mid October, 2005
- Irish trek spreads Elvis greetings
(commercialappeal.com, October 16 2005)
Richard and Fern Moses and Ron and Cynthia Scharf, all "proud" Collierville residents, traveled to Ireland and then traversed throughout the country for 12 days. "No one has ever done anything like this before," said the dancers in Bunratty's Folk Park Corn Room, where Richard handed out Elvis Presley postcards. It was Moses' way of encouraging the Irish men and women he met to visit Memphis, the Mid-South and Collierville.
- Fame and Fortune: How the Presleys met
(3rd item)
By Beverly Fortune
(Lexington Herald-Leader, October 16 2005)
Priscilla Presley, keynote speaker at the ninth annual In the Interest of Women: A Forum for the Women of Kentucky, had said she was going to talk about her life as a wife, mother and working woman. But she spent at least the first 20 minutes of her speech last week talking about her life with Elvis. I cringed as she told about meeting Elvis. She was 14 years old and living in Germany -- her father was in the Air Force. Elvis, 24, was in the Army and stationed in Germany.
Her parents were approached by a man and a woman in a restaurant where the family was having dinner. The couple asked if they could take Priscilla to meet Elvis. Her parents said yes. Priscilla knew who Elvis was. She was excited to meet this superstar. Doesn't that sound like feeding a lamb to the wolf?
Priscilla said she tried to appear mature for the meeting, and wore a white sailor suit. Elvis asked whether she was a junior or senior in high school. "I said I'm in the ninth grade," Priscilla said. "He said, 'You're just a baby.'"
- Candle maker recalls time as Elvis flame
By Robyn Jackson
(hattiesburgamerican.com, October 16 2005)
Tom Garmon has come up with what he thinks is the perfect advertising slogan for his mother's candle-making business: "Former Elvis flame ignites national candle line." Virginia Anderson, who now lives in Hattiesburg and manufactures a line of premium scented candles, said she was 16 and living in Memphis in 1957 when she met Elvis Presley. Her cousin was visiting from Bakersfield, Calif., and her mother took them to see the gates of Graceland. "He came down in his black Cadillac with his bodyguard," Anderson said. "I noticed he was kind of flirting with me. He went on out the gate and down the highway. He came back and the gatekeeper said 'Elvis wants to see you.' " Presley asked her out on a date for the next night. "I was, needless to say, all dolled up. I still have the dress hanging in my closet," Anderson said. "Elvis had just moved into Graceland in March. I went out with him on July 19, 1957. He had on a black lace shirt and black pants. He didn't have an undershirt on."
They went to a movie theater, using the side entrance, and left before the movie was over, Anderson said. Then they had dinner in a private dining room at a restaurant called Chenault's. "That's where he got mad at me," Anderson said. "He thought I was looking at his bodyguard, Cliff. He made me cry and I asked to go home. I said it's hard to be out with a world idol and act like yourself. He said, 'I know, darlin'." They ended up back at Graceland, where Anderson said Presley sang his songs to her, including his big hit at the time, "Teddy Bear." Their second date was two days later, on Sunday, when he picked her up on his Harley-Davidson motorcycle. After that, he went to Hollywood to make a movie. Several months later, he took her out again, but that was the end of their relationship. She said she was a good girl and resisted his moves, even if she did break a date with her boyfriend to go out with Elvis. "No girl could resist Elvis," she said.
- Beatles hailed as top of the pop icons
By NICHOLAS CHRISTIAN
(scotsman.com, October 15 2005)
POP icons The Beatles have been named the most important entertainers of the past 100 years in a poll by entertainment magazine Variety. The Fab Four beat stars ranging from Elvis to Lassie to be crowned "Icons of the Century" after the magazine quizzed key industry figures and held a public vote on the shortlist. Their place at the top of the list is a testament to the enduring appeal of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. Steven Gaydos, executive editor of Variety, said the icons' list had been drawn up to mark the magazine's 100th birthday.
