mid May, 2006
- THE HEIGHT OF GREATNESS: Texas artist makes famous figures larger than life
By JACK DOUGLAS JR.
(STAR-TELEGRAM May 24 2006)
On the edge of downtown Houston, in an industrial park occupied by Halliburton, the Salvation Army and Frank's Auto Parts, heads of state sit in a parking lot and warehouse. In the dead of night, in the glow of headlights, they are downright startling -- 20-foot-tall busts of every president, made of white concrete and steel, ready for shipment. They are the work of Houston sculptor David Adickes, mastermind of big concrete heads. And big art in general. Adickes may not be the best-known artist in the country, but his work, at least in Texas, is among the most visible. ... Adickes said his first love is to paint, noting that among those who have purchased his work on canvas is Elvis Presley. ...
- Food good enough to read
By COLETTE BANCROFT
(St Petersburg Times May 24 2006)
All of us eat to live, but some wonderful writers have lived to eat and then write about it. n If you love great food and great writing, you can savor both in such classic memoirs as George Orwell's Down and Out in Paris and London, M.F.K. Fisher's The Art of Eating and Jim Harrison's The Raw and the Cooked. This month and in June, the list of culinary memoirs, both sour and sweet, expands with these half-dozen entries.
(entry no. 4) INSATIABLE: TALES FROM A LIFE OF DELICIOUS EXCESS by Gael Greene (Warner Books, $25.95)
The longtime food columnist for New York magazine recounts the rise of contemporary foodie culture here, but mainly she dishes about her own appetites for food, fashion and sex, kicking it off with an account of her tryst with a young Elvis Presley, which ends with him asking her to order him a fried egg sandwich. Over the past four decades, she apparently has dined at every chic restaurant, been a confidant of every famous chef and most celebrities, and traveled every place worth going to, although it seems to have left her little time for self-reflection. Yes, it's all about Gael, but when a book features recipes like Infidelity Soup and Chocolate Wickedness, you know you're in for at least some fun.
- Why do we care about 'American Idol'?
Does it define our culture or cheapen it? - IU popular-culture experts weigh in
By Steve Hinnefeld
(Reporter-Times.com May 24 2006)
Thirty-five million people will tune in tonight to see who's crowned the next American Idol. And why not? The reality show reflects shared ideas about American identity, including the notions that hard work and merit will prevail and that celebrity is the highest reward, said IU professor Brenda Weber. "I think it just brings together so many of these things that define for us our larger culture," she said.
... Now in its fifth season, "American Idol" lets viewers vote in a weekly culling of contestants. It's made stars of previous winners Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard and Carrie Underwood. Weber said the unfolding of personal story lines is a key to its appeal. To have a chance of winning, contestants must be talented and deserving. They need to have struggled, even to have suffered. "American Idol" becomes a sort of makeover show, with contenders getting better haircuts and new wardrobes. Viewers get to know their histories, hometowns and families. "You're literally watching them go from obscurity to celebrity," Weber said. "They become the 'I knew them when.' They're like our friends."
... But not everyone is enamored of the show. "I hold it personally responsible for the oversinging that is dominating popular music now, the way you can stretch 'The Star-Spangled Banner' out into five minutes to show how soulful you are," said Glenn Gass, an IU music professor who teaches classes on rock 'n' roll. Gass said "Idol" winners may be talented, but there's something cheap about becoming a star by winning a contest singing someone else's songs. He contrasted it with the Beatles, four friends who developed their sound playing in Liverpool cellar clubs; or Elvis Presley, who fused his love of black R&B and white country music into the first rock 'n' roll.
... Jennifer Maher, an IU gender-studies professor who has written about reality TV, said the surface ordinariness of the "American Idol" contestants accounts for its appeal. "It's an American fantasy to think: if only I had worked harder or gotten this particular break, that could be me," she said. She linked the rise of reality TV to the increase in celebrities with no apparent talent or accomplishments - people like Paris Hilton, who are famous for being famous. "Even though she's an heiress, she's more like us than someone like Tom Cruise," Maher said. ...
- North Coast picks its 'Idol': While past winners pack venues, not everyone is impressed with TV talent
By RAYNE WOLFE
(PRESS DEMOCRAT May 24 2006)
He dances like he's got ants in his pants, and she drapes herself on the stage and purrs. They couldn't be more different, yet there's a good chance each would draw thousands of fans on the North Coast. As "American Idol" finalists, bluesman Taylor Hicks and chanteuse Katharine McPhee, race to the finish line, it's clear they already have a local fan base of their own.
... But not everyone is impressed with their sudden stardom. For those who book singers and bands into Sonoma County musical venues, it's a given that "American Idol" winners will fill seats. But could they hold their own on local stages? Famous for helping along the careers of several punk and underground bands, the manager of the Phoenix Theatre, Tom Gaffey, prefers grittier fare.
