June 29, 2008
A local Elvis fan club isn't feeling a whole lot of love from the Elvis Presley Estate.
The cold shoulder includes efforts to obtain a donation for Elvis' celebrity star on Las Vegas Boulevard and silence as far as offering input on where to install the star.
Letters were sent to everyone from Robert Sillerman, who purchased 85 percent of Elvis Presley Enterprises in 2004 for $114 million, to Priscilla and Lisa Marie Presley.
"We have heard nothing in response," said Sue Laurenz, head of the Viva Las Vegas Club, the fundraising force behind getting Elvis a star.
The club has about $13,000 of the required $15,000.
"We're moving on. The fans have made it happen, and it's all fan money," said Laurenz, adding that she's seen donations as small as $2 and $5.
The Las Vegas Walk of Stars announced last week that Elvis' star will go in front of the Riviera on Sept. 26, the 27th star on the Strip.
Laurenz said Pete "Big Elvis" Vallee has been a saint in the effort, frequently promoting the fundraising drive during his show at Bill's Gamblin' Hall & Saloon. All the proceeds have been raised since Feb. 28, a good share from foreign countries through the Internet.
The Web site is www.astarforelvis.com. E-mail astar4elvis@yahoo.com for more information.
As for the oft-asked question: Why the Riviera?
The Riviera, Laurenz noted, is the closest casino property to the Hilton (then The International), where Elvis was a sensation from 1969 to 1977. She added that the county gave authorization to the Walk of Stars only along Las Vegas Boulevard.
"For what it's worth, Elvis was with Liberace in November 1956 at the Riv when those famous photographs were taken of the switched jackets and instruments," Laurenz said.
Stars for Sammy Davis Jr. and Liberace are in front of the Riv, "and I do believe Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin will be there, too. Elvis will be among his friends, and that is pretty special."
Source: http://www.lvrj.com/news/22628104.html
Monday, 30 June 2008
Sunday, 29 June 2008
All Tribute Artists Invited!!!!
Rock of Ages ~ Sneak Preview Showcase
Featuring tributes to Elvis, Buddy Holly, Bill Haley, Tom Jones, Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Connie Francis, Brenda Lee, Roy Orbison and a cavalcade of Rock Heroes & Icons. All tribute artists & acts welcome!!!
Saturday July 19th
1pm - 5pm
Harmony Square ~ Main Stage
85 Dalhousie Street, Brantford, ON CANADA
Free Concert. Outside Venue. Bring A Lawn Chair.
For more information please contact:
Joan Minnery, Festival Director @ (519) 752-1694
Michelle King, Festival Coordinator @ (519) 752-0741
*This event is a promotional showcase for the Rock of Ages Festival & Hot Rod Show; rocking across Brantford, August 23rd - August 24th, at the Best Western Hotel & Conference Centre*
Rock of Ages ~ Music That Changed the World & Helped Shape Generations!!!
www.memphismotion.com
Featuring tributes to Elvis, Buddy Holly, Bill Haley, Tom Jones, Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Connie Francis, Brenda Lee, Roy Orbison and a cavalcade of Rock Heroes & Icons. All tribute artists & acts welcome!!!
Saturday July 19th
1pm - 5pm
Harmony Square ~ Main Stage
85 Dalhousie Street, Brantford, ON CANADA
Free Concert. Outside Venue. Bring A Lawn Chair.
For more information please contact:
Joan Minnery, Festival Director @ (519) 752-1694
Michelle King, Festival Coordinator @ (519) 752-0741
*This event is a promotional showcase for the Rock of Ages Festival & Hot Rod Show; rocking across Brantford, August 23rd - August 24th, at the Best Western Hotel & Conference Centre*
Rock of Ages ~ Music That Changed the World & Helped Shape Generations!!!
www.memphismotion.com
Saturday, 28 June 2008
Rockabilly Highway
US Highway 45 in the state of Tennessee was renamed the "Rockabilly Highway" in honor of Elvis Presley and Carl Perkins. On friday, June 27, Tennessee State Representative Jimmy Elridge presented Henry Harrison from the Rockabilly Hall Of Fame the new highway sign in Jackson,Tn.
The entire length of the highway runs from north of Mobile, Alabama to Ontonagon, Michigan. The stretch of highway now renamed Rockabilly Highway runs from Jackson,Tn to Tupelo,Miss. The portion of the renamed highway is 55 miles. Signs naming the highway were unveiled at each end of the section at 11:30 a.m. on Friday by the Tennessee Department of Transportation.
A small group of 50 people came for the ceremony at Rockabilly Park in Jackson. Music legends Carl Mann, W.S. Holland and Rayburn Anthony were on hand to play music for the state officals and general public attending he event. "This is the highway we traveled to get to (U.S.) 70," said Holland before the dedication, "we felt it appropriate to name it." Highway 45 was at one time lined with honk tonks.
"We did this to draw attention to our great music heritage," said state Rep. Jimmy Eldridge
source: Elvis Unlimited/ June 28, 2008
The entire length of the highway runs from north of Mobile, Alabama to Ontonagon, Michigan. The stretch of highway now renamed Rockabilly Highway runs from Jackson,Tn to Tupelo,Miss. The portion of the renamed highway is 55 miles. Signs naming the highway were unveiled at each end of the section at 11:30 a.m. on Friday by the Tennessee Department of Transportation.
A small group of 50 people came for the ceremony at Rockabilly Park in Jackson. Music legends Carl Mann, W.S. Holland and Rayburn Anthony were on hand to play music for the state officals and general public attending he event. "This is the highway we traveled to get to (U.S.) 70," said Holland before the dedication, "we felt it appropriate to name it." Highway 45 was at one time lined with honk tonks.
"We did this to draw attention to our great music heritage," said state Rep. Jimmy Eldridge
source: Elvis Unlimited/ June 28, 2008
Friday, 27 June 2008
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Las Vegas Walk of Stars Press Release
LAS VEGAS WALK OF STARS HONORS "THE KING" ELVIS PRESLEY SEPTEMBER 26, 2008
LAS VEGAS, NV - (June 23, 2008) Legendary recording, film and television star, Elvis Presley, will be honored by the Las Vegas Walk of Stars with the 27th star installation on Friday, September 26, 2008 at 11 AM. The ceremony will take place at The Riviera Hotel, located in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip. This very special event will be open to the media and invited guests only. The Viva Las Vegas Elvis Presley Fan Club is sponsoring the Elvis Presley Star. Elvis Aaron Presley was born in East Tupelo, Mississippi on January 8, 1935 where he lived with his parents, Gladys (Smith) and Vernon until the family moved when Elvis was 13 to Memphis,Tennessee. After graduating from Humes High School in Memphis, Elvis worked odd jobs, first as a movie theater usher, then as a truck driver for Crown Electric Company. Elvis Presley began his career as one of the first performers of Rockabilly, an up-tempo fusion of country, rhythm and blues with a strong back beat. His unique style and versions of existing songs, mixing 'black' and 'white' sounds, made him popular - and controversial - as did his uninhibited stage and television performances. Elvis recorded songs in the Rock-n-Roll genre, with tracks like "Jailhouse Rock" and "Hound Dog" later embodying that style. He had a versatile voice and was widely successful in encompassing other genres, including gospel, rhythm & blues, ballads, and pop. To date, Elvis is the only performer to have been inducted into three separate music "Halls of Fame" (Country, Rock & Roll, Gospel). Elvis began singing locally in 1954 when he signed with Sam Phillips of Sun Records and released his first record, "That's All Right Mama". Gaining recognition as "The Hillbilly Cat," Elvis signed in 1955 with RCA Records. In 1956, Elvis exploded on the music scene. He did much to establish early Rock & Roll music, bringing traditionally Black Blues singing to mainstream White teenagers. Teenage girls became hysterical over his blatantly sexual gyrations, particularly the one that got him nicknamed "Elvis the Pelvis" (TV cameras were not permitted to film below his waist on the Ed Sullivan Show). That same year, Elvis was cast in his first movie in a supporting role. That movie, "Love Me Tender," was the first of 33
movies in which Elvis starred, and was responsible for producing high box office earnings which totaled upwards of $150 million. His military service in the late 1950's coupled with the "British invasion" of the 1960's reduced his concert schedule, although not his movie/recording career. Throughout the 1960's, Elvis established himself in Hollywood where he continued to appear in television specials and star in movies, often acting alongside some of the most well known actors and actresses in Hollywood and around the world.
Elvis made his famous 'comeback' in 1968 in an incredibly successful TV Special. The next year, he returned to live concert appearances in Las Vegas. Throughout the 1970's, Elvis sold out the the Hilton showroom over 800 times, and he toured the United States appearing on-stage in over 500 live appearances, many of them sold out shows in large venues. His 1973 television special, "Aloha from Hawaii," was the first live worldwide satellite broadcast concert. It was during this time that Elvis' performances became legendary for his new style of uniquely designed and embellished jumpsuits, his powerful singing, and full stageshow production.
Elvis Presley passed away at the age of 42, on August 16, 1977 at the mansion he lived in, Graceland, near Memphis. At the time of his death, Elvis had sold over 600 million singles and albums. Since his death, Graceland has become a shrine for millions of followers worldwide. It houses precious memorabilia and personal items, along with numerous displays full of plaques and certificates of commendation for Elvis Presley's record breaking career as well as for his dedication to charitable causes in his hometown and around the United States.
About the Viva Las Vegas Club
The Viva Las Vegas International Elvis Presley Fan Club was founded in 2004. Its goal is to commemorate the memory and legacy of Elvis Presley to Las Vegas in the areas of Entertainment and Charity. Officially registered with Elvis Presley Enterprises. For more information, visit www.VivaLasVegasClub.net or www.AStarForElvis.com
About the Las Vegas Walk of Stars
The Las Vegas Walk of Stars was developed in cooperation with Clark County, Nevada which sanctioned four miles of sidewalk to the East and West of Las Vegas Boulevard South between Sahara and Russell. Similar to the "Palm Springs Walk of Stars," located along the sidewalks of Palm Canyon Drive in Palm Springs, California, the Las Vegas project honors people of prominence in a variety of fields including entertainment, sports, literary, humanitarian, civic, military, and pioneers. Each Star is a slab of polished granite (approximately 3 square feet) weighing 180 lbs. and inlaid with the recipient's name and specialty. For more information, visit www.LasVegasWalkOfStars.com
LAS VEGAS, NV - (June 23, 2008) Legendary recording, film and television star, Elvis Presley, will be honored by the Las Vegas Walk of Stars with the 27th star installation on Friday, September 26, 2008 at 11 AM. The ceremony will take place at The Riviera Hotel, located in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip. This very special event will be open to the media and invited guests only. The Viva Las Vegas Elvis Presley Fan Club is sponsoring the Elvis Presley Star. Elvis Aaron Presley was born in East Tupelo, Mississippi on January 8, 1935 where he lived with his parents, Gladys (Smith) and Vernon until the family moved when Elvis was 13 to Memphis,Tennessee. After graduating from Humes High School in Memphis, Elvis worked odd jobs, first as a movie theater usher, then as a truck driver for Crown Electric Company. Elvis Presley began his career as one of the first performers of Rockabilly, an up-tempo fusion of country, rhythm and blues with a strong back beat. His unique style and versions of existing songs, mixing 'black' and 'white' sounds, made him popular - and controversial - as did his uninhibited stage and television performances. Elvis recorded songs in the Rock-n-Roll genre, with tracks like "Jailhouse Rock" and "Hound Dog" later embodying that style. He had a versatile voice and was widely successful in encompassing other genres, including gospel, rhythm & blues, ballads, and pop. To date, Elvis is the only performer to have been inducted into three separate music "Halls of Fame" (Country, Rock & Roll, Gospel). Elvis began singing locally in 1954 when he signed with Sam Phillips of Sun Records and released his first record, "That's All Right Mama". Gaining recognition as "The Hillbilly Cat," Elvis signed in 1955 with RCA Records. In 1956, Elvis exploded on the music scene. He did much to establish early Rock & Roll music, bringing traditionally Black Blues singing to mainstream White teenagers. Teenage girls became hysterical over his blatantly sexual gyrations, particularly the one that got him nicknamed "Elvis the Pelvis" (TV cameras were not permitted to film below his waist on the Ed Sullivan Show). That same year, Elvis was cast in his first movie in a supporting role. That movie, "Love Me Tender," was the first of 33
movies in which Elvis starred, and was responsible for producing high box office earnings which totaled upwards of $150 million. His military service in the late 1950's coupled with the "British invasion" of the 1960's reduced his concert schedule, although not his movie/recording career. Throughout the 1960's, Elvis established himself in Hollywood where he continued to appear in television specials and star in movies, often acting alongside some of the most well known actors and actresses in Hollywood and around the world.
Elvis made his famous 'comeback' in 1968 in an incredibly successful TV Special. The next year, he returned to live concert appearances in Las Vegas. Throughout the 1970's, Elvis sold out the the Hilton showroom over 800 times, and he toured the United States appearing on-stage in over 500 live appearances, many of them sold out shows in large venues. His 1973 television special, "Aloha from Hawaii," was the first live worldwide satellite broadcast concert. It was during this time that Elvis' performances became legendary for his new style of uniquely designed and embellished jumpsuits, his powerful singing, and full stageshow production.
Elvis Presley passed away at the age of 42, on August 16, 1977 at the mansion he lived in, Graceland, near Memphis. At the time of his death, Elvis had sold over 600 million singles and albums. Since his death, Graceland has become a shrine for millions of followers worldwide. It houses precious memorabilia and personal items, along with numerous displays full of plaques and certificates of commendation for Elvis Presley's record breaking career as well as for his dedication to charitable causes in his hometown and around the United States.
About the Viva Las Vegas Club
The Viva Las Vegas International Elvis Presley Fan Club was founded in 2004. Its goal is to commemorate the memory and legacy of Elvis Presley to Las Vegas in the areas of Entertainment and Charity. Officially registered with Elvis Presley Enterprises. For more information, visit www.VivaLasVegasClub.net or www.AStarForElvis.com
About the Las Vegas Walk of Stars
The Las Vegas Walk of Stars was developed in cooperation with Clark County, Nevada which sanctioned four miles of sidewalk to the East and West of Las Vegas Boulevard South between Sahara and Russell. Similar to the "Palm Springs Walk of Stars," located along the sidewalks of Palm Canyon Drive in Palm Springs, California, the Las Vegas project honors people of prominence in a variety of fields including entertainment, sports, literary, humanitarian, civic, military, and pioneers. Each Star is a slab of polished granite (approximately 3 square feet) weighing 180 lbs. and inlaid with the recipient's name and specialty. For more information, visit www.LasVegasWalkOfStars.com
Shawn Klush Performing Elvis Week August 16th 2008 Also At The Cannon Center
The 2008 event will feature several new activities and entertainment including “Elvis, From Broadway to Memphis.” This first-ever production will include a state-of-the-art, video-projected Elvis performing with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, Broadway stars Leah Hocking, Austin Miller, 2007 Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist winner Shawn Klush and the rockabilly group The Dempseys. Two shows will be held on August 16th at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Memphis.
