late November
- Kanye West wants to be better than Elvis Presley
(New Karala / ANI, November 28 2008)
Kanye West left a lasting impression on the American Music Awards audience by proclaiming that he wants to be Elvis Presley. And now the rapper has taken his ambition a step further.
"When I said the statement, 'I want to be Elvis,' I really should have thought that out more because that statement was actually really incorrect. Actually, the true statement was 'I want to be better than Elvis,' " E! Online quoted West as saying.
And now some industry insiders have given their opinion if West has what it takes to get anywhere near Presley. "Kanye is one of the biggest hip-hop stars in the world right now. But I do believe he has delusions of grandeur," E! Online quoted Emil Wilbekin, editor-in-chief of urban lifestyle magazine Giant, as saying. "I think Kanye is hugely self-absorbed, and I think that he thinks he could be bigger than Elvis. Kanye is very much concerned with how big he could be, how much music he can make and how many awards he could win," Wilbekin added.
Hillary Crosley, R&B/hip-hop correspondent for Billboard, says it's that oversize ego that's propelled him to the top of his game. "People find it so amusing that he takes it so seriously. If he didn't have the ego, he wouldn't make it as far as he has," Crosley said.
Cory Cooper, a noted Elvis historian, says he's impressed with West's goals, but he needs a reality check. "Even though Mr. West has a fantastic idea of what he aspires to become, he nor any other performer, past, present or future will ever accomplish Presley's unparalleled career. Elvis stands alone. With all due respect to Mr. West, Elvis Presley is not called 'The King of Rock 'n' Roll' for nothing," Cooper writes in an email.
- CMA Winner Celebrates Elvis Presley
(GACTV, November 25 2008)
Elvis Presley is a member of both the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame, and he's ranked at No. 3 on the Rolling Stone list of the 100 Greatest Singers of All-Time.
He's referred to as a "transformer" in the magazine by fellow Rock Hall member Robert Plant, the Led Zeppelin singer who just won his first Country Music Association award two weeks ago. Growing up in England, Robert's first exposure to the King came with the 1957 hit "Hound Dog," which made a huge impression.
"I wasn't equipped with any of the knowledge I have now, about the Big Mama Thornton version or where all that swing was coming from," Robert writes. "I just heard this voice, and it was absolutely, totally in its own place. The voice was confident, insinuating and taking no prisoners. He had those great whoops and diving moments, those sustains that swoop down to the note like a bird of prey. I took all that in."
Robert's CMA award came for his collaboration with Alison Krauss on "Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)." The latest Elvis album is likewise a collaborative effort, thanks to studio overdub technology. Elvis Presley Christmas Duets pairs him with the likes of Sara Evans, Martina McBride, LeAnn Rimes and Gretchen Wilson.
- Belgian pop artist Guy Peellaert
(Times Union, November 24 2008)
Belgian pop artist Guy Peellaert, whose surreal pictures for the 1972 cult book "Rock Dreams" brought him worldwide attention and led him to design album covers for the Rolling Stones and David Bowie, has died. He was 74. Peellaert died a week ago in Paris after a long illness, according to media reports.
"Rock Dreams" was a fantasy tribute to rock and roll that placed various major rock stars in dreamlike situations intended to reflect their music and images.
With 116 flashy pictures by Peellaert and pithy commentary by English rock writer Nick Cohn, the book masterfully conveyed "the spirit of rock - the irreverence, the outrage, the gaudiness, the occasional tenderness," pop music critic Robert Hilburn wrote in 1974 in the Los Angeles Times.
John Lennon reportedly framed the cover of the British edition, which shows him sitting at a lunch counter with Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger and Bowie.
In other paintings, Dylan is depicted as an isolated superstar, huddled in luxury in the back of a limousine; Presley is surrounded by imitators at a disciples' banquet of hamburgers and Cokes; and Alice Cooper is a carnival sideshow businessman. ...
