mid January 2007
Go to coverage of the Parkes Elvis Revival Festival
- Pink's dog buried Presley stylet
(tonight.co.za, January 19, 2007)
Pink is building a miniature version of Elvis Presley's famous Graceland home to bury her dead dog in. The singer was left devastated this week when she returned home to her Los Angeles mansion find her beloved bulldog Elvis had drowned in her swimming pool. Pink named the pooch after the late rock 'n' roll legend because he was given to her as a gift by Elvis' daughter Lisa-Marie Presley and the two have now decided to give the dog a funeral fit for 'The King'. As well as building a replica Graceland to use as a crypt for the dog, Pink has also hired a 70-piece orchestra to play a selection of Elvis' classic hits on the day of the funeral. The pet will reportedly be pulled to his final resting place on a mini-carriage by four canine pallbearers and the 27-year-old singer is even planning to erect a huge marble statue of her deceased pet in her garden as a memorial to him.
Pink - who is married to motocross racer Carey Hart - said: "I want to remember him as he was. I loved him so much. But I can't get that final image of him floating in that pool out of my head." A source said: "She has spent two days solid planning this funeral with Lisa-Marie. Elvis was like a child to Pink and Carey so she's not cutting any corners."
- DVD Review: Elvis Presley - The Ed Sullivan Shows
(blogcritics.org, January 18, 2007)
For members of the Web 2.0 generation, The Ed Sullivan Show may seem like an ancient relic of days long gone. Yet in its heyday the show was considered the equivalent of a popular Myspace page or, for the less idealistic, an appearance on American Idol.
With that considered, it's fair to say that Presley's three appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show were paramount in not only cementing Presley's image in the American consciousness but also, along with Beatlemania, helped launch America's, and eventually the world's, infatuation with celebrity.
Presley's appearances on the show, all occurring between late 1956 and early 1957, made him both a hero to the youth and an enemy of the state. By the time his final appearance on the show (January 6, 1957) rolled around, his influence had become so bothersome to the moral majority that the show refused to let the cameras shoot him below the waist. The contrast of this, compared to today's flesh-baring television standards, is a stunning, and somewhat disturbing, reminder of how much America has changed in the last fifty years.
Presented in a lavish three-disc set, all three shows are included in their entirety and provide a great keepsake for hardcore fans. They also provide a time warp-like glimpse of the creation of one of music's biggest stars for younger fans.
These days it's often contested, especially by the hip-hop community, if Presley deserves his long-standing title of "The King", but there is no denying that in the late 1950s Presley's popularity made the success of American Idol look like boring reruns of C-SPAN Senate hearings.
- The Ed Sullivan Shows: Elvis Presley (DVD review)
BY ERIC SNIDER
(creativeloafing.com, January 17, 2007)
This triple-DVD set not only features Elvis' first three appearances on Ed Sullivan (Sept. 9 and Oct. 29, 1956 and Jan. 6, 1957), it includes the shows in their entirety. So you get the newly minted, fresh-faced King sandwiched between dog novelty acts, scenes from Broadways musicals, acrobats and comedians (including first-timer Carol Burnett in a not-funny set). I suppose that the unexpurgated shows do have some value in terms of historical Americana (at one point, Ed plugs a convention of the winners of the Congressional Medal of Honor to be held in Lakeland, Fla.), but mostly it's campy filler. As for Elvis, his performances are lively but not galvanizing. By the third show, his aw-shucks style has given way to hamming it up through a medley of "Houndog," "Love Me Tender," "Heartbreak Hotel" and "Don't Be Cruel." He already looks disinterested in the material. Elvis uses ironic little gestures and chuckles to elicit squeals from the audience -- as if he had his own personal on/off switch. Oh, and by the way, it wasn't until the third show that they started shooting him from the chest up. There's some fascinating content here, just not enough of it. 2.5 stars
- Pop goes the hotel
By Julie Dunn
(Denver Post, January 16, 2007)
Bringing back memories is the goal of Denver's newest boutique hotel, which features wake-up calls from Elvis and show tunes in the lobby. Which voice would you prefer to hear first thing in the morning - Elvis Presley, Austin Powers, Marilyn Monroe or Mr. T? Wake-up calls from celebrity impersonators are just one of many unique touches guests will find at the Curtis, Denver's newest independent boutique hotel dedicated to pop culture.
