late January, 2008
- Clinton meets with supporters at the Peabody
(Memphis Commercial Appeal, January 27, 2008)
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton met with about 30 supporters this morning at The Peabody before heading to Monumental Baptist Church to address the congregation of Rev. Samuel "Billy" Kyles.. ...
Karen Shea presents Hillary Clinton an evening bag featuring a photo of a young Elvis Presley. Shea called the bag "a good luck charm for winning Tennessee."
- Campaigns sing the wrong tunes
By JPAUL FARHI, WASHINGTON POST
(northjersey.com, January 27, 2008)
If we can tell anything about the presidential candidates from their campaign theme music, it may be this: They (or perhaps their aides) aren't paying much attention to the lyrics. If they were, they might change their tune.
... Mitt Romney has strayed deeper into romantic territory than he might have wanted to go, too. Romney has used Elvis Presley's "A Little Less Conversation" as his entrance music to convey HIS can-do style -- in other words, less talk, more action. But Romney's supporters might just want to ignore the part of the song where Elvis tells his paramour to "close your mouth and ... satisfy me, baby." ...
- Jury to hear opening statements in celebrity pathologist case
By JOE MANDAK
(phillyburbs.com / Associated Press, January 27, 2008)
In the twilight of a long career that has involved him in the autopsies of the rich and famous, coroner Cyril Wecht finds himself for the second time fighting fraud charges back home. Wecht, 76, is known for sometimes provocative opinions on high-profile cases including the deaths of Elvis Presley, JonBenet Ramsey and Vincent Foster.
In a trial starting Monday, federal prosecutors will charge that Wecht used resources from his day job as Allegheny County coroner to pursue some of his lucrative private consulting work. That sideline could all but end if Wecht is convicted of any of the 41 pending counts , let alone the most macabre allegation: that he traded unclaimed cadavers for laboratory space at a university. Wecht successfully staved off similar accusations in the early 1980s, when he was charged with using county morgue employees to examine slides for his private practice. ... Wecht, meanwhile, continues to be in demand as both a speaker and consultant. ...
- Brando Son Christian Dies
By Sarah Hill
(Yahoo! News, January 27, 2008)
Christian Brando, the troubled eldest son of Marlon Brando, has died. He was 49. ... Brando was hospitalized for pneumonia on Jan. 11 ... Born May 11, 1958, Brando was the result of an affair between his actor father and actress Anna Kashfi. The pair married in 1958 and divorced a year after their son's birth. Marlon later won custody of Christian, but reportedly had very little to do with raising him, leaving his care in the hands of various household staffers. In 1990, Brando was convicted of manslaughter for killing his sister's boyfriend, Dag Drollet. As a result of the crime, he spent five years in prison. He was later implicated in the 2001 death of Robert Blake's wife, Bonnie Lee Bakley, with Blake claiming Brando had sufficient motive to want Bakley dead in the wake of an affair gone wrong. However, no link between Brando and the murder was ever established.
In October 2004, Brando tied the knot with Deborah Presley (who claims to be the illegitimate daughter of Elvis Presley) in Las Vegas. ...
- Retro music machines still have it going on in Seattle
By GENE STOUT
(seattlepi.nwsource.com, January 26, 2008)
In an era of iPods, Internet radio, DJs and high-tech sound systems, the venerable jukebox is still an object of fascination. It's hard not to grin when Elvis Presley's "Jailhouse Rock" crackles from the speakers of a 1957 Seeburg jukebox at the Luna Park Cafe, a West Seattle diner caught in a midcentury time warp:
"Let's rock, everybody, let's rock/ Everybody in the whole cell block/ Was dancin' to the jailhouse rock."
Collectors cherish jukeboxes from an era of flamboyant industrial design -- the 1930s, '40s, '50s and '60s. The vintage Seeburg at Luna Park features a glass top, lots of chrome and speakers that resemble the stern of a 1950s Cadillac.
But today's commercial jukebox is more likely to play CDs or download music directly from the Internet -- and take credit cards instead of coins or dollar bills. There may even be a "touch screen" for navigation. Still, choosing your own music and sharing it with a roomful of people at a bar, cafe or restaurant hasn't lost its allure. ...
