CURRENT NEWS AND EVENTS JULY, 2019

COPYRIGHT LINDAHOODSIGMONTRUTHCONTD.COM MAY, 2009 – 2019 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS COPYRIGHT COVERS ALL OF MY ORIGINAL MATERIAL CONTAINED ON EVERY PAGE OF THIS WEBSITE.

Please do visit my new YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwcvN-9eB1ZG0vl6EqZqU9w/videos

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Choose who must hold the title of

THE KING for 2019!

PLEASE VOTE ONCE EVERY DAY!!!

Also Elvis’ song “Suspicious Minds” for the Song of Ages. 

Also Elvis’ Album “Elvis Presley – Elvis Presley” for the Album of Ages. 

Do NOT forget to vote for these two categories also!!!

thekingofmusic.com

songofages.com   

albumofages.com

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TUESDAY, JULY 2, 2019

Dedicated to Mickey Moran and the followers of his 6 years of lies about me and Jesse…

Mark Twain quote

Moran's garbage about Jesse and me

Jesse and I discussed the possibility of my posting Moran’s above garbage and agreed upon it.

Sick to death of this trash…

Mickey Moran lies about meJesses-letter-for-my-web-site-August '16Moran about me in 2013

 

Below is a photo of the woman who originated most of the trash that Moran has picked up on and propagated about Jesse and me.  This woman developed a hatred for me and Dr. Hinton dating way back…even to my newsletter days in 1990-1991 for me.  Moran has copied word for word some of the horrible garbage put out by this woman whose name was Mary Smiley.  She died years ago, but her lies live on.  She took just a bit of truth and added her own hate- filled fabrications to it. Since then, Moran has taken her original lies and added more fabrications of his own.

Mary Smiley

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Please be sure to visit and read the below interview with my friend Wanda June Hill who was a close friend of Elvis’ for 15 years until he left on August 16, 1977.

Gary James interview with Wanda June Hill

Below is the link to the entire interview:
http://www.classicbands.com/WandaJuneBerryHillInterview.html?fbclid=IwAR3WYk-O0u1nWIbZciUMWOhvExPnMXxm8K1amajgB9Tt37zaaLQG5O8v31Q

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I want to remind everyone again that you really should visit this page of my website. Be sure to read everything that Wanda June Hill wrote for my site. Also, make certain that you listen to the tape of the conversation between Elvis and Wanda June. Wanda and Jesse both gave me permission years ago to share this portion of the tape. You must hear their conversation in case you have any doubt that Wanda knew Elvis.❤️🎼🎶🎵

https://lindahoodsigmontruth.com/wanda-june-hill-has-endorsed-my-web-site/

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THURSDAY, JULY 4TH, 2019

WISHING EVERYONE A SAFE, BLESSED AND HAPPY JULY 4TH

This should be our national anthem…with ONLY Elvis singing it.  Once Elvis sang a song, it had been sung!!

Elvis Presley – America The Beautiful (BEST VERSION EVER!!!)

pepefish1

Published on Mar 29, 2012

(THIS VERSION WILL BLOW YOU AWAY) Elvis Presley – America The Beautiful

www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5T6nhLBtGE

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5T6nhLBtGE&w=560&h=315%5D

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Below is part 2 of the interview with Gene Autry Turner about Elvis’ Lee County deputy badge.

Spa Guy

Elvis Sheriff Badge Lee County Gene Autry Turner The Spa Guy Part 2 of 2

Published on Jul 1, 2019

This video is about The Spa Guy introducing you to Gene Autry Turner who has an incredible Elvis story to tell… Don’t forget to subscribe..

www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iFZ6Wp6ADI

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iFZ6Wp6ADI&w=560&h=315%5D

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Below is James Burton telling about some upcoming events in which he will be appearing.  

I thank my dear friend, Lucilia for sharing this video with me on Facebook.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am sure Jesse will enjoy seeing James.

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SENT TO JESSE THRU THIS POINT

ON FRIDAY, JULY 5, 2019

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SUNDAY, JULY 7, 2019

Below is a statement about Mickey Moran’s published lies about me, Jesse and the truth that I am telling.  This truthful account of the real facts about the topics of Moran’s lies was composed and written by a man who has taken so much of his time to research the truth which I have presented.

I thank SK from the bottom of my heart for all of his time and diligence spent in preparing this statement for me to share with everyone.

I do hope that each of my visitors will read this and digest what is contained.  Please do invite others to read this as well.

Evil prevails when good people do nothing. 

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MICKEY MORAN DEBUNKED!!  HIS FOLLOWERS WERE FOOLED!!

