late November, 2005
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THE BACHELOR PAD: Graceland and Elvis: definition of "cool"
By MATT KATZ, GANNETT NEW JERSEY
(Ashbury Park Press, November 25 2005)
I finally made a pilgrimage to Graceland. And I finally get it. The Memphis, Tenn., home of Elvis Presley means different things to different people. Some go for the music, which blended country, blues and gospel into rock 'n' roll. Some go for the man, so popular that there are those who still refuse to believe he's dead.
And still others, like myself, go to find out how to be cool. I've fluctuated between average coolness and below-average coolness for most of my life. My coolness fell to an all-time low during the buck-tooth/huge glasses/nasal voice years between ages 7 and 10, and it reached its peak at the end of high school when I finally got a car (a 1987 blue two-tone Toyota Celica). But now, after I've been to Graceland - the birthplace of cool - I know what the word really means.
Elvis created a timeless model of cool for the modern man - particularly the single, looking-to-get-girls modern man. Long before "Cribs" on MTV showcased rock stars' lavish homes, Elvis had the first real bachelor pad. Long before Snoop Dogg was hated by the establishment and loved by teenagers, Elvis was an outlaw in the eyes of conservative adults. And long before imitating musicians was a standard part of adolescence, boys sported the Elvis sideburns.
First, Elvis was cool because of his unique style. He exuded such bravado that he looked cool wearing anything - even ridiculous one-piece bejeweled tight white suits. Eventually, it didn't matter that the cape thing was sort of weird and the oversize glasses were a bit much. It was cool because it was Elvis.
Second, Elvis had the larger-than-life presence needed to take his coolness to the next level. When women threw handkerchiefs on stage during concerts, Elvis picked them up, wiped his brow and tossed them back - all without stopping the song.
Third, despite this absurd level of fame, Elvis apparently wasn't arrogant. He was actually a good guy, which is a crucial ingredient to coolness. He paid strangers' medical bills and bought them Cadillacs. He was known to actually say "ma'am" and "sir," and when he was drafted into the Army at the height of his popularity, he actually served. Can you imagine teeny-bopper Aaron Carter fighting alongside Marines in Iraq today?
Fourth, Elvis was an oversize kid. He had tons of hobbies: football, karate, horseback riding, shooting guns, racing golf carts and riding snowmobiles. Like the most popular male interests today - from NASCAR to the NFL to PlayStation - they involved speed and violence.
And finally - except for the years he was married to Priscilla - Elvis created the quintessential American bachelor pad at his Graceland mansion. It would become a template of how the single man would strive to live for generations. Like bachelor pads today, Graceland was wired. There are still stereos everywhere, including one built into his white fur bed on his private plane and an eight-track player installed in his desk. And like bachelor pads today, the TV was a crucial fixture. Elvis had three TVs in one room - remember, this was the 1960s - so he could watch all three network news shows at once.
Graceland had a $200,000 racquetball court with couches, a pinball machine and a bar. The famed "jungle room" had green shag carpeting on the walls to improve the acoustics for jam sessions, fake fur on the sofa to ensure the comfort of the ladies and a waterfall for the sake of having a waterfall.
Of course, even cool kids have their problems, and Elvis ultimately died in the least cool way possible - while sitting on the toilet. At Graceland, though, there's no mention of Elvis being hooked on pills and overdosing at just age 42. There's no criticism of his music as more style than substance - just black blues repackaged with a white face. But that's OK, because Elvis' role was more important than music. He had attitude before pop music, bling before hip-hop and sex symbol status before the Beatles. And for that, ya gotta love The King.
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Choose the right soundtrack for holiday parties
By Nekesa Mumbi Moody
(Centre Daily Times / Associated Press, November 25 2005)
There are certain songs so magical, so enchanting, they have the power to put even the worst scrooge in a merry holiday mood. But for every "The Christmas Song" by Nat King Cole or "White Christmas" by Bing Crosby, there are also those dreaded songs that have the reverse effect -- turning Christmas cheer into holiday jeer as soon as the first note blares from the speaker system. "Holiday depression is caused by those barking dogs," insists Scott Frampton, contributing music editor for O, The Oprah Magazine, referring to the semi-humorous, mostly maddening rendition of "Jingle Bells" by the Singing Dogs.