- Cannon: 'Tupac Will Be Greater Than Elvis'
(teenmusic.com, October 15 2005)
Nick Cannon believes slain rapper Tupac Shakur will one day become more iconic than rock 'n' roll star Elvis Presley. The rapper/actor was devastated when he heard Shakur was murdered in 1996, and he continues to listen to the hip-hop star's music to this day. ...
- Elvis, they found your silk shirt
(Houston Chronicle / Associated Press, October 15 2005)
A blue silk shirt worn by Elvis Presley that exhibitors say was swiped from the State Fair of Texas has been recovered. Collector Russ Howe said Dallas police told him the ruffled shirt, valued around $10,000, was recovered Thursday from a post office after the custom-made garment was left there anonymously. ... The King's Ransom, a traveling exhibit of about 200 items owned and used by Presley, made a public appeal Wednesday after the shirt was stolen Tuesday. Howe, president of King's Ransom, said it was the first time he's had one of his collectibles stolen. ...
- PRESLEY BROKE HEARTS IN THE BEDROOM
(contactmusic.com, October 14 2005)
ELVIS PRESLEY often left his one-night stands in tears, because he refused to take their virginity after they had pleasured him orally. Members of the King's entourage would persuade girls picked from the crowd at shows to perform acts of fellatio on them before delivering them to Presley's bedroom, but despite the nights of passion, the willing teens would always go home with their virginity intact. BYRON 'THE SIREN' RAPHAEL, who Presley allegedly hired to wrangle girls for him to "play around with," admits the nights would often end in heartbreak because Elvis would refuse to go "all the way" with his one night stands and fall asleep soon after he had ejaculated. In a new Playboy interview, Raphael recalls, "He really wasn't all that keen on doing the wild thing. He was far more interested in heavy petting and panting and groaning... Elvis was particularly fond of blow-jobs and had no guilt about them. "But he would never put himself inside one of these girls. Within minutes (of climaxing) he'd be asleep, and often the girl would still be rubbing herself against him. "I'd step in and say, 'It's time to go now, honey. Elvis needs to sleep.' And I'd peel her off him. "Girls would come out of his bedroom in tears, crying, 'Elvis wouldn't take my virginity. He said to wait until my wedding night.'" Elvis told his entourage that he declined offers of full-on sex because he hadn't been circumcised and feared his foreskin would tear during the act. He also promised his mother he'd wait until he was married before having sex.
- PRESLEY COULDN'T PERFORM FOR FRUSTRATED WOOD
(contactmusic.com, October 14 2005)
Late movie icon NATALIE WOOD once pleasured herself with one of ELVIS PRESLEY's entourage after the King refused to have sex with her. The stunning actress courted Presley on and off while he shot LOVE ME TENDER in 1956, and one night attempted to bed the superstar. But 20 minutes into the romp, Wood came storming out of Presley's bedroom, accusing the singer of being gay because he wouldn't have sex with her. Presley's pal BYRON RAPHAEL was forced to make love to the frustrated actress instead, outside the singer's room. He recalls, "'What's the matter with your boss?' she demanded, glaring at me. 'Doesn't he know how to screw? He's all hands and no action.'" But Raphael insists Presley felt that full sex before marriage was a sin and feared he'd tear his foreskin if he indulged in anything but fellatio and masturbation. He felt he couldn't explain that to angry Wood. He adds, "She kept on raving, 'I thought he was supposed to be the king of the sack... What's Elvis going to do, tell his buddies I'm not sexy enough for him?'" Wood then called Elvis and the members of his entourage "homos" before demanding Raphael prove he didn't fit that category in Presley's living room. He remembers, "All of a sudden it hit me that I was actually f**king Natalie Wood."
- PRESLEY THRILLED WITH BEDROOM ANTICS OF SINATRA'S GIRL
(contactmusic.com, October 14 2005)
ELVIS PRESLEY fell for one of FRANK SINATRA's secret girlfriends when he discovered what she could do in bed. The King of rock 'n' roll was smitten with South African dancer JULIET PROWSE when they worked together on the movie G.I. BLUES and couldn't stop boasting about her bedroom skills to his buddies. BYRON RAPHAEL, who was hired by Presley to wrangle girls for one-night stands, recalls, "He bragged to his friends that Prowse liked to grab her ankles and spread her legs wide during the act (of sex)."
