Late December 2006
- Presley women to usher in 2007 holed up in remote Irish castle
(NewKerala.Com, December 31, 2006)
With barely a day left to wave 2006 goodbye, people all over the world are getting ready to party and celebrate as they usher in the New Year. However, Elvis Presley's widow Priscilla and daughter Lisa Marie have opted for a quieter option.
The two celebs are reportedly going to bring in 2007 holed up in a remote Irish castle to which they travelled to recently.
The two Presleys will be staying at the exclusive Castle Gorteen Le Poer in Kilasheen, Co Tipperary, the home of Priscilla's pal, the reclusive Austrian artist Gottfried Helnwein.
An insider revealed that the two will not have time to get bored, for while at the castle, they will be able to enjoy skeet shooting, archery and falconry, as well as pony treks in the vast castle grounds.
"Priscilla is a big fan of Gottfried's art and there is loads for them to do," The Sun quoted the source, as saying.
- New generation can keep Elvis alive. At least that's the goal of keepers of the estate. First place to grab them: MySpace and YouTube
By Woody Baird
(Los Angeles Times / Associated Press, December 29, 2006)
Teenagers in the 1950s and '60s went wild over Elvis Presley, much to the consternation of their parents, but kids in the new millennium aren't so stirred by rock 'n' roll's original rebel. "I can't try to sell somebody Elvis who doesn't know who he is ... that he's not just some guy who's been gone for 30 years," said Paul Jankowski, chief of marketing for Elvis Presley Enterprises Inc.
Next year, three decades after Presley's death, the multimillion-dollar Elvis business will try to connect with a new generation of teenage fans. "Our opportunity demographic is really going to be 12 to 34 [years old], with a sweet spot around the 18-to-24 area," Jankowski said. In the early days of Presley's career, teenagers gathered at jukeboxes or around 45-rpm turntables. But now the music has moved to the Internet, on sites like MySpace, which is part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp., and Google Inc.'s YouTube.
Next year more film clips, photos and other material from the vast Presley archives will be showing up online. "We will take our MySpace page and we will focus on expanding our number of friends on MySpace, that kind of thing," Jankowski said. "There's all kind of Elvis content on YouTube, things that we put up, things that fans put up.
MySpace is a social-networking site that lets visitors share photos and personal Web pages. YouTube lets users post and share videos.
The Elvis Presley archives offer a rich source of material for "digital tactics," Jankowski said. "You know, for cellphones or doing wallpaper or doing podcasts." Moving Elvis content online should be easy; making Elvis cool again will be more difficult. After all, for most kids, Elvis is the music of their parents' - or grandparents' - generation. Aaron O'Connell, a 17-year-old from Fredericksburg, Va., who was visiting souvenir shops at Graceland, said it could be tough to make Elvis relevant again. ...
- New Music | Due in stores Tuesday
By HOWARD COHEN
(Miami Herald, December 29, 2006)
- Original London Cast, Cranks (Sepia).
- Jane Pickens, Music in the Air (Sepia).
- Elvis Presley, The Essential Elvis Presley (RCA). Yet another compilation with Hound Dog on it. Just what you need!
- André Rieu, Romantic Moments (Laserlight).
- Carly Simon, Into White (Columbia). See review.
- Various, L-Tunes: Music From and Inspired by The L-Word (Sony). Features Tori Amos, Goldfrapp, Fiona Apple, Peaches, Pink, Kelis.
- Biz Buzz: Don't be cruel, spend freely
By Greg Saitz
(Star-Ledger, December 29, 2006)
At some point in 2007, Elvis Presley will take your money. Not in a bloated, drug-addled, give-me-your-wallet kind of way, because, after all, the man has been dead for almost 30 years. Even the King has limits.
No, it's Elvis Presley Enterprises that has decided to turn the 30th anniversary of Elvis' death (Aug. 16, 1977) into a yearlong capitalist celebration that won't end until every human on the planet has purchased a peanut butter and banana Reese's peanut butter cup. The festivities/money-making opportunities kick off next month in Memphis, Tenn., with a multiday Elvis birthday celebration. They continue in August with Elvis Week, when a select group can pick up 30 Harley-Davidson motorcycles specially customized as a tribute to Elvis.
Then there's a limited edition painting of Graceland Mansion by Thomas Kinkade. It will be available on both canvas and paper, though inexplicably, not black velvet. The unfortunately flavored Reese's cups come out in July. Hey, nobody said you had to like the stuff. All Elvis wants you to do is buy it.
- With Little Joy at Garden, MSG Finds Cheery Nostalgia
By RICHARD SANDOMIR
(New York Times, December 29, 2006)
In the seven years of famine since playing in the N.B.A. finals, the Knicks have produced little worth remembering at Madison Square Garden. There have been memories, but they've been nightmares, more akin to the murder of Stanford White in 1906 while he watched a show at the rooftop theater of the second Garden - which he designed - than to the gimpy Willis Reed hitting his first two shots to lead the Knicks to their first title.
