early April 2007
- Elvis Gets a New Hog: Harley-Davidson unveils special Elvis edition Harley
(Memphis Flyer, April 10, 2007)
Graceland has quite a few special activities planned for August, when Elvis Presley Enterprises commemorates the 30th anniversary of the death of the King of Rock-and-Roll.
Among the events is the unveiling of a customized, limited-edition Harley-Davidson, specially produced by the newly-opened Graceland Harley-Davidson dealership.
The recreated personalized 1957 Black Harley-Davidson Electra-Glide FLH model will be styled after the one Elvis once owned. Only 30 models are being built and will be sold at 12 Harley dealerships around the country. The starting price will be $58,815, and bikes No. 2 through 24 will be sold using a lottery system. Bikes 25 through 29 will be sold at a later date.
Motorcycle "No. 1" will be offered for sale for $100,000 and $40,000 will be donated to the American Diabetes Association. Bruce Rossmeyer, CEO of 12 Harley-Davidson locations around the country - including the world's largest dealership in Daytona, Florida, and the all-new Graceland Harley-Davidson - will unveil the new Elvis Presley Anniversary Bike Signature Series at Graceland on April 22nd.
It will, no doubt, kick ass.
- Mississippi Celebrates Grammy With Star-Studded Gala
(PRWeb, April 10, 2007)
The State of Mississippi's ongoing "Birthplace of America's Music" campaign will get a huge boost later this month when Governor Haley Barbour hosts Celebrating A 50 Year Grammy Legacy set for April 26th in Jackson, MS.
Sponsored by Peavey Electronics and the Mississippi Development Authority, the event will take place at the Marriott Hotel Ballroom in downtown Jackson, MS, preceded by a reception at the Governor's Mansion, hosted by Governor Barbour and First Lady Marsha Barbour. The evening's focus will be performances by rock 'n roll legend Jerry Lee Lewis, gospel greats The Williams Brothers, country music icon Marty Stuart, jam band rock sensations The North Mississippi All Stars as well as Swedish pop music superstar Carola. The many styles and genres of these artists reflect the diversity of music that Mississippi has spawned. Proceeds from the evening will benefit the Mississippi Blues Foundation whose Blues Trail project places interpretive markers at notable historical sites related to the history and growth of the blues throughout the state.
In addition to performances by the established stars as noted, the evening will also include a performance circumstance - a medley of songs associated with Mississippi and Mississippi artists - by a group of up and coming Mississippi-based artists who have been dubbed "Mississippi's future Grammy prospects" by the event organizers. This portion of the evening's program will showcase the talents of blues-rock artist Scott Albert Johnson; Soulfire, a rhythm and blues group as well as Sweet Water Jade, a female country vocal trio.
The event will offer a salute to the numerous Grammy Award winners and nominees, from the state that gave the world Elvis Presley, B.B. King, Muddy Waters, Faith Hill, John Lee Hooker, Tammy Wynette, Charlie Pride, Van Dyke Parks, Conway Twitty, Jimmie Lunceford and so many others. Since the inception of The Recording Academy's Grammy Award in 1958, a disproportionate number of winners - more than forty - and a vast number of nominees have been Mississippians. In announcing the event, Governor Barbour noted, "Mississippi Grammy Night is a powerful and entertaining way to recognize our state's heritage as the 'Birthplace of America's Music.' This special event will showcase Mississippi artists with phenomenal talents and launch a new level of recognition for our distinct and unique musical culture." Beyond the artists set to perform at the gala, it is expected that a significant number of Mississippi recording artists will be in attendance to lend their support to their home state music initiatives.
Jon Hornyak, Senior Executive Director of The Recording Academy's Memphis Chapter commented, "The Recording Academy is very supportive of this celebration of Grammy winners and nominees from Mississippi. With over forty Grammy Award winners in a variety of genres, the state's incredible influence is undeniable."
Ticket information for Mississippi - Birthplace of America's Music Celebrates A 50 Year Grammy Legacy is available by calling 601-576-2020
- Jenny Fellner is 'All Shook Up' over Elvis's music
By ARLENE FINE
(Cleveland JewishNews.com, April 9, 2007)
Can a nice Jewish girl born within a stone's throw of Mt. Rushmore find happiness on Broadway? "You bet," says Jenny Fellner, the co-star of "All Shook Up," a jukebox musical at Playhouse Square's Palace Theatre from April 10-22.
