early January, 2006
- Rock Music Menu: Contemporary artists put own spin on Elvis classics
By MICHAEL CHRISTOPHER
(Daily Times, January 6 2006)
Sunday marks what would have been the 71st birthday of Elvis Presley, and in recognition, hips will be swiveling downtown at the Tin Angel, where some great local talent will honor the King by covering some of his most well-known songs. The show, now in its second year, will present the songs that Elvis loved. Sure, you could go to a performance of Elvis impersonators who make a cartoon character of the artist, but why do that? Elvis was a great recognizer of talent and song craft and that rarely is displayed during those parrot-like episodes. Instead, the Tin Angel is offering the opportunity to get turned onto some great artists paving their own path right in our backyard. ...
- Elvis' last show changed Hoosier's life
By David Lindquist
(indystar.com, January 6 2006)
Danny Thompson says he might be the only person at tonight's "Elvis Birthday Bash" who caught an Elvis Presley performance in the flesh. (Danny Thompson and his band, the Mess Arounds, will perform in an Elvis Presley birthday concert at 9 p.m. today at Locals Only, 2449 E. 56th St.) Presley's final show -- June 27, 1977, at Market Square Arena -- was a life-changing experience for Thompson, a 13-year-old at the time. "It really had an effect on me," Thompson says. "I said, 'You know, I want to do that.' " Thompson followed through on his musical aspirations. He was a founding member of punk rock's Sloppy Seconds in the 1980s, and in recent years he's fronted rockabilly revival act Bigger Than Elvis and the Mess Arounds, a trio that specializes in "hot-rocking blues, soul and R&B," in Thompson's words.
Here are Thompson's thoughts on topics that continue to fascinate fans of the "King of Rock 'n' Roll":
Market Square Arena memories: Thompson knows the final stages of Presley's concert career are widely maligned as being inconsistent and incoherent. Yet he describes the final concert as a "good performance," and one he can revisit thanks to a bootleg videotape of various 8 mm films. "I remember it being fun and energetic," Thompson says. "He had fun doing what he was doing."
If Presley had lived a longer life: The idea of a collaboration between Presley and producer Rick Rubin, who's rallied late-career greatness from Johnny Cash and Neil Diamond, intrigues Thompson. The Mess Arounds vocalist says also that interest in rockabilly was on the rise in the 1970s, a trend that might have prompted a tour with stars such as Roy Orbison and Carl Perkins. "Then again, Elvis always did his own thing," Thompson says. "He never followed trends, but he kept an eye on what was happening."
Hollywood highlight: Regarding Presley's work as an actor, Thompson says his favorite film is 1958's "King Creole." "Casablanca" director Michael Curtiz oversaw "King Creole," which featured Walter Matthau and Vic Morrow in supporting roles. "Even without Elvis, it would have been a good film," Thompson says.
Mansion in Memphis: Thompson has visited Graceland twice, in 1988 and 2000. When asked to name his favorite room in Presley's home, Thompson goes with "the one that everyone hates": the Jungle Room. It's a retreat known for its indoor waterfall, fur-upholstered furniture and green carpet on the floor, walls and ceiling. "It's just tacky-cool," Thompson says. "Other than the shag carpet, it's like you've walked into some medieval castle."
What people are missing: Thompson advises Presley fans to check out "Walk a Mile in My Shoes: The Essential '70s Masters" -- a 120-track boxed set that was released in 1995. "(That era) was more than just shaking around in a jumpsuit," Thompson says. "He did some really poignant music. I think people should listen and give it a chance."
- Happy Birthday, dear Elvis, wherever you spend your 71st
By Michael Heaton
(The Plain Dealer, January 6 2006)
Some folks think Elvis Presley went to his reward on Aug. 16, 1977, after a fatal cardiac episode. Others think he is alive, well and working at a Burger King in Kalamazoo, Mich. Wherever you think the King resides, Sunday is his 71st birthday, and if you can't make the 700-mile trip to Graceland in Memphis, Tenn., we have ways for you to celebrate right here in Cleveland.
