mid September 2007
- Resort Taps Into Its Elvis Factor
(myeyewitnessnews.com, September 25, 2007)
In the mid-1950s, the Gulf Hills Golf Club and Resort in Ocean Springs, MS, was a favorite hangout of Elvis Presley. Presley would rent out the entire resort, all the villas and several nearby houses in the Gulf Hills subdivision when he came to town.
Now, after wrestling with the notion, the resort has decided to embrace the Elvis factor. It took years of preparation, remodeling and redecorating, but it has opened for reservations the "Love Me Tender Love Me Suite." The suite is a three-bedroom wing on the second floor that has a mezzanine, a parlor with upholstered bar and a hall of fame that runs the length of the suite.
General Manager Donna Brown says part-owner Karen Mavar and interior designer Ray Ebberman created the suite's authentic look and feel of the 1950s.
The "Love Me Suite" rents for $1,000 a night. No children are allowed because it is furnished with antiques and irreplaceable memorabilia, like an ashtray from the Pink Pony Lounge where he performed on the grounds.
- Wine Matters: Corkage fees vary from restaurant to restaurant
By John Griffin
(mysanantonio.com / Express-News, September 25, 2007)
Wine is full of mysteries, and we're most than happy to solve as many as we can for you. Here are a few questions we've received recently.
... Q. I have two Elvis Presley wine bottles in mint condition.
One is a 1996 label reading "Loving You" Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Above the "Loving You" is Graceland. The other is 1995 first vintage, with Graceland on the label, Napa Valley Chardon- nay. Both wines were made by Grandview Cellars in Oakville, Calif. Once again both are in mint condition, never opened. Both have Elvis Presley's profile on the label. I would like to know how much they are worth before I open both bottles when I turn 60.
Rose
From what little information I was able to gather, these wines are probably more collectible among Elvis fans than wine fans, so I would keep the bottles in as pristine a condition as possible. I found no reviews of the wines themselves, but a 12-year-old California chardonnay from all but the top producers is likely to be past its prime. One eBay vendor was selling the cabernet sauvignon for $10, which doesn't hold much hope for the quality of the wine there, either. ...
- House panel debates hip-hop lyrics
By JIM ABRAMS
(Yahoo! News / AP, September 24, 2007)
Two rappers, sitting side-by-side in a House hearing room, went in different directions Tuesday on the need for hip-hop artists to expunge their work of sexist and violent language. One, Master P, apologized to women for past songs that demeaned them, while another was defiant.
Former gangsta rapper Master P, whose real name is Percy Miller, told a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing that he is now committed to producing clean lyrics. The angry music of his past, he said, came from seeing relatives and friends shot and killed. But he said now that he doesn't want his own children to listen to his music, "so if I can do anything to change this, I'm going to take a stand and do that."
... But rapper and record producer Levell Crump, known as David Banner, was defiant as lawmakers pressed him on his use of offensive language. "I'm like Stephen King: horror music is what I do," he said in testimony laced with swear words. "Change the situation in my neighborhood and maybe I'll get better," he told one member of Congress.
... In the '50s people were deeply offended by Elvis Presley, and a decade later many were scandalized by The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, said Edgar Bronfman Jr., chairman and CEO of Warner Music Group. ... He said his company takes an active role in editing obscenities out of music videos and excising gang symbols or portrayals of violence, but "we also believe that it is not our role to censor the creative expression of artists."
- A musical icon rebuilds his life, home and music
(USA Today, September 22, 2007)
Fats Domino, a founding father of rock 'n' roll, an R&B legend and a New Orleans saint, summarizes his 58-year recording career with sweet sincerity: "There's not too much to talk about."
He squirms slightly in his metal chair near the stage of Tipitina's nightclub and continues in his thick Creole patois. "I'm glad that people liked me and my music. I guess it was an interesting life. I didn't pay much attention, and I never thought I'd be here this long." And then his anxiety dissolves as he jumps into the title track of his 2006 album, Alive and Kickin':
... The 2005 hurricane capsized Domino's life, though he's loath to confess any inconvenience or misery outside of missing his social circle in the Lower Ninth Ward, still destroyed and deserted despite some signs of renewal. The smaller of his two side-by-side homes there is nearly restored, with fresh funds expected from a star-studded tribute album out Tuesday on Vanguard. Goin' Home, a 30-track double disc, boasts Domino classics remade by New Orleans heroes from Allen Toussaint to Dr. John, plus such Fats admirers as Tom Petty, Elton John, Randy Newman and Norah Jones. In addition to renovating Domino's Caffin Avenue home, proceeds will fund other Tipitina's Foundation projects, including Instruments a Comin', which aids area school band programs. The tribute is why Domino, arriving with his favorite cabdriver, came from his current home in Harvey, La., to the Uptown club for a rare interview.
...He sold more than 65 million records and scored 37 top 40 hits during his stint at Imperial Records (1949-1963). Only Elvis Presley sold more rock records in the '50s. Eclipsed by his disciples, Domino never complained about his place in rock's pantheon: "I'm satisfied with what happened." ...
