late August, 2006
- Love infuses troops' treats
By JEFF JARDINE
(Modesto Bee August 31, 2006)
Elvis Presley's "Big Hunk of Love" blared in the background. File folders, magazines and newspaper cartoons lay on her living room floor, only a few feet from her "Yankee Doodle Songbook." A dozen packages, marked for priority mail, sat on the bench outside Peg Tafoya's north Modesto home, awaiting a trip to the post office. Yes, she's been busy doing what she not only loves but feels called to do. Each package will end up in the hands of someone in the U.S. military - in Iraq, in Afghanistan and one to a nephew in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina. And each represents a big hunk of love, as the Elvis ditty suggests, from Tafoya to soldiers serving overseas.
Since being inspired by a Bee story in December 2003, the 67-year-old Modesto resident has spent more than $10,000 buying and sending little things that can make a soldier's life at war seem a bit less unbearable. "Fruits and nuts, candy, socks, sun block, razors, gum, cookies," she said. "We can do really well at the dollar store. I also send magazines, books, soaps, lotions and shampoos." Anything, she said, that represents home. She also collects and makes quilts and blankets for veterans' homes and hospitals, including Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Beyond having two nephews in the service - Fred and Carlos Tafoya - she knows little about those who receive her packages, including where they're from. It doesn't matter. They all deserve something, she said.
... In all, she's "adopted" 46 soldiers, including 12 now stationed overseas who will receive the packages she carted off Tuesday to the Hudson Station post office on Sylvan Avenue. The others, she prays, returned safely to this country. "I got a note from the mother of this one," she said, holding the folder of one soldier who is no longer on her mailing list. "PFC Jesse Jackson. A note from his mom saying he was back home." Otherwise, she knows they're no longer abroad when her letters come back marked, "Return to Sender." That's a fitting title of another Elvis tune as she tries to brighten a soldier's day.
- Stanley to be missed by theatre lovers
By Jonathan Mbiriyamveka
([Harare] Herald August 31, 2006)
Zimbabwe -- IT has been busy of late at the theatres and I'm sorry that I overlooked the death of Adrian Stanley, who was popularly known as "Mr Theatre" to Reps audience. The late Stanley had a wealth of experience in as far as stage theatre is concerned. I'm told he died peacefully in his sleep a week ago. He worked for many years at Harare's prime theatre venue and he was known for excellent productions among them the award-winning Godspell and the popular New Year's Eve. Indeed, Reps Theatre enjoyed Mr Stanley's theatre geniuses in its 75 years of existence. He will be missed by many who experienced and enjoyed his expertise.
And still on Harare Reps Theatre, the latest musical - Elvis Lives - has opened for a two-week run, bringing the timeless music of the man known as the King of Rock and Roll Elvis Presley to theatre-goers. Directed by and starring award-winning actor and singer David Smith, the show features nearly 30 of Elvis' most famous songs and will be a tribute to the singer, who died in August 1977 at the young age of 42. The first half of the show features younger singers presenting Elvis' songs from the 1950s and early 1960s, while the second half features David Smith as the older Elvis in a "live concert" presentation with an eight-piece backing band that includes some of Harare's top concert and stage musicians. The show will run until Saturday 9 September, with a total of 10 performances. ...
- CMA Announces Newest Members of Country Music Hall of Fame
(biz.yahoo.com / PRNewswire August 30, 2006)
The Country Music Association has announced that influential musician/producer Harold Bradley, legendary singer Sonny James and multi-award-winning entertainer George Strait, will become the newest members of the coveted Country Music Hall of Fame. Formal induction for the artists will take place during "The 40th Annual CMA Awards," which will be broadcast live on the ABC Television Network, Monday, Nov. 6 from the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville, Tenn. ... Through the years, Bradley became the most recorded guitar player in history and would come to be known as "the Dean of Nashville Session Guitarists." As one of the original "A Team" studio musicians of Nashville, his musical talents were heard on such recordings as "Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy" (Red Foley); "Do the Hokey Pokey" (Ray Anthony); "Ballad of New Orleans" (Johnny Horton); "Jingle Bell Rock" (Bobby Helms); "I'm Sorry" (Brenda Lee); "Crazy" (Patsy Cline); "Only the Lonely" (Roy Orbison); "King of the Road" (Roger Miller); "Big Bad John" (Jimmy Dean); "Make The World Go Away" (Eddy Arnold); "Harper Valley PTA" (Jeannie C. Riley); "Stand By Your Man" (Tammy Wynette); "Coal Miner's Daughter" (Loretta Lynn); and "Swingin'" (John Anderson), among hundreds more. His performances can also be heard on recordings by Joan Baez, Perry Como, Buddy Holly, Burl Ives, George Morgan, Elvis Presley, Charley Pride, Jim Reeves, Marty Robbins, Hank Snow, Conway Twitty, Gene Watson, Hank Williams and more. ...
