August 31, 2008
by Alanna Nash
Link to this article http://www.americanprofile.com/article/28656.html
* there are beautiful pictures to the mansion and etc. *
When the King of Rock ’n’ Roll died Aug. 16, 1977, his ex-wife, Priscilla, was overcome with emotion—and doubts. She worried not just for her daughter, Lisa Marie—Elvis’ only child—but also for all the people around the globe to whom he meant so much. “How is this world,” she wondered, “going to survive without Elvis Presley?”
Thirty-one years later, Presley’s faithful followers keep his memory alive, especially when they visit Graceland, making the ultimate pop-music pilgrimage to one of America’s top five most-visited historic homes. Each year, more than 600,000 people tour the 17,000-square-foot residence on Elvis Presley Boulevard in the Whitehaven section of Memphis, Tenn. Some, like Nancie Craft, 52, of Houston, come twice a year: in January for Elvis’ birthday, and in August, around the anniversary of his death.
“It’s so nice to go somewhere where you do not have to explain to anyone why you’re an Elvis fan,” says Craft, president of an Elvis Presley fan club. “Why all of us want to know so much about this one man is still a mystery to me. But we go because it’s like a family reunion, and we all just feel closer to Elvis at Graceland.”
Built for a doctor
The “mansion,” as the home is commonly referred to, was built in 1939 for Memphis physician Dr. Thomas D. Moore and his wife, and dubbed Graceland for Mrs. Moore’s great-aunt. But today, everything about it, from the famed music-themed gates to the stained-glass peacocks in the living room and the “TCB” (Taking Care of Business) lightning bolts painted on the walls of the TV room, reflects Elvis and his often eclectic decorating tastes.
Presley bought the property for $102,500 in March 1957 as a home for himself and his parents, Gladys and Vernon. Visitors taking Graceland’s “audio tour”—available in eight languages—even hear Elvis’ voice as they walk through the home, grounds, outbuildings and the Meditation Garden where Presley and his parents are buried.
“It’s the most unique historic home tour you’ll find anywhere in the world,” boasts Kevin Kern, media relations manager of Elvis Presley Enterprises. “At other historic properties, you might hear someone impersonating the voice of a president, but our tour offers you the opportunity to hear from the people who lived there—not only Elvis, but also Priscilla and Lisa Marie. And you can listen to recordings of Gladys and Vernon and Elvis singing. When you’re actually hearing the people who lived and breathed inside those walls, it becomes a very real place.”
And how. In this perfectly preserved time capsule of the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s, it’s easy to imagine Elvis cutting up with his friends in the Jungle Room, instantly recognizable for its “fur”-covered, Polynesian-style furniture and lime shag carpet. And in Elvis’ parents’ bedroom, where time stopped with Gladys’ death in 1958, you can almost see her getting ready for the day, with her colorful dresses lined up in the open closet as if she’s trying to decide which one to wear.
Entrance prohibited
The mansion tour also includes the dining room, music room, poolroom and kitchen. But not every room of this White House of Rock ’n’ Roll is exhibited. A downstairs apartment is off-limits to the public, as is the upstairs, including the bathroom where Elvis died. According to Kern, the private living quarters of Elvis, Priscilla and Lisa Marie “will never be opened up,” as “very few people were invited to that inner sanctum” even when Elvis was living. While Priscilla and Lisa Marie do not stay at Graceland when in Memphis, they do enjoy personal time there.
“When the ladies are in town, if they wish to come out to the house, they give the staff advance notice,” Kern says. “We’ll take down the ropes and roll out the white carpet to cover up the black tour path, take the protective coverings off the things in the kitchen, and the house becomes a home again. If it’s Christmas, Priscilla and Lisa Marie will sit on the furniture in the Jungle Room and open presents. This is where Lisa Marie grew up, so it’s very much a special place for her.”
Still, there are changes from when Elvis lived in the home, but most of them are in the outbuildings and grounds, where a horse grazes in the pasture where Elvis once rode Rising Sun, his registered palomino. Presley’s racquetball building now is used to display his floor-to-ceiling gold records, and it houses the piano where Elvis sang his last song, “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain,” on the morning he died. And his famous gold lamé suit, still an eye-popping wonder after 50 years, holds center court in the now-rechristened trophy building, which Elvis originally had designed to accommodate his sprawling slot-car racetrack.
Room to grow
Graceland comprised about 14 acres of towering oaks and farmland when Elvis, barely 22 years old and not long out of public housing, originally bought it. But the New York-based CKX Inc., which controls 85 percent of Presley’s name, image, and likeness (Lisa Marie owns the remaining 15 percent, along with the house and its artifacts), has, over time, acquired more than 100 acres on the same side of Elvis Presley Boulevard as the mansion. The company’s immediate plans are to build a new 80,000-square-foot visitor center, high-tech museum and convention hotel, at a cost of $250 million. No timetable has been announced for the expansion.
Meanwhile, on acreage across the street, fans can tour Presley’s car museum and his two airplanes, and see exhibits such as 56 of his bejeweled jumpsuits; “Private Presley,” which focuses on Elvis’ U.S. Army years; and “Elvis ’68,” a salute to the TV special that marked his comeback.
In one of many shops, fans can spend $100 to play pool on the table where Elvis and the Beatles squared off in 1965 when the British band visited him. Elsewhere on the grounds is a chapel where couples can marry, and then check into nearby Heartbreak Hotel. You’ll find it down at the end of, yes, Lonely Street, or so says a small, tongue-in-cheek road sign.
The cultural shrine of Graceland—the most famous rock ’n’ roll residence in the world—fascinates celebrities, too. Bruce Springsteen famously jumped the wall while Elvis was alive, and in recent years, Loretta Lynn stood in line and bought a ticket like everyone else.