... The Garden has, since late October, been counting down its history with a 10-part series on MSG, "The 50 Greatest Moments at Madison Square Garden." It is a scrumptious work of storytelling, artful editing and sharp interviewing that capitalizes on the Garden's archive and calls to mind the delight of watching the ESPN series "Sports Century" for the first time. The MSG series is eclectic; while 23 of the 50 events revolve around the Knicks and Rangers, the other stars are Elvis Presley (with rare concert and news conference footage), Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, Billy Joel, the City College basketball team that won the 1950 N.I.T. and N.C.A.A. championships, Pope John Paul II, the Grateful Dead and Marilyn Monroe. ...
- Paramount hosts Elvis tribute show
By RANDALL G. MIELKE
(Beacon News, December 28, 2006)
For Elvis Presley fans, Friday, Jan. 5 at the Paramount Theatre marks a night when The King's music will be in one era, then into another. Four Elvis Presley stylists, in addition to other featured guests, will present the music of Presley during The Elvis Birthday Tribute. The concert follows the singer through his early rock-a-billy years, his movie years, his 1968 comeback television special and his Las Vegas concert years. Presley would have turned 72 on Jan. 8.
The tribute is split between four Elvis performers, covering roughly the years from 1956 to 1973. Donny Edwards will perform in the early rock-a-billy years segment, Rick Saucedo will present the movie years, Matt Lewis will re-create the 1968 comeback special and Shawn Klush will perform in the Las Vegas concert years segment. ... The Elvis Birthday Tribute will be presented at 8 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 5, at the Paramount Theatre, 23 East Galena Blvd., Aurora. Tickets range in price from $20 to $49. Tickets are available at the Paramount Theatre box office, by phone at (630) 896-6666, or at all TicketMaster outlets.
- James Brown's widow determined to fulfill his last wish
By ANI
(Yahoo! News India, December 29, 2006)
James Brown's widow, Tomi Rae Hynie is determined to fulfil the souls star's last wish of converting his home into a museum for his dedicated fans. The legend's agent Frank Copsidas confirmed that it was Brown's last wish to throw open his Augusta, Georgia residence to his fans like the way rock 'n' roll legend Elvis Presley did.
"He said his house could be another Graceland. He said 'Elvis did it, why can't I?'" ContactMusic quoted Copsidas, as telling the New York Post.
The 73 year old legend who was often referred to as the 'Godfather of Soul' and considered to be one of the most influential figures in the 20th century, died on December 25, 2006 after a bout of severe pneumonia.
The next day Brown's 36-year old wife Hynie was locked out of his house by his lawyers who called their 5 year old marriage 'illegitimate.' They insisted that she was already the wife of a Pakistani man she met in Texas in 1997. Despite the contentions Hynie is adamant that she will gain entry to his Georgia residence and fulfil his last wish.
- Gerald Ford and James Brown: Brothers in Funk
By Roy Peter Clark
(Poynter Institute Online, December 28, 2006)
When great men die, how do we craft our coverage? Perhaps, we think not of answers, but of questions. What is greatness, and how does a man achieve it?
Gerald Ford saved the nation, it is said, by getting us out of a funk. James Brown saved it by getting us into one. Not since the coincidental deaths of Ronald Reagan and Ray Charles has destiny revealed two such divergent paths to American greatness. Whose death deserves greater coverage in the news? Could I, as a journalist, a person and an American, decide which man was greater? Gerald Ford was from the Midwest and carried the name of an American automobile. James Brown was from the South and had a name that could describe the color of his skin.
... Gerald Ford, of course, was white. James Brown was something else, a black man who once told Johnny Carson that white people -- like Elvis and Tom Jones -- could sing with soul. ...
- The Kennedy Center Honors: What Next?
By Robert J. Elisberg
(Huffington Post, December 28, 2006)
This year's Kennedy Center Honors for performing arts have now officially passed. And that officially begs the question - who to honor next? It's all utterly subjective, of course. But it's fair to say that what makes the Kennedy Center Honors special is when they're able to go far beyond what the Oscars, Emmys or Grammys are about, giving awards, specifically lifetime achievement awards to those who have honored their specific craft. Instead, when at its best, the Kennedy Center Honors applies a different standard. After all, it's recognition from the nation itself. Not just for being wondrously talented and producing work the public loves, but for doing something more. Not just being A Star. But for being iconic in American culture. The stuff of legends. Transforming the art form itself to become ingrained in the national consciousness.
... Which brings us again to that question, who to honor next? Any list would have names swirling around like a cyclone, and taming it is a subjective near-impossibility. But two names leap out to me. Indeed, they've been leaping out for the past decade, and it remains bewildering that they've not yet been honored. Perhaps that will change soon.
Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller.
... Leiber and Stoller are a songwriting team so legendary that they're the soundtrack of generations. ... even if you don't know their music, the influence from it has impacted American cultural life. Leiber and Stoller took rhythm & blues, mixed it with rock 'n roll, and merged the sounds of black and white music into something that erupted onto America. Rather than describe who they are, though - far better to list just a small jukebox of songs they wrote. You'll understand.