What's irritating to one ear, however, may be intoxicating to another. If you've been delegated to come up with the musical mix for an office party, family gathering or blowout with friends, devising a holiday soundtrack that will leave everyone happy may seem as elusive as a Santa Claus sighting. But music aficionados say it's doable -- with good planning and good taste. ... Herb Agner, vice president of catalog marketing for EMI, which puts out several Christmas albums each year, says there are obvious songs to dust off every holiday season: "White Christmas," the Vince Guaraldi Trio's "Charlie Brown Christmas," and Elvis Presley's "I'll Be Home For Christmas" are among the enduring favorites. "Obviously people want the classics," Agner said. "It's part of a sense of home and staying a part of something you grew up with." ... It's also important to time the tempo of the evening with the music. ...
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So you want to raise a rock star: The chances are slim, the payoff is huge and getting there is half the fun -- and very, very expensive
By Bankrate.com
(msn.com, November 25 2005)
So your kid wants to be a rock 'n' roll star? Great for him -- but what's it going to cost you? Poll America's preteen population, and a hefty number of them will say they want to be a rock star when they grow up. Insert here Mom's old punch line: "You're going to have to choose one" (either grow up or be a rock star). For good or ill, MTV, "American Idol," "Rock Star: INXS" and the advertising world have convinced even tone-deaf toddlers that becoming the next Britney Spears or Clay Aiken is not only possible, it's almost inevitable. Behind every Hilary Duff, Jason Mraz and Avril Lavigne you'll find relieved parents who've invested plenty to turn their adolescents into "fabulescents."
Naturally, as a loving parent, you want to do everything within your power to help your child achieve his dream. But as a responsible parent, it is also your duty to shine a little ray of reality into this imaginary music video. The fact is, the odds are astronomically against you having the next Elvis Presley living upstairs. Then again, Mr. and Mrs. Springsteen probably thought the same thing. Can you afford to raise a rock star? What's the likely price tag of fame? And how will you know when it's time to staunch the flow of dough and pack your mascaraed headbanger off to law school instead? ...
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Santa Claus is Comin' to Town ... Elvis-Style! Annual Memphis Tradition Continues as Graceland Shines With Lights Spectacular and Elvis' Traditional Christmas Decorations
Source: Graceland
(Yahoo! Finance / BUSINESS WIRE, November 25 2005)
WHAT:
Graceland officially begins the holiday season on Friday,
November 25th, with the annual lighting of the lights and
decorations on the mansion and plaza property. After a
countdown by everyone in attendance, the Christmas switch is
flipped and Graceland's holiday lights come alive for another
year.
This year, Santa will appear decked out with a decidedly Elvis
attitude, dramatically arriving at Graceland with Elvis style
-- in a limousine -- to participate in the lighting. Santa
will be available for pictures with the kids throughout the
evening's festivities. Humes Middle School Choir will be on
hand with Christmas carols, and hot chocolate and holiday
cookies will be available to make this a tradition to
remember. (Humes Middle School is the former Humes High
School, Elvis Presley's alma mater).
Graceland's extensive holiday spectacle includes hundreds of
blue lights along the driveway, a life-size Nativity scene,
Santa and his sleigh and much more originally displayed by
Elvis. For the seventh year, Arkansas philanthropist Jennings
Osborne and his family have constructed larger-than-ever
displays of over two million lights in Graceland Plaza. The
Osbornes provide lights for over 32 cities, Disney World and
Graceland. Their light displays are a gift to the communities
that enjoy them.
The interiors of Graceland mansion will be decked in Elvis'
Christmas decor for the holiday season and Graceland will stay
open until 8:00 p.m. this night only for those wanting to
purchase a ticket to tour the mansion decorated for the
holidays.
For Elvis fans on your list, there will be special prices and
discounts available at many of the gift shops at Graceland and
Guardian Angel Pet Rescue will be offering gift wrapping for
donations.
For the sixth year, a view of the spectacle can be enjoyed
anywhere in the world via the LIVE "GracelandCam(TM)" at
www.elvis.com. For more information visit www.elvis.com or call 901-332-3322.
WHERE:
Graceland Plaza, Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis, Tennessee
(Contact Kevin Kern at 901-332-3322 for optimum locations)
WHEN:
Friday, November 25th, at Dusk
(approximately 5:30 PM Central Time)
Your coverage of the lighting and festivities is invited.
