early December
- Bad habits: Ice cream, cigarettes and Ritalin
By Jon Bauer
(heraldnet.com, December 8 2008)
Thank you very much: The Kings, an Elvis Presley cover band based in Snohomish County, is promoting an ice cream inspired by Elvis and available at a Seattle shop. Memphis King features peanut butter, bananas and chocolate-covered bacon.
We're willing to try it, but we're bringing along our Fat Elvis sequined jumpsuit. ...
- Staten Island Firefighter Gets $3.75 Million In Lawsuit Over Brawl
(ABC 7, December 4 2008)
Almost five years after a firehouse brawl left Staten Island firefigher Robert Wals "a virtual invalid with almo no short-term memory," a judge has ordered the city to pay out $3.75 million, the Post reports. You may recall that the New Year's Eve fight was triggered by a bet between Walsh and MIchael Silestri, another firefighter, over Elvis Presley's birth date. ...
- Chicago's Hit Rock 'N' Roll Musical: Million Dollar Quartet
(ABC 7, December 4 2008)
Fifty-two years ago today an auspicious twist of fate brought Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley together. The place was Sun Records' storefront studio in Memphis. The man who made it happen was Sam Phillips, the "Father of Rock 'n' Roll," who discovered them all. The four legends-to-be played together for the only time in their careers on December 4, 1956. It has come to be known as one of the greatest rock jam-sessions of all time.
Million Dollar Quartet is the musical inspired by the famed recording session. www.milliondollarquartetlive.com. Featuring a treasure trove of hit songs, the show has Chicago all shook up. Debuting at the Goodman Theater, Million Dollar Quartet moved to the Apollo Theater at 2540 N. Lincoln Ave., where it has been extended through January 25, 2009. Million Dollar Quartet captures the infectious spirit, freewheeling excitement and thrilling sounds of a singular moment when four of the music industry's most extraordinary talents, all in their creative prime, came together for one of the most memorable nights in music history. From rock 'n' roll to gospel, R&B and country, the musical revives hits from the music legends, including "Blue Suede Shoes," "Fever," "Sixteen Tons," "Who Do You Love?," "Great Balls of Fire," "Ghost Riders," and "Whole Lotta' Shakin' Goin' On." "We are thrilled to announce we are extending our run in Chicago," said Gigi Pritzker and John Cossette, co-producers of Million Dollar Quartet. "It was always our hope that Chicago audiences would love this show. From the very first preview performance, the response has been overwhelmingly positive, exceeding our expectations and confirming our hopes."
Million Dollar Quartet features a stellar group of performers, equally adept as musicians and actors. The Chicago production stars Levi Kreis as Jerry Lee Lewis; Lance Guest as Johnny Cash; Rob Lyons as Carl Perkins; and Eddie Clendening as Elvis Presley. Chicago's own Brian McCaskill will play the "Father of Rock 'n' Roll" Sam Phillips, and Chicago-based actress Kelly Lamont will play Elvis' girlfriend Dyanne. Directed by Eric Schaeffer and Floyd Mutrux, with a book by Floyd Mutrux and Colin Escott, Million Dollar Quartet is produced by Dee Gee Theatricals and John Cossette Productions. Million Dollar Quartet had its world premiere at Florida's Seaside Music Theatre, and was subsequently staged at the Village Theatre in Washington, breaking box office records. For tickets, visit the Apollo Theater box office, 2540 N. Lincoln Ave or call (773) 935-6100. Tickets are available online through Ticketmaster, www.ticketmaster.com. For prices, performance and more show information, visit www.milliondollarquartetlive.com. CREATIVE TEAM OF MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET Director Eric Schaeffer is the acclaimed co-founder and artistic director of the Signature Theatre in Arlington, VA, where his work has been honored with numerous Helen Hayes Awards including Outstanding Direction. He directed Putting it Together and Glory Days on Broadway, the first national tour of big, The Musical, and the West End debut of The Witches of Eastwick. He also served as artistic director for the Kennedy Center's recent Sondheim Celebration. Floyd Mutrux is also the co-author of the book to Million Dollar Quartet, sharing writing credits with noted Grammy award-winning author and music historian Colin Escott. Mutrux has written, directed or produced numerous films, including the classic biopic of early rock 'n' roll American Hot Wax, Dick Tracy and Mulholland Falls. Escott, the author of numerous books including Good Rockin' Tonight Sun Records and the Birth of Rock 'n' Roll, was awarded a Grammy for producing The Complete Hank Williams, and was nominated for a Grammy for producing B.B. King King of the Blues. Musical Director Chuck Mead, with multiple hit records, has stood at the forefront of the alternative country music explosion as founder and lead of BR549, the three-time Grammy Award nominated country band. Levi Kreis reprises his role as Jerry Lee Lewis after starring in the original Seattle production of Million Dollar Quartet. Kreis recently completed a 251 city tour promoting his last two albums, One of the Ones and