Graceland Announces Plans for Elvis Week , August 9-17, 2008 or
http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20080625005308&newsLang=en
Graceland Announces Plans for Elvis Week , August 9-17, 2008 or
http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20080625005308&newsLang=en
Countersuit filed in Elvis photo flap
June 25, 2008
BOCA RATON, Fla., June 25 (UPI) -- A Florida firm hired to decontaminate the former headquarters of the National Enquirer after an anthrax incident is suing a developer who bought the building.
The South Florida Sun-Sentinel said John Y. Mason, whose company Sabre was hired to decontaminate the tabloid's former Boca Raton headquarters in 2003, has filed a countersuit against developer David Rustine's Broken Sound LLC, which bought the sealed and quarantined $10 million building for $40,000.
Rustine initially sued Mason because it said a famous 1977 photo showing late rock 'n' roll icon Elvis Presley in his casket had gone missing from the building.
Rustine valued the photo at $1 million and said it rightfully belongs to him because it was among the contents of the building he purchased. He also claimed Mason held the photo hostage when the two parties had a falling out. Rustine wants the photo returned or cash to reimburse him for what he believes it is worth.
The Sun-Sentinel reported Mason's countersuit said the rights to the original photo don't belong to Rustine, but instead belong to the Enquirer's parent company, American Media Inc., as do countless other photos and documents left in the contaminated building.
Source: http://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/2008/06/25/Countersuit_filed_in_Elvis_photo_flap/UPI-81391214424330
BOCA RATON, Fla., June 25 (UPI) -- A Florida firm hired to decontaminate the former headquarters of the National Enquirer after an anthrax incident is suing a developer who bought the building.
The South Florida Sun-Sentinel said John Y. Mason, whose company Sabre was hired to decontaminate the tabloid's former Boca Raton headquarters in 2003, has filed a countersuit against developer David Rustine's Broken Sound LLC, which bought the sealed and quarantined $10 million building for $40,000.
Rustine initially sued Mason because it said a famous 1977 photo showing late rock 'n' roll icon Elvis Presley in his casket had gone missing from the building.
Rustine valued the photo at $1 million and said it rightfully belongs to him because it was among the contents of the building he purchased. He also claimed Mason held the photo hostage when the two parties had a falling out. Rustine wants the photo returned or cash to reimburse him for what he believes it is worth.
The Sun-Sentinel reported Mason's countersuit said the rights to the original photo don't belong to Rustine, but instead belong to the Enquirer's parent company, American Media Inc., as do countless other photos and documents left in the contaminated building.
Source: http://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/2008/06/25/Countersuit_filed_in_Elvis_photo_flap/UPI-81391214424330
Thursday, 26 June 2008
Graceland Announces Plans for Elvis Week, August 9-17, 2008
Tickets Now Available for the Nine-Day Celebration of Elvis’ Life
Events Include: All-New, Star-Studded “Elvis, from Broadway to Memphis,” Two “Music and Movies” Nights on the Front Lawn of Graceland, Fan Club Events, Charity Fundraisers, Celebrity Guests and the Second Annual “Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist” Contest.
CKX Chairman and CEO Robert F.X. Sillerman to Appear at “The Official Elvis Insiders Conference”
MEMPHIS, Tenn. --(BUSINESS WIRE)--Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. (EPE) a CKX, Inc. company (NASDAQ: CKXE), is planning for a special Elvis Week, the annual Elvis celebration at Graceland, the late superstar’s home in Memphis, August 9-17. Elvis Week is an annual nine-day gathering of friends and fans from around the world celebrating Elvis’ life and career.
The 2008 event will feature several new activities and entertainment including “Elvis, From Broadway to Memphis.” This first-ever production will include a state-of-the-art, video-projected Elvis performing with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, Broadway stars Leah Hocking, Austin Miller, 2007 Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist winner Shawn Klush and the rockabilly group The Dempseys. Two shows will be held on August 16th at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Memphis.
Following its overwhelming popularity in 2007, two nights of “Music and Movies at Graceland,” featuring live entertainment and a movie on the front lawn of Graceland, will be held on August 11th and 12th. Featured artists will include The Imperials, Andy Childs and his band and Terry Mike Jeffrey and Band. Films shown will be Jailhouse Rock and Elvis: That’s The Way It Is.
For the second year, EPE is presenting the wildly successful Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest. More than 20 competitions are being held around the world, selecting the top Elvis tribute artists that “best represent the legacy of Elvis Presley,” to compete for a spot in the Memphis semifinals on August 13th and finals on August 14th.
Elvis Week kicks off on August 9th at 8 a.m. with the Annual Elvis Presley International 5K Run to Benefit United Cerebral Palsy, starting with thousands of Elvis fans and runners in front of Graceland. It is one of several charity fundraisers scheduled.
Additional events are planned throughout the city, including the DVD theatrical premiere of Elvis Presley – His Home, His Story. Three screenings on each day will be held at Malco’s Studio on the Square on August 9th and 13th. The new DVD features photos from the Graceland archives, home movies and more. The day will culminate with a special event at Autozone Park as the Memphis Redbirds baseball team welcomes Elvis fans to town with a special event showcasing Elvis-themed entertainment, fireworks and more.
Sunday, August 10th, begins with a special Elvis Gospel brunch in the Elvis Presley Car Museum and ends with a special Club Elvis dance and party for fans in Graceland Plaza.
Also on August 12th at 11:00 a.m., The Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest Meet ‘n’ Greet will be held at the Hard Rock Café, followed by the 2007 winner Shawn Klush performing at the Cannon Center. His opening act will be comedian Sammy Shore, who opened for Elvis in Las Vegas from 1969-1972.
Elvis Expo 2008 will be held on August 13th and 14th at the Memphis Cook Convention Center. It is the world’s largest Elvis trade show, with more than 75 booths and 35,000 square feet that includes all the latest Elvis music, movies, merchandise, celebrity autograph sessions, authors, artists and photographers. Guests appearing in the showroom include: actress Darlene Tompkins (Blue Hawaii and Fun in Acapulco), dancer Tanya Lemani George (‘68 Special), singer Joanne Cash, The Imperials, DJ Fontana, Celeste Yarnall (co-star in Live A Little, Love a Little), Francine York (co-star in Tickle Me) and more.
As an Elvis Week exclusive, for the first time ever Robert F.X. Sillerman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of CKX Inc., parent company of Elvis Presley Enterprises, will be a special guest at The Official Elvis Insiders Conference. The event on August 13 and 14 features two full days of special guests and programming produced by Elvis Presley Enterprises, including on-stage interviews with people who were part of Elvis’ life and career. Special guests include Dixie Locke Emmons, who dated Elvis early in his career; Mike Stoller, songwriter for numerous Elvis hits including “Jailhouse Rock,” “King Creole,” “Hound Dog,” “Treat Me Nice,” and “Love Me”; Sammy Shore; Celeste Yarnall; Jerry Schilling; Francine York; Edward Faulkner; Susan Henning, who appeared in Live A Little, Love A Little and the ‘68 Special; Joe Guercio, Elvis’ musical director and conductor for concerts from the summer of 1970 to the summer of 1977; Steve Binder, producer of Elvis’ ‘68 Special; and progressive Italian DJ, Spankox who remixed Elvis’ classic “Baby Let’s Play House.” Additional guests to be announced.
The Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest Semifinals will be held at 7:00 p.m. on August 13th at the Cannon Center. Finalists chosen from this round will return on August 14th to compete for the title of Elvis Tribute Artist of the Year.
The largest Elvis Week event is the annual Candlelight Vigil on August 15th starting at 8:30 p.m. Thousands of fans walk up the driveway to Elvis’ gravesite and back down carrying a candle in quiet remembrance. Gates remain open until all who wish to participate in the procession have done so, which typically takes until the early morning hours of August 16, the anniversary date of Elvis’ passing.
Throughout the week, live ongoing presentations of Elvis music will be performed by various singers and bands in the area across the street from Graceland. Other activities will include the Elvis Week Art Contest & Exhibit, Kid’s Karaoke, Children’s Elvis Week Art Activities and more.
Special ticket packages as well as tickets for individual events are now available. Visit ElvisWeek.com for detailed ticket and event information.
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® under the ticker symbol CKXE.
Contacts
Elvis Presley Enterprises
David Beckwith/Jason Wanamaker
323-845-9836
Events Include: All-New, Star-Studded “Elvis, from Broadway to Memphis,” Two “Music and Movies” Nights on the Front Lawn of Graceland, Fan Club Events, Charity Fundraisers, Celebrity Guests and the Second Annual “Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist” Contest.
CKX Chairman and CEO Robert F.X. Sillerman to Appear at “The Official Elvis Insiders Conference”
MEMPHIS, Tenn. --(BUSINESS WIRE)--Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. (EPE) a CKX, Inc. company (NASDAQ: CKXE), is planning for a special Elvis Week, the annual Elvis celebration at Graceland, the late superstar’s home in Memphis, August 9-17. Elvis Week is an annual nine-day gathering of friends and fans from around the world celebrating Elvis’ life and career.
The 2008 event will feature several new activities and entertainment including “Elvis, From Broadway to Memphis.” This first-ever production will include a state-of-the-art, video-projected Elvis performing with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, Broadway stars Leah Hocking, Austin Miller, 2007 Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist winner Shawn Klush and the rockabilly group The Dempseys. Two shows will be held on August 16th at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Memphis.
Following its overwhelming popularity in 2007, two nights of “Music and Movies at Graceland,” featuring live entertainment and a movie on the front lawn of Graceland, will be held on August 11th and 12th. Featured artists will include The Imperials, Andy Childs and his band and Terry Mike Jeffrey and Band. Films shown will be Jailhouse Rock and Elvis: That’s The Way It Is.
For the second year, EPE is presenting the wildly successful Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest. More than 20 competitions are being held around the world, selecting the top Elvis tribute artists that “best represent the legacy of Elvis Presley,” to compete for a spot in the Memphis semifinals on August 13th and finals on August 14th.
Elvis Week kicks off on August 9th at 8 a.m. with the Annual Elvis Presley International 5K Run to Benefit United Cerebral Palsy, starting with thousands of Elvis fans and runners in front of Graceland. It is one of several charity fundraisers scheduled.
Additional events are planned throughout the city, including the DVD theatrical premiere of Elvis Presley – His Home, His Story. Three screenings on each day will be held at Malco’s Studio on the Square on August 9th and 13th. The new DVD features photos from the Graceland archives, home movies and more. The day will culminate with a special event at Autozone Park as the Memphis Redbirds baseball team welcomes Elvis fans to town with a special event showcasing Elvis-themed entertainment, fireworks and more.
Sunday, August 10th, begins with a special Elvis Gospel brunch in the Elvis Presley Car Museum and ends with a special Club Elvis dance and party for fans in Graceland Plaza.
Also on August 12th at 11:00 a.m., The Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest Meet ‘n’ Greet will be held at the Hard Rock Café, followed by the 2007 winner Shawn Klush performing at the Cannon Center. His opening act will be comedian Sammy Shore, who opened for Elvis in Las Vegas from 1969-1972.
Elvis Expo 2008 will be held on August 13th and 14th at the Memphis Cook Convention Center. It is the world’s largest Elvis trade show, with more than 75 booths and 35,000 square feet that includes all the latest Elvis music, movies, merchandise, celebrity autograph sessions, authors, artists and photographers. Guests appearing in the showroom include: actress Darlene Tompkins (Blue Hawaii and Fun in Acapulco), dancer Tanya Lemani George (‘68 Special), singer Joanne Cash, The Imperials, DJ Fontana, Celeste Yarnall (co-star in Live A Little, Love a Little), Francine York (co-star in Tickle Me) and more.
As an Elvis Week exclusive, for the first time ever Robert F.X. Sillerman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of CKX Inc., parent company of Elvis Presley Enterprises, will be a special guest at The Official Elvis Insiders Conference. The event on August 13 and 14 features two full days of special guests and programming produced by Elvis Presley Enterprises, including on-stage interviews with people who were part of Elvis’ life and career. Special guests include Dixie Locke Emmons, who dated Elvis early in his career; Mike Stoller, songwriter for numerous Elvis hits including “Jailhouse Rock,” “King Creole,” “Hound Dog,” “Treat Me Nice,” and “Love Me”; Sammy Shore; Celeste Yarnall; Jerry Schilling; Francine York; Edward Faulkner; Susan Henning, who appeared in Live A Little, Love A Little and the ‘68 Special; Joe Guercio, Elvis’ musical director and conductor for concerts from the summer of 1970 to the summer of 1977; Steve Binder, producer of Elvis’ ‘68 Special; and progressive Italian DJ, Spankox who remixed Elvis’ classic “Baby Let’s Play House.” Additional guests to be announced.
The Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest Semifinals will be held at 7:00 p.m. on August 13th at the Cannon Center. Finalists chosen from this round will return on August 14th to compete for the title of Elvis Tribute Artist of the Year.
The largest Elvis Week event is the annual Candlelight Vigil on August 15th starting at 8:30 p.m. Thousands of fans walk up the driveway to Elvis’ gravesite and back down carrying a candle in quiet remembrance. Gates remain open until all who wish to participate in the procession have done so, which typically takes until the early morning hours of August 16, the anniversary date of Elvis’ passing.
Throughout the week, live ongoing presentations of Elvis music will be performed by various singers and bands in the area across the street from Graceland. Other activities will include the Elvis Week Art Contest & Exhibit, Kid’s Karaoke, Children’s Elvis Week Art Activities and more.
Special ticket packages as well as tickets for individual events are now available. Visit ElvisWeek.com for detailed ticket and event information.
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® under the ticker symbol CKXE.
Contacts
Elvis Presley Enterprises
David Beckwith/Jason Wanamaker
323-845-9836
Tuesday, 24 June 2008
Jamie Aaron Kelley Toronto Show Video Advertisement!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHVdj9oXN3Q
Hey, everybody! This is the first video advertisement that was put together for the Toronto show on October 25th, 2008 - at the John Bassett Theatre (in the Metro Toronto Convention Centre).
This is the world-premiere of my all-new show (not an Elvis show - I say that since I know most videos online of me are older clips from when I was doing Elvis shows, and I didn't want there to be any confusion with this show).