- Televangelist Rex Humbard dies
(United Press International, September 22, 2007)
Preacher Rex Humbard, the world's first televangelist and pastor to Elvis Presley, has died at 88. Humbard died Friday of natural causes in a hospital near his home in Lantana Fla., said a family spokesman. In 1949, Humbard began broadcasting from the CBS affiliate in Indianapolis, Ind., and by 1952 was broadcasting weekly to millions from his 5,400-seat Cathedral of Tomorrow in Akron, Ohio, said a release. His weekly program ran for nearly 30 years on 2,000 stations worldwide in 91 languages.
Presley considered Humbard his pastor and when Presley died Vernon Presley, his father, asked Humbard to lead the funeral service in Memphis, Tenn. Humbard, the son of a minister, was born Aug. 13, 1919 in Little Rock, Ark. He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Maude Aimee, two sons and one daughter. Humbard is to be buried in Akron, Ohio.
- One-Time Elvis Attorney Sentenced In Child Porn Case
U.S. Department of Justice press release
(newschannel5.com / Associated Press, September 22, 2007)
A one-time attorney for Elvis Presley was sentenced Friday to five years in prison on child pornography charges. Drayton Beecher Smith had pleaded guilty in June to possessing child pornography he viewed on the Internet. The youngsters were under the age of 12. He also was sentenced to 10 years supervised release, the minimum mandatory sentence under federal guidelines. Smith has said he was lured to pornographic websites while researching a criminal case involving a relative.
- Parton sings songwriters' praises in Nashville
By Pat Harris
(Yahoo! News / Reuters, September 20, 2007)
"I'll never retire!" exclaimed an effervescent Dolly Parton, sporting a new upswept hairdo, as she presided at a Music Row event on Thursday recognizing country music's most neglected talent -- the songwriter. "When my time comes, I hope I fall dead in the middle of the stage and I hope it's to a song I wrote," the 61-year-old Parton said, whose new hairstyle has her platinum hair piled high.
The occasion at Curb Records' studios marked the announcement of a partnership between the independent label and Belmont University to house the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame inside the Curb building. The planned facility will also cater to students aspiring to music careers.
Parton, who has always called herself a songwriter first, termed it "old home week" in looking over the crowded historic Curb Records building. The building was once the hub of pioneer songwriters, musicians and performers during the years when performers really did wear overalls and boots, performed in barns and hoped for a spot on the Grand Ole Opry.
... Nearby along Music Row sits RCA Studio B where Parton, Elvis Presley, Jim Reeves, the Everly Brothers, Roy Orbison and Waylon Jennings recorded hits. ...
- 'I Write the Songs' ... Well, some of them, as Barry Manilow moves to the '70s
By Nekesa Mumbi Moody
(dailysouthtown.com / Associated Press, September 20, 2007)
On his past two albums, Barry Manilow tackled songs made famous by Elvis Presley, the Beatles, Frank Sinatra and other greats. But his new album presented a real challenge: covering himself. "Trying to redo 'Mandy,' trying to redo 'I Write the Songs' - it was the most complicated thing I'd ever done in my life," he says.
It was inevitable Manilow would end up redoing songs from his own career, given his recent artistic direction. In January 2006, he released "The Greatest Songs of the Fifties" - which promptly debuted at the top of the charts and sold more than one million copies. Months later, he was at it again, this time with "The Greatest Songs of the Sixties," also a top seller.
This week, he reaches into the past once again with the release of the two-disc "The Greatest Songs of the Seventies," which includes songs made famous by the likes of Simon & Garfunkel, the Carpenters and Carole King. ...
- Pokeweed: Elvis's Poke Was Jefferson's Ink Berry
By Gary Pendleton
(Bay Weekly / Earth Journal, September 20-26, 2007)
In 1969, Elvis Presley heard a song called Poke Salad Annie. Elvis recorded the song and made it part of his live act. The King, who was born in a shotgun house in Tupelo, Miss., likely identified with the poor Southern girl portrayed in the song. He liked it so much that he recorded it three times, making it famous. The writer was Tony Joe White.
Poke Salad Annie would go out every evening about suppertime, to pick a mess of pokeweed. She seemed to be all alone; "everybody said it was a shame that her Poppa was workin' on a chain gang, or was it her Momma?
But she got by. She was "TCB." That's Elvis lingo for "taking care of business". But don't follow Annie's lead and eat raw pokeweed, because it will put a hurtin' on your belly.
Phytolacea americana is a lush, fast-growing plant that favors areas of mixed sun and shade with rich, moist soils. This striking plant grows into one of our tallest, non-wetland, native plants. It can reach up to 10 feet on crimson stalks. The leaves are generally green but sometimes turn red. Their shape is simple and typically tropical in design: un-lobed and with a drip-point. Purple berries hang down in a spike. The juice of the pokeberry is blood red and toxic.