The Gospel According to Levi. As a musician, Kreis has opened for such famed artists as Chaka Khan, Deborah Gibson and shared the stage with Quincy Jones, Herbie Hancock and Snoop Dog, among others. Lance Guest's career spans stage, film and TV with previous appearances on House and NYPD Blue, Screech for the Sci-Fi Channel, lead roles in Plan B, Jaws IV and the cult sci-fi classic The Last Starfighter. Guest played Johnny Cash in the Seattle production of Million Dollar Quartet and reprises the role for the Chicago premiere. Rob Lyons reprises his role as Carl Perkins after starring in the Seattle production of Million Dollar Quartet. When not acting, Lyons' band, Megaphonic, is in high demand playing at Los Angeles' hottest nightclubs. He is currently composing for their upcoming album. Eddie Clendening's previous musical credits include performances alongside rock 'n' roll greats such as Scotty Moore, James Burton, Billy Lee Riley, Jimmy Lee Fautheree, Eddie Bond and Little Richard and The Crickets, among others. Clendening's own band Eddie Clendening & The Blue Ribbon Boys have been in demand all across the U.S., Europe and Asia. With several musical releases under his belt, Clendening joins the cast of Million Dollar Quartet in the role of Elvis Presley. Raised in Chicago's southwest suburbs, acclaimed Chicago actor Brian McCaskill stars in the role of Sam Phillips. McCaskill was recently seen in The Ballad of Emmett Till at Goodman Theatre; Dealer's Choice with Shattered Globe Theatre (Jeff Citation); It's All True with TimeLine Theatre (Recipient of an After Dark Award for Outstanding Performance); and Glengarry Glen Ross at Raven Theatre (Joseph Jefferson Award Nominee), among others. Dee Gee Theatricals, a commercial production company dedicated to nurturing new work for the stage, was formed by Gigi Pritzker, Deborah Del Prete and Ted Rawlins. The company, with offices in Chicago and Los Angeles, is currently producing a number of exciting projects including: F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, which launched the new Guthrie Theatre and is on course to open on the West End next year; Snapshots a new musical with book by David Stern and music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz; and a new musical version of Dennis The Menace. The company is proud to be part of the producing team that developed Million Dollar Quartet, which began the day they were first shown the historic photograph of a truly amazing moment in American musical history. John Cossette's more than 30-year career in the entertainment and music industry has earned him a respected reputation as an innovative and creative producer of large scale television shows and events. With John Cossette Productions, Cossette has produced Grammy Awards for the past 17 years and is the Consulting Producer on the Latin Grammy Awards. Cossette also produces five annual event specials for BET, including The BET Awards, which have become the premier event in Urban Music. Cossette has spearheaded a variety of corporate marketing events. At the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Cossette produced a series of 20 concerts for AT&T, which were attended by more than 2.5 million people. Cossette helped launch the American Express Blue Card with "Central Park In Blue with Sheryl Crow & Friends" featuring Eric Clapton, Keith Richards and The Dixie Chicks, among others. Among his numerous additional producing credits, Cossette is heavily involved in a number of charitable events. The winner of two NAACP Image Awards, Cossette has produced benefits for the House Ear Institute, The Concern Foundation for Cancer Research, MusicCares, The NARAS Foundation and the Society of Singers. He also helps to underwrite the E.J. Jackson Foundation to feed the homeless in South Central L.A., helping to feed over 15,000 people on Thanksgiving
- Readers' holiday stories sought
(thefacts.com, December 3 2008)
Elvis Presley might have been the King, but he wasn't above dreading a blue Christmas. And that's the kind of holiday season this could be for other Facts readers if you don't send in your memories or stories about the best Christmas gift ever soon. ...
- Correction: 'A Critic, Insatiable and Dismissed'
(New York Times, December 3 2008)
An article last Wednesday about Gael Greene's dismissal as a restaurant critic for New York magazine misidentified the news service she was reporting for when she had an affair with Elvis Presley in 1956. It was United Press, not United Press International, which was formed in 1958 when United Press merged with the International News Service. See A Critic, Insatiable and Dismissed (November 26, 2008).
- Elvis Costello out of tune as talk-show host
(Yahoo! News / Reuters / Hollywood Reporter, December 3 2008)
To warp a saying -- those who can do, and those who can't, interview them. The thing is, Elvis Costello, host of "Spectacle," can do and has done since 1977. Since then he's been a punk-pop icon, has played with Elvis Presley's sidemen and dabbled in both classical and jazz, among other things. ...
- Elvis' Groundbreaking '68 Comeback Special Celebrates 40th Anniversary
Source: Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.