This show has a 19-piece orchestra ensemble, and will immerse you in the sight, sound, and feel of music - an extra-sensory experience. :)
*The above text from YouTube* I will be at this show... Charmaine Jensen-Voisine...
Hey, everybody! This is the first video advertisement that was put together for the Toronto show on October 25th, 2008 - at the John Bassett Theatre (in the Metro Toronto Convention Centre).
This is the world-premiere of my all-new show (not an Elvis show - I say that since I know most videos online of me are older clips from when I was doing Elvis shows, and I didn't want there to be any confusion with this show).
This show has a 19-piece orchestra ensemble, and will immerse you in the sight, sound, and feel of music - an extra-sensory experience. :)
*The above text from YouTube* I will be at this show... Charmaine Jensen-Voisine...
'Elvis' to rock Atlanticade
June 23, 2008
Tribute artist Thane Dunn shows the King's wild side during motorcycle festival concert
BY ALAN COCHRANE
TIMES & TRANSCRIPT STAFF
Elvis Presley loved his motorcycles, so it seems fitting that Moncton tribute artist Thane Dunn is revved up for a show at the Capitol Theatre Friday night in conjunction with the second annual Atlanticade Motorcycle Festival.
"Elvis had about 25 motorcycles and loved to ride them, even though he was more famous for all his cars," says Dunn.
"I think motorcycles allowed him more freedom to get out and escape and get the wind in his hair."
The Atlanticade motorcycle festival begins Wednesday and continues through to Sunday, with a variety of events including a downtown street party, show & shines, scenic tours of southeastern New Brunswick, Canada, a biker build-off competition and the Elvis tribute show at the Capitol Theatre Friday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for the show are $32.50, with proceeds going to the Children's Wish Foundation, Atlanticade's official charity. Atlanticade participants can purchase tickets for $20.
Presley's collection of motorcycles included mostly Harley-Davidson and Triumph bikes, including some police-style bikes which complemented his collection of badges and guns. And there are many photos taken by fans of the singer out riding near his Graceland mansion in Memphis.
Elvis historians say the singer loved to ride because it gave him a chance to get away from the hectic pace and constant demands on his time.
Dunn says there is a famous story about a motorcyclist who stopped at a red light near the Houston Astrodome.
A big limo pulled up beside him, the door opened and a man came over and said 'Elvis wants to know if he can take your bike for a ride.' The man laughed as if it was a joke, and then Elvis appeared.
So the guy let Elvis take his Harley for a spin. When The King returned, he handed the man a ring that was later valued at over $30,000.
Dunn says the story is another example of how Presley connected with his fans and spread his wealth around.
"They almost felt like they knew him personally. He had a really big heart."
Dunn says his Friday night concert at the Capitol Theatre (http://www.capitol.nb.ca/e/show_id.php?shwID=359) will be filled with straight-ahead rock and roll songs like Burnin' Love and Suspicious Minds.
"You can listen to Elvis music but you can't see him anymore. It's taken me a long time to get to the point where I'm confident that I can create the image on stage that you think it's the real thing.
"I feel I have a good representation of what Elvis looked and sounded like."
Article Source: http://preview.tinyurl.com/683r2e
Tribute artist Thane Dunn shows the King's wild side during motorcycle festival concert
BY ALAN COCHRANE
TIMES & TRANSCRIPT STAFF
Elvis Presley loved his motorcycles, so it seems fitting that Moncton tribute artist Thane Dunn is revved up for a show at the Capitol Theatre Friday night in conjunction with the second annual Atlanticade Motorcycle Festival.
"Elvis had about 25 motorcycles and loved to ride them, even though he was more famous for all his cars," says Dunn.
"I think motorcycles allowed him more freedom to get out and escape and get the wind in his hair."
The Atlanticade motorcycle festival begins Wednesday and continues through to Sunday, with a variety of events including a downtown street party, show & shines, scenic tours of southeastern New Brunswick, Canada, a biker build-off competition and the Elvis tribute show at the Capitol Theatre Friday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for the show are $32.50, with proceeds going to the Children's Wish Foundation, Atlanticade's official charity. Atlanticade participants can purchase tickets for $20.
Presley's collection of motorcycles included mostly Harley-Davidson and Triumph bikes, including some police-style bikes which complemented his collection of badges and guns. And there are many photos taken by fans of the singer out riding near his Graceland mansion in Memphis.
Elvis historians say the singer loved to ride because it gave him a chance to get away from the hectic pace and constant demands on his time.
Dunn says there is a famous story about a motorcyclist who stopped at a red light near the Houston Astrodome.
A big limo pulled up beside him, the door opened and a man came over and said 'Elvis wants to know if he can take your bike for a ride.' The man laughed as if it was a joke, and then Elvis appeared.
So the guy let Elvis take his Harley for a spin. When The King returned, he handed the man a ring that was later valued at over $30,000.
Dunn says the story is another example of how Presley connected with his fans and spread his wealth around.
"They almost felt like they knew him personally. He had a really big heart."
Dunn says his Friday night concert at the Capitol Theatre (http://www.capitol.nb.ca/e/show_id.php?shwID=359) will be filled with straight-ahead rock and roll songs like Burnin' Love and Suspicious Minds.
"You can listen to Elvis music but you can't see him anymore. It's taken me a long time to get to the point where I'm confident that I can create the image on stage that you think it's the real thing.
"I feel I have a good representation of what Elvis looked and sounded like."
Article Source: http://preview.tinyurl.com/683r2e
Monday, 23 June 2008
Famous photo of Elvis in casket shredded in anthrax scare
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The famous National Enquirer photo of Elvis Presley lying in his open casket was shredded during a six-year anthrax decontamination effort on the tabloid's former Boca Raton, Fla., headquarters, according to the newest twist in a federal lawsuit.
The front-page photo from the issue, which sold a whopping 6.5 million copies in 1977, is the center of a dispute between Boca Raton developer David Rustine, who bought the contaminated building at a bargain-basement price in 2003 while it was still sealed and quarantined, and John Y. Mason, whose company, Sabre, was hired to decontaminate it.
In a lawsuit filed in May, Rustine, who values the original photo at $1 million, said Mason held the photo hostage in a dispute between the two over the cleaning. Rustine wants him to return the image or pay for it.
The photo is part of rock music history. For years, it fueled fan-frenzied stories that the King was not dead, that it was all a hoax because the man in the photo didn't look like Elvis. But a 2004 tell-all book by former Enquirer editor Iain Calder laid to rest some rumors when he spilled that the paper paid one of Presley's cousins $18,000 to secretly take the snapshot of the King in his casket.
In October 2001, former Enquirer photo editor Bob Stevens opened a letter containing weapons-grade anthrax spores that killed him and contaminated the building owned by Enquirer parent American Media Inc. The attack has never been solved.
In 2003, Rustine's company, Broken Sound LLC, bought the building once valued at $10 million for $40,000 from AMI. In December 2003, Rustine's Broken Sound and Mason's Sabre entered an agreement to clean and decontaminate the building.
On May 17 or 18, 2005, Rustine alleged Mason said "he would lose the Elvis photo" if the decontamination contract were not extended past a May 31, 2005, deadline.
Mason's countersuit, filed Friday, said Rustine doesn't even own the photo. He said AMI still owns the rights to that photo and millions of other celebrity photos that were contaminated and entombed in the building.
Mason said that AMI's rights to photos and documents in the building were recognized in the decontamination agreement.
According to Mason's countersuit, Sabre began destroying documents and photos in February 2004 at the direction of AMI in-house counsel Daniel Rotstein.
Mason's Sabre argues that it was ordered to destroy all documents and photos until a late 2004 agreement but that by then the Elvis photo was in ribbons.
In the lawsuit, Mason also accuses Rustine of defamation saying he "never threatened to steal or to otherwise withhold the Elvis photos" from Rustine or Broken Sound.
Source Article: http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/news/stories/2008/06/23/elvis_photo_shredded.html
Saturday, 21 June 2008
ELVIS Week event added...
Just announced:
August 10-16, 2008 Memphis, TN 8pm Nightly.
HARD ROCK CAFE, BEALE STREET.
ELVIS EXTRAVAGANZA IMPERSONATOR CONTEST & SHOWCASE NIGHTLY
EXTREMELY LIMITED SEATING...
VIP WEEK PASS. GOOD FOR AUGUST 10-16, 2008 8pm. $140 value. Early Bird Special. Very Limited Supply.
VIP Guaranteed Seat For all 7 nights of the Elvis Extravanza Impersonator Contest and Tribute Show at the Hard Rock Cafe, Beale Street, Memphis, TN. BONUS: Goody bag for all VIPs! Includes EW31 T-Shirt, Souvenirs (a $50 Value!)
http://www.elvii.com/cgi-bin/store/commerce.cgi?product=Tickets&pid=708&log_pid=yes
Discount Ticket is $100. Discount offer with goody bag expires 06/23/08 at Midnight.
ELVIS TRIBUTE ARTISTS:
Only 24 performer slots!
(Only 20 remain as of this writing!)
Sign up today to secure a spot and we will write you to schedule your day.
Prizes nightly for the top scoring contestant.
Come qualify for the National Finals to be help in Tampa Florida February 13 & 14, 2009 at the Florida State Fair.
Any performer who achieves 150 or greater points out of 200 will advance to the national finals!
Performs do not need to be present each night at the Memphis event. Only on the night which they select to perform and only during their performance slot.
http://www.elviscontest.com/enter.html
August 10-16, 2008 Memphis, TN 8pm Nightly.
HARD ROCK CAFE, BEALE STREET.
ELVIS EXTRAVAGANZA IMPERSONATOR CONTEST & SHOWCASE NIGHTLY
EXTREMELY LIMITED SEATING...
VIP WEEK PASS. GOOD FOR AUGUST 10-16, 2008 8pm. $140 value. Early Bird Special. Very Limited Supply.
VIP Guaranteed Seat For all 7 nights of the Elvis Extravanza Impersonator Contest and Tribute Show at the Hard Rock Cafe, Beale Street, Memphis, TN. BONUS: Goody bag for all VIPs! Includes EW31 T-Shirt, Souvenirs (a $50 Value!)
http://www.elvii.com/cgi-bin/store/commerce.cgi?product=Tickets&pid=708&log_pid=yes
Discount Ticket is $100. Discount offer with goody bag expires 06/23/08 at Midnight.
ELVIS TRIBUTE ARTISTS:
Only 24 performer slots!
(Only 20 remain as of this writing!)
Sign up today to secure a spot and we will write you to schedule your day.
Prizes nightly for the top scoring contestant.
Come qualify for the National Finals to be help in Tampa Florida February 13 & 14, 2009 at the Florida State Fair.
Any performer who achieves 150 or greater points out of 200 will advance to the national finals!
Performs do not need to be present each night at the Memphis event. Only on the night which they select to perform and only during their performance slot.
http://www.elviscontest.com/enter.html
Elvis fan builds gala Graceland
Walter Gibb built a three-dimensional timber replica of Graceland
June 20, 2008
It took Walter Gibb and his family 11 weeks to make the three-dimensional timber replica of Elvis's Memphis home.
The 46-year-old, whose daughter Robyn is a maid of honour in the Grangemouth Children's Gala, said he wanted to do "something a wee bit special".
Mr Gibb said he wanted to raise the profile of the gala day which has been under threat in recent years.
"Rather than doing a Disney or a cartoon character theme, which a lot of children do and which is lovely, we decided to go for something different this year," he said.
His daughter shares his passion for the "king of rock 'n' roll" and she suggested the Graceland theme.
Mr Gibb said: "None of us had been there before so off the internet we got pictures of Graceland and we recreated it out of timber in a three-dimensional effect.
"Rather than just doing a flat screen and painting it, we decided to look into it seriously and try to create it as close as we could."
A neighbour's house shows what it
looked like before the transformation
The front two gables, the sides and the roof of Mr Gibb's modern home are now covered by a timber copy of the American "colonial" style mansion.
Mr Gibb would not say how much it cost but it was "not as much as you might think".
"I am not a rich man", he added.
He said that at least 10 family members and friends gave their construction skills for free, keeping the costs down.
"A lot of people say that for one day it is a lot of effort but we feel we want to put the gala day on the map because there are rumours that it is not doing very well," he said.
Mr Gibb said that other gala days in the area were no longer running because of lack of money and he thought it was important for the community that Grangemouth retained its special day.
He set up a replica Elvis and a wishing well at the gates to the mansion to collect donations.
As the home of Scotland's petro-chemical industry, the massive companies which operate out of Grangemouth should be paying more back into the community, Mr Gibb added
"We don't want to see the gala day fail because it has been around for 100 years," he said.
"With the industry we have in Grangemouth I don't see why it should fail because at the end of the day they pollute our skies and they should give something back."
Source: http://preview.tinyurl.com/5f95ph
King wannabes rush in, crowd shook up at contest
Elvis impersonator Shelby Dee, of Newbern, Tenn., leans down to
give Denham Springs resident Debbie Campanile a kiss and a scarf
during his performance in the first round of The Ultimate Elvis
Tribute Artist Contest at the Hollywood Casino. Thirteen Elvis
impersonators from the U.S. and Canada took the stage during the
competition on Friday.
By STEVEN WARD
Advocate staff writer
Published: Jun 21, 2008
Thirteen Elvis Presley impersonators didn’t leave the building Friday afternoon.
Instead, they lingered, talked and watched each other perform at Studio 7 of the Hollywood Casino during the first round of a contest for the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest, an event put on by Elvis Presley Enterprises.
Although all 13 Elvis impersonators were donned in elaborate, 1970s-era jumpsuits and silk scarves that Elvis is best remembered for wearing, the contestants came from different places and arrived in different sizes and shapes.
The Elvis with the shortest ride, 28-year-old Dexter Roussel, of Denham Springs, has been impersonating Elvis on and off for seven years.
“Even as a kid I was up dancing on the table. You either love your parents’ music or you don’t,” Roussel said. “My mother was crazy about Elvis, and I loved it.”
“My friends in high school kind of laughed at me, but Elvis’ music just goes from generation to generation,” he said. “My kids love him.”
Aaron King, the stage name of 48-year-old Darrell Templeton, of Tucson, Ariz., said he saw Presley perform in 1976, a year before Presley died.
“I was dressed like him at the time. I reached out to him and he gave me a thumbs up and he curled his lip. That changed my life,” Templeton said. “That’s when it started. People were not doing Elvis impersonations back then.”
Jesse Aron, of Janesville, Wis., a mirror image of Elvis from the mid-1970s, came to Baton Rouge with his wife Teri Aron — a Marilyn Monroe impersonator.
The 32-year-old Jesse Aron had the most elaborate 1970s era jumpsuit of the day — a skin-tight, sky blue suit with a huge belt.