"All Shook Up" features the music of Elvis Presley. It takes place during a 24-hour period in 1955 in a small Midwestern town. The romantic tale tells the story of a young girl with dreams of heading to the big city and a charismatic rebel who brings rock and roll to the town and changes it forever. It features 24 classic Presley hits including "Heartbreak Hotel," "Jailhouse Rock," and "Blue Suede Shoes."
"All Shook Up" is far from a showcase for an Elvis impersonator," says Fellner. "It is an endearing, warm love story, and the plot motivates each song we sing. This is a great family show, and Elvis lovers will have a field day."
At age 28, Fellner has already had her own "field day" on Broadway. She has worked steadily since she graduated from the University of North Colorado as a musical theater major. Her many credits include playing the leading role of Sophie in the Broadway production of "Mamma Mia" and sharing the marquee with Julie Andrews in "Boyfriend." "From the time I was 3-years-old, I knew I had talent and was destined for success in musical theater," says the actress. "I am a self-starter and never give up, no matter what."
Fellner has been with "All Shook Up" since the national touring company hit the road in mid-July. She will stay with the show until the run ends in September. "I admit all this traveling has been grueling, especially keeping up with the different climates as we cross the country," she says.
One of the most memorable cities the cast of "All Shook Up" performed in was Memphis, Tenn., Elvis¹s birthplace. "It was so eerie to tour Graceland and hear the same songs we were singing in the show piped into our headphones," explains Fellner. "At the end of the tour, our cast stood at his grave. We had a special connection to the incredible performer we have grown to admire."
While Presley got caught up in the rock-and-roll lifestyle, Fellner says she views her stage time as simply a job. "Just like my mom comes home every day from the office and cooks dinner and has a glass of wine, I consider performing as something I do a few hours a day, and the rest of the day is my real life. I never forget where I grew up, and I try to stay grounded."
Fellner loves New York - her home base - most of the time. "But there are two or three days a month when I long for the serenity and clean air back home," she says. "Yet, when I visit my family in South Dakota, after a few days I get real antsy and long for the lights of Broadway."
- Elvis' 'G.I.' uniform passes muster
By Maria Puente
( USA TODAY, April 9, 2007)
Casinos were always lucky places for Elvis Presley, so maybe he left just enough luck behind to rescue a piece of his legacy blown out of a Mississippi casino by Hurricane Katrina. Or at least that's one way to look at the remarkable recovery and restoration of the badly damaged Army uniform costume Presley wore in 1960's G.I. Blues, the first movie he did after getting out of the Army himself. The khaki costume, which he wore to sing the film's title track, had just been installed in the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Biloxi when Katrina destroyed the gambling barge just days before its grand opening in 2005.
The costume, acquired by Hard Rock in 1988, floated out into the Gulf, along with other rock memorabilia collected by Hard Rock. Like so much else destroyed by Katrina, it was thought to be gone for good. And then, incredibly, the costume washed up on shore days after the storm, complete with its Army green service cap. It was a mess - torn, stained with oil, rust and mildew, encrusted with salt and smelly. But it was still recognizable. "It's amazing to me that people would think enough to get this stuff back to us - that would not be the first thing on my mind after a storm," says Don Bernstine, head of acquisitions for Hard Rock. After 35 years of collecting, Hard Rock owns what is believed to be the largest hoard of rock artifacts in the world - 69,000 items worth about $45 million.
But the costume needed a lot of restoration work, and for that Hard Rock turned to Imperial Gown Restoration of Fairfax, Va., which has restored garments for the Smithsonian. Steven Saidman, the company's president, says Hard Rock told him to restore the costume but not to hide what it had gone through. "Clean it, preserve it, repair the tear so that it doesn't fall apart - but that tear is now part of its history," Saidman says. After 60 hours of work over two months, at a cost of about $3,000, the restoration is complete. The costume will return to Biloxi, to be reinstalled in the rebuilt Hard Rock casino opening this summer. "We're ecstatic," Bernstine says. "This is something that can't be replaced."