(Yahoo! Finance / BUSINESS WIRE, December 3 2008)
December 3, 2008 marks the 40th anniversary of the original airing of Elvis Presley's 1968 career-changing "Comeback" television special on the NBC television network. The iconic special features Elvis at his best with some of the richest moments in music history ever filmed for television. This ground-breaking special still has a contemporary feel and Elvis' informal jam sessions in front of a small audience are regarded as a forerunner of the "unplugged" concept.
"It was a performance that fans and critics could not ignore, filled with passion and that aura of rock and roll that only Elvis had," said Kevin Kern, Director of Public Relations for Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. "It's one of the many anticipated celebrations here at Graceland and from fans all over the world."
The anniversary celebration for the ''68 Special began in March of 2008 with a new exhibit at Graceland titled, "Elvis '68 Special." Included in the exhibit are some of Elvis' wardrobe items worn in the special, such as his black leather wristband, a jacket seen in the night club scene and later worn by Elvis during a rare meeting with President Nixon. There are also other items related to the show, such as tickets to the show taped on NBC's Burbank studio and Elvis' personal scripts for the special containing his handwritten notes. One of the highlights of the exhibit is the white suit seen in the closing number, when Elvis performs "If I Can Dream." The suit was also seen in the stunning video duet between Elvis and Celine Dion as part of the 2007 Idol Gives Back special.
The exhibit area, located at the Graceland Crossing shopping plaza across from Elvis Presley's Graceland mansion in Memphis, also includes a new '68 Special-themed retail store stocked with officially licensed merchandise related to the special. Fans can also celebrate the anniversary anywhere in the world on December 3rd with special '68 Special content on Elvis.com. Fans can also celebrate the iconic special with the Elvis: 68 Comeback Special - Deluxe Edition DVD Set, Elvis: 68 Comeback Special - Single Disc DVD and Elvis: The Complete '68 Comeback Special CD Set.
'68 Special fun facts:
- It was directed by Steve Binder and produced by Binder and Bones Howe.
- At 6:00 pm, on June 27, Elvis took to the stage for four one-hour live shows being taped at NBC's Burbank studios.
- Sponsored by The Singer Company, the special aired on the NBC television network.
- The broadcast aired on December 3, 1968, and was rebroadcast the following summer.
- The show was the highest-rated television special of the year and was seen by 42% of the viewing audience.
- It was the first one-man TV special to appear on commercial American television.
- "If I Can Dream," released a month before the special, sold over 800,000 units in its initial release.
- The album from the special sold more than 500,000 in its original chart run.
To learn more about the anniversary of the '68 Special, visit www.elvis.com or to order the anniversary DVDs and CDs please visit wwws.shopelvis.com
About Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.
Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. (EPE) is based in Memphis, with additional offices in Los Angeles. In addition to Graceland and its related attractions in Memphis, including the Heartbreak Hotel, EPE is aggressively involved in a worldwide licensing program, merchandising, music publishing, and television, film, video and Internet projects. For more information on EPE and Graceland, visit www.elvis.com. EPE is a subsidiary of CKX, Inc. (www.ckx.com), a publicly traded company listed on the NASDAQ Global Market(R) under the ticker symbol CKXE.
Contact:
Elvis Presley Enterprises
David Beckwith/Carlos Munguia
323-845-9836
- Sounds of the season: Other holiday-CD fare
By Aaron Beck
(Columbus Dispatch, December 2 2008)
Decking the shelves with new discs this year are veterans (Tony Bennett, Aretha Franklin); relative youngsters (Gretchen Peters, Rosie Thomas); and even the long-gone (Elvis Presley).
... Elvis Presley
Christmas Duets
- The King, from beyond the grave, treats us to new Christmas product every year. This year, thanks to computer magic, he gives a supernatural Christmas present -- as he is teamed with living singers such as Martina McBride (Blue Christmas), Anne Murray (Silver Bells) and Carrie Underwood (I'll Be Home for Christmas).
- Obituary: George W. Windram / Businessman, banjo picker and classy gentleman, March 21, 1913 - Nov. 28, 2008
By Brian David
(Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, December 2 2008)
George W. Windram was a beloved husband and father, an ardent supporter of charities and a devoted volunteer for his church, the Knights of Columbus and the St. Vincent DePaul Society. >He had a long, successful career in insurance, founding his own agency and being honored with his parent company's highest award for integrity in business. Had his life gone no further, it would have been exemplary.
But Mr. Windram's life did go further, starting when a friend invited him to the weekly get-together of the Pittsburgh Banjo Club. The longtime Mt. Lebanon resident was 76 years old at the time. He would spend the next 19 years as the club's unofficial headliner and crowd-pleaser, "the darling of the banjo club," as one friend put it. He has recorded several CDs and gotten radio air time thanks to Pittsburgh icon Bill Cardille.