The two met performing at a show as their idols.
“We got married on Valentine’s Day this year in Las Vegas,” Teri Aron said.
Elvis impersonator Jun Battad hails from Frisco, Texas, although he was born in the Philippines and spent most of his life in Honolulu.
He started out as a Neil Diamond impersonator.
“I became an engineer because that was my father’s dream. That paid the mortgage. But this is my passion,” Battad said.
Kevin Mills, of Toronto, had the slim and energetic look of the young Elvis stuffed into a white jumpsuit.
His rendition of one song, “Poke Salad Annie,” got the mostly female crowd stirred up.
Charles Roe, of Whitney, Texas, was an out-of-breath Elvis.
“I need an oil change please,” Roe told the crowd while trying to catch his breath after a stirring performance of the song, “Burning Love.”
In the audience, Pat Gill, of Central, sat in the front row and said he attended the Elvis contests because they keep his memory alive.
“We will have to see what happens. Everyone so far has been pretty good,” Gill said.
The contest continues today. The winner of the Baton Rouge preliminary round will go to Memphis in August to compete in the semifinals and possibly the finals of the event during Elvis Week 2008.
Source: http://preview.tinyurl.com/5q7wcq
Thursday, 19 June 2008
Hail to The King, baby
June 19, 2008
Arlington, Mass. -
Glittering in a maraschino red and gold suit, the man who wanted to be The King slid one leg out and lowered his hips to the stage floor.
“Satisfy me,” he repeated, becoming more and more insistent until the final chords of the song.
Watch the slideshow
Dana Zagoreos was one of eight performers to make it to the final round of the Greater Boston Area Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest, held at the Regent Theatre this weekend.
The contest started Friday night and lasted through to Sunday afternoon, where the team of judges chose Leo Days, Jr. to move on to the finals in Memphis, Tenn.
Days wore a white jumpsuit with red fringe that his mother made for him, and stopped along the way to the lobby to sign autographs and pose for pictures.
A 27-year-old who lives in Corunna, Mich., Days said his mom makes most of his Elvis outfits, and she was there when he got his start.
When Days was a teenager, his parents bought him a karaoke machine for the basement.
One day his mom heard an Elvis song coming from the speakers downstairs, so she rushed down and asked her son if it was really him singing, Days said.
From there, Days took the Elvis tunes he’d grown up with to places far from home, in nightclubs, festivals, and tours to Europe.
Days and the other performers had accompaniment from tribute band FEVER and backup singer Ashley Hart, who’s from Nashville, Tenn.
Others came from out of state to see the show at the Regent this weekend, bringing their memories of The King with them.
Percy Doiron saw the real Elvis Presley perform years ago in Tampa, Fla., and traveled from Florida to Arlington this weekend to see the tribute artists.
“I always go see all of them,” said Doiron, who wore a T-shirt from another Elvis tribute show. “I’m retired. I’ve got plenty of time.”
Phyllis O’Hara, of New Hampshire, didn’t pay attention to Elvis when he was alive, because she was too busy raising a family, but two years ago, at 87, she started listening, and now she knows all the lyrics and mourns his death, she said.
“I love Elvis dearly,” said O’Hara, who got the tribute tickets as a Mother’s Day gift. “My heart’s broken because he’s gone.”
If he were still alive today, Elvis Presley would be 73 years old.
Some tribute artists at the Regent had the young Elvis look, while others had the more full-bodied look of Elvis in his later years.
The performers prefer the term Elvis Tribute Artist – which can be shortened to ETA – over the term Elvis impersonator, according to Kevin Kern, the director of public relations for Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.
This is the second year Elvis Presley Enterprises has done the competition and the first year for Arlington, Kern said.
Winners of the more than 20 preliminary rounds will compete in the Memphis finals for a yet-to-be-determined cash prize and all the glory, during Elvis Week, which runs from Aug. 9 through Aug. 17, Kern said.
Judges give points to tribute artists for their ability to look and sound like the real thing, said Arlington judge Doug Bell, a 60-year-old musician who picked up the guitar to try to play like The King.
Days nailed it, Bell said.
“We were amazed. When he came out as the ‘50s Elvis, you could hear the gasps in the audience,” Bell said. “He had it. That’s it.”
Source: http://preview.tinyurl.com/5wlvh2
Wednesday, 18 June 2008
The King's comeback
June 18, 2008
Nikolaos Stavrou
Wednesday 18 June, 2008 12:01am
HE'S been "seen" at 7-11 stores for decades after his death, but Elvis is about to make a comeback of sorts.
The King of rock 'n' roll will live once more as Mark Andrew pays him the ultimate tribute at Panthers on Saturday, June 28. (Details: scroll to end of story)
Andrew will recreate Elvis's NBC-TV '68 Comeback Special, never before seen live on stage.
Hosted by Frankie J. Holden and backed by a 10-piece band and showgirls, Andrew says the night will be one to remember.
"The '68 show was the highest rating (TV special) in 1968. I think Elvis was at his peak at the event ... so I decided to feature parts of that for this show," Andrew told the Mt Druitt-St Marys Standard.
"He was charming, very good-looking, had a fantastic voice and was able to take a song and make it his own.
"Also, he had a way of taking the audience in, or delivering a song in a way that left the audience wanting more."
Andrew has been performing as Elvis for 15 years and is regarded as one of the world's best impersonators.
In 2002, he came fifth at a world competition in Memphis and has headlined The Parkes Elvis Festival for four years.
He featured on The Footy Show and other programs.
"I want to show Elvis in a positive light, with a real energy and authentic looks, and all the arrangements are the same as the '68 show," he says.
"Die-hard Elvis fans will love it and the not-so-die-hard will take something away from it."
Andrew says his show will be split into two parts: first the TV special, then Elvis's hits with Holden narrating.
"I put in as much detail as possible and hopefully people like it."
DETAILS
Time: 7.30pm
Date: Saturday, June 28
Venue: Evan Theatre, Panthers, Mulgoa Rd. Penrith Australia
Tickets: $53.50(plus $1.50 booking fee)
Inquiries: 1800 061 991
Source: http://preview.tinyurl.com/58qkqn
Nikolaos Stavrou
Wednesday 18 June, 2008 12:01am
HE'S been "seen" at 7-11 stores for decades after his death, but Elvis is about to make a comeback of sorts.
The King of rock 'n' roll will live once more as Mark Andrew pays him the ultimate tribute at Panthers on Saturday, June 28. (Details: scroll to end of story)
Andrew will recreate Elvis's NBC-TV '68 Comeback Special, never before seen live on stage.
Hosted by Frankie J. Holden and backed by a 10-piece band and showgirls, Andrew says the night will be one to remember.
"The '68 show was the highest rating (TV special) in 1968. I think Elvis was at his peak at the event ... so I decided to feature parts of that for this show," Andrew told the Mt Druitt-St Marys Standard.
"He was charming, very good-looking, had a fantastic voice and was able to take a song and make it his own.
"Also, he had a way of taking the audience in, or delivering a song in a way that left the audience wanting more."
Andrew has been performing as Elvis for 15 years and is regarded as one of the world's best impersonators.
In 2002, he came fifth at a world competition in Memphis and has headlined The Parkes Elvis Festival for four years.
He featured on The Footy Show and other programs.
"I want to show Elvis in a positive light, with a real energy and authentic looks, and all the arrangements are the same as the '68 show," he says.
"Die-hard Elvis fans will love it and the not-so-die-hard will take something away from it."
Andrew says his show will be split into two parts: first the TV special, then Elvis's hits with Holden narrating.
"I put in as much detail as possible and hopefully people like it."
DETAILS
Time: 7.30pm
Date: Saturday, June 28
Venue: Evan Theatre, Panthers, Mulgoa Rd. Penrith Australia
Tickets: $53.50(plus $1.50 booking fee)
Inquiries: 1800 061 991
Source: http://preview.tinyurl.com/58qkqn
Tuesday, 17 June 2008
Garland’s Plaza Theatre hosts Elvis tribute starring Jack Foltyn
June 17, 2008
Garland — There is a definite buzz around the Garland area. Jack Foltyn is back in town at the Plaza Theatre,521 West State Street , Garland, Tx. portraying the King of Rock and Roll. After a four year absence the "Graceland Approved" King of Rock n Roll is back, and he's bringing his "Garland Mafia" with him. His Elvis tribute show, Coming Home, will be at the Plaza Theatre July 18th through the 27th with three special gospel shows on Sundays.
Jack Foltyn was the winner of last year's Expose's Entertainer of the Year for the musical "Walk A Mile In My Shoes" which he wrote andchoreographed. He also received awards for Best Actor and Best Soundtrack for an independent movie. The question is why Garland, why now? "Its where I started," Foltyn says, "Its where everything happened. When nobody else wanted me, Garland was the place that accepted me, my vision and my cast. It was one of those places which was magic. Our fan base started in Garland, and if not for Garland's Plaza Theatre I would have not been able to go on and be accredited as 'Graceland Approved Elvis Tribute Artist.'" Foltyn is now giving back to the community by not only having a special show in Garland, but also by using local dancers from Garland to Rockwall with an age group of 10 and up. "Walk A Mile is an extravagant project with a big set and lots of dialogue, so I wanted to do a show that stuck to the basics of Elvis music - song and dance and that's it," Foltyn continued, "The dancers I have probably have never heard alot of Elvis music, but you can see in their eyes the fun they are having with it, and it's fun for me because it is all new for them." The show contains about 34 songs which Foltyn sings and choreographs and 20 songs in the gospel shows which also have dance. "It is intensive for the dancers," Foltyn said, "But you ask these dancers what they would rather do, and all of them say, 'perform.'"
With so many numbers, he asked for the help of Garland resident Mary Jane Hawkins to be his co-choreographer. "I will be showing the dancers the numbers that Mr. Foltyn has choreographed while he works the new ones," Ms. Hawkins said, "He is also letting me choreograph some dance numbers as well which I am very excited about." Ms Hawkins continued, "Working with him is like riding a roller coaster. You don't know where it's going or how this is all going to fit because he works at such a fast pace. But at the end it makes perfect sense. He pulls the best out of all us. I think that's what makes him not only a great choreographer but a great motivator as well," Ms. Hawkins said.
Foltyn said, "I want the kids to know what its like to participate in a professional show because there are not alot of opportunities out there for them." Due to the cutbacks for the arts it's a difficult task to get work. So Foltyn is working on doing more projects like this, and with the help of people he knows in the industry these dancers and actors alike may be able to have work in other venues. "If they do a great job, yes, I would want them in 'Walk A Mile' in November or 'Christmas In Graceland' in December. Most important is that they learn, have fun and never feel they are inferior to anyone out there." Foltyn knows what it is like to go and audition and not get called back. "You feel like you have nailed it but because you may not have a look they want you may not get a call back," Foltyn said, "but rather than being depressed about, it I used that as ammo and said, 'Okay NEXT TIME I'll show them.'" Foltyn wants to show his young dancers that it is okay to be different and unique. "Standing out is just a feeling, it's not about trying." In Foltyn's productions, the stars are the ones out there. "I tell people all the time. I am like the Christmas tree, but the dancers and actors are the ornaments and the lights that make the Christmas tree look beautiful. They deserve all the credit."
Source: http://preview.tinyurl.com/6s7joo
Elvis Festival makes $75K; future unsure
6/17/2008 6:36:15 AM
Daily Journal
BY CARLIE KOLLATH
Daily Journal
TUPELO - The Elvis Presley Festival has got its groove back, but it might be too late for next year.
Festival organizers on Monday said the festival, held earlier this month, had a net income of at least $75,000. The Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association, the organization that puts on the festival, lost about $46,000 on the 2007 festival.
Based on ticket counts, this year's festival had 9,529 attendees, up from about 7,300 last year.
But despite the record year, DTMSA board President Camille Sloan said members are going to "see logistically how we can restructure it."
"We were anxious to make some money," she said. "We hope we are going to have another festival. It's a real strain on our office."
Sloan will meet with fellow board members today in a board retreat that will focus on options for the Elvis Presley Festival. She said her goal is to "get our Main Street effort going strong" and "be fiscally responsible with what we've got."
"Fiscally responsible" is a term that has been bandied about at nearly every DTMSA board meeting this past year. In 2007, the festival lost $45,959.72, and the group cleared out its rainy day fund to pay bills.
This year, the Elvis Presley Festival, with chairwoman Amy Nash at the helm, scaled back. The festival was held on one downtown stage instead of two, and about $100,000 was slashed from the budget.
This year's $251,750 budget was based on the amount of sponsorships that were committed to the festival, said DTMSA Executive Director Debbie Brangenberg.
Organizers saved $25,000 by skipping the car giveaway offered previously, and by cutting back on expenses for entertainment, marketing, insurance, security and site management.
"I think we've got the best formula," Brangenberg said. "It worked well for us ... I think we did a great job in selecting the entertainment ... Our attendance was outstanding ... I'm just really proud of the whole organization and the volunteers and the festival committee that helped us achieve this success, as well as the sponsors."
Brangenberg said she's "already working to see what next year will bring."
Will it include the 11th Annual Elvis Presley Festival?
"As far as I know, but I'm not the one that votes," she said. "We are the birthplace of Elvis Presley. We have to have a festival."
Source: http://preview.tinyurl.com/5cze7k
Daily Journal
BY CARLIE KOLLATH
Daily Journal
TUPELO - The Elvis Presley Festival has got its groove back, but it might be too late for next year.
Festival organizers on Monday said the festival, held earlier this month, had a net income of at least $75,000. The Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association, the organization that puts on the festival, lost about $46,000 on the 2007 festival.
Based on ticket counts, this year's festival had 9,529 attendees, up from about 7,300 last year.
But despite the record year, DTMSA board President Camille Sloan said members are going to "see logistically how we can restructure it."
"We were anxious to make some money," she said. "We hope we are going to have another festival. It's a real strain on our office."
Sloan will meet with fellow board members today in a board retreat that will focus on options for the Elvis Presley Festival. She said her goal is to "get our Main Street effort going strong" and "be fiscally responsible with what we've got."
"Fiscally responsible" is a term that has been bandied about at nearly every DTMSA board meeting this past year. In 2007, the festival lost $45,959.72, and the group cleared out its rainy day fund to pay bills.
This year, the Elvis Presley Festival, with chairwoman Amy Nash at the helm, scaled back. The festival was held on one downtown stage instead of two, and about $100,000 was slashed from the budget.
This year's $251,750 budget was based on the amount of sponsorships that were committed to the festival, said DTMSA Executive Director Debbie Brangenberg.
Organizers saved $25,000 by skipping the car giveaway offered previously, and by cutting back on expenses for entertainment, marketing, insurance, security and site management.
