early February 2008
- In the contest for a Grammy, popularity may still take priority over great music
By John Soeder
(Plain Dealer / Cleveland.com, February 9, 2008)
Does the name Elvis Presley ring a bell? With 1 billion records sold and more than 100 Top 40 hits to his credit, he went down in history as the King of Rock 'n' Roll. Yet the three Grammy Awards he won over the course of his career were only for gospel recordings.
"It's the absolute jaw-dropper shockeroo of all time," says Tom O'Neil, author of "The Grammys" and columnist for theenvelope.latimes.com, an awards-show Web site. "The ultimate hedonist's only Grammys were in religious categories!" O'Neil says. "It's a scream!"
Rapper Kanye West leads this year's contenders, with eight nominations. Embattled neo-soulstress Amy Winehouse has six nods, including one in each of the four top races -- record, album and song of the year, and best new artist. The hard-rocking Foo Fighters, pop singer Justin Timberlake and hip-hoppers Jay-Z, Timbaland and T-Pain each have five nominations.
We'll see if any more howlers ensue Sunday night during the 50th annual Grammy Awards ceremony at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. ...
- Jerry Lee Lewis, John Fogerty help Grammys mark 50 years of music's influence on social change
(International Herald Tribune / Associated Press, February 8, 2008)
Jerry Lee Lewis and John Fogerty warmed up for their upcoming collaboration on the Grammy Awards by tearing it up in celebration of music's influence on social change over the last 50 years. Lewis didn't make it halfway down the red carpet at Wednesday night's "Sounds of Change," this year's Grammy Foundation Music Preservation Project. "My back's hurting. I'm going to go sit down," the 72-year-old musician said.
But Lewis came back strong. He sounded energetic enough to make the Wilshire Ebell Theatre audience believe it was 1957 again with a searing rendition of "Great Balls of Fire." He thumped the electric piano's keys, backed by Fogerty's band that included drummer Kenny Aronoff and guitarist Billy Burnette. "I'm only doing this by request," he said before launching into his signature hit.
... Images of Lewis in his younger days flashed on the screen, along with Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, the civil-rights marches, the segregated South and the Vietnam War.
- Serb extremists disrupt Kosovo Albanian art exhibition
(Yahoo! News / AFP, February 7, 2008)
Some 100 Serbian ultra-nationalists disrupted Thursday a Kosovo Albanian art exhibition in Belgrade, forcing organisers to cancel the event that was intended to bring the two ethnic groups closer. The exhibition was called off soon after it opened when some 100 riot police prevented the extremists from breaking into the gallery, said an AFP photographer at the scene. One of the protesters did, however, manage managed to reach the exhibition and tear up a placard of late Kosovo Albanian guerrilla leader Adem Jashari depicted as a pop icon along with late US rock legend Elvis Presley. ...
- CHER - NERVOUS CHER TURNED DOWN A DATE WITH ELVIS
(contactmusic.com, February 7, 2008)
CHER once turned down a date with ELVIS PRESLEY because she was too terrified about spending the night with The King.The pop superstar has revealed she almost became Elvis' girlfriend when the tragic rock 'n' roll icon made his feelings for her known - and she'll forever regret not jetting off to Las Vegas to romance him. In a candid TV interview, aired in America on Thursday morning (07Feb08), Cher tells Good Morning America, "I was nervous to go to Las Vegas with him, for the weekend. I regretted it forever."And the diva admits Elvis wasn't the only megastar suitor she turned down: "I regretted it (not dating) with Marlon Brando too."
- Boos cruise Comic in Vince Vaughn movie gets violent reaction to joke
(twincities.com, February 6, 2008)
Getting booed may be the best thing that ever happened to comedian Sebastian Maniscalco. The audible disapproval of a San Diego audience makes for one of the most memorable scenes in "Vince Vaughn's Wild West Comedy Show," which opens Friday. In it, Vaughn and four comedians - including Chicago native Maniscalco - are shown on a month-long tour, doing their acts onstage, kvetching backstage and bunking in an overstuffed tour bus. Glamorous, it ain't, but it provided a career boost for each of the comics. At the end of the film, Maniscalco (see him here: www.sebastianlive.com), a former waiter who once served Vaughn, is the most choked-up by the experience. He recently visited St. Paul to talk about what it meant to him.