- ANNA NICOLE SMITH DEATH: Prescription drug abuse hits all segments of society
By FRED TASKER
(Miami Herald, April 9, 2007)
Abuse of prescription drugs is not just a lethal danger among celebrities; it's a rising problem for everyone, according to health experts. The gruesome, graphic autopsy report on model Anna Nicole Smith, who died near Hollywood on Feb. 8, found 11 drugs in her system. Every one of them was legal. No cocaine. No heroin. Not even alcohol. But, taken all together in the quantities found, they killed her. ''Acute combined drug intoxication,'' the report said. Unwillingly, unwittingly, she became a role model in reverse -- for what not to do, how not to live. And she illustrated the growing problem of prescription drug abuse. The mix-and-match, overdose, medicate-yourself, TV-ad-fueled, doctor-shopping problem of misusing legal drugs prescribed by physicians.
George Hime, toxicologist at the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner's Office, sees it in bodies on slabs in his morgue. "We become so dependent on them we start to use more, to mix and match. And pretty soon, we have a lethal combination,'' Hime said. Dr. Jeffrey Bernstein, a physician at Jackson Memorial Hospital's emergency room, sees it in drowsy patients on gurneys in his hallways. ''In severe cases, they're unconscious, comatose, near death,'' he said. It's a national problem. Visits to U.S. emergency rooms because of misuse of prescription or over-the-counter drugs was up 21 percent from 2004 to 2005, while visits prompted by the use of illegal drugs held steady, according to a study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. ''We're seeing more of it here, too,'' said Bernstein, who is also a toxicologist at the University of Miami Medical School. ``It's prescription drugs as opposed to street drugs like cocaine.''
FATAL COMBINATION
A mix of chloral hydrate, a powerful depressant, with half a dozen other depressants killed Smith; a more modest mix may have killed her son, Daniel, autopsies say. It's a growing extrapolation of the once-rare form of prescription drug misuse that decades ago probably killed Elvis Presley, possibly Judy Garland, maybe even Howard Hughes.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse says most misuse is in three classes of prescription drugs:
- Opioids, prescribed for pain - such as Vicodin.
- Central nervous system depressants, prescribed to treat anxiety and sleeplessness, such as Valium.
- Stimulants, prescribed to fight attention-deficit disorder, such as Ritalin.
Of 1.4 million ER visits involving drug abuse in 2005, 27 percent involved prescription or over-the-counter drugs, said the study by the substance abuse services administration, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The reasons are complex. ''People perceive that prescription drugs are safe, even if they misuse them, because they come from the medical system, while illegal drugs could come from anywhere,'' said Wilson Compton, director of research for the National Institute on Drug Abuse. ``It isn't true.''
Hime blames ''doctor shopping'' -- asking several doctors for prescriptions -- TV ads that motivate patients to demand dozens of specific drugs from their doctors, and doctors too busy to spend enough time with patients, prescribing whatever they ask for. ...
- FAMOUS ENDINGS: Some other celebrities had prescription-related deaths:
(contactmusic.com, April 9, 2007)
-
Marilyn Monroe: Died Aug. 5, 1962, at 36. An autopsy blamed the barbiturate Nembutal and chloral hydrate -- both central nervous system depressants; overdoses can be fatal.
- Elvis Presley: Died Aug. 16, 1977, at 42. A first autopsy blamed a heart attack. But testimony in the trial of ''Dr. Nick'' -- Presley's private doctor, George Nichopoulos, charged with prescribing excessive amounts of drugs for him -- listed codeine, morphine and Diazepan, a central nervous system depressant, in his system.
- Judy Garland: Died June 22, 1969, at 47. An autopsy blamed an accidental overdose of barbiturates prescribed for sleeping. Biographies said she was addicted to vodka and amphetamines. Amphetamines, which are stimulants taken as diet aids, can weaken the heart over time, making it more vulnerable to overdoses of depressants like barbiturates, toxicologist George Hime said. Alcohol also is a depressant.
- Howard Hughes: The reclusive billionaire aviator died April 5, 1976, at 70. The autopsy said kidney failure. Time magazine later said witnesses in a trial over his fortune testified that he was addicted to massive amounts of Valium and codeine, both powerful depressants.