Obviously the first stop would be at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. It has a whole mess of memorabilia from the seemingly endless Elvis closet. His Army dress uniform from when he was stationed in Germany from 1957 to 1960 is there for your inspection. So is the deed to Graceland, his custom-designed mansion in Memphis. There are small personal items like his Diner's Club card, a gold, heart-shaped "Love Me Tender" necklace, and a change purse in the shape of his head. There's the collarless sport jacket he wore in the 1964 film "Viva Las Vegas." And of course there's one of his white jumpsuits. ...
- Elvis fan club to restart on birthday
By M. SCOTT MORRIS
(Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, January 6 2006)
The Tupelo Elvis Presley Fan Club will be reborn on the 71st anniversary of the King of Rock 'n' Roll's birth. Starting at 2 p.m. Sunday, fans visiting the Elvis Presley Birthplace and Museum will be able to pay $5 for a lifetime membership in the club. ...
- Thief's Elvis Collection to Be Auctioned
(AP via Yahoo! News, January 6 2006)
A court ruled Friday that hundreds of rare Elvis Presley records and pieces of memorabilia collected by a woman who stole almost $1 million from her employer must be auctioned to repay her debt. Lincoln Crown Court in eastern England said money raised at the auction should be used to repay Julie Wall's employer, North Kesteven District Council. Prosecutors said Wall, of Sleaford, eastern England, stole the money over a 10-year period while she worked as a cashier for the council, and spent the money at collectors' fairs and specialty stores across Britain. "There is a vast quantity of Elvis Presley memorabilia currently being held by the police," prosecutor James Dennison told the court. He said the total value of the collection, which includes rare recordings, will not be known until it is sold by a High Court official. Dennison told the court that Wall's job at the council, where she had worked for more than 30 years, was to deposit takings from the parking meters into the council's bank account. Instead, she pocketed the money, making up to $18,000 a month. ...
- MOVIES: Elvis on video
By Daniel Chan
(Malay Mail, January 3 2006)
JANUARY 8 marks the 71st anniversary of the birth of Elvis Presley in 1935 in Tupelo, Mississippi, so itıs timely to reflect on his 31 feature films, a growing number of which are now available on high-quality DVD.
Elvis was the cutting edge of the then new genre of rock when, aged 21, he rocketed to stardom in 1956 and the same year made his screen debut in Love Me Tender, set during the American Civil War, in which he played an ill-fated farmer in conflict with his elder brother, a Rebel soldier (Richard Egan) as they both love the same woman (Debra Paget). Love Me Tender, directed by Robert D. Webb and originally titled The Reno Brothers, was a huge box-office hit, and Elvis headlined 30 more films during his prime, and all his films would have him singing at least one song, and some of the songs were chart hits too.
In his early films, Elvis was earnest, dared to tackle challenging roles, pushed himself to the limits, and tried to emulate the two actors he admired most - Marlon Brando and James Dean - and Elvis certainly showed promise as a serious actor with Oscar potential. His noteworthy early roles were 1957's Loving You (as petrol station attendant whose singing ability is discovered), 1957's Jailhouse Rock (considered his best, as ex-convict who redeems himself as a rock star), 1958's King Creole (Elvis' personal favourite, as New Orleans nightclub singer trying to escape the clutches of the criminal underworld, this was based on Harold Robbins' bestselling novel A Stone For Danny Fisher), 1960's Flaming Star (as half-breed who must choose sides when his Native American mother's tribe go on the warpath, a role initially meant as the first Western for Marlon Brando), and 1961's Wild In The Country (superb as a temperamental backwoods youth who aspires to be a writer and has affairs with three women of different maturity).
But the direction of his screen career changed due to the even bigger success of 1960's G.I. Blues and 1961's Blue Hawaii, both romantic musical comedies that cleverly capitalised on his discharge from the US army in 1960 after serving two years as a soldier at a US army base in West Germany (during which he continued to grab world news headlines).
... Elvis passed away on Aug 16, 1977 at age 42 from a drug overdose at his Graceland mansion in Memphis, Tennessee that has since become a 'pilgrimage' shrine to his fans all over the world who made him the king of rock & roll and the No. 1 biggest-selling recording artiste in history, with over one billion of his singles and albums sold in the past half century (ironically, more Elvis records are sold in the 29 years since his death than the 21 years when he was a singer). Which of his films were the best? In shortlisting his top five, most fans would include 1957's Jailhouse Rock, 1958's King Creole, 1960's Flaming Star, 1961's Blue Hawaii, and 1969's oddly-titled The Trouble With Girls (And How To Get Into It). As for the rest, most of his films rated two-stars at best, but many of them make feel-good viewing.