Contact:
The Beckwith Company
David Beckwith, 323-845-9836
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Madonna ties with Elvis for singles chart record
By Fred Bronson
(Yahoo! News / Reuters / Billboard, November 25 2005)
As Madonna's "Hung Up" jumps seven places to No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, the pop icon matches Elvis Presley's tally for top-10 hits -- 36, the most for any artist in the rock era. Madonna racked up that tally in about 21 and a half years, starting with "Borderline." Presley scored his 36 top 10 hits in 16 and a half years, from 1956 with "Heartbreak Hotel" until 1972 with "Burning Love." ...
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Rockers can sure burn their way through big bucks
By Adam Nichols
(The Olympian / New York Daily News, November 24 2005)
Talk about having money to burn. When U2 singer Bono found himself in Italy without his favorite hat, he spent $1,700 to have it flown to his side - first class. STing once dropped $11,900 on a Christmas tree. And when Elvis Presley got a craving for his favorite restaurant's peanut butter, jelly and bacon sandwiches, he and some pals flew to Denver to chow down, at a cost of $3,387 - more than $12,000 in today's dollars. Those anecdotes of excess are among some 50 tales of rock stars blowing through cash, compiled in the December edition of Blender magazine. ...
- Elvis dumbest rock star
(Economic Times, November 24 2005)
ELVIS Presley's journey in 1976 to Denver to pick up 22 Fool's Gold sandwiches cost $3,387, and the trip has put him on Maxim magazine's new Dumbest Rock Star Extravagances list. According to Clark Collins, who works for Blender magazine, though Presley's sandwiches isn't the largest sum of money spent by a rocker, it is the most bizarre. Other bizarre celebrity whims on the new list are: Michael Jackson paid pal Marlon Brando $1 million to appear briefly at his 30th anniversary concert on the eve of the 9/11 attacks, the Beatles one-time Apple Corps employee 'Magic' Alex once earned $510,000 in a year by coming up with a number of zany inventions that didn't work, and Elton John spent over $410,000 on flowers in 1996 and 1997.
- PRESLEY'S SANDWICH TRIP TOPS ROCK STAR EXTRAVAGANCES POLL
(contactmusic.com, November 22 2005)
ELVIS PRESLEY's love of sandwiches has landed The King at the top of a bizarre new Rock Star Extravagances poll. The tragic rocker's 1976 trip to Denver, Colorado to pick up 22 Fool's Gold sandwiches (peanut butter, jelly and bacon) cost Presley an estimated $3,387 (GBP1,880). The trip has put Presley at the top of Maxim magazine's new Dumbest Rock Star Extravagances list. Blender's CLARK COLLIS explains that Presley's sandwich stop isn't the largest sum of money spent on an item by a rocker on the new list, but it is the most bizarre. He says, "He spent the money on sandwiches, so hats off to him." The top five bizarre celebrity whims on the new list are:
- ELVIS PRESLEY flies to Colorado to pick up sandwiches (1976)
- MICHAEL JACKSON paid pal MARLON BRANDO $1 million (GBP555,500) to appear briefly at his 30th Anniversary concert on the eve of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001
- THE BEATLES' one-time Apple Corps employee 'MAGIC' ALEX once earned $510,000 (GBP283,000) in a year by coming up with a number of zany inventions that didn't work. He was fired
- MICK FLEETWOOD estimates he has spent $8 million (GBP4.4 million) on cocaine
- ELTON JOHN's admission he once spent over $410,000 (GBP228,000) on flowers in 1996 and 1997
- Hollywood death list makes a grim warning about stardom
By Matt Eagan
(Star Tribune / Hartford Courant, November 22 2005)
Klonopin and Seconal hold the supporting roles in this poignant chronicle of how celebrated Hollywood stars met their end. All of us have a catalog of Hollywood deaths taking up valuable storage space in our brains.
James Dean? Car wreck.
Natalie Wood? Boating accident.
And before you can say, "That was no boating accident," thoughts turn to the other member of the "Rebel Without a Cause" trio -- Sal Mineo. Stabbed in the heart by an unknown attacker.
But what about Charles Boyer or Peter Lorre? Lou Costello?