Pokeweed has many other names, such as Ink Berry. The Declaration of Independence was written with ink made from fermented poke berry juice. Think about that the next time you bring out the Round Up spray.
Various Native American tribes used pokeweed for a variety of medicinal purposes, according to Dr. Jim Duke in the Handbook of Northeastern Indian Medicinal Plants. Poke was applied to cuts or consumed for cramps, worms, cancer, fever and many more ailments.
Poke is edible, but if not prepared properly it can be toxic. Avoid mature plants; young leaves make the best eating. Opinions differ on how to prepare it. I have eaten early spring poke leaves that were twice boiled, with the water changed for the second boil. For a gourmet twist, serve with clarified butter on whole-wheat toast points.
Our pokeweed has a South American cousin that grows as a small tree. Called the ombu tree, it provides shade to the gauchos of the Argentinean pampas. In some parts of the world, our little poke is grown as an ornamental. Give it a little space and leave it alone; it will add a wild note in the garden. Elvis and Thomas Jefferson would both approve.
Phytolacea americana
What to look for: Plants up to 10 feet tall with red stalks and prominent purple berries.
Where to look: Roadsides; forest edges; overgrown, weedy areas.
- Oprah, Elvis top celebrity neighbor list
(UPI, September 19, 2007)
Oprah Winfrey, Elvis Presley and Donald Trump are the top three celebrities people in the United States would like to have as neighbors, a new poll found. Homes & Land, a real estate media company based in Florida, announced the results Wednesday of its Celebrity Neighbor Survey. The poll asked thousands of U.S. residents to name what famous person they would like to live next door to.
Tiger Woods was the only athlete to make an appearance on the top 20 list. Five singers made the chart -- including Presley, Dolly Parton, Kenny Chesney, Frank Sinatra and Jennifer Lopez. The top 20 list also included high-powered businessmen Bill Gates and Warren Buffett and media moguls Martha Stewart and Hugh Hefner.
The women surveyed chose -- in descending order -- Winfrey, Paris Hilton, Parton, John Travolta and George Clooney as their top five. Men picked Presley, John Wayne, Trump, Woods and Gates.
Certain personalities received all-male or all-female votes.
- Alex Romero, 94; choreographer for Elvis Presley
By Mary Rourke
(Los Angeles Times, September 18, 2007)
He worked with the King of Rock 'n' Roll on four films including 'Jailhouse Rock,' choreographing the routine for the film's title song.
Alex Romero, a dancer and choreographer who directed Elvis Presley's dancing for the movie "Jailhouse Rock" and also worked with Presley on three other films, has died. He was 94. Romero died Sept. 8 of natural causes at the Motion Picture and Television Fund home, according to Mark Knowles, a dance writer and friend. He had been a resident of the home for several years.
A gracefully athletic dancer, Romero got his start in movies in the early 1940s. He was a featured dancer in "On the Town," a 1949 film that starred Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra. He also performed in the 1951 film "An American in Paris," which also starred Kelly. He worked as an assistant choreographer before he went out on his own. His earliest solo credits include "The Affairs of Dobie Gillis," starring Bobby Van and Debbie Reynolds in 1953. Romero was named staff choreographer for MGM in the late 1940s and held the position for almost 20 years.
"Alex was the last link to the Golden Age of movie musicals," said Larry Billman, author of the encyclopedia "Film Choreographers and Dance Directors" (1997). "Fortunately, before Alex left he moved movie choreography into the next generation."
Romero was known for his humor and imaginative use of props in dances he choreographed. In "The Fastest Gun Alive," a 1956 western, he choreographed Russ Tamblyn, who danced with a shovel as a prop. Romero also worked with Tamblyn on "Tom Thumb" in 1958.
His other film credits include "The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm," a 1962 movie with a number of dance scenes, and "Love at First Bite," a 1979 comedy starring George Hamilton and Susan Saint James.
For Presley, Romero choreographed "Double Trouble" and "Clambake" in 1967 as well as "Speedway" the next year. Their most memorable collaboration remained "Jailhouse Rock" in 1957. "Jailhouse became a signature piece for Elvis, and it helped make rock 'n' roll an acceptable dance form for films," Knowles said. The production number for the movie's title song was Presley's first choreographed routine, according to "Down at the End of Lonely Street: The Life and Death of Elvis Presley," by Peter Harry Brown and Pat H. Broeske (1997).
"I guess he thought that I was going to give him some slick dancing steps," Romero said in the book. "I chose steps that were foreign to him, but that were also like him, so he could pick them up."
Born Alexander Bernard Quiroga on Aug. 20, 1913, in San Antonio, he started dancing professionally at 15 in a touring dance act started by three of his brothers. The act broke up in the late 1930s. Romero went to work in Hollywood soon after that.
He married Frances Driscoll in 1936. She died in 1997. Romero is survived by his daughters Melinda Akard of Oviedo, Fla., and Judy George of Woodland Hills; four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Contributions in his name can be made to the Motion Picture and Television Fund, Box 51150, Los Angeles, CA, 90051.
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