- Comedian Sammy Shore to become permanent fixture in Laughlin
(WHBQ FOX13 / myfoxmemphis.com, November 21 2008)
Christmas came early for 78-year-old stand-up comedian Sammy Shore, a former opening act for Elvis Presley. His book, "The Man Who Made Elvis Laugh," is doing so well he says he's going to write another one. A resort in Laughlin is naming its comedy room after him - Sammy's Comedy by the Shore - and beginning Feb. 24 he will perform there once a month.
He is at the Tropicana Express in Laughlin this weekend performing his Two Gals and a Geezer act with comedians Kathleen Dunbar and impressionist Kathy Walker. They will return for another gig there the last weekend in January.
... At 6 p.m. Tuesday, Shore will sign copies of his autobiography at Barnes & Noble, 8915 W. Charleston Blvd. The book is a humorous look at his life and how it crossed paths with Elvis. He was Elvis Presley's opening act for about four years, beginning in 1969. "It's about my time with Elvis, when I opened for him, but it's also about the people I've worked with over the years. There's an interview with Milton Berle and Sid Caesar. The book is a lot about me as an older person, how I deal with what's going on, my attitude." Shore says his old friend Larry King called him recently and gave him a quote, "A very funny man, a very, very funny book." ...
- Memphis woman Eliza Presley seeks DNA test to prove she's Elvis's sister
By Hannah Strange
(timesonline.co.uk, November 21 2008)
In the three decades since the death of Elvis Presley in a Graceland bathroom spawned a generation of conspiracy theorists, legions of supposed love children have made claims on the King.
The majority have quickly been exposed as scams, hoaxes or the delusions of obsessed fans. Never before has a court found sufficient evidence to reopen the music legend's estate, as a Tennessee judge has now ordered, in the bizarre case of a Memphis woman claiming to be half-sister to The King - who, she says, is very much alive.
Eliza A Presley - an adopted name - says she has DNA evidence that the rock 'n' roll legend lives on, and that they share the same father. Faced with the refusal of Elvis's closest living relative, his daughter Lisa Marie, to provide a DNA sample, she has launched a lawsuit to force her claim to be examined. Her success so far is the talk of a city which has never quite got over the loss of its favourite son.
The roots of the case date back to 2002, when a Kansas City psychiatrist claimed to have been treating Elvis, now using the name of his stillborn twin brother, Jesse Garon Presley. The allegation was picked up by a local Fox station, Fox 8 News, which attempted to match a DNA sample provided by the man claiming to be Jesse to that of Elvis.
A Memphis businessman and collector stepped forward with some of Elvis' medical records, including tissue samples from two liver biopsies and his post-mortem. The samples were sent for testing and came back negative - but not just between Jesse and Elvis.
It was also discovered that the DNA from the singer's liver did not match that from his post-mortem, a claim that has supported many of the subsequent web-based theories.
Astonishing though this finding appeared to be, it also heralded a dead end for the Fox investigation, or so the station thought. Earlier this year it was contacted by Ms Presley, then Alice Elizabeth Tiffin, who had her own interest in Elvis. Ms Presley had recently discovered that she was adopted, and was casting around for answers. Prompted by friends who saw a likeness between her sons and the Pelvis, she began to wonder if she could possibly be a genuine lovechild.
This was not such a leap as might be imagined: her mother had lived close to Graceland in her youth and was friendly with Elvis and his family, a fact documented in newspapers of the day.
With the station's help, she began an investigation which soon took some curious turns. First, Ms Presley collected DNA samples from two of Elvis's first cousins, one maternal, one paternal. These were sent to an Arizona lab to be tested against her own DNA, and the sample from the man claiming to be Jesse. Incredibly, Jesse was found to be biologically related to both Elvis cousins, proving, at least in Ms Presley's mind, that he was indeed the King.