THE FACTS: 

  • Mickey Moran says his SLANDEROUS and FICTITIOUS LIES about LINDA HOOD SIGMON, JESSE and DR. HINTON were given to him anonymously. The source of Moran’s “information” as he calls it was the late Mary Smiley, a very angry woman who was making up and spreading lies about Linda and Jesse until she died. She handed Mickey her torch and he has been making up his own lies to keep it burning in his name ever since. 

Photo of Mary Smiley, Mickey Moran’s former “Source”:  

Screen Shot 2019-07-06 at 5.39.56 AM.png

DO YOUR RESEARCH – MICKEY LIED…A LOT!! :  

– Jesse NEVER sent FOX News a pair of blood-stained jeans to test for DNA like Mickey Moran says. Jimmy Velvet did and the news video footage clearly states this and he admits it himself in his interview on the ElvisInfoNet site. Jimmy Velvet stated that he has Elvis’ fingerprints, saliva and blood and gave them ( Fox News) what they needed. 

– Jesse’s own DNA that he personally provided himself was a CONFIRMED MATCH with family members from BOTH SIDES of ELVIS’ FAMILY,  but not Elvis’ autopsy or 1975 liver tissue samples. It would be even more surprising if Elvis’ tissue samples “weren’t” switched and stolen over the course of 25 years or when leading up to the DNA testing. Even Mickey Moran believes the autopsy was done on someone else.  Jesse’s DNA matching both sides of Elvis’ family somehow gets overlooked by Moran’s followers who are incapable of actual research and checking the facts from their original sources. They prefer to watch a guy whining and lying through his teeth as he slurps on his travel mug of coffee or Kool-Aid or whatever he’s always nervously drinking in the beginning of his videos. 

– CLEARLY Mickey Moran HAS NEVER READ the book Jesse wrote with Dr. Donald Hinton.  

NO requests for donations or money were ever made in Jesse’s book or elsewhere. It’s a rare book these days and no longer in production, but if you can find and afford a copy, it’s great and well worth reading…and you will see NOONE EVER asked for any money.  IN FACT, THE OPPOSITE IS TRUE. Watch the old news footage and you’ll see DR. HINTON PASSED A LIE DETECTOR TEST when asked if he wrote it with Jesse to make money. They did not. The publisher of the book also stated Hinton and Jesse weren’t paid anything and received nothing for producing it or it’s sales.   

Jesse never mentioned the possibility of ever coming back into the spotlight publicly in his book either. Dr. Hinton said this himself “after” the release of the book caused a lot of problems for him and he was no longer treating Jesse. He did say that if it didn’t end up happening it’s because it was prevented from happening. It didn’t happen and that’s a good thing.  

MORE FACTS MICKEY MORAN OMITS TO FOOL HIS FOLLOWERS : 

THE LATE COURT CERTIFIED EXPERT GRAPHOLOGIST, SHIRLEY MASON CONFIRMED JESSE’S HANDWRITING MATCHES ELVIS’ 100%.

– THE LIE DETECTOR TEST DR. HINTON TOOK AND PASSED WITH FLYING COLORS.  

 – Mickey Moran’s photo of the late REVEREND DALE PRESLEY that he claims is Jesse has been DEBUNKED as well. Men holding children in their arms at different ages do not make them the same person. Jesse and the late Reverend Presley are blood relatives though. Moran won’t admit or share the photos of Reverend Presley when he was an older man because they PROVE 100% that JESSE is CLEARLY NOT the same person. How does Moran explain Jesse staying in contact with Linda and having the exact same expert-verified Elvis handwriting when Reverend Dale Presley passed away 8 years ago in 2011!!?? Moran finally realized he messed up when he was shown the facts and evidence and is petrified to admit it. https://lindahoodsigmontruthcontd.com/proof-that-jesses-photo-has-not-been-debunked-by-mickey-moran/

Go ahead and back-check all the above facts and you’ll see how much he blatantly lies to suck the weak, gullible and lazy into following him. WAKE UP PEOPLE!!! 🙂 

People like XAVIANT HAZE… just another pathetic and lazy author trying to make it rich off of Elvis’ name. Desperate to fill enough pages for a book and quick buck,  Xaviant Haze helped perpetuate Moran’s slanderous lies without even bothering to fact-check any of them. If you heard him promoting his book on Coast to Coast AM when it first came out, you’ll recall him nearly choking on his own words a couple of times. The guy has no idea what he’s talking about. He copied and pasted quotes and photos he found in a night of Google searches and made a book out of it. Like Shawna Fleming, Xaviant Haze is another member of Mickey Moran’s bandwagon of morons who spreads his lies for attempted fame and followers…and in Haze’s case, money.   