The new anthology "Cut! Hollywood Murders, Accidents and Other Tragedies," by Denise Imwold et al. (Barrons, 368 pages, $29.99), undertakes the macabre task of chronicling hundreds of Hollywood deaths. The book does not shy from the cynicism of the industry, where a death -- if it can happen when the star is young, pretty and on the rise -- is a good career move and the ultimate extension of an ancient show-biz adage: Always leave them wanting more. More than anything, simply through the accumulation of the details of one sad, lonely death after another, this book serves as a warning against the very stardom it celebrates. Not everyone in the book was famous, but nearly all seemed sad in one way or another. ... The stars of this book are not Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe but Klonopin and Seconal. ...
- Wake up with Elvis - in a cup!
By Margie Szaroleta
(Tampa Bay's 10 News / Associated Press, November 20 2005)
You can now start the day with a cup of Elvis. Elvis Presley Enterprises and Ugly Mug Coffee have cut a deal for four limited edition Elvis coffee blends. The four blends are Santa Baby, Blue Christmas, and Love Me Tender, and a decaf called Silent Night. The coffee can be purchased through the link here on the right side of the page.
- Start your day with a steaming cup of Elvis
By Margie Szaroleta
(ktvotv3.com / Associated Press, November 20 2005)
You can now start the day with a cup of Elvis. Elvis Presley Enterprises and Ugly Mug Coffee have cut a deal for four limited edition Elvis coffee blends. The four blends are Santa Baby, Blue Christmas, and Love Me Tender, and a decaf called Silent Night. The coffee can be purchased through www-dot-ElvisCoffee-dot-com.
- Coffee Becomes Latest Elvis Enterprise
By Maria Burnham
(RedOrbit / Commercial Appeal, November 20 2005)
Among all the legend and myth that surrounds Elvis Presley, it's probably not surprising that popular culture would overlook the simple fact he loved coffee. But when licensing officials with Elvis Presley Enterprises came across a little Memphis coffee company with a taste they loved, the next big Elvis enterprise was born -- Elvis Coffee. "Elvis was a big coffee drinker and we know he would be thrilled with this licensee," said Carol Butler, director of Worldwide Licensing for Elvis Presley Enterprises.
EPE tapped Memphis-based Ugly Mug Coffee Co. to produce a signature line of coffees and hot chocolates, beginning with four limited-edition coffee lines for the holiday season. The coffees -- Santa Baby, Blue Christmas, Love Me Tender and Silent Night (the decaf) -- are available only through the Internet at elviscoffee.com. Orders can be placed now but won't begin shipping until Dec. 12. Ugly Mug is an excellent product and also has a strong commitment to the community, which is part of the Elvis legacy, Butler said. The deal started with an idea Ugly Mug had for a company T-shirt featuring a silhouette of Elvis pouring coffee that said, "Two Memphis originals," said John Carroll, vice president of business development for Ugly Mug. The company contacted EPE about using Elvis's image and EPE gave its permission with the stipulation that any proceeds went to charity. As a thank you, the company sent EPE a basket of their products.
"They loved it," Carroll said. "They called us and wanted to see if we would be interested in doing an Elvis coffee." In less than a month, the Web site, branding, design and the coffee were ready to go. ...
- Fitness Revolution: Hooping puts new spin on a slimming and toning workout
By Diana McKeon Charkalis
(Daily Bulletin, November 20 2005)
A bright pink and green hoop revolves around her waist as instructor Rayna McInturf drills students with lunges and squats. "Shake it like Elvis," she said with a smile as the women surrounding her, all with hoops in motion, pick up speed. This is an intermediate hooping class at a dance studio in Hollywood, and it's a far cry from the schoolyard practice many might remember from childhood. These days, "Hula-Hooping" is gone. It's been transformed into "hooping," a practice for adults that enthusiasts say is part exercise, part dance and total fun. ...
- Greatest of tributes for Ali: Boxing icon's life honored in Louisville center
By STEVE HUMMER
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, November 20 2005)
Welcome to the new Muhammad Ali Center, co-starring Joe Frazier, Malcolm X, Mother Teresa and Elvis Presley. For being president, Jimmy Carter got a nice 70,000 square feet of Atlanta as a library and museum. For winning the heavyweight championship three times and proclaiming himself "The Greatest," Ali got a new 93,000-square foot, six-story building on the Ohio River at more than twice the cost ($54 million) of Carter's digs. ...
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