Then her DNA was tested against Jesse's, and again a match was found. However the relationship was not father-child, but siblings. Finally, Ms Presley's DNA was tested against both cousins. It came back a match for the paternal side, but not the maternal. This final piece of evidence confirmed what Ms Presley now suspected. It was not Elvis Presley who had impregnated her mother: it was his father, Vernon. She was Elvis's half sister.
Ms Presley stresses that when she first contacted the station, her only interest was in the Elvis DNA. She had never believed Jesse's claims, assuming that he was just another member of the lunatic legions clamouring for a piece of the Graceland pie. Nor had she given credence to classic Elvis conspiracy theories, with their allusions to the waxlike appearance of the King's corpse and the misspelled name on his tombstone.
Now she is a believer. :He has to be [Elvis]. There's no two ways about it. You can't fake the DNA." But can you?
While the respected forensic scientist who tested the DNA, Tony Tambasco, said that the results "look like wow", he acknowledges that many unrelated people can exhibit similar DNA markers. The only way to prove it irrefutably would be to test Lisa Marie, he said, adding: "The issue could easily be resolved."
Elvis Presley Enterprises said it would not provide a sample because there are so many similar claims that if it did so in this case, it would be obliged to do it for all. Nevertheless it is being forced to defend itself in the courts. Attorney William Bradley said: "Obviously, we would prefer that (the judge) not reopen it but these are matters we will address in court."
And the claims that Elvis is alive? "Just nonsense," the estate said. Nonsense or not, the case has transfixed Tennessee residents. Chris Thomas, a clerk at the probate court which is handling the suit, said locals are startled at the apparent evidence. "A lot of people have been surprised and curious as to what's there." However, he added: "All the money's been distributed - there's nothing for this lady to get monetarily."
For her part, Ms Presley insists she is motivated only by the desire to get to know her brother. "I think it would be such a travesty that he really does die and I never get to meet him," she says.
Whether fact or fiction (and it must be noted that Ms Presley's biological mother insists it is the latter) the story has proved fertile ground for fans convinced their idol will one day rise again. In an internet poll conducted by Fox News 8, a clear majority, 56 per cent said they either "absolutely" believed Elvis faked his death, or that he might have done. In their minds at least, the King still lives on.
- Stars Spread Holiday Cheer at Graceland
(WHBQ FOX13 / myfoxmemphis.com, November 21 2008)
Country star Martina McBride welcomed the holiday season to Graceland. She was the headliner in A Blue Christmas event - Elvis Presley style and FOX13's Eric King was there to see it all.
- ELVIS PRESLEY - PRESLEY STUNNED JONES WITH SHOWER SONG
(contactmusic.com, November 21 2008)
Rock 'n' roll king ELVIS PRESLEY was once so keen to share his song ideas with pal TOM JONES, he joined him in the bathroom as the Welsh crooner was taking a shower.
The late legend was a big fan of Jones' and they'd often hang out together when on tour in the same city. But one occasion, in Las Vegas, left Jones feeling a little embarrassed. He tells U.K. chatshow host Graham Norton, "When we played Vegas together, when he'd finish his shows and I'd still be there, he'd come to my shows. He'd always be there. Sometimes he'd walk on the stage. The strangest thing is I'd be in the middle of a song and then suddenly everyone would go 'ahhh', and I'd be thinking, what's happened?!
"Then one night, I've come off stage and Elvis is in the dressing room. He said, 'Tom, I've got a song for you' and I said, 'Ok great, but I gotta get in the shower', I've perspired so much. So I'm in the shower, and the water's coming down and then I hear (Elvis singing). I was thinking I'm going bloody mad here, because I can hear Elvis Presley singing in the shower! Then I opened my eyes and he's leaning over the door!"
- Gift of technology lets the King and McBride share 'Blue Christmas'
By Michael Lollar
(Memphis Commercial Appeal, November 20 2008)
Martina McBride has vintage Priscilla Presley hair and eyelashes that could double as feather dusters as part of her visit to 1968 and onstage with Elvis Presley. "It was very specific hair and makeup with the pale lips, long fake eyelashes and pale skin tones," says McBride, who co-stars with Elvis in a duet of "Blue Christmas" as part of a new Elvis "Duets" album. ...