Many fans take in Memphis’ other tourist treasures—Sun Studio, Beale Street, the National Civil Rights Museum, among them—on their visit. But Jackie Reed of the Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau, confirms that Graceland is by far the top area attraction. And it’s no surprise.
“You may have the other seven wonders of the world,” Reed says. “But we’ve got number eight right here.”
Story by Alanna Nash of Louisville, Ky.
Sunday, 31 August 2008
Thursday, 14 August 2008
An expert in Elvis wear
While attending university, she never imagined being in this line of work
August 7, 2008
Darrell Bellaart, The Daily News
Eleanor Von Boetteicher never planned to be one of the world's main suppliers of Elvis Presley costumes. It just happened that way.
A former political science major at the University of Toronto, it was while pursuing her masters at Dalhousie University in Halifax that something reminiscent of her childhood interest in sewing caught her attention. She signed up for the costume studies certificate program.
After university she and husband Timothy ended up back in Toronto where she made costumes for the National Ballet and various theatre companies and even circuses.
They decided to move west and wound up in Calgary in the late 1990s where there was no shortage of work. He built movie sets and she went to work making movie costumes.
It was there that she met Will Reeb, an Elvis tribute artist - they dislike the phrase Elvis impersonator - who was looking for some help putting together suits for other Elvises.
"He had started to make his own suits and he had other Elvises looking for suits as well so he was really the instigator for the business," she says. "He was looking for someone o help sew the suits and he put all the studs in himself."
When Reeb eventually found other interests, she kept on making one or two costumes a month under contract.
They moved to Vancouver in 2003 and the work followed her. She made costumes for blockbuster movies such as I, Robot, X-Men and Catwoman, all the while continuing her profitable Elvis costume venture on the side.
Then in 2005 they moved to Nanaimo and she made ProElvis Jumpsuits her full-time business. Today she makes suits for Elvis tribute artists all over the world.
"I ship them anywhere, so it's handy to be close to a post office," she says, laughing. For her customers, who are in North America as well as Ireland, Holland, France and Germany, the first step in placing an order is usually a visit to her website, proelvisjumpsuits.com . She can't imagined how she could survive without the Internet.
She communicates by e-mail and by telephone, although she often finds telephone a less than effective means to communicate, due to scheduling conflicts and time zone differences.
Clients start out the process by downloading a fitting form from her website rather than filling in their measurements. The measurements have to be accurate, so she gets them to take the form to a local seamstress, then they send the numbers to her. Next she sets to work making a pattern, which she ships to the seamstress, just to make double sure the fit is accurate.
"It makes it a little bit time consuming," she says. And clients usually want the suits as soon as possible.
Like now, the client who called the other day, wondering if she could rush the costume, with the anniversary of Presley's death just over a week away.
She has a lot of repeat customers who buy a new outfit every year. But quality can't be rushed. "I say a minimum of eight weeks."
Elvises come in all shapes and sizes. Her biggest suit was for a man in Surrey who stands six-foot-four. Her smallest was for a man with a 32-inch waste.
Lately she's wanted to use a web cam to do costume fittings, but not a lot of her clients are ready for such technology.
"I'm dealing mostly with guys who are in their mid-40s and up."
She does about 30 suits a year, and would prefer to spread that work around the calendar. But the bulk of her orders arrive in the latter part of the year.
"It's geared to gigs," she says. "If people get a lot of gigs, they get money rolling in. And a lot of these guys love putting on their outfits and it's nice to have a set of new clothes."
Her suits start at about $900 and run as high as $2,500 for the King of Spades version, a replica of the original Elvis' most intricate stud-covered jumpsuit. Capes range from $250 to $950.
The 40-year-old stay-at-home mom tries to match them as closely to the originals as possible, although the gabardine-wool mixture the king of rock 'n' roll preferred to wear is no longer available.
With approximately 8,500 Elvis tribute artists in the world, she has a steady stream of clients.
And the business keeps growing. She recently had her website translated to German and soon it will be in Japanese.
"A lot of these guys do two or three shows a week and they want to do a costume change or two during the show."
She builds the costumes to last so her clients get good value. But at $1,000 or more per costume, she would strongly advise that they watch their weight.
"You really can't alter them because of all of the studs on them."
Von Boetteicher was too young to be a true Elvis fan. She was nine when he died, on Aug. 16, 1977. But she loves her Elvises.
"I really enjoy the people I work for. They're all very nice people - helpful, and they love what they do."
Article Source: http://www.canada.com/nanaimodailynews/story.html?id=4bcd4c79-0b1a-42b9-8b8b-17508c01a4e2&p=2
August 7, 2008
Darrell Bellaart, The Daily News
Eleanor Von Boetteicher never planned to be one of the world's main suppliers of Elvis Presley costumes. It just happened that way.
A former political science major at the University of Toronto, it was while pursuing her masters at Dalhousie University in Halifax that something reminiscent of her childhood interest in sewing caught her attention. She signed up for the costume studies certificate program.
After university she and husband Timothy ended up back in Toronto where she made costumes for the National Ballet and various theatre companies and even circuses.
They decided to move west and wound up in Calgary in the late 1990s where there was no shortage of work. He built movie sets and she went to work making movie costumes.
It was there that she met Will Reeb, an Elvis tribute artist - they dislike the phrase Elvis impersonator - who was looking for some help putting together suits for other Elvises.
"He had started to make his own suits and he had other Elvises looking for suits as well so he was really the instigator for the business," she says. "He was looking for someone o help sew the suits and he put all the studs in himself."
When Reeb eventually found other interests, she kept on making one or two costumes a month under contract.
They moved to Vancouver in 2003 and the work followed her. She made costumes for blockbuster movies such as I, Robot, X-Men and Catwoman, all the while continuing her profitable Elvis costume venture on the side.