Denver-based Sage Hospitality Resources spent $30 million to convert the shuttered Executive Tower Inn at 1405 Curtis St. into the contemporary Curtis. It opened last weekend with room rates starting at roughly $139. Each of the hotel's 16 floors has its own theme - the 15th floor is "Mad About Music," with a giant Elvis sculpture and framed concert posters lining the hallways. The 11th floor celebrates "Chick Flicks." ...
- Jury selection fixed for Phil Spector's murder trial
(Yahoo! News, January 16, 2007)
Jury selection in the murder trial of legendary music producer Phil Spector will start in March, a Los Angeles judge ruled, paving the way for his long-delayed court case. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler said he wanted 300 prospective jurors summoned for the case, with jury selection scheduled to begin on March 19. The trial is expected to last from two to three months.
Eccentric recording guru Spector, 66, is accused of gunning down blonde actress Lana Clarkson at his mansion in the Los Angeles district of Al Hambra in February 2003 but proceedings against him have repeatedly stalled. He had been due to stand trial last April but the date was cancelled because of a scheduling conflict involving the judge designated to hear the case. Spector has changed lawyers several times, and earlier replaced high-profile attorney Robert Shapiro, part of the defence team that secured the 1995 acquittal of O.J. Simpson.
Spector, who revolutionised pop music in the 1960s with his famous "Wall of Sound" recording technique, is accused of killing 40-year-old Clarkson after meeting her at a Hollywood blues club where she worked as a hostess. Clarkson achieved celebrity after winning a series of small parts in US television series during the 1970s and 1980s but was most famous for her role in the 1985 movie "Barbarian Queen". Spector has pleaded not guilty to murder and has previously claimed that Clarkson killed herself in front of him.
Spector, the genius behind such groups as "The Ronettes," and famed for his work with Elvis Presley, Gene Pitney, Ike and Tina Turner and the Beatles on their "Let It Be" album, remains free on one million dollars bail. ...
- New Haven coliseum will be imploded Saturday
(Stamford Advocate / Associated Press, January 16, 2007)
This city that has struggled for decades to be a model of urban renewal plans to blow up a centerpiece of its past Saturday in 18 seconds and try another strategy. The oft-delayed implosion of Veterans Memorial Coliseum has been scheduled for 7:30 a.m. Crews are trucking in 15,000 rented tires to absorb the impact and traffic at the busy Interstate 95/91 interchange will be stopped so drivers aren't startled by the noise and vibrations.
... The coliseum opened in 1972 and hosted minor league hockey, wrestling matches, monster truck rallies, the circus and concerts from performers including Elvis Presley and the Grateful Dead.
Like many similar projects around the country, the arena was designed to resuscitate a once blighted downtown. But the coliseum, which closed in 2002, never generated the kind of business officials expected. Instead of crowding restaurants and shops, visitors parked on the rooftop garage, saw a show and left. ...
- Could American Idol Mid-Season Surprise Be The Return Of Elvis?
(Reality TV Magazine, January 16, 2007)
Only American Idol could make headlines across America by merely suggesting that there will be a surprise on their show. One vague quote from an American Idol producer promising a mid-season event that will blow America away has become one of the biggest stories of the new year. Who knows if there really is a surprise planned at this point? Maybe American Idol producers just threw it out there knowing that thousands of reporters would speculate and try to guess what the surprise event is and generate massive pre-launch media exposure for the show.
- Tribute to 'some of greatest music ever'
(Welwyn & Hatfield Times, January 16, 2007)
MAKE it a night to remember with the Elvis Collection on Thursday January 18. Well-known tribute artist Billy J McGregor and his 10-piece band will present more than two hours of The King's famous songs at the Alban Arena. They will perform over 30 hits including Jailhouse Rock, American Trilogy, Suspicious Minds, Devil in Disguise and Hound Dog.