"You can't beat sweat and tears at clubs. The people who make it quick on TV shows ... they've never slept in dressing rooms or loaded their own bus. That's rock 'n' roll," Gaffey said.
And Trevor Cole of Petaluma, former owner of Zebulon's Jazz Club, has no TV and no intention of following an event he believes no one should care about -- win, lose or draw. "'American Idol' is a big, synthetic show. It's not about the music, it's about the show. It's like having bubble gum for dinner. No depth, no texture," he said.
The history of TV talent contests goes way back past "Star Search" to the legend of Elvis Presley washing out on the "Ted Mack Amateur Hour" in the 1950s. It is known that one post-World War II pop sensation who scored big on "Ted Mack" was squeaky-clean Christian crooner, Pat Boone. ...
- Tussauds Considers Wax Museum In D.C.: Group Looking At Woodies Building
(nbc4.com May 24 2006)
The owner of Madame Tussauds wax museum is in talks with developers to open a museum in downtown D.C. D.C. Council Member Jack Evans said the Tussauds Group is looking at a location in the former Woodies Building, which is owned by Douglas Development Corporation. Tussauds is world-famous for its flagship museum in London, featuring wax lookalikes including Elvis Presley, Britney Spears and New York Sen. Hillary Clinton. The group also has wax museums in New York, Las Vegas, Amsterdam and Hong Kong. ...
- It's now or Nevis!
(Huddersfield Daily Examiner May 24 2006)
A PAIR of walkers have been left all shook up after a 400-mile Elvis-themed Scottish trek. Former Shelley High School pupil Nick Spedding and colleague David Gray have just completed the King of Walks north of the border in aid of Cancer Research UK. Nick, 35, a geography lecturer at Aberdeen University, and friend David, 40, gave up four weeks to walk the 400 miles and climb a total of 65,000ft to raise £8,000 for the cancer charity. The trek starts in Elvis Voe, a remote inlet to the north of Bressay in the Shetland Islands to Presley, a farm south of Forres in Moray. The walk was prompted by the death of David's aunt and uncle of cancer in 2005 and Nick's mother, Molly, who also died of cancer, in 2000. ...
- Koizumi to meet with Bush, visit Memphis
(UPI May 24 2006)
Japan's Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has scheduled a meeting with U.S. President George Bush, but also arranged a side trip to the home of Elvis Presley. The White House said Wednesday that Koizumi and Bush would meet on June 29 with the war on terror and global economic issues on the agenda. The nuclear program standoff in North Korea and the status of U.S. forces in Japan, particularly Okinawa, also are likely topics of discussion. The Japan Times said Koizumi will then head for Memphis, where Presley's Graceland home is, because "the prime minister is known to be a big Elvis fan and shares a Jan. 8 birthday with Presley." ...
- Whirled Peas
By John Ford
(Neosho Daily News May 24 2006)
Using the Elvis card
According to the latest from my in-box, I'm eligible for the Elvis Presley Visa. Thank yuh, thank yuh verry much.
"ENJOY THE BENEFITS OF USING HIS CARD," the message states in bold, red capital letters. Wow, Elvis' Visa card. I'm going to buy a gold-encrusted Cadillac, man. A 1958 pink Caddy convertible with the Continental carrier in the back, fuzzy dice on the rear view mirra, an' some of them leopard skin seat covers. That'd be sharp, daddy-o. But the credit limit is only $2,500. So the Caddy is out, although fried naner sandwiches are still in. ...
- Legendary Designer Debuts Cowboy Couture
(WKRN.COM May 22 2006)
Legendary fashion designer Manuel is the 'King of Country Couture'. For decades he has been designing clothes for all kinds of music stars. He¹s made suits for the Beatles, Elvis Presley, the Grateful Dead, the Riders, the Bee Gees and the list goes on. Now, Manuel and his son, Mannie, want to dress you. The two are joining minds at the sewing machine for an exclusive ready-to-wear line. The new line of cowboy couture took over New York during Fashion Week and then Mexico, showcasing denim, leather, snakeskin, velvet and stiletto cowboy boots. Mannie has learned from the best, growing up behind the scenes of the fashion...