Q. What was the best day of the 30-day tour?
A. Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. Professionally, that was the best night I've ever had on stage, because of the significance of where we were - Patsy Cline and Elvis Presley played there. And I got a standing ovation, which I've never gotten before in that big of a venue. Personally, it has to be Chicago, where I'm from, having my friends and family there and getting to show them what I've been doing for the last eight years. ...
- No 'Jailhouse Rock' After Elvis Painting Returned
(wcco.com, February 6, 2008)
A painting of Elvis Presley that went missing last week has been recovered, and the Washington County Sheriff's Department said there will be no strains of "Jailhouse Rock" in the incident's aftermath. The $15,000 painting was thought stolen from 30th Street North in West Lakeland Township sometime between
8:30 and 11:30 p.m. last Wednesday. Its owner, Jon Kittelsen, had placed it at
the bottom of his driveway to attract attention for a business meeting. "I was bummed. I was clearly bummed out," Kittelsen said about losing the painting."Being an Elvis fan, I guess I was a little shook up."
The painting was turned into the sheriff's office after WCCO-TV aired a story
about the alleged theft. Someone had allegedly thought the painting belonged with the other recyclables at the end of the driveway. He then delivered it to his Elvis-fan sister, who then recognized the artwork in the broadcasted news story. Perhaps singing "I Feel So Bad," she immediately arranged for the painting to be "Returned To Sender. ...
- Valuable Elvis Presley painting stolen
(UPI, February 5, 2008)
A Washington County, Minn., man said a valuable painting of Elvis Presley that he had displayed outside to welcome guests to a fundraiser has been stolen. Washington County Sheriff's Sgt. Andrew Ellickson said Jon Kittelsen told authorities the painting, which he valued at $15,000, was taken from atop a saw horse at the end of his driveway, where it had been placed to greet guests to a fundraising event, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune said Tuesday.
Kittlesen's wife, Heather, said the painting, created by artist Peter Bue, better known as Fucci, depicted the King of Rock 'n' Roll's face as seen in the 1950s movie "King Creole." She said her husband thought placing the painting at the end of the driveway would help guests find the correct house. "When they see Elvis and a Fucci painting, they know where John is," she said.
- After 22 years, teacher still hasn't graduated from preschool
By Marge Neal
(Frederick News-Post, February 5, 2008)
Sally Martin met famous people such as Elvis Presley and Stevie Wonder in her first job as a flight attendant nearly 40 years ago. But she thinks it's much more important that, in her current job, she could be putting future leaders, scholars and performers on the path to greatness. ...
- Tenn. to unveil Elvis license plate
By Kevin Giles
(Memphis Business Journal, February 4, 2008)
The official Elvis Presley Tennessee license plate will be unveiled Tuesday at a Graceland ceremony following a classic car rally at the Regional Medical Center at Memphis.
Proceeds from the sale of the plate will benefit the Elvis Presley Memorial Trauma Center at The Med and The Med Foundation, the fundraising arm of the Shelby County owned hospital.
The plates are now being distributed to those who pre-ordered them but will soon be available throughout Tennessee at local county offices and mail order.
The first license plate will be placed on the first Rolls Royce ever owned by Presley. The plate -- license number (EP)000 -- is being donated to the Graceland archives and will become a permanent part of the collection.
The Med's trauma center is this region's only Level-1 trauma center and has served a 5-state, 150-mile radius around Memphis for 25 years.
- Jury must now decide: Ruthless killer or impulsive teen?
By Kevin Giles
(startribune.com, February 4, 2008)
A Washington County resident hosting a fundraiser decided that mounting his Elvis Presley painting on a saw horse at the end of his driveway would be a welcoming touch for his arriving guests.