The Elvis Collection has toured all through Europe but this tour is new and called the Burning Live in 2007 tour. Billy said: "With The Elvis Collection we take the legend of the King back to what really counts - the music. "Elvis was such a charismatic guy that too many Presley tribute shows rely on jokey impressions that completely miss the point." He added: "We don't do that - every one of our shows is a party that plays some of the greatest music ever made." Tickets are £14.50 for a show that starts at 8pm.
Billy J McGregor will impress
- Jerry Lee Lewis' swagger untamed 5 decades later
By George Varga, Copley News Service
(cantonrep.com, January 15, 2007)
What's Kid Rock got that Bruce Springsteen, Mick Jagger and country - music icons Merle Haggard and George Jones don't? Musically speaking, not much, although all of them are featured on "Last Man Standing," the surprisingly robust new album by Jerry Lee Lewis that also features B.B. King, Neil Young and 14 other all-star guests.
But Rock, the rap, rock and country vocal upstart from Detroit whose soon-to-be ex-wife is Pamela Anderson, has swagger and attitude to spare. That's why he reminds Lewis - the pioneering rock 'n' roll singer-pianist whose nickname is "The Killer" - of, well, Lewis himself.
... Yet, while rock 'n' roll was largely created by Turner, Fats Domino and many other vital black musicians, Presley is generally credited with introducing the music to mainstream (read: white) America in the mid-1950s. "No," Lewis said. "I introduced rock 'n' roll to the world with 'Whole Lot of Shakin' Going On.' Elvis? He was rockabilly; he wasn't really rock 'n' roll. When I came out with 'Whole Lot of Shakin' Going On,' that was rock 'n' roll." ...
- After all these years, Disney still enchants the masses
(Delta Democrat Times, January 15, 2007)
The Atlantic magazine recently commissioned 10 eminent historians to list and rank the 100 most influential Americans. Such lists, of course, are highly subjective, but it was nice to note that Walt Disney came in at No. 26. This put him ahead of such luminaries as Eli Whitney, Albert Einstein, Bill Gates, Robert E. Lee, and Elvis Presley. The historians justified Disney's ranking with the assertion that "he wielded unmatched influence over our childhood." ...
- 'Greatest Of All Time': Ali to market reputation by plugging snack food
(sportsillustrated.cnn.com / AP, January 15, 2007)
'Muhammad Ali left the boxing ring for the last time 26 years ago, before most of today's college students were born. These days, Ali is lending his name, image and reputation as the "Greatest Of All Time" to a snack food aimed at 18-to-24-year olds. It's the former heavyweight champion's first foray into marketing his image since selling most of the rights to his name and likeness for $50 million last year.
The snack food is produced in conjunction with Mars Inc., through a company called "G.O.A.T." It stands for "Greatest Of All Time," and the snacks hit bookstore shelves at five college campuses on Wednesday, coinciding with Ali's 65th birthday. ... Marketing experts say the product is a form of "persona branding," using Ali's image, name and reputation to induce customers into buying a product. Other celebrities, including Elvis Presley, stuntman Evel Knievel and civil rights icon Rosa Parks, have made similar moves to set up a continuing stream of revenue for themselves and their families. "Elvis has been dead since the 70s, and the revenue still pours in," said Larry Bisig, chairman of the Bisig Impact Group, a marketing and promotions company in Louisville. ...
- One singular sensation
By JEFF DANIEL
(Journal News / ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, January 15, 2007)
While the Emperor may have had no clothes, the King certainly did.
Elvis Presley, who would have celebrated his 72nd birthday this month, knew a thing or two about stylistic aplomb. That's aplomb with a capital A, and that rhymes with J - and that stands for jumpsuit. And as we well know, Elvis and jumpsuits go together like peanut butter and fried bananas. Yet, we also know: While any guy can step into a jumpsuit, not every guy can pull one off.
Elvis? Even when tipping the scales as a massive hunk of burnin' love, the King's natural showmanship made his one-piece wonders seem fitting, if not exactly a comfortable fit. Then there's the recently departed James Brown. The "hardest-working man in show business" could clock in at the job site wearing jumpsuits that bordered on bodysuits and do so with great confidence and panache. He looked good. He knew that he would.