- PRESLEY'S UNCIVILISED PALS COST HIM A DATE WITH MONROE
(contactmusic.com, October 13 2005)
MARILYN MONROE once snubbed a date with ELVIS PRESLEY because she didn't like the company he kept. Presley's longtime confidante BYRON RAPHAEL, who was hired to wrangle beautiful one-night stands for the king of rock 'n' roll, reveals his boss met with Monroe on a film set at 20th Century Fox studios in Hollywood. But, he tells men's magazine Playboy, the encounter never hit the headlines because Presley was keen to play down the fact the actress had turned down his advances. However, Raphael insists Monroe was initially interested - until she spotted Elvis' entourage and quickly learned how dumb they were. Raphael recalls the actress was particularly put off by Elvis' "dim-witted cousin" GENE SMITH and his pal CLIFF GLEAVES, "a hooligan". Of the brief meeting, he says, "Monroe smiled in a way that said she liked how Elvis filled out his Oxford trousers, but then her face fell as she took in his companions. "Monroe, forever insecure, had been searching for class in her choices of husband and lover and the sight of Elvis' barely civilised friends launched an unmistakable look of fear and disgust." Smitten Presley continued to woo Monroe until she became one of the only women ever to turn down a date with the King - when she cried off with a headache excuse. Raphael says, "It was one of the rare times Elvis was refused."
- Elvis Shirt Disappears From Texas Fair
(Yahoo! News, October 13 2005)
A blue silk shirt worn by Elvis Presley has been swiped from a State Fair of Texas exhibit. Collector Bud Glass of Tallahassee, Fla., made a public appeal Thursday asking whoever stole the ruffled shirt on Wednesday to return it. Glass said he owns that particular shirt, which is part of an Elvis exhibit at the Hall of State on the fairgrounds in Dallas. He said the theft was caught on videotape and Dallas police have dusted for fingerprints. He declined to release further details. Glass said that he won't prosecute, he just wants the shirt back.
- Carillonist changes his tune to roll with festival's rock theme
By Catherine Naylor
(Canberra Times, October 11 2005, p. 5)
It is not the usual carillon repertoire, but director and carillonist Timothy Hurd had no problem putting on his blue suede shoes and belting out some rock 'n' roll tunes yesterday. Well, maybe not belting them out - it is a bit hard to do that with bells, because unlike other musical instruments, you cannot stop the notes from continuing to ring out. So there were no funky drum beats, sudden pauses or quick chord changes in yesterday's performance, but the rhythm and the harmony of the Elvis songs remained. ...
- News of the weird: Paranormal blues
(second item)
By Chuck Shepherd
(Salt Lake Tribunes, October 10 2005)
According to an August report in The Guardian, British UFO sightings have fallen dramatically in the last few years, say prominent extraterrestrial-watchers in Cumbria County, England (which has seen a drop-off from 40 sightings in 2004 to none in the first seven months of 2005, although sightings continue to come in from elsewhere in the country). Explanations include a post-Sept. 11 worry about Earthbound threats, as well as the end of the TV series ''The X Files.'' Furthermore, in August, British bookmakers told Independent Television News that betting action on whether Elvis Presley is alive has almost completely disappeared. Said bookie Rupert Adams, ''It is perhaps the end of an era.''
- As president, I, too, would pick a buddy to be justice
By Bill McClellan
(ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, October 10 2005)
If I were president, I would certainly nominate a friend for the Supreme Court. I can think of a fellow who isn't a lawyer, but he's wise and has excellent judgment. He'd make a fine justice, but he would not want to go through the circus that a confirmation hearing would be for a nonlawyer. ... So I'd nominate Tom Flynn. He's a federal public defender and he really knows the law. ... That's very unlike the situation in which President George W. Bush finds himself. He has an ideological base - the social conservatives. Actually, the president is kind of an Elvis Presley figure. Just as the King brought country and rock together, the president is the first Republican to be a crossover with the country clubbers and the social conservatives. Born to the former and a convert to the latter, he belongs to both. He has taken care of the country clubbers by slashing their taxes, but now the social conservatives expect a payoff. They want a conservative justice. Instead, the president has gone with a buddy-hire. ...