- Domestic dispute ends in one arrest
(News Star, January 26, 2008)
Ouachita Parish sheriff's deputies arrested Elvis Aaron Presley early Saturday morning after he reportedly pushed his wife. Presley, 47, of 27 Nelson Road, Lot 4, Monroe, was arrested on one count of domestic abuse battery and booked into Ouachita Correctional Center. ...
- Belbin, Agosto find joy in national ice-dancing crown
By Gary Mihoces
(USA TODAY, January 26, 2008)
In seasons past, Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto have skated their free dance to Elvis Presley, the movie soundtrack from That's Entertainment and Russian gypsy music. Saturday night, to the gentle, romantic strains of music by Polish classical composer Frederic Chopin, they captivated the crowd and won the free skate to clinch their fifth consecutive ice dancing title at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. ...
- Rick Stanley cancels appearance
(Nevada Appeal, January 25, 2008)
Due to medical emergency, Rick Stanley - Elvis Presleyıs stepbrother - has canceled his Sundayıs appearance at Piperıs Opera House. Another date for his talk has not been scheduled at this time.
- Rick Stanley, Elvis' stepbrother, brings his testimony to Piper's Opera House
By Rhonda Costa-Landers
(Nevada Appeal, January 24, 2008)
Never has there been a more charismatic man who enthralled the world with his music, movies and lifestyle than Elvis Presley. Living life in the fast lane right along with Elvis was his stepbrother Rick Stanley.
Stanley, like Elvis, had a drug addiction and was considered among the Memphis, Tenn., and Los Angeles police departments as a hopeless case. But after Elvis' death in 1977, Stanley said, he accepted Jesus Christ into his life. "I was churched growing up," Stanley said. "But I was pretty much turned off by it all simply because of what other people said, what I call 'redneck philosophies.' They said sex and drugs and rock'n'roll were bad. That's not the issue. All these cultural things are not important. The only important thing is Christ. The issue is God loves you no matter who you are or what you've done."
Stanley will tell his story of faith and what life was like with Elvis at 6:30 p.m. Sunday at Piper's Opera House in Virginia City. It is in partnership with the Nevada Baptist Convention and Comstock Community Church. "Rick has a unique story," said Glenn Rogers, director of evangelism and prayer with the Nevada Baptist Convention. "Growing up in Graceland, living with Elvis, Rick's a really interesting guy and a longtime friend and associate. He has a fantastic story to share with real insider content."
Stanley said even 30 years after the death of Elvis, his stepbrother is still a popular topic of conversation. "I'm amazed everybody still wants to know about my brother," Stanley said. "He was more like a dad to me, he was 20 years older. "But what Elvis went through with his addictions, I did too. And I went through rehab. But the important thing, the hero of my story, is a girl I met in school who never gave up, never forced Christianity at me, just prayed for me a lot. I'm the lucky one."
The hero Stanley talks of is his wife of 30 years, Robyn. They live in Niceville, Fla., and have two daughters; Brittany, 25, and Bethany, 18. "God turned my life around in October 1977," he said. "If somebody would have approached me 40 years ago, I'm 54, and told me I'd probably turn out to be a minister, I would have said, 'What are you smoking?'"
Stanley said Elvis was a very spiritual person, always reading his Bible.
"That was probably the most understated thing about him. He was an intensely spiritual man."
Contact Rhonda Costa-Landers at rcosta-landers@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1223.
IF YOU GO
WHO: Rick Stanley, stepbrother of Elvis Presley, who wrote a book with Michael K. Haynes, "The Touch of Two Kings, growing up at Graceland - a true story."
WHAT: Guest speaker of Comstock Community Church and Nevada Baptist Convention
WHEN: 6:30 p.m. Sunday
WHERE: Piper's Opera House, one block west of C Street, Virginia City
COST: Free
CALL: 847-0694 or 847-0433
- Orlando-area venue to celebrate Elvis Presley
By Sara Sheckler
(orlandosentinel.com, January 24, 2008)
Grab your blue suede shoes and prepare to be all shook up when Elvis Presley impersonator Dwight Icenhower brings his "Tribute to the King" to Old Town on Saturday.The fun continues Sunday with an amateur Elvis competition and a You Ain't Nothing But A Hound Dog dress-your-dog-like-Elvis contest.