- Enchanting and handy insight about Mississippi
By KERI HOLT
(Delta Democrat Times, January 2 2006)
Did you know shortly before writer William Faulkner's death, he corresponded with Elvis Presley? Faulkner had heard that Elvis' mother died and wrote to cheer up a fellow Mississippi boy.
Did you know in 1908 Mississippi became the first state to prohibit alcohol? ... All this information and more can be found in a newly released book "Mighty Mississippi," written by Victor Robilio and published by Premium Press America in Nashville, Tenn. The book is designed to give a partiotic salute to Mississippi and give Mississippians an opportunity to take great pride in their state. ...
- Impersonators carry on legacy
By DANIEL MCNAMARA
(Daily News, January 1 2006)
On Dec. 4, 1956, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and a few musicians piled into a Memphis recording studio. While fooling around with the tape reels rolling, the foursome recorded dozens of tracks. Selections from the session would later be compiled and released in 1981 under the title "The Million Dollar Quartet." Participation varied on many of the recordings and there is some speculation about how much Cash actually contributed, but for devotees of the pioneering rock and country artists, that day in December stands as a landmark date in American music history.
Eight hundred and sixty six miles away in eastern North Carolina, Onslow County schools had half of the "The Million Dollar Quartet" (the "$500,000 Duo"?) sitting in its classrooms. Ryder 'Elvis Presley' Preston [and Don "Johnny Cash" Blalock].
When Elvis Aaron Presley passed away on Aug. 16, 1977, the 47-year-old Mississippi native left behind a small family, a host of fans and a scattered contingent of devotees who adopted the King's persona as their own. The legions of impersonators who took on Elvis as an identity - whether it be on stage, in public or at home - bore the obvious imprint of the artist regarded by many as the greatest in rock 'n' roll history. And in the 28 years since his passing, their ranks have only grown. "There are now at least 85,000 Elvis's around the world, compared to only 170 in 1977 when Elvis died," declared The Naked Scientists, a self-described "media-savvy group of physicians and researchers from Cambridge University."
Given the King's propensity for post-mortem proliferation, The Naked Scientists went on to provide their tongue-in-cheek projection of the world's future Elvis-ness. "At this rate of growth, experts predict that by 2019 Elvis impersonators will make up a third of the world population." But even by that fateful August morning, Ryder Preston's fate had been inextricably tied to the King's. And if the Naked Scientists' figures are to be believed, Preston, who works at Wal-Mart in Morehead City, can count himself among the 170. "They had some but there weren't as many back then," said Preston, who was 8 years old the first time he donned the persona of Elvis Aron Presley. By 17, he was taking his act to local schools and music halls, performing Elvis hits with the sound and style of his hero. ...
It's a side job Preston, now 56, keeps up to this day. Business has its ups and downs, but Preston, who was inducted into the Elvis Impersonator Hall of Fame in 1992, says he still packs 'em in four or five times a month. Other days, he simply throws on one of several jump suits and heads to town, spreading the gift of Elvis wherever he goes. After almost 40 years of playing an ersatz Elvis, the dividing line between Preston's personality and that of his alter ego remains intact, but with definite smudges. Even off the stage, Preston's natural voice employs the same intonations of Presley's. Sitting at a diner near his home in Newport, a compliment on his outfit elicits an almost reflexive, "thank you, thank you very much," shot through the side of his mouth. ... Preston's fixation is relatively mild compared with some of his peers - who can sometimes take their hobby to an extreme. "Some of them even go as far as plastic surgery," Preston noted. While Preston has never employed a plastic surgeon to adjust the cut of his jib, looks are important. Preston currently has 10 or 11 suits - which can easily reach four-digit price tags -and he has had many more over the years. When one wears thin or the sequins fall off, he repairs it or has it "decommissioned." ... Preston says he tries to get the sound as close as possible, but other aspects can also make or break an act. Mannerisms, posture and gait are all important, especially at intensely competitive Elvis impersonation events and contests. ... On Jan. 7, celebrity impersonators Preston and Blalock will perform along with several other acts at West Carteret High School for the second annual Tribute to Elvis Birthday Celebration. ...