- They write the songs: Awards put spotlight on usually unseen songwriters
(Northwest Indiana Times May 21 2006)
The Regent Beverly Wilshire hotel ballroom was filled with some of pop's biggest hitmakers, but even the most ardent music fans would have had a hard time finding a familiar face. They know the songs: "Hollaback Girl," "Soldier" and "Disco Inferno." They know the artists: Gwen Stefani, Destiny's Child and 50 Cent. But most don't know the writers behind the music. "People assume the singer and the songwriter are the same person," said Marilyn Bergman, president of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. But that is often not the case. "Hollaback Girl" was co-written by Stefani and Pharrell Williams. "Soldier" was the work of Sean Garrett and Rich Harrison. "Disco Inferno" was penned by Phillip "Bangout" Pitts. These often unseen artists were honored Tuesday at the BMI Pop Music Awards, as was the most-performed song of the year: "She Will Be Loved," by Maroon 5.
... Though producers wield major song-shaping power, they still have to start with a song, and not all of them write. There will always be room for songwriters, Bryant said. Even if they rarely capture the spotlight. They don't mind the anonymity, said Jerry Leiber, who with partner Mike Stoller co-wrote scores of songs over the past 50 years, including Elvis Presley's "Hound Dog."
"The greatest joy is to hear your work done well," he said. "You don't really need to stand up and take a bow."
- Grand Ole Opry legend Billy Walker dies in wreck
(Star-Telegram.com / Associated Press May 21 2006)
Country entertainer Billy Walker of Ralls, Texas, was killed along with his wife and two of his band members Sunday when a van they were riding in ran off Interstate 65 south of Montgomery, Ala. and overturned, state troopers said. Walker was 77. ... According to the Opry's Web site, Billy Walker was born in Ralls, Texas, and built an early career as the "Traveling Texan, the Masked Singer of Country Songs" and later shared the stage with Elvis Presley.
- Now Elvis Presley ain't nothin' but a trapeze artist
By Kate Thomas
(The Independent May 20 2006)
Elvis may have left the building but nobody ever expected him to run away and join the circus. But it won't be long before fans of legendary show Cirque du Soleil find themselves all shook up at the sight of the King growling "I ain't nothin' but a hound dog" while swinging from a trapeze. The entertainment company CKX Inc, which owns the intellectual property rights to the name, image and likeness of Elvis Presley, has announced that it is to team up with Cirque du Soleil in a bid to bring the singer to contemporary audiences. The anticipated all-singing, all-dancing bonanza, scheduled for 2008, will draw on urban dance, extreme gymnastics and technology to bring his hits to the stage. Called the Elvis Presley Projects, the show will play at a host of venues across the United States as well as at least one tour around Europe and Asia. CKX Chairman Robert Silliman said he thought a hologrammed image of Elvis serenading sold-out stadiums around the world is more than a strong possibility. ...
- Elvis Goes to the Circus
By Sarah Hall
(yahoo.com May 19 2006)
Elvis has left the building...and joined the circus. CKX Inc., the parent company of
Elvis Presley Enterprises, has announced a long-term partnership with Canadian-based circus troupe Cirque du Soleil, which plans to produce a series of shows based around The King's life and music. Cirque du Soleil, known for its extravagantly artistic displays of acrobatic feats, will also work with CKX to develop a number of multimedia, interactive museums known as Elvis Experiences, CKX said. ...
- Graceland Softens Up on Elvis Impersonators
(KFMB Stations May 19 2006)
Elvis impersonators can relax: No one's coming after their bespangled jumpsuits. At least not anytime soon. "It's not even on the radar screen right now," said Robert F.X. Sillerman, the head of the entertainment company that owns the legal rights to Elvis Presley's name. CKX Inc. took control of Elvis Presley Enterprises last year, and Sillerman wondered aloud in a recent interview with The New York Times if the company should do something about "unauthorized Elvis impersonators." That shook up the pompadoured crowd of impersonators in Memphis, Las Vegas, London and elsewhere around the world, and since then Sillerman has backed off a bit. ...
- Hotline: Elvis blesses eBay sale of former house
(Boston Herald May 16 2006)
Psychic Uri Geller and two partners have bought the Tennessee house Elvis Presley lived in before moving to Graceland, with a winning bid of $905,100 on eBay. Geller said he and his partners "are unbelievably pleased." ...
- Psychic pulls off a neat trick, outbids rivals for Elvis' house
(Star-Ledger / Reuters May 16 2006)
Psychic Uri Geller and two partners have bought the Tennessee house Elvis Presley lived in before moving to Graceland, with a winning bid of $905,100 on eBay, he said yesterday. "We are unbelievably pleased. This is a piece of history," Geller said by phone from England. ...
- Psychic buys Elvis' old pad
(Ytvnz.co.nz May 16 2006)
Psychic Uri Geller and two partners have bought the Tennessee house Elvis Presley lived in before moving to Graceland, with a winning bid of $US905,100 ($NZ1.4 million) on eBay, he said on Monday. "We are unbelievably pleased. This is a piece of history," Geller said by phone from England. ...