"I think we've got the best formula," Brangenberg said. "It worked well for us ... I think we did a great job in selecting the entertainment ... Our attendance was outstanding ... I'm just really proud of the whole organization and the volunteers and the festival committee that helped us achieve this success, as well as the sponsors."
Brangenberg said she's "already working to see what next year will bring."
Will it include the 11th Annual Elvis Presley Festival?
"As far as I know, but I'm not the one that votes," she said. "We are the birthplace of Elvis Presley. We have to have a festival."
Source: http://preview.tinyurl.com/5cze7k
Monday, 16 June 2008
NEW Graceland Childrens Activity Book
May 28 2008
When you bring your kids to Graceland, be sure to stop by the Guest Services desk and pick up a Children's Activity Book. The book offers children a variety of content to keep them entertained during their Graceland tour while teaching them a few fun things about Elvis. It includes Elvis coloring pages, a word search, Elvis trivia and an artifact hunt.
Source: http://elvis.com/news/full_story.asp?id=1490
Saturday, 14 June 2008
Win tickets to the world's greatest Elvis concert
June 13, 2008
THE sounds and soul of the king of rock 'n' roll will be celebrated as the finalists of the BBC's search to find The World's Greatest Elvis perform together in a unique concert.
The Bath Pavilion, in North Parade Road, Bath, is set to be all shook up when it hosts the show on June 28, and the Weston & Somerset Mercury has eight pairs of tickets (each pair worth £18.50) up for grabs.
Last year Vernon Kaye presented the BBC's hunt to find The World's Greatest Elvis.
Millions of viewers tuned in as the world's elite Elvis tribute artists competed head-to-head in a bid to be crowned the greatest impersonator.
In this unique concert the grand finalists from the show will pay tribute to the magical concert years of the King's career. Beginning with the pure hip-swivelling 1950s early Elvis, then into the thrilling 1968 comeback special and finally finishing with the awesome Vegas years.
Tickets, priced £16.50 plus booking fee, are available from the box office on 01225 330304.
In order to be in with a chance of winning a pair of tickets to see the show please answer the following question: Who presented the hunt to find the World's Greatest Elvis last year?
* Closes: 10 am on June 20th.
Usual Archant Regional rules apply and the editor's decision is final.
Online competition form: http://www.thewestonmercury.co.uk/Comp/comp655.aspx
THE sounds and soul of the king of rock 'n' roll will be celebrated as the finalists of the BBC's search to find The World's Greatest Elvis perform together in a unique concert.
The Bath Pavilion, in North Parade Road, Bath, is set to be all shook up when it hosts the show on June 28, and the Weston & Somerset Mercury has eight pairs of tickets (each pair worth £18.50) up for grabs.
Last year Vernon Kaye presented the BBC's hunt to find The World's Greatest Elvis.
Millions of viewers tuned in as the world's elite Elvis tribute artists competed head-to-head in a bid to be crowned the greatest impersonator.
In this unique concert the grand finalists from the show will pay tribute to the magical concert years of the King's career. Beginning with the pure hip-swivelling 1950s early Elvis, then into the thrilling 1968 comeback special and finally finishing with the awesome Vegas years.
Tickets, priced £16.50 plus booking fee, are available from the box office on 01225 330304.
In order to be in with a chance of winning a pair of tickets to see the show please answer the following question: Who presented the hunt to find the World's Greatest Elvis last year?
* Closes: 10 am on June 20th.
Usual Archant Regional rules apply and the editor's decision is final.
Online competition form: http://www.thewestonmercury.co.uk/Comp/comp655.aspx
William Island resident Sid Tepper, 89
holds a copy of his first big hit, "Red
Roses for a Blue Lady". The songwriter,
who co-authored hundreds of hits
was honored last week by the Surfside
and Miami Beach commissions.
ALMOST 90, SID TEPPER IS BEING HONORED FOR THE SONGS HE WROTE FOR FAMOUS SINGERS -- ESPECIALLY ELVIS -- AND HE'S STILL MAKING MUSIC
The year was 1964, and Sid Tepper was writing songs with his partner for the movie Viva Las Vegas, starring Elvis Presley and Ann-Margaret.
They were crafting The Lady Loves Me -- a duet with the two stars -- when the phone rang. Suddenly, they were under the gun.
'The director says, `Elvis and Ann-Margaret are at the swimming pool on the diving board, and we want the last line to match [her] pushing Elvis into the water,' '' Tepper recalled. ``Talk about pressure and deadlines!''
But the longtime writing team of Tepper and Roy Bennett knew how to pull it off; between 1945 and 1970, they published more than 300 songs, including 47 for Presley. To match the pool theme, the last line of the song became ``The gentleman's all wet.''
Tepper, a Williams Island resident who turns 90 on June 25, was honored Tuesday by the Surfside Town Commission. He lived in Surfside for 35 years after breaking with Bennett and moving from New York.
Mayor Charles Burkett presented Tepper with a key to the town and proclaimed his birthday as Sid Tepper Day. Miami Beach Commissioner Ed Tobin, a family friend, also presented Tepper with a proclamation recognizing his work.
Tepper and Bennett's first hit was Red Roses for a Blue Lady in 1948, recorded by Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians. In the next 22 years, the songwriting team wrote for a host of famous clients including the Beatles, Frank Sinatra, Wayne Newton, the Ink Spots, Dean Martin, Rosemary Clooney, Eartha Kitt, Connie Francis and Cliff Richard.
Other hits included The Naughty Lady of Shady Lane, Suzy Snowflake, The Young Ones and Nuttin' For Christmas.
Their songs for Presley included G.I. Blues, New Orleans, Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce and It's a Wonderful World.
He never met The King, but Tepper was impressed with how quickly Presley caught on to melodies.
''He had a fantastic ear,'' he said in his condo office, surrounded by sheet music, photos and other mementos from his long career. ``[Elvis] could hear a song, listen to it twice, and sing it like he knew it all his life.''
Tepper started writing songs and poetry in elementary school. He landed his first real gig after getting out of the Army.
''It was right after WWII, I worked as a staff writer at Mill's Music in New York City and made $100 a week,'' he said.
Mill's Music was a publishing company that discovered a number of songwriters and musicians, including Duke Ellington and Cab Calloway.
After working for Mill's for three years, Tepper formed a business with his childhood friend Bennett. Their first hit, Red Roses for a Blue Lady, reached No. 4 on the Billboard charts.
Tepper said he wrote the song after an argument with his wife, Lillian.
'We were newlyweds then and just had a tiff. I sent her some red roses and wrote on the card, `I'm sorry, red roses for a blue lady.' And about a week later, I thought, 'What a great idea for a title,' and the song wrote itself,'' he said.
The songwriter, who used to sleep with a pad and pencil next to his bed, still jots down songs and poems.
Tepper said along with his music, his greatest love was his wife of 58 years, who died in 2005.
''One thing I've learned is you can't leave love in your will, you have to give it while you're living,'' he said.
http://preview.tinyurl.com/5o49aw
Here's a very special offer!
An ELVII Membership is a great way to promote you and your show.
We are extending a membership offer we have never offered before.
Along with some GREAT bonuses!
1. Sign up today and receive an ELVII Membership at over a 50%
savings.
Membership includes:
Newsletter
a rotating banner at ELVII.com,
a Promo commercial on ELVII Radio
Unlimited Songs in Rotation on ELVII Radio.
Here are the bonuses:
A Tour of Memphis for up to 4 people courtesy of TCBTours.com.
A 3 day/2 night Las Vegas Vacation Package
FREE Webhosting at TCBHosting.com.
Memberships is currently $199 annually. For a limited time you can
join for the special discounted rate of $99!
The bonuses alone are worth over $600!
Use this link to setup your membership:
http:/www.elvii.com/members/signup.php
ELVII Radio is dedicated to Elvis Tribute Artists. We broadcast
live 24 hours a day, days a week, 365 days a year.
We are the only radio station for Elvis Tribute Artists. We play
over 1000 ETAs and over 10,000 songs.
We are very excited at what the future holds for Elvis Tribute
Artists. And we look forward
to continuing to deliver unique opportunities and experiences.
This is just the beginning!
Email us ANY questions!
Sincerely,
Anthony
www.elvii.com
email@elviscontest.com
P.S. Already a member? You can extend your membership now at the
discounted rate and receive all of the bonuses!
PO Box 272014, Columbus, OH 43227, USA
We are extending a membership offer we have never offered before.
Along with some GREAT bonuses!
1. Sign up today and receive an ELVII Membership at over a 50%
savings.
Membership includes:
Newsletter
a rotating banner at ELVII.com,
a Promo commercial on ELVII Radio
Unlimited Songs in Rotation on ELVII Radio.
Here are the bonuses:
A Tour of Memphis for up to 4 people courtesy of TCBTours.com.
A 3 day/2 night Las Vegas Vacation Package
FREE Webhosting at TCBHosting.com.
Memberships is currently $199 annually. For a limited time you can
join for the special discounted rate of $99!
The bonuses alone are worth over $600!
Use this link to setup your membership:
http:/www.elvii.com/members/signup.php
ELVII Radio is dedicated to Elvis Tribute Artists. We broadcast
live 24 hours a day, days a week, 365 days a year.
We are the only radio station for Elvis Tribute Artists. We play
over 1000 ETAs and over 10,000 songs.
We are very excited at what the future holds for Elvis Tribute
Artists. And we look forward
to continuing to deliver unique opportunities and experiences.
This is just the beginning!
Email us ANY questions!
Sincerely,
Anthony
www.elvii.com
email@elviscontest.com
P.S. Already a member? You can extend your membership now at the
discounted rate and receive all of the bonuses!
PO Box 272014, Columbus, OH 43227, USA
Hot New Elvis Fan Club President Letter
Elvis Fan Club Presidents:
Legacy Hall of Fame, Inc.
Bill & Linda Kinard
Dear Fan Club Presidents and Fan Club Members:
It is an honor and a privilege to introduce to you and your fan club members to Legacy Hall of Fame, Inc., Linda Kinard, my wife, myself, Bill Kinard, and our project for your review and consideration. Legacy Hall of Fame, Inc. is a 501 (3) (c) nonprofit foundation.
The Project:
Legacy Hall of Fame Inc. proposes to build a museum for the specific purpose of building a lasting tribute, to the legacy of numerous famous individuals, (legends) in the state of Mississippi. However, Elvis Presley will be one the museums most prominent features.
The museum will be constructed to display art, memorabilia, vehicles, etc. and the "TCB Tour Bus", that "Elvis Presley" helped "J.D. Sumner" purchase. "J.D. Sumner & the Stamps Quartet" actually used the TCB tour bus; however Elvis did drive it at one time, according to the article in the book J.D. Sumner wrote. "Elvis His Love for Gospel Music and J.D. Sumner".
We ask you the fan club president to get behind this worth while project and inform your fan club members, family members, friends, and other fan clubs to support Legacy Hall of Fame and help it raise the funds to construct the museum and restore the TCB Tour Bus?
Please visit our web sites at: http://www.LegacyHallofFame.org and our other fans project at: http://www.elvispresleyheights.com.
You may also contact us, Bill & Linda Kinard at: (662) 620-9966 and/or e-mail us at: LegacyHallofFame@gmail.com
You may write us at:
Legacy Hall of Fame, Inc.,
P.O. Box 376
Tupelo, Ms. 38802.
Our deepest appreciation for helping us do something special for fans and in keeping the memory of Elvis Presley and other famous legends alive.
Thank ya, Thank ya very much,
Bill & Linda Kinard
(662) 620-9966
Legacy Hall of Fame, Inc.
Bill & Linda Kinard
Dear Fan Club Presidents and Fan Club Members:
It is an honor and a privilege to introduce to you and your fan club members to Legacy Hall of Fame, Inc., Linda Kinard, my wife, myself, Bill Kinard, and our project for your review and consideration. Legacy Hall of Fame, Inc. is a 501 (3) (c) nonprofit foundation.
The Project:
Legacy Hall of Fame Inc. proposes to build a museum for the specific purpose of building a lasting tribute, to the legacy of numerous famous individuals, (legends) in the state of Mississippi. However, Elvis Presley will be one the museums most prominent features.
The museum will be constructed to display art, memorabilia, vehicles, etc. and the "TCB Tour Bus", that "Elvis Presley" helped "J.D. Sumner" purchase. "J.D. Sumner & the Stamps Quartet" actually used the TCB tour bus; however Elvis did drive it at one time, according to the article in the book J.D. Sumner wrote. "Elvis His Love for Gospel Music and J.D. Sumner".
We ask you the fan club president to get behind this worth while project and inform your fan club members, family members, friends, and other fan clubs to support Legacy Hall of Fame and help it raise the funds to construct the museum and restore the TCB Tour Bus?
Please visit our web sites at: http://www.LegacyHallofFame.org and our other fans project at: http://www.elvispresleyheights.com.
You may also contact us, Bill & Linda Kinard at: (662) 620-9966 and/or e-mail us at: LegacyHallofFame@gmail.com
You may write us at:
Legacy Hall of Fame, Inc.,
P.O. Box 376
Tupelo, Ms. 38802.
Our deepest appreciation for helping us do something special for fans and in keeping the memory of Elvis Presley and other famous legends alive.
Thank ya, Thank ya very much,
Bill & Linda Kinard
(662) 620-9966
The "Haley" Benefit
Please come out and support a family in need. The family is from Hebron, Indiana, which is just north of DeMotte. Both Haley and her mother have been diagnosed with Chiara Malformation and the daughter is in desperate need of a very expensive surgery. The surgeons that specialize in this delicate surgery are in New York. The community is trying to raise money for Haley with a benefit on June 21st. There will be food, music, a live auction, raffle prizes and live entertainment.
Jim Holmes will be performing an Elvis show at 8:00. Please come out and see the show and support this family in need.
I have attached the flyer with the information.
Thanks~
Jen Holmes
Jim Holmes will be performing an Elvis show at 8:00. Please come out and see the show and support this family in need.
I have attached the flyer with the information.
Thanks~
Jen Holmes
Alzheimer Fundraiser - Reflections of the King
Thanks to my beautiful and wonderful future wife Joyce she pointed out I left Grandparents United in the e-mail still. I'm so so sorry I left that in there. This whole show is to raise money for Alzheimer's Association.
Not sure if you know but my Great Grandfather had it when I was little and I and my family had to help take care of him til it got to bad and we had to put him in a nursing home and then later a hospital.
My grandmother was also head of the Alzheimer Unit in Louisiana at the Heritage Mayor in Abbeville, LA. So when Alzheimer's said we could raise money for them I was in tears!