- Craig Brewer: When he directs, Memphis is in focus: Brewer wants to make chances for other local talent as he creates his films
By John Beifuss
(commercialappeal.com, January 1 2006)
Of the 12 "Memphians Who Made a Difference," it's safe to say none attracted as much national attention as Craig Brewer. 2005 was the Memphis filmmaker's breakout year. It began with a Dirty South bang when "Hustle & Flow" premiered Jan. 22 at the Sundance Film Festival, where Brewer's feature won the Audience Award for favorite film and sold -- after a fierce bidding war -- to Paramount Classics for $9 million. Throughout the festival and in scores of TV, newspaper and magazine interviews afterward (including an appearance on "The Charlie Rose Show"), Brewer never failed to promote Memphis as a city with a unique regional identity and an active and worthy artistic community. ... By September, Brewer was back in harness in Memphis, shooting his followup feature for Paramount: "Black Snake Moan," starring Samuel L. Jackson and Christina Ricci. Upcoming projects -- including "Devil Music," a wild 1950s fantasy romp involving Elvis, B.B. King and Howlin' Wolf -- also are tied to Memphis. ...
Brewer, 34, may never be as universally beloved as such Memphis artists as, say, Rufus Thomas or Al Green, but he says he'd rather generate debate than disinterest. "I think the thing I want to do more than anything is shake things up in Memphis -- to show that as artists and as musicians and as provocateurs and as activists we shouldn't be afraid any more," he said via telephone from Los Angeles, while taking a break from the editing of "Black Snake." "When I look at the history of the Memphis that I love the most, from the musical to the truly heroic, it's always been about some force going against what most people seemed to feel was in everybody's moral interest," he said. "Whether the issue was whether Elvis Presley should be gyrating his pelvis or whether sanitation workers should be paid a fair wage, there's always been this wrestling match in Memphis between what we ultimately really respond to and what we may feel like we're supposed to respond to." ...
- YEAR OF THE JUDGE: £150,000 OF JUSTICE: That's how much I won back for readers in 2005
By Rosie Kane
(Sunday Mail, January 1 2006)
WHAT an incredible year 2005 was for justice. You sent me a total of 25,000 letters and emails and I answered every one. In the end I recovered more than £150,000 for readers who felt they were ripped off. No one was too small or big. I took on all comers, from fly-by-night builders and dodgy back-street car salesmen to the biggest multi-national firms. ... One of my oddest experiences was in May, when I helped Elvis fan Gillian Brattesani secure a £1200 refund after a disastrous trip to his homeland Memphis. Gillian, 28, and mum Joan Hook, 67, failed to see his Tennessee house, Graceland, due to a flights fiasco by Air France. The pair got as far as Paris when they missed their connecting flight to Atlanta. They waited six hours before being told the next flight the following day was full - and they couldn't even guarantee a seat on the flight the day after that All Air France could provide was a flight home to Edinburgh. I got on to travel agent Dial-a-Flight, who Gillian had booked with. Days later they offered a full refund. Gillian - who has a giant cardboard Elvis in her living room - said: "Thank you so much." ...
- Teenage impersonator says Elvis act gets him royal treatment
By BONNIE BING
(Wichita Eagle, January 1 2006)
Most people have seen Elvis Presley impersonators who resemble the king of rock 'n' roll about as much as Willie Nelson resembles Liberace. But here comes Marc Baker, who, at age 16, looks and croons like the young Elvis. A junior at West High School here, Marc says he comes from a musical family and that his family is very supportive of his job. Yes, this Elvis thing is more than a hobby. His parents, Cynthia and Fred Baker, run the sound equipment when their Elvis has a gig, and brother Matt, 9, is on security detail and hands out his brother's business cards.
... Marc became intrigued with Elvis in 2002, on the 25th anniversary of Elvis' death. "I admired him because when he wanted to do something, he stuck with it and he did it, no matter what people said about him," Marc said. "I really respect him for that." He researched Elvis' life, studied his music and watched most of his movies several times. He memorized all the words to his songs, and all his moves, so he could resemble Elvis as closely as possible. His favorite Elvis song? He likes all of them, but if he had to choose one it would probably be "Suspicious Minds." ...
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