"This will be our first Elvis event, and it will be a great way to celebrate Elvis. Dwight is a fantastic impersonator and puts on a really energetic show," said Tracy Parkinson, Old Town's special-events manager.
Icenhower will perform three sets at the free outdoor concert that will showcase Elvis' songs and styles from the 1950s through the '70s. He will sing "Heartbreak Hotel," "Hound Dog," "All Shook Up" and other tunes "The King" made famous. ...
- Ledger's loss evokes shock, painful reminder
By CHRIS KRIDLER
(Florida Today, January 24, 2008)
Actor Heath Ledger's untimely death at 28, followed by speculation about his depression and use of sleeping pills, tolls a bell we've heard many times before, in many generations. Deaths of young celebrities from drugs, car and plane crashes, suicide and violence resonate with us: Marilyn Monroe, Buddy Holly, James Dean, Jimi Hendrix, Elvis Presley, River Phoenix, Kurt Cobain, Tupac Shakur.
They seem to have everything -- looks, talent, success and a long future. But when the curtain is pulled away, the portrait is not always pretty.
"All of them that this happened to, everybody 'had it all,' " said Dana Blanchard of Palm Bay, who was shocked to hear of Ledger's loss. He's hoping the final autopsy reveals not suicide, but some sort of accident or medical reaction. Somehow, that would make his death easier to take. "If he actually did commit suicide, it would be such a waste," Blanchard said of the "Brokeback Mountain" star. "It's not that one celebrity death upsets me more then another," Gina Beety of Melbourne said. "I just think that it's so sad, that anyone as young as Heath dying is tragic. There was so much more life for him to live: watch his daughter grow into a young woman, marry, have children of her own."
For the pop-culture-obsessed young, the death of a youthful celebrity is doubly shocking, a reminder of mortality. Buddy Holly, already famous for the hits "Peggy Sue" and "That'll Be the Day," was just 22 when he died in a plane crash in 1959 -- "the day the music died." Capt. Pat Chambers of the Rockledge Police Department was almost 12 then. "Everything seems more intense when your heart is young," he said in an e-mail, "and Buddy's premature death hit me hard. Now, almost 50 years later, I wonder what might have been."
For Mike Yent of West Melbourne, the death of Hank Williams Sr. in 1953 at age 29 was a shock in a time when far fewer celebrities were household names.
"That probably hit the family harder than Elvis," he said, "because we were all country western, and back in those days, radio was the big thing."
While the deaths of young celebrities are shocking, they seem to have become more expected, as more stars publicly self-destruct, trailed by paparazzi. Britney Spears' infamous behavior prompted the Associated Press to write her obituary, a practice more commonly observed for older, more accomplished stars.
The AP reports she is not the only 20-something whose obit is among the 1,000 already written. Celebrity, which prompts people to think stars really do "have it all," can magnify problems. Singer Vincent Wolfe of Toronto was friends with pop and jazz singer Phyllis Hyman, who killed herself in her 40s. "She adored her fans and stuff, but there were lots of self doubts there," he said. She was under pressure to be thin, to be nice, and to sing what the record label wanted her to sing.
"It seems like there's always this price to pay," he said, "and I wonder why that is."
- Elvis Teaches English: English as a Second Language classes help immigrants adjust to living in the United States
By Kyra Gurney
(alibi.com, January 24, 2008)
Six students sit around a low table, discussing Elvis Presley in halting English. It's Tuesday evening, and most have come to class after a long day of work. Jose Hernandez is still wearing paint-splattered pants from his construction job. The students lean forward as their instructor, Mark Ortega, holds up a picture of The King and asks slowly, "Who has ever heard his music?"
The students are a part of Mission: Literacy, a nonprofit organization that provides free English as a Second Language (ESL) classes for adult immigrants. Most of the people at tonight's class are from Mexico, but Mission: Literacy pupils belong to other immigrant communities as well. Though they come from different parts of the world, they share a common goal: learning English.