Pink Caddy Girls tell me there is only a few VIP Passes we are giving out FREE with purchase of Advance ticket of $30!
The buzz around Memphis this is thee event to see during Elvis Week 2008! I like to thank Mr. Glenn for donating his theater and Profound Sound for running the sound for this show.
My biggest thanks is to Dwight, Ted, Will and Rhinestone Revival, Pink Caddy Girls and all the special guest that have helped me get this show going! And also to the Sponsors of the show!
***Now an official benefit for The Alzheimer's Association***
BACKSTAGE PASSES and MEET & GREET for the REFLECTIONS during show for the first 50 orders.....ONLY A FEW BACKSTAGE PASSES LEFT!
Don't miss this show in Memphis during ELVIS WEEK !!!!
Get your tix N O W...and show your support for charity just like ELVIS did ...make ELVIS PROUD !
This is the place to be....DON'T MISS IT !!!!
Call NOW
Date: August 13, 2008
Location: New Daisy Theater
330 Beale Street
Memphis, TN
Doors Open: 7PM
Showtime: 7:30PM (or little after)
TICKETS: $30 in Advance!!!!!
GET YOUR TICKETS NOW! BEFORE ITS TO LATE! TO ORDER TICKETS CALL 1-866-295-7191 or mail@pinkcaddyentertainment.com
There are special guests too!
Mrs. Marion Cocke (Elvis' Personal Nurse)
Tripp (Former Elvis Radio DJ on Sirus)
Love Me Tender Store Products !
Not sure if you know but my Great Grandfather had it when I was little and I and my family had to help take care of him til it got to bad and we had to put him in a nursing home and then later a hospital.
My grandmother was also head of the Alzheimer Unit in Louisiana at the Heritage Mayor in Abbeville, LA. So when Alzheimer's said we could raise money for them I was in tears!
Pink Caddy Girls tell me there is only a few VIP Passes we are giving out FREE with purchase of Advance ticket of $30!
The buzz around Memphis this is thee event to see during Elvis Week 2008! I like to thank Mr. Glenn for donating his theater and Profound Sound for running the sound for this show.
My biggest thanks is to Dwight, Ted, Will and Rhinestone Revival, Pink Caddy Girls and all the special guest that have helped me get this show going! And also to the Sponsors of the show!
***Now an official benefit for The Alzheimer's Association***
BACKSTAGE PASSES and MEET & GREET for the REFLECTIONS during show for the first 50 orders.....ONLY A FEW BACKSTAGE PASSES LEFT!
Don't miss this show in Memphis during ELVIS WEEK !!!!
Get your tix N O W...and show your support for charity just like ELVIS did ...make ELVIS PROUD !
This is the place to be....DON'T MISS IT !!!!
Call NOW
Date: August 13, 2008
Location: New Daisy Theater
330 Beale Street
Memphis, TN
Doors Open: 7PM
Showtime: 7:30PM (or little after)
TICKETS: $30 in Advance!!!!!
GET YOUR TICKETS NOW! BEFORE ITS TO LATE! TO ORDER TICKETS CALL 1-866-295-7191 or mail@pinkcaddyentertainment.com
There are special guests too!
Mrs. Marion Cocke (Elvis' Personal Nurse)
Tripp (Former Elvis Radio DJ on Sirus)
Love Me Tender Store Products !
Tuesday, 10 June 2008
New Jersey Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest and Festival
Article about the NJ Contest. Shawn is special guest performer at this event on July 5th. Hope to see some of you there. Terri
The Elvii are in the building - NJ.com or http://www.nj.com/living/ledger/index.ssf?/base/living-0/1212986137219180.xml&coll=1
The Elvii are in the building - NJ.com or http://www.nj.com/living/ledger/index.ssf?/base/living-0/1212986137219180.xml&coll=1
Greater Boston Ultimate Tribute Artist Contest and Festival
Greater Boston Ultimate Tribute Artist Contest and festival at the Regent Theatre, 7 Medford St. June 12, 8 p.m., dance party concert with Velvet Elvis. $15-$20. June 13, 6 p.m., and June 14, 10 a.m. preliminary rounds of Elvis tribute artist competition. $15; $25 for both days. June 14, 8 p.m., "The King and The Killer," concert with Donny Edwards and Lance Lipinsky. $22.50-$37.50. June 15, 2 p.m., competition final round, $25-$30. regenttheatre.com, 781-646-4849
Monday, 9 June 2008
68 Comeback Special Deluxe Package And Press Release
London - England. August 2008 will be a red letter month for fans of Elvis Presley. Amazingly it will be 40 years since the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll took to the stage in what became a milestone in televised musical performances and a career highlight, the infamous ’68 Comeback Special. To honour this very special occasion, Sony BMG Music Entertainment will release the ‘Complete ’68 Comeback Special’ 4 CD box set, featuring the whole story from the rehearsals to the finished show, out-takes and rarely-heard gems, packaged in both deluxe and standard versions.
During a career of invention and re-invention the ’68 Comeback Special is THE pivotal performance of Elvis’ career. He was back from the movie career that had kept him away from the live arena throughout most of the 60’s and what’s more he looked and sounded amazing.
This 4 disc box set will feature over 103 songs including “That’s All Right”, “Heartbreak Hotel”, “One Night”, “Love Me” and “Are You Lonesome Tonight?”, all recorded at NBC’s Burbank Studios for a TV special which captured the ‘Guitar Man’ at his captivating best. Full track listings for all 4 Discs to follow.
4 CD Album Deluxe Edition and Standard Edition Available
40th Anniversary Celebrations
Released August 4, 2008
Also released by Sony BMG Music Entertainment on August 4 2008, Elvis’s ’68 Comeback Special Deluxe Edition DVD; containing a treasure trove of footage from what was a remarkably intimate show. 40 years on since its original broadcast, Elvis has made another comeback!
Product Information:
Title: Complete ’68 Comeback Special
Artist: Elvis Presley
Release Date: August 4 2008
Format: 4 CD Box Set - Deluxe & Standard Editions
Extras: 36 page booklet
Each disc is housed in mini LP style wallets
Deluxe Edition Only: CD sized box with text foil stamped lift off lid
Catalogue No’s Standard: 88697332752
Deluxe: 886973062
Article Source: http://preview.tinyurl.com/5ax8m7
Florida Elvis Fest
Seminole Casino Elvis Fest
A Celebration of Bikes, Burgers, and Blue Suede Shoes
(preliminary to Images of the King)
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Seminole Casino
506 South First Street
Immokalee, FL
$5000.00 winners' purse
Special Guests:
Jerome Marion
Ryan Pelton
Free Admission
Entries:
888-748-9989
A Celebration of Bikes, Burgers, and Blue Suede Shoes
(preliminary to Images of the King)
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Seminole Casino
506 South First Street
Immokalee, FL
$5000.00 winners' purse
Special Guests:
Jerome Marion
Ryan Pelton
Free Admission
Entries:
888-748-9989
Internationally known Elvis Tribute Artist coming to Our Lady of Peace Summerfest
Article about Shawn. This is where we are having Shawn's birthday party on June 20th. I will send an update on his gift in the next few days. Terri
Internationally known Elvis Tribute Artist coming to Our Lady of Peace Summerfest in Darien, Il « Doug Lawrence’s Weblog
Internationally known Elvis Tribute Artist coming to Our Lady of Peace Summerfest in Darien, Il « Doug Lawrence’s Weblog
Friday, 6 June 2008
Elvis Comes to the Fair in Warren - June 15th
Sunday June 15, 2008 - Halmich Park, Warren, Michigan
The Warren City Fair has teamed up with Salute to the Superstars for three Vegas style shows to be topped off with this free Grand Finale show featuring the King of Rock and Roll “Elvis”, performed by Fred Wolfe, The Temptations and The Blues Brothers on Sunday, June 15, 2008 from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. From Thursday through Sunday (June 11th through 15th) the 47th Annual Warren City Fair is destined to be packed with rides, vendors and fun. All proceeds from the Fair will go to charities supported by the Warren Lions Club. What more can you ask for than to have fun, be entertained and support a worthwhile cause at the same time.
Location: Norman J. Halmich Park is located at 3001 E. 13 Mile Road, Warren, Michigan, between Dequindre Road and Ryan Road. MAP
Visit the Fred Wolfe Fan Club Website for other show dates, great pictures, videos and interesting tidbits about Fred. >>>> FREDWOLFEFANS.COM
Please also visit the newly updated "official" Fred Wolfe website. >>>> FREDWOLFE.COM
The Warren City Fair has teamed up with Salute to the Superstars for three Vegas style shows to be topped off with this free Grand Finale show featuring the King of Rock and Roll “Elvis”, performed by Fred Wolfe, The Temptations and The Blues Brothers on Sunday, June 15, 2008 from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. From Thursday through Sunday (June 11th through 15th) the 47th Annual Warren City Fair is destined to be packed with rides, vendors and fun. All proceeds from the Fair will go to charities supported by the Warren Lions Club. What more can you ask for than to have fun, be entertained and support a worthwhile cause at the same time.
Location: Norman J. Halmich Park is located at 3001 E. 13 Mile Road, Warren, Michigan, between Dequindre Road and Ryan Road. MAP
Visit the Fred Wolfe Fan Club Website for other show dates, great pictures, videos and interesting tidbits about Fred. >>>> FREDWOLFEFANS.COM
Please also visit the newly updated "official" Fred Wolfe website. >>>> FREDWOLFE.COM
Wednesday, 4 June 2008
David Lee's Luau Show POSTPONED
Unfortunately we are going to have postpone the luau scheduled for this Sunday due to a conflict with the building. Stay tuned for the new date.
Thanks for your continued support!
David Lee Fans ROCK!
--
www.thedavidleeshow.com - David Lee's Official Website
www.myspace.com/davidleeiselvis4u
Check out David Lee's Promo Video on YouTube™
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fk7U1SyW6Ao
You can leave comments and ratings for David Lee's Video.
Be a David Lee Brickie:
http://www.topdogcity.com/davlee1.htm
(please follow the posting rules, only 1 post per month)
Join David Lee's yahoo group:
www.groups.yahoo.com/group/BurningInBirminghamWithDavidLee
Thanks for your continued support!
David Lee Fans ROCK!
--
www.thedavidleeshow.com - David Lee's Official Website
www.myspace.com/davidleeiselvis4u
Check out David Lee's Promo Video on YouTube™
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fk7U1SyW6Ao
You can leave comments and ratings for David Lee's Video.
Be a David Lee Brickie:
http://www.topdogcity.com/davlee1.htm
(please follow the posting rules, only 1 post per month)
Join David Lee's yahoo group:
www.groups.yahoo.com/group/BurningInBirminghamWithDavidLee
Elvis impersonators returning
June 5, 2008
By: Alyshia Higgins
The ‘King’ of festivals is coming back to Stouffville.
The annual ElvisFest takes place June 13 and 14, with performers, live music and impersonations galore.
On June 13, Elvis and Friends are performing at Latcham Hall and feature the Collingwood ElvisFest winners, Rudy and the Angels, as well as several other Elvis impersonators. The show runs from 8 p.m. until 1 a.m.
On June 14, Crossroads and the Earl of Whitchurch are hosting the Elvis Tribute.
Next year’s show will be held at 19 on the Park, the new theatre under construction at 19 Civic Ave., and will return to its original three-day event, event co-ordinator Ruth LeBlanc said
“When (the theatre) is ready next spring for the festival, there will be events inside and the competition will be coming back.”
The fee for this year’s Elvis and Friends concert is $10.
Despite the changes in this year’s schedules, Mrs. LeBlanc is optimistic for the festival.
“These shows are very entertaining,” she said. “There are people coming from far and wide.”
Anyone looking for more information on the festival can contact Mrs. LeBlanc at 905-640-0749.
http://preview.tinyurl.com/6j9gtl
By: Alyshia Higgins
The ‘King’ of festivals is coming back to Stouffville.
The annual ElvisFest takes place June 13 and 14, with performers, live music and impersonations galore.
On June 13, Elvis and Friends are performing at Latcham Hall and feature the Collingwood ElvisFest winners, Rudy and the Angels, as well as several other Elvis impersonators. The show runs from 8 p.m. until 1 a.m.
On June 14, Crossroads and the Earl of Whitchurch are hosting the Elvis Tribute.
Next year’s show will be held at 19 on the Park, the new theatre under construction at 19 Civic Ave., and will return to its original three-day event, event co-ordinator Ruth LeBlanc said
“When (the theatre) is ready next spring for the festival, there will be events inside and the competition will be coming back.”
The fee for this year’s Elvis and Friends concert is $10.
Despite the changes in this year’s schedules, Mrs. LeBlanc is optimistic for the festival.
“These shows are very entertaining,” she said. “There are people coming from far and wide.”
Anyone looking for more information on the festival can contact Mrs. LeBlanc at 905-640-0749.
http://preview.tinyurl.com/6j9gtl
Buddy Harman Hospitalized
Buddy Harman, who played drums on various studio sessions in the sixties with Elvis has been hospitalized.
Buddy played on Numerous movie soundtracks and hits like Such A Night, Are You Lonesome Tonight, It’s Now Or Never, Surrender, Crying In The Chapel, Follow That Dream, Good Luck Charm, She’s Not You, (You’re The ) Devil In Disguise, Memphis, Tennessee, Kissin Cousins, It Hurts Me, Roustabout, Puppet On A String, Frankie And Johnny, Spinout, I’ll Remember You, Double Trouble, Easy Come, Easy Go, Clambake, Speedway, and Stay Away Joe to name just a few.
The photo shows Bob Moore (left), Grady Martin the middle and Buddy Harman (right) at Studio B during one of their sessions. Photo courtesy of Bob Moore.
Source: Elvis Unlimited / Updated: Jun 4, 2008
Legends ETA Contest's
Jeannie Horton
General Manager
Legends in Concert, Branson
3216 W Hwy 76
Branson, MO 65616
ph 417.339.3003 ext. 246
fax 417.335.2768
www.legendsinconcert.com
jhorton@legendsinconcert.com
Why the lyrics to Hound Dog were changed
Why the lyrics to Hound Dog were changed: Hound Dog" is a twelve-bar blues written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller and originally recorded by Willa Mae "Big Mama" Thornton in 1952. Other early versions illustrate the differences among blues, country, and rock and roll in the mid 1950s. The 1956 remake by Elvis Presley is the best known version. This is the version that is #19 on Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. "Hound Dog" was also recorded by 5 country singers in 1953 alone, and over 26 times through 1964.