The same could be said for fitness guru Jack LaLanne and motorcycle daredevil Evel Knievel. And on the big screen, John Turturro's purple-clad bowler, Jesus, had jumpsuit style to spare in the cult classic "The Big Lebowski." All firmly believed in the jumpsuit credo: No pants, no shirt, no problem.
With few exceptions, Joe Sixpack hasn't embraced the jumpsuit as a fashion trend on the scale of, oh, let's say the leisure suit or urban-cowboy chic. Men's closets continue to remain overwhelmingly populated with traditional pants and traditional shirts, some of which, on occasion, actually end up looking good together. As for suits, two-piece and three-piece - not jump - are the overwhelming norm.
(Author's note: An exception to the historical trend mentioned in the above paragraph was the so-called Disco Era. This was a time when satin and polyester bell-bottom jumpsuits reached unprecedented, form-fitting heights in the male wardrobe. This writer has deemed that painful period too traumatic to discuss. Now, back to our regularly scheduled story.)
Although the jumpsuit may be more exception than rule, it would be a mistake to limit its contemporary presence to Elvis impersonators - although one could argue that the incredibly large number of Elvis impersonators working today might, in effect, make the exception itself something of a rule.
Just as that previous sentence stretched the boundaries of comprehension and grammar, let's now try stretching the definition of jumpsuit to include its close relatives: the coverall, the flight suit, the racing suit, et al. Look what happens. The list now engulfs the attire of astronauts and auto mechanics, painters and prisoners, hunters and hazmat crews. There's Will Smith in "Independence Day" and Will Ferrell in "Talladega Nights." Toss in the Who's Pete Townsend, the "Ghostbusters" crew and "Halloween" slasher Michael Myers.
And how can we forget Andy Kaufman? The late comedian famously wore coveralls as Latka on television's "Taxi," and he donned a jumpsuit during the Elvis-impersonation portion of his stage act. When it came to wardrobe, Kaufman had things covered.
The same might be said for Harold Sweet. President of Apparel World in Dallas, Sweet helps oversee a clothing company with a Web site whose name says it all: www.MyJumpsuit.com.
Guys can choose from more than two dozen short-sleeve or long-sleeve models at the four-year-old site, including the daring new Shorty, for those unafraid to reveal a little leg. Looking for corduroy? Cotton? Poly? Beltless? Belted? Epaulets? Stripes? Checks?
The world is your jumpsuit.
"Leisure-wear jumpsuits are kind of difficult to find in most stores," said Sweet, who added that work-related coveralls are more common. He estimates that the company sells 25,000 jumpsuits annually through its site, which promises that "jumpsuit experts are eager to help you with any orders or questions."
Closer to home, those in need of a one-piece fix can find coveralls at most discount stores, and camo-color hunting suits at outdoors and sporting goods shops. Or, if feeling flamboyant, one might want to get in touch with Kay Murphy at the Right Stitch in Highland, Mo.: Her strong suit is the Elvis jumpsuit. The client list for Murphy's handcrafted costumes ranges from local to international. Asked whether her jumpsuit production ever veers off the Presley path, perhaps toward something a bit more pedestrian, Murphy laughed then replied: "I just do Elvis."
So much Elvis that, if laid end to end, the stage costumes she's produced might actually stretch from her home to Graceland. Well, maybe not. But this much is certainly true: Murphy makes jumpsuits, and she's been busy at it for more than a decade. And to think, some people probably figured that the jumpsuit as fashion statement was dead and gone.
Probably the same misguided souls who thought that very thing about Elvis himself.
- Odessan recalls sharing the stage with 'The King': Morris says he got drumming gig by accident
By DANIEL SKOLFIELD
(Odessa America Online, January 9, 2007)
In a splash from the past, Odessan Bill Morris chuckled on Monday - Elvis Presley's birthday - while talking about his real-life run-in with the icon and how he shared the stage with "The King." "I was Elvis Presley's first drummer, but it came about accidentally," Morris said while laughing. "I've just got to thinking how funny that was."
The almost surreal story was filled with humor as 79-year-old Morris gave his story about how he crossed paths with the national icon from Memphis more than 50 years ago.