A thief came, too.
The painting by Peter Bue, known for his murals outside Twin Cities restaurants, coffee shops and stores, disappeared on the evening of Jan. 30. Owner Jon Kittelsen told the Washington County Sheriff's Office that the painting is valued at $15,000, said Sgt. Andrew Ellickson.
Bue, known as Fucci, died in June 2005. His wife, Laura Kroeten-Bue, said Monday that he was a prolific artist.
"He definitely painted Elvis," she said, noting that her husband painted at least one full-body portrait of the legendary rock and roll singer and at least three head portraits, all in acrylic.
Kittlesen's wife, Heather, said Monday night that the stolen painting was a depiction of Presley's face in the 1950s movie "King Creole." She said her husband and Bue were friends, and Bue had autographed the painting for him.
John Kittlesen is a big Elvis fan and owns two other Elvis paintings by Bue, she said.
They recently moved to a West Lakeland Township hobby farm and John knew people could find their house if they saw the painting, Heather Kittlesen said.
"When they see Elvis and a Fucci painting, they know where John is," she said.
Peter Bue painted at least a dozen murals in the Uptown area of Minneapolis and many more inside coffee shops.
Heather Kittlesen said Bue liked to paint pop icons from the 1940s, '50s and '60s. She said the missing painting was black and white, about 4 feet by 2 feet, and couldn't have been mistaken as something thrown out at the curb. "People don't just throw away Elvis," she said.
Kroeten-Bue said that her family is making new discoveries of her husband's work, including sketchbooks that date to 1969 and sculptures they didn't know he'd done. She's trying to assemble his work for a show.
Ellickson said he doubts someone was driving around looking for an Elvis painting to steal. "It's probably just a crime of opportunity," he said. He asked that anyone with knowledge of the case call the Sheriff's Office at 651-439-9381.
- ELVIS PRESLEY - PRESLEY MEMORABILIA FOUND IN SCOTLAND
(contactmusic.com, February 4, 2008)
Rare ELVIS PRESLEY memorabilia has been recovered during a police raid in Scotland. An autographed photograph of Presley, a gold record and a framed scrap piece of paper with the lyrics to the 1971 song American Pie, apparently handwritten by singer Don MCLean, were also recovered by authorities in Edinburgh. Police believe the items are stolen goods. A spokesman for the Lothian and Borders Police says, "The value of the items is not known, but they look genuine and if they have been stolen then we hope that the original owner will recognise them and contact us."
- QUOTE OF THE DAY
(Arkansas Democrat Gazette, February 3, 2008)
"I don't know whether he got any sleep with all the cameras on him all the time." Fred Kinslow, a barber at Fort Chaffee in 1958, when Elvis Presley spent three days there after being inducted into the Army.
- Rock Around the Clock with Bill Haley's original Comets
(Napa Valley Register, February 3, 2008)
The Comets, formed in 1952 together with front man Bill Haley, were arguably the first rock 'n' roll band. Among the pioneers who fused country and western with rhythm and blues to create rock 'n' roll, they were leading musicians of the day and changed the face of music in the 1950s with hits like "Rock Around The Clock" and "Shake, Rattle and Roll."
... The Comets evolved from country and western roots in 1949 when they were known as the Saddlemen, through their renaming as the Comets in 1952 amidst a time of great musical exploration, all the way through to their heyday in 1953-1956 when their rock 'n' roll hits pre-dated successes by Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran, Jerry Lee Lewis and Buddy Holly. ...
- Report: Priscilla Presley signing on to ABC's 'Dancing with the Stars'
By Christopher Rocchio
(realitytvworld.com, February 2, 2008)
Elvis Presley knew how to "Shake, Rattle and Roll," and now Priscilla Presley apparently wants to prove she can do the same. The King's ex-wife has "signed on, or is close to signing on" as a Dancing with the Stars' sixth-season celebrity participant, E! Online gossip columnist Mark Malkin reported Tuesday.