- Dancing with destiny: Local author finally succeeds with published novel
By James Coburn
(Edmond Sun, October 10 2005)
Lynda Stephenson brought a copy of her recently published book "Dancing with Elvis" to her Edmond postmaster. "I said, 'Do you remember me? I'm the one that's sent off all of those manuscripts,' Stephenson said. "He said, 'I remember you.' He said, 'Hooray - it finally paid off.'" The Edmond author's book "Dancing with Elvis" was recently published by Eerdmans Press. ... "Her themes are always very deep because she cares a lot about people."
"Dancing with Elvis" takes place in Texas during the public schools racial desegregation era of the late 1950s. The narrator is a girl who befriends a black housekeeper in rural Texas. The theme of racial strife stands out amid the foibles of local townspeople. Characters are consumed by jealousy, envy and competition. The "wacky" characters are the interesting ones, Stephenson said. One is a piano teacher with a missing finger. One of her fingers has to work for two, leaving her students unable to understand her technique and fathom the scales. Growing up in a small West Texas town, Stephenson had a lot of "wacky" piano teachers. They would tap her on the hands during practice. Seemingly everybody has a memory of Elvis Presley. Songs and catch-phrases in the book come from periods Stephenson has lived. ...
- AOPi and KA take home first in this year's Lip Sync with help from Elvis
By Emily Payne
(Pacer, October 10 2005, Volume 78, Issue 7)
Alpha Omicron Pi and Kappa Alpha Order took home first place and Best of Show at SAC's Lip Sync Tuesday night. This year's theme, Favorite Artists, introduced a variety of artists, performances, and an Elvis Presley impersonator as a host ... David Crews, the Elvis impersonator from Memphis, entertained the crowd in between the contestants' performance. He threw teddy bears and flowers to the audience while singing and dancing to hits by Elvis. ...
- ELTON: I'M GLAD KATE WAS CAUGHT
By Kevin O'Sullivan
(Mirror, October 10 2005)
ELTON John says Kate Moss was lucky to be caught doing drugs - because it forced her to get help. Sir Elton, who survived his own cocaine hell, said he is delighted the Mirror's revelations about his friend led to her going into rehab. Speaking for the first time about the 31-year-old model's fall from grace, he revealed: "I'm just glad Kate is there, I am happy she is doing something." Kate is being treated at the Meadows Clinic in Arizona - and in an opimistic message of support, Sir Elton said it was the best possible place for her. He explained: "I think Kate has made a really positive move. The Meadows is a great place. It is where two close friends of mine went. Kate is in very good hands." ... He said his own drugs battle lasted 16 years because he was never found out. "The great thing about England is that the media will give you a very hard time. They won't let you get away with it. I wish Elvis Presley had lived in England because if he had, he would probably still be alive today." ...
- Elvis Needs Your Beds!
(Parkes Champion-Post, October 10 2005)
With accommodation in Parkes already booked out for the 2006 Elvis Festival weekend, the Parkes Visitor Information Centre are now calling on local residents to offer accommodation in their own homes. The Visitor Information Centre is coordinating a new Home Hosting Program, which will see festival visitors staying in temporary bed and breakfast style accommodation in the homes of local Parkes residents. ...
- PRESLEY'S [ex] WIFE TO SUE OVER AFFAIR CLAIMS
(contactmusic.com, October 10 2005)
ELVIS PRESLEY's widow [ie divorced wife] PRISCILLA is reportedly considering legal action over claims she had an affair with acclaimed photographer TERRY O'NEILL. New audio book WHEN THE BEATLES MET ELVIS, by British journalist CHRIS HUTCHINS, alleges Presley enjoyed a secret romance with the celebrity snapper after she split from the rock 'n' roll legend in the early 1970s. Hutchins, who set up the famous first meeting between Presley and THE BEATLES in 1965, is baffled by the 60-year-old actress' denial. He says, "I was told, by the same source that told me and informed me that Elvis was dead an hour before the news was officially released in 1977, that Priscilla is talking to her lawyers about my audio book.
