trip they organized to mark the anniversary, spokesman Maurizio Falletti said. Presley is also hot in Germany, where fans on Thursday kicked off the 4th European Elvis Festival in Bad Nauheim, where the singer was based as a soldier, with a weekend of karaoke performances and Elvis impersonations.
In Austria, the Elvis frenzy might have prompted the Von Trapp Family Singers of "The Sound of Music" fame to head for the hills. But Hahn says he can't understand anyone who isn't crazy about Elvis, an obsession that began when he was 13 and first heard "All Shook Up." ... "He was 10 times better than what you hear on a CD or see on a DVD. He could do everything - rock, but also gospel and ballads that are so untouchable," he said. "Even at the end, he had presence and charisma."
- Elvis' old Army buddy wants you to party, Acapulco style
By Mike Moody
(Brownsville Herald, August 12 2005)
It's not surprising to find out that an Elvis Presley shampoo exists, or that someone thought it was a good idea to create an aftershave based on the King of Rock 'n' Roll's scent. Elvis memorabilia rivals "Star Wars" collectibles in popularity and ubiquity. There are Elvis license plates, Elvis thermometers and Elvis clocks. Simon Vega owns them all.
"I've spent about $100,000 on the collection, or way more even," said Vega, whose Los Fresnos home doubles as a shrine to Elvis Presley called "Little Graceland." Guarded by a white iron fence, a replica of the one surrounding the other Graceland in Memphis, Tenn., Vega's front yard confesses his Kingly obsession. To the left of the house is a reproduction of Elvis' tombstone. Right next to that stands a double - one-third the size - of the Tupelo, Miss. house where Presley was born. Above the garage are two rooms full of reproductions of Elvis' personal effects - including a copy of his will - albums, posters, statues and paintings of the King. ...
- DNA Proof that Elvis Is Alive - Fans Are Celebrating
(PRWEB, August 12 2005)
Dr. Bill Beeny of St. Louis, Missouri and a medical doctor from Memphis, Tenn., have taken biopsy tissue from Elvis in 1973 and 1975, and compared it to the tissue from the cadaver reported to be Elvis. The conclusive lab results show that the Elvis DNA tissue from 1973 and 1975 does not match the body in the casket. Finally, there is proof that Elvis did not die!
These shocking findings have been compiled into the new book, "Elvis' DNA, Proves He's Alive" written by Dr. Bill Beeny and Phil Aitcheson who headed up the Presley Commission. Besides the DNA results, the book also answers many questions such as:
Why did Elvis fake his death?
How did Elvis fake his death?
Did his family know?
Was the F.B.I involved?
Who was in the casket?
Why did his family have his autopsy sealed by the court until 2025?
Why didn't his family collect on his life insurance policy?
Did the Memphis Mafia know what was going on?
While Elvis fans flock to Memphis, Tenn., to hold candlelight vigils and shed tears on the anniversary of his death, Dr. Bill Beeny and other fans will be celebrating with jubilation over the DNA results. The
Elvis is Alive" Party will begin at 6 p.m. on Aug. 16, 2005, at the Barnes and Noble in West Melbourne, Florida. It will be covered with a live broadcast hosted by Jackie McCoy and Susan Ramon from ³What's Happening Brevard² on www.tropicwaveradio.net.
If you believe Elvis died on Aug. 16th, 1977, come to the party and learn that his death was really a well-coordinated pre-planned hoax! Ask questions and get answers from the author and researcher himself. Jackie and Susan will introduce Dr. Bill Beeny, ask Elvis Trivia and give away copies of the "Elvis' DNA, Proves He's Alive" book. There will also be the opportunity to win the exclusive limited edition Elvis is Alive t-shirts that were designed by the hot new graphics company V V Designs (www.vvdesigns.com).
The West Melbourne Barnes & Noble (www.barnesandnoble.com) will have complimentary snacks and beverages that were reported to be Elvis' favorite, and Champion Roller-Skating Elvis Impersonator Joey Rodriquez will perform throughout the evening. Right before the book signing at 7 p.m., enjoy some custom made Elvis Cake created by Cindy at Countryside Confections.
Join in on the fun and excitement of the "Elvis is Alive" Party and book signing only at Barnes & Noble located at 1955 West New Haven Avenue, West Melbourne, Fla. Tuesday, Aug. 16 from 6 p.m. until Beeny has left the building. ...
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