Then in 2005 they moved to Nanaimo and she made ProElvis Jumpsuits her full-time business. Today she makes suits for Elvis tribute artists all over the world.
"I ship them anywhere, so it's handy to be close to a post office," she says, laughing. For her customers, who are in North America as well as Ireland, Holland, France and Germany, the first step in placing an order is usually a visit to her website, proelvisjumpsuits.com . She can't imagined how she could survive without the Internet.
She communicates by e-mail and by telephone, although she often finds telephone a less than effective means to communicate, due to scheduling conflicts and time zone differences.
Clients start out the process by downloading a fitting form from her website rather than filling in their measurements. The measurements have to be accurate, so she gets them to take the form to a local seamstress, then they send the numbers to her. Next she sets to work making a pattern, which she ships to the seamstress, just to make double sure the fit is accurate.
"It makes it a little bit time consuming," she says. And clients usually want the suits as soon as possible.
Like now, the client who called the other day, wondering if she could rush the costume, with the anniversary of Presley's death just over a week away.
She has a lot of repeat customers who buy a new outfit every year. But quality can't be rushed. "I say a minimum of eight weeks."
Elvises come in all shapes and sizes. Her biggest suit was for a man in Surrey who stands six-foot-four. Her smallest was for a man with a 32-inch waste.
Lately she's wanted to use a web cam to do costume fittings, but not a lot of her clients are ready for such technology.
"I'm dealing mostly with guys who are in their mid-40s and up."
She does about 30 suits a year, and would prefer to spread that work around the calendar. But the bulk of her orders arrive in the latter part of the year.
"It's geared to gigs," she says. "If people get a lot of gigs, they get money rolling in. And a lot of these guys love putting on their outfits and it's nice to have a set of new clothes."
Her suits start at about $900 and run as high as $2,500 for the King of Spades version, a replica of the original Elvis' most intricate stud-covered jumpsuit. Capes range from $250 to $950.
The 40-year-old stay-at-home mom tries to match them as closely to the originals as possible, although the gabardine-wool mixture the king of rock 'n' roll preferred to wear is no longer available.
With approximately 8,500 Elvis tribute artists in the world, she has a steady stream of clients.
And the business keeps growing. She recently had her website translated to German and soon it will be in Japanese.
"A lot of these guys do two or three shows a week and they want to do a costume change or two during the show."
She builds the costumes to last so her clients get good value. But at $1,000 or more per costume, she would strongly advise that they watch their weight.
"You really can't alter them because of all of the studs on them."
Von Boetteicher was too young to be a true Elvis fan. She was nine when he died, on Aug. 16, 1977. But she loves her Elvises.
"I really enjoy the people I work for. They're all very nice people - helpful, and they love what they do."
Article Source: http://www.canada.com/nanaimodailynews/story.html?id=4bcd4c79-0b1a-42b9-8b8b-17508c01a4e2&p=2
Comeback performance in ’68 saved Elvis
On anniversary of death, fans remember TV special as highlight for the King
August 13, 2008
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - When Elvis Presley made his TV special in 1968, he was coming off a string of forgettable films and a long dry spell on the charts, and the rock ’n’ roll music he’d helped pioneer had given way to the Beatles and Jimi Hendrix.
It was a tough time for a comeback, but Presley, looking fit and tan in black leather, pulled it off with one of his best performances ever.
“You can argue that it was the highlight of his career. He had been treading water for eight or 10 years,” said Alan Stoker, a historian at the Country Music Hall of Fame, where Presley has been a member since 1998.
The 40th anniversary of what’s known among Elvis aficionados as “The ’68 Special” is getting attention as fans gather in Memphis this week to mark the anniversary of the singer’s death from heart disease and drug abuse on Aug. 16, 1977.
Presley’s Graceland mansion has opened an exhibit dedicated to the program, RCA has released a boxed set of all the music, and Steve Binder, the TV show’s producer and director, has published a book, “’68 at 40: Retrospective.”
“He said he was fearful of doing television, because aside from the ‘Ed Sullivan’ exposure, television had been a fiasco for him,” Binder said in an interview. “He said, ‘Television is not my turf. I’m not comfortable in a television studio.’ I said, ‘Why don’t you make a record and I’ll put pictures to it.”’
And that’s pretty much what they did for the hourlong show, which aired Dec. 3, 1968, on NBC.
The original idea, the one Elvis’ manager, Col. Tom Parker, had in mind, was a Christmas special with Presley singing holiday favorites.
But Binder wanted Presley doing his own songs and doing them alone instead of with guest stars — a departure from Christmas specials of the day.
The real breakthrough, though, was offsetting the big-production numbers with a loose, in-the-round performance — raw and unscripted — before a small audience.
“We’d start shooting at 9 or 10 in the morning and go until we were done, then he’d go into his living quarters and invite friends and they’d jam to all hours of the morning,” Binder recalled. “I was amazed by all the energy, enthusiasm and fun going on after a hard day’s work. And it was like looking through a keyhole at things you were not supposed to see. I thought, ‘This is better than what’s going on on-stage with the pre-planned numbers.”’
Parker hated the idea, but Binder persisted until Parker allowed him to recreate the backstage jam session for the camera, bringing in Presley’s longtime guitarist Scotty Moore and drummer D.J. Fontana and other friends to help make him comfortable (it had been seven years since Presley last did a live concert).
“There was no plan at all. I mean absolutely nothing,” Moore recalled. “He didn’t know what he was going to do. I knew he was going to pull out some of the old songs we’d done, that kind of thing. But that was it.”
Only part of the improvisational footage appeared in the TV special (RCA released a full uncut version later), but it was the highlight. At 33, Presley was handsome and in fine form, telling stories and joking with the musicians.