"[Presley stated she is not] confirmed to do Dancing," Presley's representative told Malkin. The rep also "could not confirm nor deny" that Presley has been in talks with producers.
Presley's only previous reality television role came in May 2006 when she served as a surrogate celebrity mentor for Elvis during an American Idol fifth-season broadcast. Currently, Presley is reportedly dating American Idol executive producer Nigel Lythgoe.
Should the 62-year-old join Dancing with the Stars' sixth-season cast, she would become the oldest female celebrity to compete on the ABC reality series. ...
- Magic of Elvis 'still growing'
By Carlie Kollath
(Daily Journal, February 2, 2008)
Elvis Presley Enterprises had its "biggest year ever" in 2007, according to an EPE executive who spoke in Tupelo Friday. EPE's goal is to preserve, protect and enhance the legacy of Elvis. It is a subsidiary of CKX Inc., a publicly traded company that also includes American Idol and Muhammad Ali.
Scott Williams, EPE's director of marketing, gave the early morning First Friday crowd a run-through of the organization's activities for the past year. What made 2007 stand out, Williams said, was the successful brand partnerships. He cited the partnership with Reese's for a Collector Edition Peanut Butter & Banana Creme version of its peanut butter cup. Other successful partnerships in 2007 included Harley-Davidson, Budweiser, Sports Illustrated, Tennessee Tourism and American Idol. Another standout partnership, according to Williams, was with NASCAR and Dale Earnhardt Jr. "The only fans I can think of who are bigger than Elvis fans are NASCAR fans," Williams said with a quick laugh.
The Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest, of which Tupelo hosted one of the preliminary rounds, contributed to the year's success as well. Tupelo, being the birthplace of Elvis, was selected again to host a preliminary round at the Tupelo Elvis Festival June 6-8.
Williams said EPE used Tupelo last year as the model for a lot of the smaller towns that were hosting qualifying rounds. He also showed a video about the contest, which featured Tupelo's winner Brandon Bennett. The finals were held in Memphis during Elvis Week 2007 and sold out the Cannon Center.
Business also was good at Graceland and the surrounding properties in Memphis. Williams said about 600,000 people buy a ticket to tour the house each year, and another several thousand visit just to shop or do the free walk-up to the house.
And Williams said he only expects business in the Elvis world to get better.
"The magic of Elvis is still growing as more younger fans discover Elvis," he said.
About one-third of visitors to Graceland are younger than 34 and 75 percent of Graceland tourists are visiting for the first time.
"According to all of our research, it's growing and growing," he said. "The more than you guys can do to celebrate and bring awareness, the better it is for all of us."
- Candidates' Theme Songs Set Campaign Tone
By JENNIFER PARKER
(abcnews.go.com, February 1, 2008)
Motown-Era Favorites, Elvis Presley and Abba Among the Contenders' Campaign Theme Songs
For years presidential campaigns have used theme songs to set the tone, underscore their candidate's message and frame a candidate's personality In his second bid for the Republican Party's nomination, Sen. John McCain has played the Swedish disco group Abba's "Take a Chance on Me," Chuck Berry's "Johnny Be Good" and more recently, the theme song to the movie "Rocky."
Story
At a time when voters routinely tell pollsters they want "change," Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign has blasted "Blue Sky" by Big Head Todd and the Monsters with the lyrics: "Yes, you can change the world, she stands and she won't back down."
Campaigning as a Washington outsider, former Gov. Mitt Romney plays the dance remix to Elvis Presley's "A Little Less Conversation" to emphasize his "take action" style.
... The various candidates running for president this year may have different policy platforms, but their campaign playlists all have similarly upbeat, catchy popular tunes designed to energize their supporters. "What candidates are looking for in the pop songs they choose is nothing horribly offensive and something uplifting, something energetic, something that makes them seem youthful," said Brian Hiatt, associate editor of Rolling Stone magazine. ...
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