late December 2007
- Boomers are about to collect
By BILL GLAUBER and BEN POSTON
(jsonline.com, December 31, 2007)
In 2008, the first wave of a generation 78 million strong will hit the Social Security system
Greg Witt was born in January 1946, raised on Elvis, served two years in the U.S. Army and retired after 38 years of working for Allen-Bradley in Milwaukee. Now, he is on the cusp of turning 62 and reaching another milestone - receiving Social Security. "It's kind of like another step in your life," he says. "It feels kind of good, all these years of working and contributing and I get something back." Witt is among the first of 78 million baby boomers poised to enter the Social Security retirement system in the coming decades, the beginning of the so-called Silver Tsunami of aging yet energetic Americans. ...
- 'Adam-12' star still shines
By ANDY HOGUE
(Press-Telegram, dated December 4 2007, found December 31, 2007)
"Adam-12" may have ended its original run 32 years ago, but fans of the police drama have no trouble recognizing Kent McCord as the actor who portrayed Officer Jim Reed for seven seasons.
... It's no surprise that the L.A. native's first acting gig was on "The Adventure of Ozzie and Harriet" since he was a buddy of Ricky Nelson, whom he met at USC. McCord appeared in seven episodes from 1962 to '66 and remembers one scene particularly well. "I started on that show working background, standing in for Ricky. One day, they were doing a fraternity show where there was a party going on - early-day 'Risky Business'-type thing - while Ozzie and Harriet were away from the house. "They came home early and I was standing at the door with my date. Ozzie asked, 'Where's Rick?' and I said, 'Who's Rick?' Those were the first two words I ever said in pictures."
What followed were small parts in a trio of Elvis Presley films, as well as eight appearances as police rookie Reed on the Jack Webb drama "Dragnet 1967." ...
- Local events to mark Elvis Presley's birthday
By ANDY HOGUE
(Gainsville Daily Register, December 31, 2007)
The King of Rock and Roll would be 73 on his birthday if he were alive and well today. But his memory is just as young as it ever was in the hearts of his fans - Even in small towns like Gainesville and Thackerville. At least two events in Elvis Presley's memory are scheduled locally for the week of Presley's birthday.
On Presley's birthday, Jan. 8, "Elvis Night" is scheduled at the Woolf Den, 1901 W. California St., in Gainesville, featuring local Elvis impersonator Jerry Headrick. The performance is set to begin at 7 p.m. That weekend, on Jan. 11, Travis LeDoyt, a professional Elvis tribute artist, is scheduled to appear in concert at WinStar Casinos, Interstate Highway 35 Exit 1, in Thackerville, Okla. The show is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m.
LeDoyt, who was on the road traveling during a telephone interview Thursday, said he prefers the term "Elvis tribute artist" to "Elvis impersonator." "Anyone can be called an impersonator, like guys who sing at family gatherings, do backyard barbecues and things like that," LeDoyt said. "People know we're trying to do justice - we're paying a close enough tribute as we can. We're not out to make mockery of him or anything." ...
- Diddley headlines year in Mississippi entertainment
(wmctv.com / Associated Press, December 29, 2007)
McComb native Bo Diddley survived a heart attack and stroke in 2007. That didn't stop the internationally famous blues man from making headlines in his home state. The 78-year-old received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Governor's Awards for Excellence in the Arts on Feb. 16 in Jackson. Before the ceremony, Diddley told The Associated Press that he "ain't through yet" with his career.
... Other notable entertainment news from 2007 includes:
... Thousands of fans from around the globe marked the 30th anniversary of Elvis Presley's death by flocking to Tupelo to see the modest shotgun shack where the king of rock 'n' roll was born on Jan. 8, 1935. ...
- Prison music school: Inmates are finding outlet is creating tones and tunes
By David Burger
(Salt Lake Tribune, December 28, 2007)
No matter what Elvis Presley said, jailhouses aren't full of party-throwing wardens and knocked-out jailbirds who are as cute as you'd ever see.