Primarily a fiddle player, Morris said he toured with country singer Jim Reeves and performed on the "Louisiana Hayride" - a popular radio broadcast in the 1950s that helped launch many music careers including Presley's. It was on the Hayride that Morris became acquainted with Elvis - at the time "just a nice kid with a nice voice," he said. "This was in the beginning," he said. In a change of venue, Morris began filling in on a different instrument in 1955 - playing the drums at the Reo Palm Isle Club in Longview. "I wasn't a drummer, but I was playing drums at the club," he said.
The Reo Palm owner booked Elvis Presley for a concert early that year primarily because "he didn't cost nothing at all," Morris said. "Nobody knew who he was."
The dance floor may have been packed with 2,000-plus fans, but the club owner felt that Elvis' show might now please without a beat. "The old man walked up to him before it was time to start and asked him where his band was," Morris said. With guitarist Scotty Moore, double bassist Bill Black and his own rhythm guitar, Presley hoped the trio would satisfy the owner, but Morris said the owner wouldn't let them play without drums.
Elvis, who had never used drums in his group, turned to the club drummer for help, Morris said. "Elvis said, 'would you mind setting those drums up for us - that man won't let us play without 'em,' " Morris said. "We got started off, and I was still embarrassed." Wearing a little pink suit with a few rhinestones on it, Presley captivated the crowd with his presence while Morris followed along with the rhythm, he said. Morris said Elvis liked the drums with his music. "He shook and shook and shook and turned around and said, 'Boys this is what we need,' " Morris said.
Sounds of "Blue moon of Kentucky" pleased the ears of listeners, but Morris said he declined Presley's invite to stay on tour with the group after three performances.
Instead, Morris said he recommended the very talented D.J. Fontana to "the King", in order to keep the rhythm sound in his popular music. "He went on and got him, a manager after that and the rest is history," Morris said. "To my knowledge he never played another gig without drums."
- Sink your teeth into Elvis artifact
(Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, January 9, 2007)
Chew on this: Elvis Presley fans can duke it out for a model of the King's teeth and a porcelain crown on eBay. Named "The King's Crown," the model was put up for sale by a user known as "slwmcw" on Monday, which would've been Presley's 72nd birthday. The model belonged to the family of Dr. Henry Weiss, Presley's dentist. The highest bidder wins the model, a Letter of Authenticity from Presley's tour manager, Joe Esposito, as well as letters from Weiss' family about The King. As of Monday afternoon, two bids had been placed on the model - the highest bid so far $1,025. The model will be up for auction for a week. Its item number is 200066489342.
- Trivia: Elvis Presley
By TODD DAVIS
(Dallas Morning News, January 9, 2007)
On Jan. 8, 1935, Elvis Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi. How much do you know about one of America's most famous entertainers?
1. At age 11, Elvis Presley received his first guitar for Christmas, but it's not what he wanted. What was Presley hoping to get?
- Toy soldiers
- Bicycle
- Rifle
- Baseball glove
2. What was Presley studying to become while he was trying to get his professional singing career going in the '50s?
- Mortician
-
Accountant
- Surveyor
- Electrician
3. Presley's first hit single went to No. 1 in the charts in 1956. Which of the following was his first No. 1 hit?
- Don't Be Cruel
- Heartbreak Hotel
- Hound Dog
- Love Me Tender
4. Presley received 14 Grammy nominations. How many Grammy awards did he win?
5. Presley appeared in 31 feature films. Which is the incorrect match of character name and film?
- Johnny Tyrone and Harum Scarum
-
Lucky Jackson and Viva Las Vegas
- Tulsa McLean and G.I. Blues
- Duke Rivers and Roustabout
[Go to the site to answer the questions and see the answers]
- Additional day added to 2007 Elvis Presley festival
(fox10tv.com / Associated Press, January 9, 2007)
Tupelo's 2007 salute to Elvis Presley is expanding with more events -- including an old-fashioned street party. The executive director of the Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association, Debbie Brangenberg, announced the added events yesterday (Monday) during a meeting of the E-Club in Tupelo. The Elvis club meeting was held on what would have been the Tupelo native's 72nd birthday. Brangenberg says concerts, an artist contest and a number of other events are planned during the extended May 31st to June 3rd Elvis Presley Festival.
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