Ortega's question about Elvis is greeted with a pensive silence. The students sit with their pens in their hands, poised to take notes, until Director Pam Pitchford walks by and sings, "Ain't nothing but a hound dog." Recognition dawns on the students' faces and Pitchford continues her task of reorganizing the room. The rent for the Mission: Literacy classroom space went up in October. Because of limited funding, Pitchford is moving the post office she started operating last year into the already cramped Mission: Literacy space to save cash. Boxes are strewn everywhere, and desks are piled high with binders and supplies. Pitchford says funding has been a problem for Mission: Literacy since the program's inception three years ago; donations from businesses and individuals only cover half the program's operating costs. ... Ortega stresses the impact learning English has on immigrants. "I tell [the students] they need to learn English for their future, for education and job opportunities," he says. "If you only speak one language and it's not English, I believe you're very limited." ...
- Elvis' Close Colleagues Jerry Schilling and Joe Guercio Enter into Multi-Year Agreements with the Elvis Cruise 2008 Sailing from Port of New Orleans
(Centre Daily Times, January 22, 2008)
The Elvis Cruise, LLC (the "Cruise"), the only Elvis PresleyEnterprises (EPE) licensed cruise dedicated to the life, times and music of Elvis Presley, has announced that it has signed agreements with Jerry Schilling to act as the Host and Producer of The Elvis Cruise and with Joe Guercio to serve as the Cruises' Musical Director.
Schilling and Guercio bring decades of professional and personal experience with Elvis Presley to the Cruise's unique program. In his role as the Cruise's Host, Schilling, a friend of Elvis for years, is dedicated to making this Elvis experience as authentic and as rich as possible. Guercio, who also was an Elvis close friend and collaborator, will be providing cruisers with the very best in musical production.
"Both Schilling and Guercio were primarily responsible for the various production elements required to make the Cruise a true celebration of Elvis' music and a tribute to his legacy," says MichaelMcKay, Executive Producer of the Cruise.
After meeting Elvis at a local pick up football game in 1954 at the age of 12, Schilling and Elvis became good friends. In 1964 he went to work for Elvis as the youngest member of The Memphis Mafia. Since then, Jerry has spent the last 45 years in the entertainment industry managing such acts as The Beach Boys, Jerry Lee Lewis and Lisa Presley. Some of his TV and film projects include the A&E Biography's on Brian Wilson and Sam Phillips, and co-producing the ABC prime-time television series "ELVIS, the Early Years." Most recently he has released his memoir "Me and A Guy Named Elvis" My Lifelong Friendship with Elvis Presley. Schilling is still involved in developing projects dedicated to experiencing the life and music of Elvis, such as The Elvis Cruise.
"Many people have tried to recreate Elvis, but lost the richness of his soul. So it is exciting to be a part of an experience that has brought that richness and has sought solely to create an entertainingand authentic Elvis experience," said Schilling. He adds, "I believe Elvis would be proud of what we are doing." ...
- Elvis Slept Here ... and here and here: Keeping house for the King
By ANDRIA LISLE
(Memphis Flyer, dated August 12, 2005, found January 22, 2008)
While it's been nearly 30 years since Elvis Presley left the building for good, his spirit lingers like a beloved houseguest all over town. Elvis' heady essence pervades restaurants like the Arcade, where he occasionally held court in a corner booth, and holds fast to the Midtown theater seats where he'd sit and stare at the silver screen. His shadow looms over Beale Street and Sun Studio alike, insisting Elvis was here. An overalls-wearing country boy who metamorphosed into a flashy, golden god, the details of his life form a story that's part Greek myth, part American dream - and all Memphis.
Evidence of Elvis' earthly existence is all over the city - from the Presleys' early home uptown in the Lauderdale Courts housing project to the East Memphis home he bought after signing with RCA in 1955. It extends south, to the Graceland mansion, where Elvis lived until his death - and where he lies buried in the backyard today. Elvis slept here - and here and here, the legend goes, but in these homes, it's a tangible tale, chock-full of the documents and detritus of daily life. Let Virginia celebrate Mount Vernon and California claim Hearst Castle. In Memphis, we don't give a damn about former presidents or newspaper magnates. We're keeping house for a King.