At first, he seemed nervous. “This is supposed to be like an informal section of the show where we faint or do whatever we want to do, especially me,” he cracked before his first number, “That’s All Right.”
But by “Blue Suede Shoes” he was in control, swapping his acoustic guitar for Moore’s electric and stomping his feet through bluesman Jimmy Reed’s “Baby What You Want Me to Do.”
Moore said Presley knew what was at stake.
“Because he hadn’t been touring — he had gotten into the movie thing — I know his feeling was ’I’m getting back before the public this way,”’ he said.
The show started a golden era for Presley that included his hits “Suspicious Minds,” “In the Ghetto” and “Kentucky Rain,” as well as a run of successful Las Vegas concerts and a January 1973 TV special, “Aloha From Hawaii,” his last big artistic statement.
By the mid-’70s Presley had become a caricature of himself. But that night in ’68, he was a young man fighting to re-establish himself.
“I think it was the honesty,” Binder said of the show’s success, “the fact that he wasn’t controlled, wasn’t reading prepared lines. It was raw and it was powerful, and I think it was who he really was.”
Article Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26176633
Wednesday, 13 August 2008
Are you hungry tonight?
Rock n' roll superstar Elvis Presley may be known for the body of work he contributed to the music and film world, but he also is remembered for his love of food - especially fried dishes he helped make famous.
Presley died 31 years ago on Saturday. Fans in West Tennessee and around the world will commemorate his death in many ways this week, including preparing and serving the foods he reportedly ate often - thank you very much - or that honor his memory.
Traditional cake
Three readers submitted a recipe for Elvis Presley cake. Though there are slight variations in the ingredient lists, all three versions call for punching holes into the top of a simple yellow or white cake, then pouring in a boiled mixture of pineapple and sugar.
After the cake cools, a mixture of cream cheese, powdered sugar and nuts is spread on.
Christie Bradshaw of Brownsville describes her recipe for Elvis Presley cake as "really rich, but really good." She thinks Elvis would have liked it because it is so sweet and said, "You for sure need a sweet tooth to eat (it)!"
With the pineapple component, she said it makes a good summertime recipe, but she also is considering baking it at Christmastime this year.
Others who submitted cake recipes are Pat Cunningham of Camden and Dawn Sisco of Jackson.
Sisco said the cake, which she called "rich and moist," was one of Elvis' favorites. She has made it numerous times and said it is a good choice for family reunions and church functions, noting it will keep several days in the refrigerator.
"(The cake) is sure to get you lots of compliments," Sisco said.
Sweet sandwich
Barbara Cleek of Humboldt, who describes herself as "a true Elvis Presley fan," shared a recipe for a fried peanut butter and banana sandwich that she said was one of the Elvis' favorites.
Simple to make, it calls for preparing the sandwich with white bread and then frying it.
Cleek, who grew up "in the country" in Obion County, said she never saw Elvis perform live, but she has been a fan since she was a teenager.
She describes him as "a country boy like the rest of us (who) liked country food."
"I loved his music," said Cleek. "I just thought he was a wonderful person in that he contributed to a lot of good causes. He shared (with others)."
Cleek also submitted recipes for basic fried chicken and chicken gravy. All three of her recipes, she said, are from the book, "Are You Hungry Tonight?: Elvis' Favorite Recipes," by Brenda Butler.
Biscuits and dip
Darlene Figard of McKenzie has not made the recipes she submitted but is confident they are good because she got them from a book she bought at Elvis Presley's home in Memphis, Graceland - Dean Clark's "Elvis' Greatest Hits: Recipes & More From Graceland."
Figard said the Tennessee angel biscuits recipe was a favorite and that the cheese crab dip was served as an appetizer at his wedding to Priscilla in 1967.
When it comes to Elvis and food, Figard said she thinks of him "sitting in his dining room (at Graceland) munching down on cheeseburgers."
A serious Elvis fan, Figard said she loved the way he sang and moved.
Figard says Elvis kissed her at a concert in Memphis in 1973. He noticed her, she said, because she was sitting close to the stage on the back of her chair - to see over a lady in front who would not remove her hat.
Figard recalls what she was doing the day Elvis died in 1977.
"I was delivering Jackson Sun newspapers in Camden," she said. "When (the news) came over the radio, I stopped the car and cried."
Soup and stew
Two similar recipes that include vegetables were submitted by Wanda Calvert and Pat Little, both of Jackson.
Both call for 2 pounds of stew meat, to which vegetables are added. Little's recipe is "Elvis's favorite homemade vegetable soup."
Calvert made the other recipe, "Elvis Presley's favorite stew," on Jan. 8 this year to celebrate his birthday.
A longtime fan, Calvert said she saw Elvis in concert in Memphis in 1976. Remembering his death in 1977, she said, "My husband I were off work, so we drove to Memphis and were some of the few thousand allowed into Graceland to file by his casket."
Little said she is "not a cook by any means," but is "definitely a big Elvis fan" with one room in her house "totally dedicated" to his memory.
He gave her his guitar pick at a concert in 1974, she said.
Little said she owns many books about Elvis, including cookbooks.
"Anything I can get my hands on regarding Elvis, I pick up," she said.
While Little has not prepared the soup recipe, she said, "I submitted (it) primarily because it was one that was prepared by (Elvis') personal cook. If she made it, that means he loved it. That's enough for me."
Little thinks the recipe is easy to make.
"At least, it's one you couldn't mess up on," she said. "Everyone loves vegetables soup, and it is something you can heat and reheat in this fast-paced world."
As for what to eat with it, Little suggests cornbread.
"I bet that's what Elvis did."