- Sold: Elvis Presley's house goes for $905,100
By Michael Conlon
(Yahoo! News / Reuters May 15 2006)
Psychic Uri Geller and two partners have bought the Tennessee house
Elvis Presley lived in before moving to Graceland, with a winning bid of $905,100 on eBay, he said on Monday. "We intend to restore it to its old glory. We would like to bring sick children there (for tours), Palestinian children, Israeli children, American children," the Israeli-born Geller said. "Hopefully one day we might get approval to turn it into a museum." Presley bought the four-bedroom, two-bath house at 1034 Audubon Drive in Memphis in 1956 with a down payment of $500. He lived there for 13 months before moving to Graceland, the now-famous Memphis estate where he died in 1977.
During his time in the white, ranch-style house with an outdoor swimming pool, Presley's career took off with hits such as "All Shook Up" and "Don't be cruel." Geller identified the sellers as Mike and Cindy Hazen, who bought the house some years ago, though not from Presley, for about $180,000. Geller had original bid $300,000 last month but a bidding war ensued and the price ballooned, he said. During the process he was approached by dozens of people wanting to go in with him, he said. He chose two, New York lawyer Jim Gleason and Lisbeth Silvandersson, a Swedish-born jewelry maker who lives in England, as equal partners. He had set a ceiling price of $1.11 million, said Geller, who acknowledges a paranormal fascination with the number 11. "As the clock closed on the bidding Sunday," Geller said, "I felt intuitively I got the price. I was text messaging Gleason and it was exactly 11 on my mobile phone and suddenly the radio started playing an Elvis song. That was Elvis telling me we got the house!" Geller met Presley in Las Vegas in the 1970s after the "King of Rock and Roll" asked him to perform his "spoon bending" trick for him, he said. Since then he has amassed a large collection of Presley memorabilia, he said.
- Elvis Presley Personal Mementos Offered For Sale: A scarf and silver belt buckle that were the personal property of Elvis Presley are now listed at Strickler's Celebrity Autographs
(PRWEB May 15 2006)
Strickler's Celebrity Autographs has listed on consignment several Elvis Presley personal items as well as other entertainment collectibles. These pieces are from the personal collection of author Margo Bluma. The mementos were purchased over time from Presley's associate Don Wilson and the items were verified by Elvis' longtime friend and confidant Joe Esposito. The pieces include a signed (printed) 30" inch yellow scarf that was worn by Presley and presented to Wilson as a gift. Presley also presented the silver rose belt buckle to Wilson. A signed 8x10 B/W photograph of Elvis Presley is also included in the offering. Each item was obtained by the owner directly from Don Wilson. ...
- Elvis Presley Personal Mementos Offered For Sale
(e-commerce.press-world.com May 13 2006)
Strickler's Celebrity Autographs has listed on consignment several Elvis Presley personal items as well as other entertainment collectibles. These pieces are from the personal collection of author Margo Bluma. The mementos were purchased over time from Presley's associate Don Wilson and the items were verified by Elvis' longtime friend and confidant Joe Esposito. The pieces include a signed 30" inch yellow scarf that was worn by Presley and presented to Wilson as a gift. Presley also presented the silver rose belt buckle to Wilson. A signed 8x10 B/W photograph of Elvis Presley is also included in the offering. Each item was obtained by the owner directly from Don Wilson. ...
- Stay in Memphis apartment where Elvis, family lived
(Dallas Morning News / The (KRT) via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge May 13 2006)
Across town, you can sleep in it. Long before his private jets and rhinestone jumpsuits, Elvis Presley was a polite teenager living in public housing in downtown Memphis. Now, the renovated project attracts young professionals, and the restored Presley family apartment is available for rent. Here you can truly sleep like a king.Step through the keypad-operated door and you're back in the Truman era. Presley family portraits decorate the five-room apartment. In the kitchen hulks a vintage Frigidaire with a grocery list scrawled by Elvis' mother, Gladys. In one bedroom, furniture bills addressed to Vernon Presley are stacked next to a Bible. And in Elvis' room, his Social Security card and paycheck stub are tucked in a mirror, competing for space with a Marlon Brando movie photo. The cumulative effect is dizzying -- Elvis seems to have just left the building.
... The Presleys moved into Lauderdale Courts in 1949, when the future star was 14 years old. The home was a big step up from the cramped boardinghouse room the family had shared. Here they had two bedrooms, a kitchen, a living room and their own bathroom. The family lived at Lauderdale Courts during Elvis' high-school years, moving out in 1953, when they had saved enough money to buy a house. Six months later, the young musician stepped into nearby Sun Studios and recorded a song -- "My Happiness" -- for his mother's birthday. The rest is rock 'n' roll history. ...
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