MESSAGE TO MICKEY MORAN: You are hurting some really great and special people with your slanderous lies. You really should finally apologize now and try and right your wrongs. You don’t want to regret missing your opportunity to make peace with the man you claim to be a big fan of while he’s still around. Linda deserves A LOT better from you too. Without Linda, noone would have even heard of Jesse and there would have been no photo, or book, or Fox News Reports, or professional DNA and handwriting analysis’ being expert verified, or numerology and clues Elvis/Jesse left for his fans to find, and most importantly for so bravely being Jesse’s voice and sharing the truth and helping connect us fans and his old friends with him. 

Please get over your fear of losing followers and make some attempts at peace with an apology. You don’t have to publicly admit you believe Jesse is Elvis if you don’t want to but please at least remove all the horrible slander and lies about he and Linda from your posts and videos. It’s never too late until it’s too late.  Your blatant lies and actions are not just very upsetting to Linda and Jesse, but also to myself and every Elvis fan that knows he is living a more simple and well earned private life now….and yet you wish you could change this and make him live his life on YOUR TERMS. What are you thinking man?  

There will NEVER be a parade in your name where you’re sitting on Jesse’s shoulders waving an “I Found Elvis” flag above your head. It’s time to get over that idea of the TV SHOW with you and Linda and Jesse and all that silly stuff and take this opportunity to grow-up spiritually and make amends. You made a bit of a name for yourself by sharing existing TV show content, videos and public information on the internet and adding Mary Smiley and your own lies into the mix to be the source of cheap tabloid type rumors. Everyone who bothers to check the facts realizes this and history will reflect much more kindly on you if you retract your lies and apologize. I’m not the only one who would respect such a long overdue and humble move from you.  

SK  

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TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2019

The following is from a book written with information from Elvis’ aunt Lois Smith.  The following two pages contain some interesting statements.

Below is where this book may be purchased:

The Forgotten Family of Elvis Presley: Elvis’ Aunt Lois Smith Speaks Out

Elvis' Aunt Lois at casket
Elvis' Aunt Lois at Graceland Aug. '77

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Those who have not visited my page devoted to Gene Smith, Elvis’ first cousin,  would learn much from this page of my original website.

GENE SMITH, ELVIS’ FIRST COUSIN AND CLOSEST LIFELONG FRIEND SAYS IT WAS NOT ELVIS IN THE COFFIN

https://lindahoodsigmontruth.com/15-gene-smith-elvis-first-cousin-and-closest-lifelong-friend-says-it-was-not-elvis-in-the-coffin/

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Below is a very good and interesting video which contains some footage of the June, 1972 New York press conference which we have not seen before.

Elvis Presley – The Complete 9 June 1972 New York Press Conference (with all available video)

Leon Smith’s Elvis Channel

Published on Jul 7, 2019

Elvis’ press conference held in the New York Hilton on the afternoon of 9 June 1972 has become the stuff of musical legend and folklore and remains not just his final press conference but one of the most frank and honest public appearances of his lifetime. The conference took place just hours before Elvis’ first of four consecutive shows in the city’s Madison Square Garden Arena. Much of the footage remained unreleased for many years apart from some excerpts seen in “This Is Elvis” but it’s authenticity was depleted by the use of the overdubbing of actors’ voices with the questions asked of Elvis and some of these were only paraphrases of the original questions. In 2012, as part of the “Prince From Another Planet” some of the video footage of this press conference was released officially by Sony but only half of the event was seen on the DVD. The audio of the press conference has never been released officially and as such some questions from the press core remain inaudible and many of the transcripts show some guesswork has taken place and even in parts where the sound is clear still have wildly inaccurate depictions of the questions. in this video I have tried to place subtitles over the parts which are difficult to understand and have written what I believe to be the questions being asked but in some points are too difficult to hear so in those cases I have just placed “inaudible”.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtlXUWhbBd4&w=560&h=315%5D

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Just want to let everyone know that Jesse called tonight and we had a very nice time.  He was doing well today.  We had a number of things to discuss.  

Jesse did give me two things to post this time…both in regards to Mickey Moran’s actions.

First of all, regarding the very unkind comments which Moran has published regarding the photo of Jesse with Benjamin.  Jesse wants Moran to know that he thought the comments were funny…he had a good laugh.

Second, he wants Moran and everyone else to know that he backs me 110%. He said that he is my armor and I am his sister.

Needless to say, his call lit up my day.

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 10, 2019

This anniversary of Sun Records in Nashville is significant to me because Shelby Singleton was behind the beginning of ORION the singer.

email-cover-image

Sun Joins Singleton Legacy, Moves to Nashville, 50 Years Ago

Sun Records is the iconic 50’s label (in the Top 10, according to Variety) which
launched the careers of the Million Dollar Quartet artists (Elvis, Johnny Cash,
Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins) plus others such as Roy Orbison and Charlie Rich. Sun was founded by Rock & Roll pioneer and visionary Sam Phillips in 1952 and was successful for a five year period beginning in 1954. 