Elvis Presley cake
Recipe from Christie Bradshaw, Brownsville
1 (18.25-ounce) package white cake mix
1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple with juice
2 cups white sugar
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 t. vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans
Prepare cake according to instructions on package. Bake in a 9x13-inch pan. Allow to cool.
Combine pineapple and sugar in saucepan. Bring to a boil. Spoon over cooled cake. In a large bowl, cream butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Add vanilla. Add pecans and mix well. Spread cream cheese frosting over cake.
Elvis Presley cake
Recipe from Dawn Sisco, Jackson
1 box yellow cake mix
1 can (20-ounce) crushed pineapple in juice
2 cups sugar
For the icing:
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 pkg. (8-ounce) cream cheese, softened
1 box (16-ounce) powered sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Make cake according to package directions, baking in a greased and floured 9x13-inch pan.
Boil crushed pineapple (with juice) and the sugar for three minutes. While cake is still warm, punch holes in top and slowly pour pineapple mixture over cake. (Pour a small amount and let in soak in. Continue until all syrup is used.) Allow cake to cool completely before icing.
To make icing, cream butter or margarine and cream cheese. Add powered sugar and beat until creamy. Add nuts and continue beating until it is of spreading consistency.
Spread over cake.
Cook's note : This cake is very moist. Cut into squares, and serve directly from pan. Refrigerate any leftovers.
Elvis Presley cake
Recipe from Pat Cunningham, Camden
1 box yellow or white mix
1 large can crushed pineapple
1 1/2 cups sugar
Bake cake as directed or box. Mix pineapple and sugar in saucepan. Boil for one minute. Punch holes in cake and pour this mixture over cake.
For the frosting:
1 box powdered sugar
1 stick softened butter
8 ounces softened cream cheese
1/4 cup nuts
Mix softened butter and cream cheese. Slowly add powdered sugar and then nuts. Frost cake.
Cheese crab dip
Recipe from Darlene Figard, McKenzie
1/2 cup Roquefort Blue Cheese
1/3 cup cream cheese
2 T. mayonnaise
1/2 t. Worcestershire sauce
1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
1 t. lemon juice
1/2 cup crab meat (fresh, canned or frozen)
Mix the cheeses until soft. Add remaining ingredients. Place in a serving bowl on a large tray or plate and surround with vegetables or cracker dippers.
Fried peanut butter and banana sandwich
Recipe from Barbara Cleek, Humboldt
1 small ripe banana
2 slices white bread
3 T. peanut butter
2 T. butter
Spread peanut butter and mashed banana between two slices of bread. Melt butter over low heat in frying pan. Place sandwich in pan, and fry until golden brown on both sides.
Basic fried chicken
Recipe from Barbara Cleek, Humboldt
1 fryer cut into serving parts
1/2 cup flour
1 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
Corn oil
Combine flour, salt, pepper in a paper bag, Rinse chicken in cold water, and pat dry with paper towels. Drop two to three pieces of chicken at a time into flour mixture, and shake to coat well. Heat oil one-half-inch deep in large heavy frying pan over medium high heat until a drop of water sizzles when added to the oil. Place chicken pieces skin side down into hot oil, being careful not to crowd them. Cook until golden brown. Turn pieces over to reduce heat to medium-low. Cover pan and cook until the chicken is tender - about 30 minutes. Drain chicken on paper towel, and serve with gravy.
Chicken gravy
Recipe from Barbara Cleek, Humboldt
3 to 4 T. flour
1/2 cup milk
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper
Using three to four tablespoons of the fat, stir 3 tablespoons of flour into drippings. Brown and stir until golden. Slowly pour milk into skillet, stirring constantly. Stir in salt and pepper. Continue stirring until the gravy is creamy and comes to a boil (about 3 minutes). Serve hot over mashed potatoes or with biscuits.
Elvis Presley's favorite stew
Recipe from Wanda Calvert, Jackson
2 pounds stew meat
5 cloves garlic
1 cup onion
1 cup bell pepper
1 can tomatoes
2 boxes mixed vegetables
2 cups corn
2 cups okra
2 potatoes
1 cup ketchup.
Cook the first three ingredients for one hour. Then add the mixed vegetables, and cook one-half hour. Then add the final four ingredients, cooking until done.
Elvis's favorite homemade vegetable soup
Recipe from Pat Little, Jackson
2 pounds stew meat
1 small onion
1 small green pepper
1 small clove garlic
3 15-ounce cans mixed vegetables
5 medium potatoes, cut up
1 15-ounce can okra
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons sugar
In a large pot, cook the stew meat, onion, bell pepper, and garlic until the meat is almost brown. Add the mixed vegetables, potatoes, okra, salt and pepper. Cook until the juice becomes thick. Add the sugar. Allow to simmer for about two hours and 30 minutes. Serves 10.
Tennessee angel biscuits
Recipe from Darlene Figard, McKenzie
1 pkg. active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water with a pinch of sugar
5 cups flour
3 T. sugar
1 T. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
3/4 cup shortening
2 cups buttermilk
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Dissolve yeast in warm water with a pinch of sugar.
Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut in the shortening until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in yeast and buttermilk. Knead just enough to hold together. Turn onto a floured board and pat to one-half thickness. Cut with a two- to three-inch biscuit cutter, and place on a lightly greased baking sheet.
Bake about 12 minutes or until light brown.
Makes 24 biscuits.
Article Source: http://www.jacksonsun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080813/LIFESTYLE/808130309
Presley died 31 years ago on Saturday. Fans in West Tennessee and around the world will commemorate his death in many ways this week, including preparing and serving the foods he reportedly ate often - thank you very much - or that honor his memory.
Traditional cake
Three readers submitted a recipe for Elvis Presley cake. Though there are slight variations in the ingredient lists, all three versions call for punching holes into the top of a simple yellow or white cake, then pouring in a boiled mixture of pineapple and sugar.