- A journey for recovery
By Alex Paul
(Albany Democrat-Herald August 30, 2006)
"This is not the time to die," Megan Timothy thought Sept. 2, 2003, as paramedics wheeled her on a gurney into a California hospital. The former bed and breakfast owner, singer, artist and low-budget movie actress, had awakened in the middle of the night feeling like she was suffering from a hangover. "Except, I don't drink," Timothy said. In fact, she was born with a congenital brain defect called AVM - arteriovenous malformation - that didnšt manifest until then. A portion of her brain had failed to receive blood.
Tuesday afternoon, the 64-year-old Timothy rolled into Albany on a bicycle, nearing the final month of a seven-month journey that will have taken her nearly 12,000 miles by the time she reaches her home in Hemet, Calif. She's promoting a book called "Let Me Die Laughing, Waking From the Nightmare of a Brain Explosion" and talking to others who have suffered brain injuries. Her book is published by Crone House Publishing, www.cronehousepublishing.com.
... Born in Rhodesia, South Africa, Timothy came to the United States in the early 1960s and began acting in low-budget movies, including 1969's "Charro," which starred Elvis Presley. She also worked with horror actor Lon Chaney. ...
- Dissection's Satanic Metal Murderer Kills Himself
(chartattack.com August 30, 2006)
Black metal fans and Satanists around the world are mourning the death of Dissection's Jon Nodtveidt. Swedish police who found the singer/guitarist's body have confirmed that he shot and killed himself on August 16 - which is the same day that Elvis Presley died 29 years ago, if that means anything. ... "Those of us who have met him in his last days can assure that he was more focussed, happier and stronger than ever. It is our full conviction that he left this world of lies with a scornful laughter, knowing that he had fulfilled everything that he had set up for himself to accomplish." ...
- Rockabilly musician Jumpin' Gene Simmons dies
(usatoday.com / AP August 30, 2006)
Rockabilly singer and songwriter Jumpin' Gene Simmons, who worked with Elvis Presley and had a top 20 hit in 1964 with the bouncy Haunted House, has died. He was 69. He died Tuesday at North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo after a long illness, according to Holland-Harris Funeral Directors. Simmons - not to be confused with the Kiss bassist with the same name - was in show business for more than 50 years, working with such names as Sam Phillips and the Bill Black Combo. ... Among other early gigs, he performed as an opening act for Presley in Tupelo, Presley's birthplace and Simmons' longtime hometown, as Presley's career was taking off, said his son, Cary Simmons. After appearing in some Memphis clubs, Simmons signed with Sun Records, the legendary Memphis label formed by Phillips that launched the careers of Presley, Johnny Cash and other stars. ...
- Music pioneer Tenney, 72, dies
(Daily News August 29, 2006)
Former CalArts professor James Tenney, a composer, performer and computer music pioneer, died Thursday in Valencia. He was 72. Tenney held the Roy E. Disney Family Chair in Musical Composition at the California Institute of the Arts' School of Music. "Jim Tenney brought the richness of the entire classical tradition to his practice as a composer," CalArts President Steven Lavine said Tuesday. "Not only did this lead to ravishingly beautiful music, but it also made Jim a profound and inspiring teacher. His death is a huge loss to his friends and colleagues and to everyone who cared about the future of music."