- Dinah Washington: The blues singer, whose hits included What a Difference a Day Makes, died Dec. 14, 1963, at 39. News accounts called it an accidental overdose of diet pills. A later National Public Radio documentary said she had been taking a variety of pills for dieting and insomnia. Again, Hime said, chronic use of diet pills can weaken the heart, making it more vulnerable to an overdose of sedatives.
- EL VEZ SET FOR ZOMBIE HORROR COMEDY: ELVIS PRESLEY
(contactmusic.com, April 9, 2007)
Internationally-renowned Latino ELVIS PRESLEY impersonator ROBERT 'EL VEZ' LOPEZ has landed his first movie role in Australia, opposite rocker MANDY KANE. The odd couple will star in new Aussie zombie comedy DEAD COUNTRY. The film follows the efforts of an eclectic band of humans and aliens who bond together to stop the planet from becoming overrun with the living dead after a space ship, containing hazardous material, explodes over a small rural town, unleashing a deadly virus upon the population - and turning everyone into zombies.
- Trump the latest celebrity to expand into furniture business
By Ieva M. Augstums
(post-gazette.com / AP, April 7, 2007)
With the theme song from his reality television show blaring in the background, Donald Trump strode into a showroom at the world's biggest furniture trade show and started to brag about, of all things, his couch. ... The furniture industry has very few consumer recognizable brands -- less than 10 by most measures -- so manufacturers bring celebrities on board to help draw consumers into stores, said Jerry Epperson, a furniture industry analyst with Richmond, Va.-based investment banker Mann, Armistead and Epperson. "America appears constantly fascinated by the famous, often without regard to their talent or ability," Epperson said. "A celebrity identity gives consumers some comfort and reinforcement that someone else has chosen the item, too." Such famous-name furniture isn't new -- think Martha Stewart. Other celebrity lines that have sold well include that of American Realist painter Bob Timberlake and a collection named for fashion designer Liz Claiborne, both sold by Lexington Home Brands.
... Indeed, there have been some notable failures. Vaughan-Bassett Furniture Co. dropped its Elvis Presley collection just 18 months after its debut in 2002. Company spokesman Doug Bassett said the typical Elvis fan loved the furniture but couldn't afford it. "As we like to say, 'Folks, Elvis has left the building,'" Bassett said. "The collection was a successful promotion, but just like Elvis, we wish it would have lasted longer." The key, Epperson said, is mixing the identity and the appeal of the celebrity with the affordability and attractiveness of the product. "No one will buy ugly or overpriced furniture because someone's name is on it," he said.
- It's a King thing: In Search of Elvis
By Sue Arnold
(The Guardian, April 7, 2007)
The Groucho Marx Radio Variety Show| Triple Bill
by Charlie Connelly, read by Julian Rhind-Tutt
(3hrs abridged, Hachette, £13.99)
Here's something to ponder over your hot cross bun. In 1977, the year the King died, there were 185 Elvis impersonators in the world. In 2005 there were 186,000. At this rate, by the year 2060 one in four people on the planet will be sporting a quiff, a curled lip and an indecently tight white jumpsuit. With a rock'n'roll phenomenon like Elvis, nothing's impossible. Even if you aren't a fan (here's where I confess that my eyes start to prick whenever I hear the opening bars of "I Can't Help Falling in Love With You"), Connelly's style is so enthusiastic and the way Julian Rhind-Tutt reads is so infectious that you'll probably rush out and buy the classic collection Elvis: 30 #1 Hits. Exactly what Connelly is trying to say in this hectic musical odyssey, other than that he's always been a fan, is hard to pin down. Like his last book, Attention All Shipping, for which he visited every meteorological station mentioned in the shipping forecast, it's really just an excuse to write a quirky travel book. The irony is that, apart from being stationed in Germany when he was in the army and couple of gigs in Canada, Elvis never left America. For the record, the Roman Catholic elders of Montreal declared that any Catholic going to an Elvis Presley concert would be excommunicated. Two RCs who attended the Ottawa gig were publicly damned. Happily for us, the stay-at-home side of Elvis hasn't deterred the author from visiting Elvis venues in Uzbekistan and Israel, interviewing a linguistics professor in Finland who has translated and performs Elvis hits in Latin and Sumerian, or buying a Presley tartan kilt in Aberdeen. Of course it's authentic. Elvis's great-great-great-great-great-great-greatgrandfather emigrated from Scotland to North Carolina in 1745.