After the cake cools, a mixture of cream cheese, powdered sugar and nuts is spread on.
Christie Bradshaw of Brownsville describes her recipe for Elvis Presley cake as "really rich, but really good." She thinks Elvis would have liked it because it is so sweet and said, "You for sure need a sweet tooth to eat (it)!"
With the pineapple component, she said it makes a good summertime recipe, but she also is considering baking it at Christmastime this year.
Others who submitted cake recipes are Pat Cunningham of Camden and Dawn Sisco of Jackson.
Sisco said the cake, which she called "rich and moist," was one of Elvis' favorites. She has made it numerous times and said it is a good choice for family reunions and church functions, noting it will keep several days in the refrigerator.
"(The cake) is sure to get you lots of compliments," Sisco said.
Sweet sandwich
Barbara Cleek of Humboldt, who describes herself as "a true Elvis Presley fan," shared a recipe for a fried peanut butter and banana sandwich that she said was one of the Elvis' favorites.
Simple to make, it calls for preparing the sandwich with white bread and then frying it.
Cleek, who grew up "in the country" in Obion County, said she never saw Elvis perform live, but she has been a fan since she was a teenager.
She describes him as "a country boy like the rest of us (who) liked country food."
"I loved his music," said Cleek. "I just thought he was a wonderful person in that he contributed to a lot of good causes. He shared (with others)."
Cleek also submitted recipes for basic fried chicken and chicken gravy. All three of her recipes, she said, are from the book, "Are You Hungry Tonight?: Elvis' Favorite Recipes," by Brenda Butler.
Biscuits and dip
Darlene Figard of McKenzie has not made the recipes she submitted but is confident they are good because she got them from a book she bought at Elvis Presley's home in Memphis, Graceland - Dean Clark's "Elvis' Greatest Hits: Recipes & More From Graceland."
Figard said the Tennessee angel biscuits recipe was a favorite and that the cheese crab dip was served as an appetizer at his wedding to Priscilla in 1967.
When it comes to Elvis and food, Figard said she thinks of him "sitting in his dining room (at Graceland) munching down on cheeseburgers."
A serious Elvis fan, Figard said she loved the way he sang and moved.
Figard says Elvis kissed her at a concert in Memphis in 1973. He noticed her, she said, because she was sitting close to the stage on the back of her chair - to see over a lady in front who would not remove her hat.
Figard recalls what she was doing the day Elvis died in 1977.
"I was delivering Jackson Sun newspapers in Camden," she said. "When (the news) came over the radio, I stopped the car and cried."
Soup and stew
Two similar recipes that include vegetables were submitted by Wanda Calvert and Pat Little, both of Jackson.
Both call for 2 pounds of stew meat, to which vegetables are added. Little's recipe is "Elvis's favorite homemade vegetable soup."
Calvert made the other recipe, "Elvis Presley's favorite stew," on Jan. 8 this year to celebrate his birthday.
A longtime fan, Calvert said she saw Elvis in concert in Memphis in 1976. Remembering his death in 1977, she said, "My husband I were off work, so we drove to Memphis and were some of the few thousand allowed into Graceland to file by his casket."
Little said she is "not a cook by any means," but is "definitely a big Elvis fan" with one room in her house "totally dedicated" to his memory.
He gave her his guitar pick at a concert in 1974, she said.
Little said she owns many books about Elvis, including cookbooks.
"Anything I can get my hands on regarding Elvis, I pick up," she said.
While Little has not prepared the soup recipe, she said, "I submitted (it) primarily because it was one that was prepared by (Elvis') personal cook. If she made it, that means he loved it. That's enough for me."
Little thinks the recipe is easy to make.
"At least, it's one you couldn't mess up on," she said. "Everyone loves vegetables soup, and it is something you can heat and reheat in this fast-paced world."
As for what to eat with it, Little suggests cornbread.
"I bet that's what Elvis did."
Elvis Presley cake
Recipe from Christie Bradshaw, Brownsville
1 (18.25-ounce) package white cake mix
1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple with juice
2 cups white sugar
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 t. vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans
Prepare cake according to instructions on package. Bake in a 9x13-inch pan. Allow to cool.
Combine pineapple and sugar in saucepan. Bring to a boil. Spoon over cooled cake. In a large bowl, cream butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Add vanilla. Add pecans and mix well. Spread cream cheese frosting over cake.
Elvis Presley cake
Recipe from Dawn Sisco, Jackson
1 box yellow cake mix
1 can (20-ounce) crushed pineapple in juice
2 cups sugar
For the icing:
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 pkg. (8-ounce) cream cheese, softened
1 box (16-ounce) powered sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Make cake according to package directions, baking in a greased and floured 9x13-inch pan.
Boil crushed pineapple (with juice) and the sugar for three minutes. While cake is still warm, punch holes in top and slowly pour pineapple mixture over cake. (Pour a small amount and let in soak in. Continue until all syrup is used.) Allow cake to cool completely before icing.
To make icing, cream butter or margarine and cream cheese. Add powered sugar and beat until creamy. Add nuts and continue beating until it is of spreading consistency.
Spread over cake.
Cook's note : This cake is very moist. Cut into squares, and serve directly from pan. Refrigerate any leftovers.
Elvis Presley cake
Recipe from Pat Cunningham, Camden
1 box yellow or white mix
1 large can crushed pineapple
1 1/2 cups sugar
Bake cake as directed or box. Mix pineapple and sugar in saucepan. Boil for one minute. Punch holes in cake and pour this mixture over cake.
For the frosting:
1 box powdered sugar
1 stick softened butter
8 ounces softened cream cheese
1/4 cup nuts
Mix softened butter and cream cheese. Slowly add powdered sugar and then nuts. Frost cake.