... An innovator, his early compositions remain contemporary. In the early 1960s, he pioneered what is now referred to as sampling. His electronic Collage #1 (Blue Suede) includes manipulated elements from Elvis Presley's version of Carl Perkins' "Blue Suede Shoes." Based on his underground reputation for works composed in the 1960s and '70s, Tenney once was called "the most famous unknown composer in America." ...
- Presley Cadillac And Jaguar Once Owned By Nick Berry To Feature In Next H&H Sale
(carpages.co.uk August 29, 2006)
The 'King's' penchant for Cadillacs is well known, but his cars don't often appear in UK sales. The 1960 Coupe DeVille DFO 301 is therefore a rarity, as it is being offered, complete with items of Presley memorabilia, in H&H's upcoming sale at Buxton, Derbyshire on September 12/13. Finished in white with salmon pink roof and pink and white upholstery, this particular 'Kingšs Caddy' is believed to have covered just 76,099 miles from new. A stunning Pillarless Coupe from both Cadillac's and Elvis's golden era, the Coupe DeVille carries an estimate of Ŗ15,000-18,000 and is not to be missed.
- Store offers martial arts and much more
By David Bracken
(News & Observer August 29, 2006)
Of all the stores in southern Wake County, perhaps none is harder to categorize than Go Slow Tow & 401 Video. Among the items for sale or rent on the property are the following: pig cookers, 55-gallon barrels, ninja uniforms, jackhammers, nunchakus, swords, Army jackets, trailers, fax machines, credit card processors and a karaoke machine. The mastermind behind this modern version of the country store is Ralph Jones, who opened the establishment in 1988 as a martial arts supply store. The 59-year-old is a black belt in Shotokan karate, a demanding style of martial arts whose followers have included actor Jean-Claude Van Damme and Elvis Presley. ...
- Estate Planning: Avoiding Probate
By Robert Valentine, Certified Senior Advisor
(seniorjournal.com August 28, 2006)
Probate can be costly and time consuming. We'll show you a few potential ways to save.
When Elvis Presley died, his estate was worth over $10 million dollars. Then it went through probate. After appraisal costs, legal fees, executor;s fees, and estate taxes, "The King's" estate was left with only $3 million. Because of improper estate planning, a whopping 73% of Elvis' estate was wiped out. So what did all that money pay for? And how can you avoid some of the same mistakes? Let's find out. ...
- Amy Grant puts on subtle, passionate show
By ROSS RAIHALA
(Pioneer Press August 28, 2006)
A few songs into her Sunday night Grandstand concert at the Minnesota State Fair, Amy Grant dared couples in the audience to get up and dance to her dreamy cover of Elvis Presley's "Love Me Tender," saying "Life is too short to miss a slow dance." Few, if any, in the crowd took Grant up on the challenge, instead continuing to sit quietly, with all the reverence of a church crowd. But as much as Grant might've preferred a little more animation from the modest audience of about 2,500, the staid manner actually helped focus the attention on Grant's gorgeous, unfussy performance. ...
- Up Next And Recaps: HIGHER CALLING
(CBS August 27, 2006)
Rita Braver profiles Mother Dolores, a Benedictine nun for 43 years, living and working in the cloistered abbey, Regina Laudis. But before she became a nun, she was Hollywood actress Dolores Hart, starring in movies with the likes of Elvis Presley, George Hamilton and Robert Wagner. She also was engaged to be married. Wešll find out what her life was like then, and what is it like now, particularly since shešs been afflicted with the painful disease, Peripheral Neuropathy.
For more information: www.abbeyofreginalaudis.com
- Elvis impersonators sought
By Tammy Kinnear
(Fort Frances Times Online August 23, 2006)
Calling all Elvis impersonators! If you have a "burning love" to sing like Elvis Presley, are you in for a treat. There will be a '50s/'60s dance on Sept. 15 from 7-11 p.m. at the Emo Legion. Included in the schedule of events is an Elvis contest for all ages. That means kids, too! Elvis entry forms can be found at the W.I. Museum in Emo (located across from the OPP detachment) or at the Emo Public Library. There is a small fee of $2 per adult but kids enter for free. ...
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