- Final Contest to Be Held During 30th Anniversary Elvis Week
Source: Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.
(Yahoo! Finance / BUSINESS WIRE, April 6, 2007)
Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. (EPE) announced today that the official "Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest(TM)" now includes 23 locations, all over the world, licensed to host preliminary contests. Each location will send their winner to the qualifying rounds and finals which will be held in Memphis during the 30th Anniversary Elvis Week.
"The response from people all over the world has been amazing," stated Paul Jankowski, Chief Marketing Officer for EPE. "Within a few months of announcing the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest we have 23 licensed preliminary contests confirmed and several more still to be announced. We're hearing from the preliminary locations that they are also receiving a huge response from Elvis Tribute Artists who want to enter their contests. We are all thrilled with the response and look forward to even more locations joining us."
In addition to the previously announced cities of Tupelo, Mississippi and Collingwood, Ontario, Canada, Elvis Tribute Artists will currently be able to enter competitions in: Tampa, Florida; Lake George, New York; Blackpool, England; Franklin, Tennessee; Bowie, Maryland; Marian, Kansas; Rapid City, South Dakota; Daytona Beach, Florida; Ft. Lauderdale, Florida; Virginia Beach, Virginia; Queenstown, Australia; Harrodsburg, Kentucky; Longview, Texas; Penticton, British Columbia, Canada; Windsor, Ontario, Canada; Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri; Ottawa/Gatineau, Ontario, Canada; Shreveport, Louisiana; Branson, Missouri; and San Diego, California.
According to Jerry Schilling, former member of Elvis's inner circle of friends, EPE's contest will increase both the visibility and the performance opportunities for Elvis Tribute Artists. "I am personally excited about the high level of quality I have seen EPE put into the planning, promotion and development for these contests around the world. The Elvis Tribute Artists I have spoken with are excited about how this is going to impact their careers. I had the opportunity of introducing Elvis to one of the very first tribute artists at the Hilton in Vegas, so it's fun to see it coming full circle."
The Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest is a search for the Elvis Tribute Artist that is the "best representation of the legacy of Elvis Presley." Judges will be looking for talent, appearance, performance, stage presence and each contestant's overall tribute to Elvis. The best overall performer will be named "The Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist of 2007." The Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest is sponsored by Madacy Entertainment and Jazz Cruises, LLC.
Rich Vickers, winner of the Arnold, Missouri preliminary round, the first of 23 such competitions, stated "This is such an honor. My dream has been to compete as an Elvis tribute artist in Memphis. Competing during Elvis Week on the 30th anniversary of his death and participating in an Elvis Tribute Artist Contest sponsored by EPE is a distinct privilege."
In addition to receiving the title, the winner of the contest will receive a prize package that includes $5,000 Cash, a $5,000 Shopping Spree at Graceland, a jumpsuit valued at $3,000 and a one-of-a-kind Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest champion belt, both designed and created by B&K Enterprise. The winner will also receive a recording session, courtesy of Sun Records in Nashville, a contract to perform on the first-ever Elvis Tribute Cruise with a compensation package including double occupancy cabin, travel for two and $1,000 cash. Prizes will also be awarded for second and third place winners.
Plans for all the contestants during Elvis Week include media opportunities, private receptions and even a question and answer session at Graceland with Gene Doucette who worked on many of Elvis's classic jumpsuits.
"Although we're sure winning the ultimate title will be life-changing for the tribute artists who win, we're making sure all the contestants have the experience of a lifetime while here in Memphis during Elvis Week," said Jankowski.
Elvis Week, to be held August 11-19, 2007, will mark the 30th anniversary of Elvis' death on August 16, 1977 and is expected to be the largest commemoration ever. Each year, tens of thousands of people arrive in Memphis to celebrate the superstar's life with concerts, charity events, dances, fan club activities and much more.
Tickets are now on sale for both The Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest Qualifying Rounds on Sun. August 12 at 5:00 pm and The Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest FINALS on Friday. Aug. 17 at 7:00 pm and links to purchase can be found on Elvis.com.
Contact:
Elvis Presley Enterprises
David Beckwith, 323-845-9836
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