Cheese crab dip
Recipe from Darlene Figard, McKenzie
1/2 cup Roquefort Blue Cheese
1/3 cup cream cheese
2 T. mayonnaise
1/2 t. Worcestershire sauce
1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
1 t. lemon juice
1/2 cup crab meat (fresh, canned or frozen)
Mix the cheeses until soft. Add remaining ingredients. Place in a serving bowl on a large tray or plate and surround with vegetables or cracker dippers.
Fried peanut butter and banana sandwich
Recipe from Barbara Cleek, Humboldt
1 small ripe banana
2 slices white bread
3 T. peanut butter
2 T. butter
Spread peanut butter and mashed banana between two slices of bread. Melt butter over low heat in frying pan. Place sandwich in pan, and fry until golden brown on both sides.
Basic fried chicken
Recipe from Barbara Cleek, Humboldt
1 fryer cut into serving parts
1/2 cup flour
1 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
Corn oil
Combine flour, salt, pepper in a paper bag, Rinse chicken in cold water, and pat dry with paper towels. Drop two to three pieces of chicken at a time into flour mixture, and shake to coat well. Heat oil one-half-inch deep in large heavy frying pan over medium high heat until a drop of water sizzles when added to the oil. Place chicken pieces skin side down into hot oil, being careful not to crowd them. Cook until golden brown. Turn pieces over to reduce heat to medium-low. Cover pan and cook until the chicken is tender - about 30 minutes. Drain chicken on paper towel, and serve with gravy.
Chicken gravy
Recipe from Barbara Cleek, Humboldt
3 to 4 T. flour
1/2 cup milk
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper
Using three to four tablespoons of the fat, stir 3 tablespoons of flour into drippings. Brown and stir until golden. Slowly pour milk into skillet, stirring constantly. Stir in salt and pepper. Continue stirring until the gravy is creamy and comes to a boil (about 3 minutes). Serve hot over mashed potatoes or with biscuits.
Elvis Presley's favorite stew
Recipe from Wanda Calvert, Jackson
2 pounds stew meat
5 cloves garlic
1 cup onion
1 cup bell pepper
1 can tomatoes
2 boxes mixed vegetables
2 cups corn
2 cups okra
2 potatoes
1 cup ketchup.
Cook the first three ingredients for one hour. Then add the mixed vegetables, and cook one-half hour. Then add the final four ingredients, cooking until done.
Elvis's favorite homemade vegetable soup
Recipe from Pat Little, Jackson
2 pounds stew meat
1 small onion
1 small green pepper
1 small clove garlic
3 15-ounce cans mixed vegetables
5 medium potatoes, cut up
1 15-ounce can okra
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons sugar
In a large pot, cook the stew meat, onion, bell pepper, and garlic until the meat is almost brown. Add the mixed vegetables, potatoes, okra, salt and pepper. Cook until the juice becomes thick. Add the sugar. Allow to simmer for about two hours and 30 minutes. Serves 10.
Tennessee angel biscuits
Recipe from Darlene Figard, McKenzie
1 pkg. active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water with a pinch of sugar
5 cups flour
3 T. sugar
1 T. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
3/4 cup shortening
2 cups buttermilk
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Dissolve yeast in warm water with a pinch of sugar.
Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut in the shortening until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in yeast and buttermilk. Knead just enough to hold together. Turn onto a floured board and pat to one-half thickness. Cut with a two- to three-inch biscuit cutter, and place on a lightly greased baking sheet.
Bake about 12 minutes or until light brown.
Makes 24 biscuits.
Article Source: http://www.jacksonsun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080813/LIFESTYLE/808130309
Actress Talks About Her 1968 On-Screen Kiss With Elvis
Memphis, TN -- Elvis Week is well underway and the King's fans packed into the Cook Convention Center in Downtown Memphis, Wednesday, August 13, 2008, for the "Elvis Expo".
People had the chance to browse through 35,000 square feet of Elvis memorabilia, while Eyewitness News Everywhere found one of Elvis' movie co-stars.
Celeste Yarnall shared with us what it was like working with Elvis in 1968 on the set of the movie "Live a Little, Love a Little".
Before Yarnall had ever met Elvis, a producer on the set told her that Elvis was dying to meet her. Remembering that experience she told us, “I turned around and there was Elvis. I thought I was going to have a heart attack."
She told us she’ll never forget his sapphire blue eyes and how nice he treated her and others.
Yarnall has many pictures of Elvis and her together. She says the connection they had was something special.
“The chemistry between us was…if we both hadn't of been married, I tell you the chemistry was unbelievable,” said Yarnall.
Not only did Yarnall say there was chemistry between the two of them, but she also told us about some romantic movie scenes. She says they kissed many times for the movie. She says those kisses were the best she’s ever received.
Yarnall also says face to face was the best way to take in the beauty of Elvis Presley.
“You had to see this man in person. The skin, the nose, the profile, the eyes, he was just beautiful,” said Yarnall.
She says Elvis' good looks and charm weren't the only qualities he had.
“He was very down to earth. The fabulous thing about Elvis was that he was more interested in you than trying to be interesting himself,” said Yarnall.
The Elvis Expo also showed off Elvis Presley's 1969 Mercedes Benz limousine. It is loaded with all kinds of extra amenities like a sunroof, telephone and television.
In remembrance of Elvis, the usual candlelight vigil will be held Friday, August 15, 2008, at 8:00 p.m. This is where fans can walk up his driveway at Graceland to Elvis’ gravesite with a candle in remembrance of him.