Prison bands that wail are another thing, at least at the Utah State Prison. In just one year, the prison's Wasatch Music School has grown from 64 inmate students to 390. In addition, more than 20 inmates serve as tutors who teach their pupils - many of whom have never touched an instrument or set foot in church - how to play a guitar or keyboard inside one of the prison's chapels. ... Make no mistake: These men who teach and learn music have criminal histories worthy of the most hard-core country ballad. One of the school's organizers is a convicted murderer who strangled his ex-wife. The other founder is serving a 5-years-to-life sentence for rape.
But the school is a new example of the oft-controversial philosophy that prisons should rehabilitate, not just punish. "Eighty-five percent of the people here will be [your] neighbors," says William Sherratt, inmate 30335, one of two organizers of the school. "Someday they're going to come out," said Lt. Jeff Koehler, who oversees the program with Chaplain Ferrell Hill. "Do you want them to be a better citizen? Do you want them to learn how to be a better person? They're going to live next to you. They're going to work with you. They're going to be in the grocery store with [you]." ...
- ELVIS PRESLEY - ELVIS' GRANDDAUGHTER BECOMES LATEST 'RING' STAR
By Mary Rourke
(contactmusic.com, December 28, 2007)
ELVIS PRESLEY's teenage granddaughter has sparked reports she's set to be a young bride just like her mother and grandma by sporting a new ring on her wedding finger. Model Riley Keough is refusing to talk about the ring other than to confirm to friends it was a gift from boyfriend Ryan Cabrera. The daughter of Lisa-Marie Presley, who wed Riley's father when she was just 20, has been dating pop star Cabrera, 25, for over a year.
- Photographer and former Cal Poly student Roger Marshutz, 78, dies
By Mary Rourke
(San Luis Obispo Countyıs website / Los Angeles Times, December 28, 2007)
Roger Marshutz, a photographer whose images of a young Elvis Presley reaching out to his fans, Marilyn Monroe at the height of her fame and other celebrity shots appeared in fan magazines, on posters and in movie publicity kits during the 1950s and ı60s, has died. He was 78.
... Marshutz began working as a Hollywood photographer in the mid-1950s, taking pictures of the most famous actors of the day, including Rock Hudson, Audrey Hepburn and Paul Newman. At times he was hired by movie studios to photograph actors for media kits promoting their latest movies. He also worked on assignment for Photoplay and other popular photography magazines.
One of his best known images shows Presley at an outdoor concert in Tupelo, Miss., in 1956, singing to a crowd and reaching for the hands closest to the stage. The photograph first appeared in Photoplay. ...
- Second Annual Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest Announced
(myfoxmemphis.com, December 27, 2007)
Elvis Presley Enterprises says it will hold its "Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest" for the second year in a row in 2008.
Participants will feature contestants from existing tribute competitions as well as fairs, festivals and other venues holding new contests. The qualifying rounds and finals will be held during Elvis Week in Memphis, August 9th through August 17th. The winner of the first "Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest" was chosen in Franklin, Tennessee. Since wining the title, 38 year old Shawn Klush has performed around the world and appeared on several television programs. Judges will be looking for "the best representation of the Elvis Legacy" in talent, appearance, performance, stage presence and the overall tribute to "The King".
- Elvis Presley Enterprises seeking 2008 tribute artist
(Financial News - Yahoo! Finance / Memphis Business Journal, December 27, 2007)
Elvis Presley Enterprises Inc. is launching its second Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest. The qualifying rounds and finals will be held during Elvis Week in Memphis Aug. 9-17. Contestants will be selected at licensed Elvis Tribute Artist contests from around the world. ... Judges look for "best representation of the Elvis legacy" in terms of talent, appearance, performance, stage presence and each contestant's overall tribute to Elvis. The best overall performer will be named the "2008 Elvis Tribute Artist of the Year." ...
- December 27: Celebrity Birthdays
(todaysthv.com / Associated Press, December 27, 2007)
Today's birthdays: Guitarist Scotty Moore of Elvis Presley's band is 76. ...