Stand By Me
Spanish Harlem [written by Phil Spector?]
On Broadway
Love Potion #9
Hound Dog
Jailhouse Rock
Ruby Baby
Kansas City
Poison Ivy
I'm a Woman (W-O-M-A-N)
Is That All There Is?
There Goes My Baby
Yakety Yak
Charlie Brown
Fools Fall in Love
Searchin'
D.W. Washburn
I (Who Have Nothing)
That's just a handful. There are more. Hundreds. ... Leiber (lyrics) and Stoller (the music) wrote well-over 20 songs for Elvis Presley, and had hits with artists ranging from the Coasters to Peggy Lee and blues legends Big Mama Thornton and Jimmy Witherspoon. ...
- Field's has a gem of an exhibit: Diamonds, rubies and, yes, pearls from celebrities
By ANDREW HERRMANN
(Chicago Sun-Times, December 28, 2006)
Best known for bones, the Field Museum is going for bling -- jewelry from celebs of the 20th century. Called "Treasures of Titans,'' the collection includes Elvis Presley's 14k gold lighter, Elton John's ruby-encrusted brooch and a diamond tiara that once belonged to Princess Grace of Monaco. The collection of 30 priceless pieces was culled from a larger grouping that has been on display in New York at the Forbes Gallery. ... There are backstories to the precious baubles. ... Elvis was a closet smoker, sneaking his Tarrytons fired up with an elegant Dunhill Rollagas lighter. ...
- Elvis had a 'Blue Christmas,' but he sure wasn't the first
(JS Online, December 27, 2006)
Q. I just listened to a beautiful version of "Blue Christmas" that I never heard before. Since this is a lush, fully orchestrated arrangement, I was flabbergasted when the deejay said it was by the Beach Boys.
It doesn't sound like a group, but if it's them, where did the orchestra come from? Is this available, how far back does this song go, and is the original version the one by Elvis?
- Harold Hanslik, Tampa, Fla.
A. Although credited to the Beach Boys, "Blue Christmas" is really a Brian Wilson solo. The 40-piece orchestra is under the direction of Capitol studio legend Dick Reynolds. This sumptuous track can be found on the original 45 (Capitol 5312), backed with "The Man With All the Toys," or on "The Beach Boys' Christmas Album" (Capitol 2164).
If a CD is your preference, "Blue Christmas" is also on at least three easily available ones: "The Beach Boys' Christmas Album" (Capitol 077779508426), "Merry Christmas From the Beach Boys" (Capitol 077775662023) and "Christmas With the Beach Boys" (Capitol 79765-2).
Since Elvis recorded it in 1957, he has "owned" "Blue Christmas," but Billy Hayes and Jay W. Johnson created the song nine years earlier. The original recording came out in November 1948, by Doye O'Dell (Exclusive 65x). His release is backed with another Yule tune, "Dear Mr. Santa."
Country music giant Ernest Tubb became the first to chart with "Blue Christmas." His 1949 single (Decca 46186) even reached No. 1 on the country and western survey. Thus far, more than 125 different artists have recorded "Blue Christmas." ...
- Also noted
(startribune.com, December 27, 2006)
Pierre Delanoe, 88, who wrote the lyrics for more than 5,000 songs for French artists from Edith Piaf to Johnny Hallyday, died Wednesday in Paris. Many of his most popular tunes were collaborations with singer-songwriter Gilbert Becaud. One was "Et maintenant," which was translated into English to become "What Now My Love" and was covered by artists including Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, the Supremes and the Temptations. ...
- Harley-Davidson to open at Graceland
(Business Journal of Milwaukee, December 27, 2006)
The 30th anniversary of Elvis Presley's death is expected to be an eventful year, with everything from a permanent Harley-Davidson dealership near Graceland to the special Reese's peanut butter cup fit for a king, according to an Elvis Presley Enterprises Inc. release. In January 2007, Southern Thunder Harley-Davidson will open a permanent satellite location called Graceland Harley Davidson in the visitor center across the street from Graceland Mansion.
Southern Thunder Harley-Davidson (NYSE: HOG) is one of the dealerships owned by Bruce Rossmeye, one of the largest retail franchisees of Harley-Davidson motorcycles.
The company will also introduce the design of 30 limited edition Harley-Davidson motorcycles to be customized in tribute to Elvis for the 30th anniversary year. The bikes are expected to be completed by summer and purchasers will have the chance to attend a ceremony at Graceland in August.
In July 2007, The Hershey Co. plans to introduce a limited edition of Reese's peanut butter cups with Elvis on the packaging and peanut butter and banana creme flavor.
Elvis Presley Enterprises is also staging a 30th anniversary concert at FedExForum on Aug. 16, 2007. Tickets have been on sale since Sept. 12, 2006, and more than 70 percent have been sold, including 430 VIP ticket packages. The concert is a highlight of Elvis Week, which runs from Aug. 11-19. The concert will have footage of Elvis accompanied by a live orchestra, musicians and back-up singers. The company is still planning the concert's full roster.
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