- Rug Website Adds Elvis Presley, Tootsie Roll, and Las Vegas Themed Rugs
(Yahoo! News / PRWEB, November 19 2008)
RugLuv.com, an online retailer of area rugs and accent rugs, has announced the recent expansion of their inventory to include three new lines of themed rugs -- Elvis Presley, Las Vegas, and Tootsie Roll.
RugLuv.com, a website dedicated to the sale of many different kinds and styles of rugs, has recently updated the site's inventory. The expansion included the addition of Elvis Presley, Las Vegas, and Tootsie Roll themed rugs. ...
- Presley, McBride 'team up' for 'Christmas'
(United Press International, November 18 2008)
Country music star Martina McBride will soon be seen with late U.S. rock 'n' roll icon Elvis Presley in a new music video for "Blue Christmas," a producer said.
George Flanigen told USA Today McBride was filmed against a green screen and digitally inserted into Presley's famous 1968 "comeback" TV special, in which he sings the holiday classic.
"There's a spot between (guitarist) Scotty Moore and Elvis that's open, like somebody should have been sitting there," Flanigen told the newspaper. "We're like, 'We could probably figure a way to put her with Elvis.' We scoured the footage and picked shots of Elvis throughout the whole special to be able to put them together. There are shots where he and Martina share the frame, where he looks over at her, where she looks back at him and sings and smiles."
The song will be featured on the new album "Elvis Presley Christmas Duets," in which Presley sings with the likes of Carrie Underwood, Amy Grant and Olivia Newton-John, USA Today said. ...
- Tony Curtis: Picture this
By MATTHEW HAYS
(TVglobemedia, November 18 2008)
Sitting across from Tony Curtis is a strange experience. Now 83, the iconic actor is wearing a white T-shirt and skimpy shorts, and sits perched in a wheelchair in the lounge of a swank, downtown Montreal hotel. Age has made him a less recognizable famous figure - but, when Curtis opens his mouth to speak, that low, husky voice is unmistakable.
In town to collect a Lifetime Achievement Award from the World Film Festival, Curtis, the star of such landmark American films as Sweet Smell of Success (1957), The Defiant Ones (1958) and Some Like It Hot (1959), is also talking about his co-written memoir, American Prince, which hits stands this month. As well as telling his tales of working with such masters as Stanley Kubrick, Billy Wilder and Stanley Kramer, the actor delves into his rather troubled personal life, recalling his tormented marriage to Janet Leigh (one of their offspring is actress Jamie Lee Curtis), his working relationship and romance with Marilyn Monroe, the loss of one of his sons to a drug overdose and Curtis's own stint at the Betty Ford Center.
"It's good to be here, to meet people like you," Curtis says, clutching my hand. The book has provided an exercise in clearing things up, he says. Having lived a crazy existence in Hollywood, filled with numerous lovers and plenty of the sauce, there are volumes of lore surrounding Curtis - some of it fact, some fiction, some a blend of the two.
He confirms that Elvis Presley credited his own hairstyle to Curtis: The greased-back look that culminated with a cresting wave of locks on top was directly lifted from the actor's grooming habit. "I was extremely flattered that Elvis used my look. It was like an Olympic relay race: I handed the style on to him, and he handed it on to another generation of young people."
Curtis has often been quoted in relation to his affair with Monroe. The two worked together in the comedy Some Like It Hot, in which Curtis donned drag for his role. When some rushes were being screened, some of the technicians working on the film asked Curtis what it was like kissing her. His response: "Kissing Marilyn was like kissing Adolf Hitler." Naturally, the quote stuck in people's minds. He now explains that he was dumbfounded by such a silly question. "Of course Marilyn was amazing to kiss," he says. "I was making a joke." Curtis goes on to discuss some of his time with Monroe in detail ...
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