Thornton gave this account of how the original was created to Ralph Gleason. “They were just a couple of kids, and they had this song written on the back of a paper bag.” She added a few interjections of her own, played around with the rhythm (some of the choruses have thirteen rather than twelve bars), and had the band bark and howl like hound dogs at the end of the song. In fact, she interacts constantly in a call and response fashion during a one minute long guitar "solo" by Pete Lewis . Her vocals include lines such as: "Aw, listen to that ole hound dog howl.. OOOOoooow", "Now wag your tail", Aw, get it, get it, get it". Thornton's version is a slow, powerful, country blues.
Record producer Bernie Lowe suspected that "Hound Dog" could potentially have greater appeal, and asked Freddie Bell of Freddie Bell and the Bellboys to rewrite the lyrics to appeal to a broader radio audience. "Snoopin' round my door" was replaced with "cryin' all the time", and "You can wag your tail, but I ain't gonna feed you no more" was replaced by "You ain't never caught a rabbit, and you ain't no friend of mine." This new version of "Hound Dog" was recorded on Lowe's Teen Records in 1955 ((TEEN 101 with "Move Me Baby" on the flip side, two of four songs the group did with Lowe that year). The regional popularity of this release, along with the group's showmanship, yielded both a tour, and an engagement in the Las Vegas Sands Hotel's Silver Queen Bar. (News, Source: Wikipedia)
Thornton gave this account of how the original was created to Ralph Gleason. “They were just a couple of kids, and they had this song written on the back of a paper bag.” She added a few interjections of her own, played around with the rhythm (some of the choruses have thirteen rather than twelve bars), and had the band bark and howl like hound dogs at the end of the song. In fact, she interacts constantly in a call and response fashion during a one minute long guitar "solo" by Pete Lewis . Her vocals include lines such as: "Aw, listen to that ole hound dog howl.. OOOOoooow", "Now wag your tail", Aw, get it, get it, get it". Thornton's version is a slow, powerful, country blues.
Record producer Bernie Lowe suspected that "Hound Dog" could potentially have greater appeal, and asked Freddie Bell of Freddie Bell and the Bellboys to rewrite the lyrics to appeal to a broader radio audience. "Snoopin' round my door" was replaced with "cryin' all the time", and "You can wag your tail, but I ain't gonna feed you no more" was replaced by "You ain't never caught a rabbit, and you ain't no friend of mine." This new version of "Hound Dog" was recorded on Lowe's Teen Records in 1955 ((TEEN 101 with "Move Me Baby" on the flip side, two of four songs the group did with Lowe that year). The regional popularity of this release, along with the group's showmanship, yielded both a tour, and an engagement in the Las Vegas Sands Hotel's Silver Queen Bar. (News, Source: Wikipedia)
'Elvis: The Man & His Music' - June Issue Details
'Elvis: The Man & His Music' - June Issue Details: The UK magazine 'Elvis: The Man & His Music' have managed to obtain two pretty big 'scoop' interviews for the June issue. Firstly a Jerome 'Stump' Monroe interview, the drummer with The Sweet Inspirations who toured with Elvis for the whole of the 1969 - 1977 'concert years' period and also played drums for him three times when Ronnie Tutt couldn't make it. To the best of our knowledge Stump (Photo right by Rick Crofts) has never been interviewed at any length before about his association with Elvis. He talks about his relationship with The King; how he feels about those who claim Elvis was a racist; what it was like playing three shows with him without any rehearsal (!) and lots more, including stories of life on the road with the Elvis Presley Show.
Also ETM&HM talks with award-winning actress Barbara Eden, who starred opposite Elvis in the movie 'Flaming Star'. Barbara has lots of fond memories of Elvis and the making of the movie, all of which she openly shares. What isn't generally known is that Barbara would visit with Elvis in later years when she was doing her nightclub act in Vegas.
She tells us about those days and reveals that she's never seen 'Flaming Star' since it came out! Again, this is the first in-depth interview Barbara Eden has consented to regarding her work with Elvis.
Plus articles looking back at the infamous 1973 RCA Buy-Out, the second part of Keith Flynn's acclaimed series on live recordings, 'It's Midnight...or is it the dinner show?', CD and book reviews plus some unique photo features and all sorts of other goodies!
EIN highly recommends this magazine - Click here www.nowdigthis.co.uk for full ordering information. (News, Source;EIN/ETHM&HM)
Elvis Week 2008 brochure available for download
Elvis Week 2008 brochure available for download:
Click here to download the new Elvis Week brochure.
And for the latest Elvis Week updates visit: ElvisWeek.com
Elvis and June Carter Cash - Johnny Cash jealous!
Elvis and June Carter Cash - Johnny Cash jealous!: Scheduled for republication in the US by the Thomas Nelson group on 3 June, is the biography: "Anchored In Love: An Intimate Portrait of June Carter Cash". Written by John Carter Cash, the son of Johnny and June Carter Cash, the biography includes a very interesting story about the relationship between Elvis and June:
Throughout my life, I would see Mom get a mischievous twinkle in her eye whenever she mentioned Elvis Presley. Her eyes would flash merrily, and she would say, "you know, son, your father was always jealous of Elvis." She even told me once that she sometimes wondered what would havew happened if she had fallen in love with Elvis.
Mom and Elvis occasionally toured together, along with other performers, sometimes including Mother Maybelline and one or more of June's sisters. The Carter's were friends of Elvis, and there are stories about Mother Maybelline sewing buttons on Elvis' shirts when they popped off during his wild onstage gyrations.
Though Mom always maintained that she never had an affair with Elvis, Carl [her first husband] believed differently and perhaps for good reason. After Carl moved out of their Madison home, Mom would sometimes let Elvis stay at the house to "rest" after a tour. (News, Source: EIN)
Elvis song features in Rolling Stone list of greatest guitar songs of all-time
Elvis song features in Rolling Stone list of greatest guitar songs of all-time: Rolling Stone magazine listed the 100 Greatest Guitar Songs Of All Time. Elvis Presley is listed once at #37 with "That's All Right (Mama)".
The comment on the song:
Lead guitarist Scotty Moore's hillbilly blues has become ground zero for the last 54 years' worth of rockabilly. On Elvis' first single, the guitarist's lusty solo matches Elvis' vocals and rhythm guitar perfectly — it's hard to believe this is the only second time they played together.
Intro for the Top 100: This is what makes a great rock & roll guitar sound: an irresistible riff; a solo or jam that takes you higher every time you hear it; the final power chord that pins you to the wall and makes you hit "play" again and again.
Every song here has those thrills. But these are rock's greatest guitar moments because of what's inside the notes: hunger, fury, despair and joy, often all at once. You hear the blues, gospel and rockabilly that came before, transormed by the need to say something new and loud, right away. Rock & roll has been the sound of independence for half a century. The guitar is still its essential, liberating voice. The Top 40 guitar songs on the list were:
40 The Who - "I Can See for Miles"
39 Santana - "Black Magic Woman"
38 The Faces - "Stay With Me"
37 Elvis Presley - "That's All Right"
36 Pink Floyd - "Interstellar Overdrive"
35 The Stooges - "1969"
34 Aerosmith - "Walk This Way"
33 Metallica - "Master of Puppets"
32 Dire Straits - "Sultans of Swing"
31 Queen - "Keep Yourself Alive"
30 Bill Haley and His Comets - "(We're Gonna) Rock Around the Clock"
29 AC/DC - "Back in Black"
28 U2 - "Where the Streets Have No Name"
27 The Paul Butterfield Blues Band - "Look Over Yonders Wall"
26 B.B. King - "How Blue Can You Get"
25 The Rolling Stones - "Can't You Hear Me Knocking"
24 Rage Against the Machine- "Killing in the Name"
23 The Yardbirds - "Over Under Sideways Down"
22 The Beatles - "A Hard Day's Night"
21 The White Stripes - "Seven Nation Army"
20 The Impressions - "People Get Ready"
19 Prince and the Revolution - "Purple Rain"
18 Ramones - "Blitzkrieg Bop"
17 Black Sabbath - "Black Sabbath"
16 Neil Young with Crazy Horse - "Cowgirl in the Sand"
15 The Who - "My Generation"
14 Bruce Springsteen - "Born to Run"
13 Derek and the Dominos - "Layla"
12 The Jimi Hendrix Experience - "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)"
11 Led Zeppelin - "Whole Lotta Love"
10 Nirvana - "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
09 The Allman Brothers Band - "Statesboro Blues"
08 Led Zeppelin - "Stairway to Heaven"
07 The Beatles - "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"
06 Van Halen - "Eruption"
05 Rolling Stones - "Brown Sugar"
04 The Kinks - "You Really Got Me"
03 Cream - "Crossroads"
02 Jimi Hendrix - "Purple Haze"
01 Chuck Berry - "Johnny B. Goode (News, Source: Various)
Tuesday, 3 June 2008
Horizon Casino's Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest
Elvis Is Still In The Building
Horizon Casino will be one of the 24 sanctioned venues for Elvis Presley Enterprises Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest. If you or someone you know is an Elvis impersonator or just an Elvis fan, send them our way! We will be holding a series of qualifiers in our Golden Cabaret every Tuesday from June 17th until July 22nd at 6pm, with a final qualifier on Saturday, July 26th at 2pm. The first place winner from each qualifier will recieve a $100 cash prize and both first and second place will recieve entry into our final round of competition on Saturday, July 26th at 7pm. The entry fee for the Tuesday qualifiers is only $25, and the fee for the Saturday 2pm qualifier is $50. Our final winner will recieve hotel and airfare for two to Memphis, TN. were he will then compete in the finals to try and become E.P.E.'s Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist! Spectators are welcome and encouraged!!
For more information or to fill out an application please visit our website!horizoncasino.com
For information or questions contact:
Miranda Phillips
Special Events Coordinator
775-586-4058
Horizon Casino will be one of the 24 sanctioned venues for Elvis Presley Enterprises Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest. If you or someone you know is an Elvis impersonator or just an Elvis fan, send them our way! We will be holding a series of qualifiers in our Golden Cabaret every Tuesday from June 17th until July 22nd at 6pm, with a final qualifier on Saturday, July 26th at 2pm. The first place winner from each qualifier will recieve a $100 cash prize and both first and second place will recieve entry into our final round of competition on Saturday, July 26th at 7pm. The entry fee for the Tuesday qualifiers is only $25, and the fee for the Saturday 2pm qualifier is $50. Our final winner will recieve hotel and airfare for two to Memphis, TN. were he will then compete in the finals to try and become E.P.E.'s Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist! Spectators are welcome and encouraged!!
For more information or to fill out an application please visit our website!horizoncasino.com
For information or questions contact:
Miranda Phillips
Special Events Coordinator
775-586-4058
Monday, 2 June 2008
Vernon Presley exhibition in Randers, Denmark
In celebration of Father’s day in Denmark, on Thursday, June 5th, Elvis Unlimited will be closed for the national holiday. But we will have a special exhibition on Friday and Saturday, June 6th and 7th. We will focus on Elvis’ father, Vernon with personal items and photos. This will kick off a summer long of exhibitions at the Elvis Unlimited museum. Stop by Friday any time from 10 Am to 5:30 PM and Saturday from 10 AM to 2 PM to view and photograph the exhibit. Stop in and listen to the newly found demo of Vernon Presley singing! This is one exhibit you don’t want to miss!
Source: Elvis Unlimited
Rock 'n' roll pioneer Bo Diddley dies at 79
June 2, 2008
Bo Diddley, who died Monday at age 79, was as essential to the creation of rock ‘n’ roll as Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley and Little Richard, though he seldom got the credit or the accolades showered on his better-known peers.
The singer-guitarist, who died of heart failure at his home in Archer, Fla., had been ill since last year, when he suffered a stroke and later a heart attack. Until then, he had spent most of his life on the road, playing rock ‘n’ roll, the music he loved and helped invent.
He was a hard-scrabble visionary from the streets of Chicago’s South Side who literally had to fight for everything he got. He created rock ‘n’ roll’s essential rhythm, pioneered an approach to electric guitar playing that was at least a decade ahead of its time, and developed a vocal style and stage persona that influenced everyone from Elvis to Public Enemy's Chuck D.
Diddley was born Ellas Otha Bates on Dec. 30, 1928, in McComb, Miss. He never knew his father and his mother was a teenager when she gave birth to him; the boy’s primary caretaker was his mother’s first cousin, Gussie McDaniel. He was renamed Ellas McDaniel and moved with McDaniel to Chicago when he was seven to escape the sharecropping life. As a child, he was mocked for his “country” ways and found himself scrapping with grade-school bullies several times a week. By the time he was a teenager, however, he had become an accomplished boxer, and a boy nobody wanted to mess with.
“When I started fighting back, there wasn’t anyone around to whup me and they didn’t try, so the kids started calling me ‘Bo Diddley,’ ” Diddley wrote in the liner notes to the 1990 compilation, “Bo Diddley: The Chess Box.”
At the same time, the budding pugilist was taking violin lessons at Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church, and later built himself violins and guitars at Foster Vocational High School. These were the first of many custom-made guitars the aspiring musician would wield, and he developed a playing style as distinctive as the box-shaped instruments he made. His large hands made the finger-picking style of country-blues guitarists difficult to master, so he developed a more percussive approach that drew on Afro-Caribbean rhythms and the choppy wrist strokes he adapted from playing the violin.
“When I was about 15, I was trying to play like Muddy Waters, but it didn’t work,” he said in a 1985 interview. “I figured I was on my way to becoming a first-class fool trying to play like Muddy and them. So I invented my own style. I always felt it was better to do your own thing than try to copy someone else, but I had no idea my thing would change rock music.”
Diddley called his syncopated groove a “freight-train” sound, others described it as a “shave-and-a-haircut” rhythm. The beat had been around for centuries, most notably in West African drumming, but Diddley mastered it and augmented it for the rock ‘n’ roll era. He perfected his sound by playing on Maxwell Street and South Side streetcorners for pocket change with his band the Hipsters.
By the early ‘50s, he was gigging regularly at the famed blues tavern the 708 Club with a band that included maracas player Jerome Greene, bassist Roosevelt Jackson and drummer Clifton James. His custom-built guitars and amplifiers sounded like no one else’s, heavy on reverb and distortion. When he stepped into Chess Records studio in March 1955 to record for the first time, Diddley and his band were already seasoned entertainers of 11 years with a sound all their own. His songs were filled with tall stories, jokes, insults and good-natured bragging. Diddley portrayed himself as a larger-than-life character, and sang with a mixture of cartoonish joy and hoodoo-man menace.
“I’m a man,” he declared in one of his more famous songs, and spelled it out slowly, “M-A-N,” as if daring anyone to doubt that he was the toughest of them all. “Who do you love?” he growled rhetorically in another signature hit. When he declared his ardor for “Mona,” there could be no doubt of his intentions.