- Backup singer remembers song Elvis tried to reject
(Chicago Sun-Times / Associated Press, December 26, 2007)
Forced to sing 'Blue Christmas,' Presley asked vocalists to make it ugly
You may be doin' all right with Elvis Presley's "Blue Christmas," but when one of the song's background vocalists hears it, that's when the blue heartache starts hurtin'.
Gordon Stoker of the Jordanaires, the group that backed Presley on that song and many others, says it's the one track on "Elvis' Christmas Album" that the King didn't want to record.
He at first refused to sing it out of respect for Ernest Tubb, who had had a No. 1 hit with it earlier. When the producers said he had to cut it, Elvis told folks at the session to come up with something so bad that it would never see the light of day as a single, Stoker said. ''We thought that 'oo-ooo-oooo' was bad enough that they wouldn't release it,'' Stoker said of the signature backing vocals. To this day, he said, ''It still sounds bad to me when I hear it.''
''Elvis' Christmas Album,'' released in 1957, is the top-selling holiday release of all time, with 9 million in sales, according to the Recording Industry Association of America.
- Christmas albums pay off for most performers
By John Gerome
(El Paso Times / Associated Press, December 25, 2007)
Alan Jackson, Garth Brooks and Toby Keith have a couple apiece. Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton did one together. The ever-prolific Willie Nelson has at least four of them. Most country stars, and many of their pop counterparts, have a Christmas album or two in their catalogs, and for good reason: The records are relatively easy to make and have the potential for big payoff.
... Released in 1957, "Elvis' Christmas Album" is the top-selling holiday release of all time with 9 million in sales, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. But the Christmas kings, at least in terms of sales, have to be Mannheim Steamroller with two albums each topping the 6 million mark: "A Fresh Aire Christmas" and "Mannheim Steamroller Christmas."
... Top sellers
The following are the holiday albums included on the Recording Industry Association of America's list of the Top 100 albums based on sales.
* Elvis Presley: "Elvis Christmas Album," 1957. 9 million in sales.
* Kenny G: "Miracles: The Holiday Album," 1994. 8 million.
* Various Artists: "Now That's What I Call Christmas," 2001. 6 million.
* Mannheim Steamroller: "A Fresh Aire Christmas," 1988. 6 million.
* Mannheim Steamroller: "Mannheim Steamroller Christmas," 1984. 6 million.
* Barbra Streisand: "A Christmas Album," 1967. 5 million.
* Mariah Carey: "Merry Christmas," 1994. 5 million.
* Johnny Mathis: "Merry Christmas," 1958. 5 million.
- Setting campaigns to music: Tunes chosen to set tone, but potential missteps abound
By JOHN JURGENSEN
(Charlotte Observer / Wall Street Observer, December 25, 2007)
Mitt Romney's theme music could seem off for a presidential candidate trying to shore up his conservative credentials. He often mounts the stage to a remix of "A Little Less Conversation," in which Elvis Presley urges a lover to stop talking and just "satisfy me, baby." Romney's camp doesn't see the song as racy. "The theme it conveys is that Washington needs a little less talk and a lot more action," says spokesman Kevin Madden.
In rotation at John Edwards' events: a John Mellencamp song first heard in Chevy truck ads. Rudy Giuliani, a native New Yorker and opera buff, has been cueing up country act Rascal Flatts. Hillary Clinton has taken a shine to a rock song originally written for a space-shuttle launch.
Use of popular songs in politics is on the rise in an age when voters are pulled by more and more media sources. Politicians seek tools to cut through the clutter. There are trade-offs, however, including potentially loaded lyrics and possible artist backlash. John McCain was playing "I Won't Back Down," but rocker Tom Petty asked him to do just that and stop using the tune. ...
- Giving, taking pirated carols
By Dawn C. Chmielewski
(Los Angeles Times, December 24, 2007)
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Jack Frost ripping a CD.
Online piracy is creating a modern-day twist on "The Christmas Song." Nat King Cole's recording of the holiday standard is among the most popular downloads on file-sharing networks this year. More than 1.2 million people were offering digital copies of Cole's version on file-sharing networks recently, according to BigChampagne, a Beverly Hills-based online media measurement firm. Other versions by Celine Dion, Frank Sinatra and the Temptations also cracked the Top 10 of pirated holiday songs, which was led by Faith Hill's "Where Are You Christmas?"