Over the years, maintaining Elvis' former residences and all his material possessions has become quite a chore. According to Kevin Kern, media coordinator for Elvis Presley Enterprises, as many as 3,000 fans tour Graceland a day, which means a lot of wear-and-tear. The 18-room limestone house was built by Dr. Thomas Moore in 1939 and purchased by Elvis in 1957 for more than $100,000. It was officially opened to the public in 1982. At the time, EPE - which was founded by Elvis' his father, Vernon Presley, and his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, in the 1950s - was financially destitute. ("It was open the house, or lose it," says Kern.) But now Graceland is one of the top tourist attractions in the nation.
During Elvis' time, two secretaries, three or four cooks, and his infamous entourage, the Memphis Mafia, had the run of the place, along with his parents, dozens more relatives, and a menagerie that included peacocks, donkeys, horses - and Scatter, the chimpanzee. When Graceland opened for tours, Elvis' clothes still hung in his closet upstairs, and office file cabinets were stuffed with priceless documents. In 1990, EPE established an archives department to focus on conservation and exhibition aspects of both the house and its furnishings. Now approximately 400 employees work for the corporation, taking a proactive approach to the King's legacy as an artist and as a human being. ...
- Pizza delivery ends in police chase
By Deanna Coronado
(Daily Dunkin, January 22, 2008)
What began as a normal night's pizza delivery ended in the theft of the delivery vehicle, a police chase, and an automobile crash that sent the car thief and an innocent bystander to the Elvis Presley Trauma Center in Memphis, Tenn. ...
- Homestyles of the rich and musical
(New Zealand Herald, January 21, 2008)
Before you start shopping for leopard-print couch covers let's see if you know the answers to a few questions about musicians' home decorating skills. Eventually you may be inspired to install a giant swing covered in fur, in your lounge as Lenny Kravitz - apparently he's also skilled as an interior decorator - once did.
... 4 There's plenty of tacky decor at Elvis Presley's former mansion, Graceland, now a museum. They go on about what's now known as The Jungle Room with its indoor waterfall and fur armchairs. How did Elvis get this room to such a high standard of kitsch?
a) He employed the most fashionable interior decorator of the time.
b) He allowed his wife, Priscilla, to furnish this one room for him.
c) He was very fond of tropical themes and brought lots of mementoes back after filming in Hawaii.
d) He bought the furnishings during a crazy 30-minute shopping spree in Memphis.
Answers on page 2.
(Anyone who's actually been to Graceland might dispute the term "tacky" -who's subjective taste does the media rely on?)
- Josh Groban to sing at Sundance festival
By MICHAEL CIDONI
(Yahoo! News / AP, January 20, 2008)
U2, Patti Smith, 50 Cent, John Legend and Josh Groban are contributing to the soundtrack of this year's Sundance Film Festival. Yes, Josh Groban - he of fresh face, lyrical baritone, and last year's best-selling album, the holiday-themed "Noel."
Sundance, the annual orgy of independent cinema, which runs through Jan. 27, usually attracts alt-rock and acoustic up-and-comers, and edgier pop stars. You'd be hard-pressed to find a name familiar to Middle American moms. But they sure know Groban, 26, the best-selling artist of 2007, who is set to perform both an intimate acoustic show and a big-ticket charity fundraiser here later this week.
The Associated Press caught up with the singer last weekend in Los Angeles, after he taped a guest appearance on the CBS special "Celine Dion: The Woman in Me," which is scheduled to air Feb. 15.
AP: ... [It's really incredible.] So was 2007. You were the top-selling artist. And "Noel" was the top-selling CD of the year, and is now the longest-running chart-topping Christmas album, breaking Elvis Presley's record of four weeks.
Groban: I really feel bad about that. But he (Presley) has got me beat in so many other areas that I'll take it, I'll take it. Thanks, Elvis. No, but it was an enormous record to beat. And being an enormous Elvis buff, it was, like, an incredible thing to get the Google alert from, and so it's great. We made the CD very quickly when I was on my European tour: just a simple, beautiful CD with a great orchestra. The fans have been wanting this for a while. So we just decided to do it as a gift for the fans and it kind of became this big thing, so I am just very thankful for it.
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