Article Source http://www.myeyewitnessnews.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=8c823feb-99c1-413e-bd8f-fbfb3c360ed2
Love me tender
Elvis tributes and help for hopeless cooks
By Anita overcash
AUG. 16 -- You can enjoy eats off the menu at Jonathan's of Matthews, but the real entertainment comes from "A Tribute to the King," a benefit show to honor the king of rock 'n' roll, Elvis Presley, on the day he died (31 years ago). The tribute artists include Chuck Ayers, Wayne Euliss, Joe Clough and Jeff Collins. Proceeds of the event will go to Presbyterian Hemby Children's Hospital. $12, for the show only. 6 p.m. Jonathan's of Matthews, 10630 Independence Pointe Parkway, Matthews, NC. (Matthews) For reservations call 704-847-8911.
Source: http://charlotte.creativeloafing.com/gyrobase/love_me_tender/Content?oid=344207
By Anita overcash
AUG. 16 -- You can enjoy eats off the menu at Jonathan's of Matthews, but the real entertainment comes from "A Tribute to the King," a benefit show to honor the king of rock 'n' roll, Elvis Presley, on the day he died (31 years ago). The tribute artists include Chuck Ayers, Wayne Euliss, Joe Clough and Jeff Collins. Proceeds of the event will go to Presbyterian Hemby Children's Hospital. $12, for the show only. 6 p.m. Jonathan's of Matthews, 10630 Independence Pointe Parkway, Matthews, NC. (Matthews) For reservations call 704-847-8911.
Source: http://charlotte.creativeloafing.com/gyrobase/love_me_tender/Content?oid=344207
Sunday, 10 August 2008
Rockmount shirts set the fashion in the West
August 10, 2008
DENVER (AP) — Its Western shirts have been worn by everyone from Elvis Presley in "Love Me Tender" to Heath Ledger in "Brokeback Mountain."
Actor Clark Gable and singer Bob Dylan also sported Rockmount Ranch Wear shirts, and when the Democratic National Convention rolls around, each member of Colorado's House delegation will have his or her own custom-made shirt.
"The bottom line is, we are unique," said Steve Weil, Rockmount's president and the grandson of 107-year-old Jack A. Weil, the company's founder, fondly known as "Papa Jack."
"We are the last domestic manufacturer of our type of product," Steve Weil said.
Rockmount is a family-owned business that has stayed competitive in the global market.
Papa Jack was the first to design Western shirts with snap buttons. Their sawtooth pockets and diamond button snaps are the longest-running design in the U.S., Steve Weil said.
"It's been said New York has Barneys and Denver has Rockmount," he said. "We feel we exemplify what's special about Denver, and we get visitors from all over the world."
Weil calls his grandfather the company's "secret weapon." He still goes to work every day and is the oldest CEO in the world.
"He does what he likes and he loves what he does," Steve Weil said. "I liken my grandfather to shirts what Henry Ford is to cars."
Jack Weil was born in Evansville, Ind., and came to Denver in 1928. He founded Rockmount in 1946 and has kept its headquarters in the same brick building on Wazee Street in Denver's Lower Downtown. Belts, cowboy hats, colorful ties and the ever-popular shirts adorn the first floor.
With his 100th birthday, city officials changed the name of Wazee Street to "Jack A. Weil Way," a tribute to the man who put Western fashion on the map in Denver.
On the Net:
Rockmount Ranch Wear: http://www.rockmount.com
Side Note:
Steve Weil, one of the owners of Rockmount Ranch Wear, holds a western style shirt and a copy of a logo for the Democratic National Covention in his downtown Denver store on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2008. Colorado Rep. Diana DeGette has purchased similar shirts with the logo for members of Congress attending the Democratic Convention. There is talk of the road to the White House running through the West, and Denver will be a major way station along that route when the Democratic National Convention comes to town Aug. 25-28
Article Source: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hP0gdYmYPMQ1A88TDShJfTYzQcCgD92FH7LO0
Saturday, 9 August 2008
In Elvis's Footsteps Press Release
CLICK TO ENLARGE TO READ
Above letter is embed into the e-mail -
Anders Karlstedt
website: www.elvis4u2.se
e-mail contact: elvis@4u2.se
CYBILL SHEPHERD - SHEPHERD HAUNTED BY PRESLEY
July 31, 2008
Actress CYBILL SHEPHERD is haunted by her ex-lover Elvis Presley - because she wishes she could have saved him from his destructive lifestyle.
Shepherd dated the late rock 'n' roll legend shortly before his death in 1977 from a heart attack. He had been addicted to amphetamines at the time.
And the Moonlighting star is often haunted by the vision of Presley as she believes she could have helped him beat his demons.
She says, "I don't feel him (Presley) in a way that I feel I have to call Ghostbusters, but I've been haunted by the sense that when I knew him, he was very sweet but also seriously into drugs.
"So I've been haunted by wishing he could have lived longer because I'm from Memphis and I've had the fame thing, too. Maybe I could have helped him."
Article Source: http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/article/shepherd%20haunted%20by%20presley_1075956
Wednesday, 6 August 2008
Elvis Presley tote bag range
Whether you're a fan of clean-cut early Elvis or showbiz-style Vegas Elvis, there's a bag for you in the Elvis Presley tote bag range.
Both bags are made of canvas, are vegan-friendly and are sized at 16 inches x 14.5 inches. The Jailhouse Rock tote bag is in khaki green with an image from that particular flick, embroidered details, a mobile phone pocket and a small zipped pocket. The Viva Las Vegas bag packs the same detailing, but goes for a bright and bold Elvis image with a pop art slant.
The Jailhouse Rock bag retails for $33, while the Viva Las Vegas bag sells for $32, which is around £16 each.
Find out more at the Plasticland website
For more of the same with a contemporary twist, check out our newly-launched Switched On Set website .
Article Source: http://www.retrotogo.com/2008/07/elvis-presley-t.html
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