On stage, he wore horn-rimmed glasses, a Black Stetson and a huge smile. He was a master showman whose high-spirited boasts and self-referential songs echoed folk songs, nursery rhymes and childhood games such as the dozens even as they prefigured the rise of hip-hop. He played box-shaped guitars with his teeth and behind his back or swung them suggestively through his legs, while making the amplifiers howl in a way that wouldn’t be heard again until ‘60s innovators such as Buddy Guy and Jimi Hendrix came along.
But it was Diddley’s feel for rhythm that truly set him apart. His drummer focused on the tom-toms and bass, rarely the snare or the cymbals. Jerome Green’s hypnotic maracas were mixed way out front on the recordings so that they were made to sound unusually full and vibrant. They danced in and out with Diddley’s guitar lines, which were drenched in reverberation. Other percussion instruments also factored into the mixes, all orchestrated by Diddley into rhythms that anticipated the bottom-heavy thunder of heavy metal, the clipped syncopation of funk and the lighter skip of reggae.
The “Bo Diddley beat” was copied by countless artists and underscored many hits: Buddy Holly used it on “Not Fade Away,” Presley on “His Latest Flame” and Johnny Otis on “Willie and the Hand Jive.” Other artists who incorporated it were Duane Eddy (“Cannonball”), the Strangeloves (“I Want Candy”), the Who (“Magic Bus”), the Stooges (“1969”), David Bowie (“Panic in Detroit”), Bruce Springsteen (“She’s the One”), the Smiths (“How Soon is Now”), Guns N’ Roses (“Mr. Brownstone”) and U2 (“Desire”). His songs were also covered numerous times, by artists such as the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, the Yardbirds, the Pretty Things, the Doors, the New York Dolls, Springsteen, Aerosmith, Tom Petty and Bob Seger. The Clash invited him to tour with them at the height of the U.K. punk band’s fame.
But as Diddley found, it was difficult enough to get paid for writing a song, let alone to receive credit for popularizing a rhythm. He claimed that he never received royalties for any of his Chess recordings, and his rhythmic innovations became so ingrained in rock ‘n’ roll’s DNA that generations of fans grew up hearing them without knowing his role in their creation.
Though he had dozens of classic songs, Diddley never approached the level of fame enjoyed by Presley, Little Richard, Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis, among other ‘50s contemporaries. His sole appearance on the “The Ed Sullivan Show,” the prime-time television star-making vehicle, did not go well. Sullivan insisted before the 1955 appearance that Diddley play a Tennessee Ernie Ford hit, “Sixteen Tons.” Diddley agreed, but once the cameras rolled he played his signature song, “Bo Diddley.” Sullivan was enraged and the singer never appeared on his show again.
Diddley avoided the scandal and notorious lifestyle that bedeviled some of his peers, but his hits dried up in the ‘60s and his career faded in the ‘70s. He settled in Florida in the ‘80s, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. In 1998, he received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
He continued to record sporadically and toured frequently on weekends. During the week, he lived quietly in Florida, writing music, repairing vintage cars, and attending church. At home, he was the antithesis of the showboating rock star he played on stage. His neighbors described Diddley as a self-effacing man always ready to help others.
“When I first became famous, it really freaked me out,” he once said. “I mean, it didn’t seem real. I said, ‘Wow, I got a hit record! Little ol’ me!’ I didn’t know what to do with it, but then I turned around and faced it. I come from a very religious background, and I figured I was being given a chance and I wasn’t about to let it slip by. Maybe that’s why I’m still around and others aren’t.”
Diddley is survived by his children, Evelyn Kelly, Ellas A. McDaniel, Tammi D. McDaniel and Terri Lynn McDaniel, as well as 15 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren and 3 great-great-grandchildren. Services are planned for this weekend.
Article Source: http://preview.tinyurl.com/5nhpdh
Bo Diddley, who died Monday at age 79, was as essential to the creation of rock ‘n’ roll as Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley and Little Richard, though he seldom got the credit or the accolades showered on his better-known peers.
The singer-guitarist, who died of heart failure at his home in Archer, Fla., had been ill since last year, when he suffered a stroke and later a heart attack. Until then, he had spent most of his life on the road, playing rock ‘n’ roll, the music he loved and helped invent.
He was a hard-scrabble visionary from the streets of Chicago’s South Side who literally had to fight for everything he got. He created rock ‘n’ roll’s essential rhythm, pioneered an approach to electric guitar playing that was at least a decade ahead of its time, and developed a vocal style and stage persona that influenced everyone from Elvis to Public Enemy's Chuck D.
Diddley was born Ellas Otha Bates on Dec. 30, 1928, in McComb, Miss. He never knew his father and his mother was a teenager when she gave birth to him; the boy’s primary caretaker was his mother’s first cousin, Gussie McDaniel. He was renamed Ellas McDaniel and moved with McDaniel to Chicago when he was seven to escape the sharecropping life. As a child, he was mocked for his “country” ways and found himself scrapping with grade-school bullies several times a week. By the time he was a teenager, however, he had become an accomplished boxer, and a boy nobody wanted to mess with.
“When I started fighting back, there wasn’t anyone around to whup me and they didn’t try, so the kids started calling me ‘Bo Diddley,’ ” Diddley wrote in the liner notes to the 1990 compilation, “Bo Diddley: The Chess Box.”
At the same time, the budding pugilist was taking violin lessons at Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church, and later built himself violins and guitars at Foster Vocational High School. These were the first of many custom-made guitars the aspiring musician would wield, and he developed a playing style as distinctive as the box-shaped instruments he made. His large hands made the finger-picking style of country-blues guitarists difficult to master, so he developed a more percussive approach that drew on Afro-Caribbean rhythms and the choppy wrist strokes he adapted from playing the violin.
“When I was about 15, I was trying to play like Muddy Waters, but it didn’t work,” he said in a 1985 interview. “I figured I was on my way to becoming a first-class fool trying to play like Muddy and them. So I invented my own style. I always felt it was better to do your own thing than try to copy someone else, but I had no idea my thing would change rock music.”
Diddley called his syncopated groove a “freight-train” sound, others described it as a “shave-and-a-haircut” rhythm. The beat had been around for centuries, most notably in West African drumming, but Diddley mastered it and augmented it for the rock ‘n’ roll era. He perfected his sound by playing on Maxwell Street and South Side streetcorners for pocket change with his band the Hipsters.
By the early ‘50s, he was gigging regularly at the famed blues tavern the 708 Club with a band that included maracas player Jerome Greene, bassist Roosevelt Jackson and drummer Clifton James. His custom-built guitars and amplifiers sounded like no one else’s, heavy on reverb and distortion. When he stepped into Chess Records studio in March 1955 to record for the first time, Diddley and his band were already seasoned entertainers of 11 years with a sound all their own. His songs were filled with tall stories, jokes, insults and good-natured bragging. Diddley portrayed himself as a larger-than-life character, and sang with a mixture of cartoonish joy and hoodoo-man menace.
“I’m a man,” he declared in one of his more famous songs, and spelled it out slowly, “M-A-N,” as if daring anyone to doubt that he was the toughest of them all. “Who do you love?” he growled rhetorically in another signature hit. When he declared his ardor for “Mona,” there could be no doubt of his intentions.
On stage, he wore horn-rimmed glasses, a Black Stetson and a huge smile. He was a master showman whose high-spirited boasts and self-referential songs echoed folk songs, nursery rhymes and childhood games such as the dozens even as they prefigured the rise of hip-hop. He played box-shaped guitars with his teeth and behind his back or swung them suggestively through his legs, while making the amplifiers howl in a way that wouldn’t be heard again until ‘60s innovators such as Buddy Guy and Jimi Hendrix came along.
But it was Diddley’s feel for rhythm that truly set him apart. His drummer focused on the tom-toms and bass, rarely the snare or the cymbals. Jerome Green’s hypnotic maracas were mixed way out front on the recordings so that they were made to sound unusually full and vibrant. They danced in and out with Diddley’s guitar lines, which were drenched in reverberation. Other percussion instruments also factored into the mixes, all orchestrated by Diddley into rhythms that anticipated the bottom-heavy thunder of heavy metal, the clipped syncopation of funk and the lighter skip of reggae.
The “Bo Diddley beat” was copied by countless artists and underscored many hits: Buddy Holly used it on “Not Fade Away,” Presley on “His Latest Flame” and Johnny Otis on “Willie and the Hand Jive.” Other artists who incorporated it were Duane Eddy (“Cannonball”), the Strangeloves (“I Want Candy”), the Who (“Magic Bus”), the Stooges (“1969”), David Bowie (“Panic in Detroit”), Bruce Springsteen (“She’s the One”), the Smiths (“How Soon is Now”), Guns N’ Roses (“Mr. Brownstone”) and U2 (“Desire”). His songs were also covered numerous times, by artists such as the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, the Yardbirds, the Pretty Things, the Doors, the New York Dolls, Springsteen, Aerosmith, Tom Petty and Bob Seger. The Clash invited him to tour with them at the height of the U.K. punk band’s fame.
But as Diddley found, it was difficult enough to get paid for writing a song, let alone to receive credit for popularizing a rhythm. He claimed that he never received royalties for any of his Chess recordings, and his rhythmic innovations became so ingrained in rock ‘n’ roll’s DNA that generations of fans grew up hearing them without knowing his role in their creation.
Though he had dozens of classic songs, Diddley never approached the level of fame enjoyed by Presley, Little Richard, Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis, among other ‘50s contemporaries. His sole appearance on the “The Ed Sullivan Show,” the prime-time television star-making vehicle, did not go well. Sullivan insisted before the 1955 appearance that Diddley play a Tennessee Ernie Ford hit, “Sixteen Tons.” Diddley agreed, but once the cameras rolled he played his signature song, “Bo Diddley.” Sullivan was enraged and the singer never appeared on his show again.
Diddley avoided the scandal and notorious lifestyle that bedeviled some of his peers, but his hits dried up in the ‘60s and his career faded in the ‘70s. He settled in Florida in the ‘80s, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. In 1998, he received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
He continued to record sporadically and toured frequently on weekends. During the week, he lived quietly in Florida, writing music, repairing vintage cars, and attending church. At home, he was the antithesis of the showboating rock star he played on stage. His neighbors described Diddley as a self-effacing man always ready to help others.
“When I first became famous, it really freaked me out,” he once said. “I mean, it didn’t seem real. I said, ‘Wow, I got a hit record! Little ol’ me!’ I didn’t know what to do with it, but then I turned around and faced it. I come from a very religious background, and I figured I was being given a chance and I wasn’t about to let it slip by. Maybe that’s why I’m still around and others aren’t.”
Diddley is survived by his children, Evelyn Kelly, Ellas A. McDaniel, Tammi D. McDaniel and Terri Lynn McDaniel, as well as 15 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren and 3 great-great-grandchildren. Services are planned for this weekend.
Article Source: http://preview.tinyurl.com/5nhpdh
Sunday, 1 June 2008
2008 Elvis Fest packed with music, fun
June 1, 2008
BY M. SCOTT MORRIS
Daily Journal
TUPELO - Downtown will bubble over with all things Elvis Presley from Thursday to Sunday, June 8.
The 2008 Elvis Presley Festival will include favorite events from past years, such as the Elvis Look-a-Like Pet Parade, and new events, such as the XBOX 360 "Guitar Hero III" Tournament.
The fun will begin on Thursday with the Elvis Festival Carnival Midway, and $15 armbands will be available from 6 to 11 p.m. Thursday and 1 to 6 p.m. Saturday.
Musical variety
The music will overflow during the event that celebrates the King of Rock n' Roll. Crossin Dixon will headline the Fairpark Stage on Friday, with Jo Dee Messina taking the top spot on Saturday.
The Lyric Theatre will host the Tupelo Ultimate Tribute Artist competition on Friday and Saturday, then the finals will move to Fairpark Stage for a Saturday night concert that includes past competition winners, as well as Elvis collaborators, the Sweet Inspirations and D.J. Fontana.
The Lyric Theatre isn't finished because it'll feature a concert by Ronnie McDowell at 7 p.m. Friday. McDowell has provided the voice of Elvis for numerous TV shows and movies.
The music will go on with: Sonny Burgess and the Pacers, Bliss, Tim Warren, Jonathan Singleton and the Grove, John Milstead, Saving Abel, Refuse The Fall, Braden Gray and Loose Gravel, South of Sanity, Jamie Davis and Soul Gravy, Velvet Jones, Zachery Stone and many more.
On Sunday, June 8, First United Methodist Church in Tupelo will feature a gospel concert with The Foyer Boyz, The Landmarks and The Stamps.
Take part
If you want to take part in the action, you're welcome to join the Elvis Presley Parade, the Running with the King 5K and the 2008 Fling with the King disc golf tournament.
It's festival time, so get out there and have some fun.
Source Article: http://preview.tinyurl.com/6exxb5
BY M. SCOTT MORRIS
Daily Journal
TUPELO - Downtown will bubble over with all things Elvis Presley from Thursday to Sunday, June 8.
The 2008 Elvis Presley Festival will include favorite events from past years, such as the Elvis Look-a-Like Pet Parade, and new events, such as the XBOX 360 "Guitar Hero III" Tournament.
The fun will begin on Thursday with the Elvis Festival Carnival Midway, and $15 armbands will be available from 6 to 11 p.m. Thursday and 1 to 6 p.m. Saturday.
Musical variety
The music will overflow during the event that celebrates the King of Rock n' Roll. Crossin Dixon will headline the Fairpark Stage on Friday, with Jo Dee Messina taking the top spot on Saturday.
The Lyric Theatre will host the Tupelo Ultimate Tribute Artist competition on Friday and Saturday, then the finals will move to Fairpark Stage for a Saturday night concert that includes past competition winners, as well as Elvis collaborators, the Sweet Inspirations and D.J. Fontana.
The Lyric Theatre isn't finished because it'll feature a concert by Ronnie McDowell at 7 p.m. Friday. McDowell has provided the voice of Elvis for numerous TV shows and movies.
The music will go on with: Sonny Burgess and the Pacers, Bliss, Tim Warren, Jonathan Singleton and the Grove, John Milstead, Saving Abel, Refuse The Fall, Braden Gray and Loose Gravel, South of Sanity, Jamie Davis and Soul Gravy, Velvet Jones, Zachery Stone and many more.
On Sunday, June 8, First United Methodist Church in Tupelo will feature a gospel concert with The Foyer Boyz, The Landmarks and The Stamps.
Take part
If you want to take part in the action, you're welcome to join the Elvis Presley Parade, the Running with the King 5K and the 2008 Fling with the King disc golf tournament.
It's festival time, so get out there and have some fun.
Source Article: http://preview.tinyurl.com/6exxb5
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