Christmas music is the perfect fodder for file-sharing networks, analysts say. The songs seem as perishable as eggnog, they're perfect material for mix CDs a and they're so ubiquitous that it's easy to justify not paying for them.
... This year's seasonal CD sales have been more robust than in the last three years, thanks to the success of Josh Groban's "Noel," according to Nielsen SoundScan. It became the year's bestselling album, with 2.8 million copies sold. "Noel" held Billboard Magazine's top spot for four weeks, setting a record for the most weeks at No. 1 for a Christmas album in the chart's 51-year history. Elvis Presley had set the previous record in 1957 with "Elvis' Christmas Album."
- Your complete carols playlist
(Adelaide Now, December 24, 2007)
SICK of the same old Christmas carols? Why not let AdelaideNow be your Christmas DJ with our special list of festive music? Click on the box below to activate the playlist, featuring Yuletide classics from artists such as Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, the Jackson 5 and Ella Fitzgerald. Scroll through the songs by clicking on the side of the FineTune music player. And have a very merry Christmas!
- Local musicians have their favorites, too
By Rodger Mullen
(Fayetteville Observer, December 24, 2007)
One of Robbie Reid's favorite Christmas songs is "Blue Christmas." Not necessarily the familiar Elvis Presley version, though. Reid's holiday isn't complete until he hears the song as sung by Porky Pig. "It's the funniest thing you ever heard," said Reid, who heads the Robbie Reid Band. "It's not Christmas until I hear that. It suits my sense of humor." ...
- Louisiana art museum having a merry blue Christmas with Elvis
(KATC3 / Associated Press, December 23, 2007)
The Masur (pronounced "MASS'-er") Museum of Art in Monroe, Louisiana is showing photographs of Elvis Presley's last appearance at the Louisiana Hayride. That's the country music show at which an announcer is purported to have been the first to say, "Ladies and gentlemen, Elvis has left the building" - and local artists' interpretations of the King of Rock 'n Roll. The show continues through February 24th. Even though Elvis has been dead since 1977, he's still pulling 'em in.
Curator of exhibitions and collections, Evelyn Pell, says attendance has been great. The museum is decorated in blue, celebrating Presley's depressive holiday favorite, "Blue Christmas." Wreaths outside include blue ribbons and blue and silver balls, and the halls are decked with blue lights and blue and silver decorations. ...
- Judge: Wecht Jury Won't Be Completely Anonymous
(kdka.com, December 22, 2007)
A federal judge has relented and will let attorneys for both sides have the names and addresses of some potential jurors in the upcoming fraud trial of former Allegheny County Coroner Dr Cyril Wecht. ... Wecht, 76, has consuted on cases including the deaths of Elvis Presley and JonBenet Ramsey. ...
- As Elvis, Larry the Cable Guy know, successful holiday albums can turn 'Blue Christmas' green
By JOHN GEROME
(startribune.com / Associated Press, December 22, 2007)
Alan Jackson, Garth Brooks and Toby Keith have a couple apiece. Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton did one together. The ever-prolific Willie Nelson has at least four of them. Most country stars, and many of their pop counterparts, have a Christmas album or two in their catalogs, and for good reason: The records are relatively easy to make and have the potential for big payoff. "If it's really good, it can go for 20 years," said Bill Kennedy, vice president of sales for Capitol Records Nashville. Or longer.
Released in 1957, "Elvis' Christmas Album" is the top-selling holiday release of all time with 9 million in sales, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. The single "Blue Christmas" is a Christmas classic, even parodied by Porky Pig. ...
- Blue Christmas a Reality for Many
Reporter: Jamie Edmonds
(WLIX.COM, December 22, 2007)
Christmas time is supposed to be a time for joy, but for Jeff Linderman, financial struggles have left him down and out. ... University United Methodist Church in East Lansing hosted a service Saturday called Blue Christmas. ... The service was sponsored by the Stephen Ministry. A national, non-denominational program that links trained advisers from congregations with people who just need someone to talk to. ...
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