"I can't think why. Terry O'Neill was very frank with me and very explicit when he told me about the affair which happened after he met her in a shop she was running in Los Angeles." And O'Neill, who was once married to actress FAYE DUNAWAY, insists the claims are true. He says, "I was in a store and there was this cute girl with a beautiful face. It turned out to be Priscilla. "She had a great body but I didn't like the way she dressed. Dressing badly once is all right but not all the time."
- Presley hopes her story inspires women: Working mom to talk about juggling
By Samieh Shalash
(Lexington Herald-Leader, October 9 2005)
Priscilla Presley isn't in Kentucky this week to produce a movie, sign a book or open a business. As a keynote speaker at the ninth annual "In the Interest of Women: A Forum for the Women of Kentucky," Presley will be in Lexington on Monday to discuss the roles she's played as a wife, mother and working woman. "There are no books that compare to the life I've led," she said in a recent phone interview. "I'm not there to lecture people. I'm just there to tell my story." As co-executor of the Presley estate and an internationally known actress, entrepreneur and author, Presley began her foray into public life when she married Elvis Presley in 1967. "I was married to a very public, successful superstar and icon of the century, a man's man," she said. "And I came from a father in the military that was a man's man. I had to learn a lot from that, because I thought I had a place." Presley soared above and beyond that place, a journey she'll describe at the forum Monday. The conference is meant to empower, inspire and educate women on how to juggle the many responsibilities in their lives while taking time for themselves. ...
- U.S. Handing Air Base Back to Germany
By MATT MOORE
(Yahoo! News / Associated Press, October 9 2005)
The runways that once helped feed a blockaded Berlin, bade Elvis farewell after his Army service and provided the first glimpse of freedom for hostages returning from Iran now stand empty. A hub of U.S. military activity for decades, Rhein-Main Air Base is being given back to Germany and its logistical functions taken over by bases at Ramstein and Spangdahlem. Ceremonies set for Monday will mark the handover, which will take until the end of the year. ... A young Elvis Presley flew from Rhein-Main back to the U.S. when his Army service ended. ...
- Swedes get new look at Elvis
BY DANZA JOHNSON
(Daily Journal, dated September 18, found October 9 2005)
Elvis's blue suede shoes have danced their way to Sweden.
Calle Wisborg and Karin Malmsten, producers with the Swedish Broadcasting Co., said even though Sweden has a strong Elvis Presley fan base, people in their country don't know who the "King" really was. But about 50 Swedish tourists were about to find out as they visited the Elvis Presley Birthplace on Saturday. "It is so astonishing to see that the big man came from such small beginnings," said Malmsten, pointing at the little house where Elvis spent the first three years of his life. "We want people to know the normal side of Elvis. His charity, his Christian faith and his involvement in the civil rights movement. People in Sweden are very curious about Elvis."
The Rev. Ulf Sanned of the Swedish Church organized a tour to the Memphis area every year. Along with Pat Rasberry and the Tupelo Convention and Visitors Bureau, this is the third tour Sanned has had in Tupelo. He produces and conducts a music talk program called Amazing Grace in Sweden.
Sanned will deliver a sermon today at the Victory Temple Church, Elvis' home church, which will be broadcast all over Sweden. A radio documentary will be made from their trip and it will focus on the footsteps of Elvis's life. "When we broadcast this, we hope our listeners will realize the beauty of this museum," said Sanned. "The beginning of Elvis's life started here."
More to come? Sanned said he hopes the focus on Elvis' younger years will encourage more Swedes to make the trip to his birthplace. Museum Director Dick Guyton said it's not uncommon to see people from as far away as Sweden make the trip to the museum. "About 40 percent of the people that visit here are European," said Guyton. "People all over the world are extremely fond of Elvis."
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