... "Music was just in his heart and in his soul," his daughter, Suzanna Mutic, said. ... And he could sing and really perform. "His delivery of a song was something special," banjo club President Frank Rossi said. "He was very animated, and had this old-fashioned type voice, a Rudy Vallee voice." He also had some Elvis Presley in his hips, his daughter said with a chuckle, "and he would rock his shoulders and it was like Frank Sinatra was up there."
And just like Presley and Sinatra, Mr. Windram got mobbed by women at the shows, though they tended to be grandmothers rather than teenagers. ...
- Martina McBride celebrates holidays on small screen
(tennessean.com, December 1 2008)
This year's holiday music haul includes Elvis Presley Christmas Duets, which pairs recordings of The King's voice with royalty from the country music court, longstanding country voice Martina McBride being among those contributing to the set.
McBride pairs up with Presley's croon on "Blue Christmas," and to correspond with the newly released album (which came out in October), McBride will perform the song on network TV this week.
The country singer offers "Blue Christmas" Wednesday, Dec. 3 on Good Morning America, before heading to The View to perform "Winter Wonderland," culled from her Christmas album White Christmas.
A video for "Blue Christmas" has also been put together, placing footage of Presley alongside his duet partner, and that'll air as part of new special Greatest Holiday Moments: Song of the Season Countdown on NBC Friday, Dec. 12 at 7 p.m. central. Watch the video to the right. ...
- Filmmaker with ties to Elvis comes to Cape May
By Carolyn Miller
(capemaycountyherald.com, December 1 2008)
From writer, producer, director D. Edward Stanley who captured international interest at his Cannes premier and later through the worldwide release of Protecting The King in 2007, comes a true story that has been buried for more than 50 years. Restoring My Father's Honor follows Stanley's father, Master Sgt. William J. Stanley as he fights his way through D-Day only to face an enemy in the form of Vernon Presley, father of Rock icon Elvis Presley.
The youngest bodyguard in rock 'n' roll history, David E. Stanley lived in Graceland Mansion, Memphis, Tenn. from 1960-1977. He was Elvis Presley's stepbrother.
In a story lost to the ages, Stanley and his two brothers moved into the mansion when their mother, Davada (Dee) Stanley married Vernon Presley. David was just 4 years old.
Growing up in the shadow of the King, young David Stanley was surrounded by all things Elvis. In 1972, Elvis invited David to join him on the road as part of his personal entourage. David accompanied Elvis to as many as 1000 concerts and became an integral member of the inner circle. He was at Graceland on Aug. 16, 1977 when Elvis died.
David, now working under the name D. Edward Stanley, is a successful writer, director, and producer. His journey to this place and time is quite a story.
David has come to Cape May to set up the East Coast office of Impello Films, his production company. He is impressed by the artistic perspective and respect for the entertainment arts he has found here.
David loves to be around creative people, and he wants to write here, as he develops his intellectual properties. He is hoping that Cape May will embrace him and his story.
David is finishing up work on his latest book and screenplay, "Restoring My Father's Honor." This new film is not about life with the Presleys. He has already written several books and produced films and documentaries about that experience (for people interested in that part of his life, he recommends the Web site protectingtheking.com).
His new work is far more personal and has taken David on a journey to honor his biological father; to tell that side of the story. The Stanley family, including career soldier SSGT Bill, his wife Dee, and sons Billy Jr., Ricky, and David, met Vernon Presley in Frankfurt, Germany while Elvis was stationed there.
Soon it became evident that the widower Vernon was interested in Dee. The Presley fame and fortune was too much of a lure for David's mother, who consequently left Bill and took her three sons to Graceland with Vernon, Elvis, and Priscilla.
Bill's life went into a tailspin and ultimately he received a 'less than honorable' discharge from the Army and lived out his remaining years in Jacksonville, Fla. When Elvis and David were on tour in Jacksonville, Elvis would tell David to call. "Don't ever forget your father; always honor him," Elvis said often. David did see his father from time to time, with even a visit or two at Graceland. But the bond was broken.
"I was brought up Presley," David said in a recent interview.
When his father died in 1991, David did not go to the funeral. "It's my biggest regret, not attending the funeral," he now says.
A few months after his father died, David received a UPS box of his father's memoirs, including 110 pages of writings, his medals and other memorabilia that his father had kept over the years "so my sons will know."
After 19 years of military service, the elder Stanley had died without a military pension and no ceremonial flag for his coffin. That UPS delivery sent David on a journey "to find my father . . . to find myself."
In 1994 David attended the 50th anniversary of the Normandy Invasion in France and walked along the beach wearing his fatheršs medals and ribbons.
While there, he met a man who had served with his father on that day 50 years ago. The man told him, "Get his flag, son. Restore his honor."
That scene in Normandy is how the movie will begin. And the ending, well, David gets that flag. In between is the poignant story of the man left in the shadow of the Presleys. ...
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