In the early 60’s, Sam’s passion for the music business waned as he pursued other business interests, such as radio, property and blue chip stocks, and Sun Records became dormant. In early 1969, Sam began negotiations with a friend, Shelby Singleton, for a deal that ultimately reversed the original intention. 

Shelby was a successful music producer who had earned his stripes at Mercury Records, starting out in regional promotion and winding up as head of A&R. He left in 1966 to form his own company, which became very successful in 1968 with the chart topper, “Harper Valley PTA.” 

sun-buyout-closing

From left to right: Sam Phillips, Shelby Singleton, Stu Silfen (Singleton’s attorney), and Noble Bell (Singleton’s EVP)

In July of 1969, the negotiations between Sam and Shelby were finalized and Sun Records was sold. Sun was moved to Nashville, and Sun Records joined the existing Singleton stable of labels SSS International and Plantation. Shelby Singleton and his partner/brother, John A. Singleton, managed the company until Shelby’s passing in 2009. John continues to guide and enhance the Sun legacy started by Sam Phillips. 

This year celebrates the golden anniversary of the ownership of Sun Records by the Singleton family.

https://sunrecordcompany.fanbridge.com/campaigns/show.php?id=1519516&sid=287279564

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THURSDAY, JULY 11, 2019

Below are four interview videos with Dick Grob, Sam Thompson and Charles Stone.  You will enjoy hearing about their memories of Elvis.

All 4 of these videos are on the YouTube channel of outlawfilms

Conversations with Tom Brown with Dick Grob, Sam Thompson & Charles Stone 2019 Tupelo Elvis festival

Published on Jul 2, 2019

www.youtube.com/watch?v=rr4gjhgmaTY

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rr4gjhgmaTY&w=560&h=315%5D

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Published on Jul 3, 2019

www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhCtSOVQMN8

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhCtSOVQMN8&w=560&h=315%5D

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Published on Jul 4, 2019

www.youtube.com/watch?v=KX8ivKGgvtU

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KX8ivKGgvtU&w=560&h=315%5D

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Published on Jul 5, 2019

www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwwomqzTfII&t=11s

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwwomqzTfII&w=560&h=315%5D

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SENT TO JESSE THRU THIS POINT 

ON FRIDAY, JULY 12, 2019

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SATURDAY, JULY 13, 2019

This is a very interesting video about the home which Elvis bought for his cook, Mary Jenkins Langston.

Spa Guy

Published on Mar 19, 2018

This video is about The Spa Guy taking you to Elvis’ Cook Mrs. Mary Jenkins Langstons’s home that He bought her.. and some other interesting details…

www.youtube.com/watch?v=TU571wHrEuY&t=29s

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TU571wHrEuY&w=560&h=315%5D

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SUNDAY, JULY 14, 2019

HAPPY ELVIS PRESLEY DAY!!!!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyMvn8fRcOg&feature=push-fr&attr_tag=09jDF9OEOxO9_aLw%3A6

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyMvn8fRcOg&w=560&h=315%5D

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The pain in my hands and wrists has really flared up from my typing too much.  So, I may be absent from my website for a while.  I will be seeing a Dr. this week for more shots in my wrists which, hopefully, will help.

I thank everyone for your understanding and patience.

Love, light and peace,
Linda

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I do have one more item that I want to share with everyone before I leave to give my hands and wrists the rest.

I send hugs of thanks to my friend Elisabeth W. who has created this video to substantiate that the little boy in Jesse’s lap actually is Lisa Marie’s son, Benjamin.

 

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 2019

This Is The Shocking Truth Behind What Really Killed Elvis Presley

There have always been many rumours surrounding Elvis Presley’s death. Some even claim that the rocker didn’t die and that he has been spending his days in a paradisiacal place. His personal doctor recently announced that the singer did not die of a heart problem, which could be confirmed by extensive research which could lift a part of the shadow surrounding the star.

In 1977, Elvis Presley’s death was announced following a cardiac arrhythmia. The star had drug addiction problem at the time and his diet was deplorable for his health. The weakening of his heart was thus explained by his disproportionate lifestyle, which had been endangering his life for several years.

However, the doctor and long-time friend of the rocker, George ‘Nick’ Nichopoulos, first questioned the causes of Elvis’ death. The version that was given is in fact far from the truth.

A shocking truth about the rocker’s image

When asked by Foxnews.com, George Nichopoulos said, ‘After Elvis Presley’s death, we weren’t sure what exactly caused it, so I did some research and some of my colleagues called me from different cities and medical schools that were doing research on constipation and its consequences.’

This revelation is amazing and the doctor who spent 12 years with the star added: ‘We didn’t realize until the autopsy that his constipation was so serious.’ He then went on to say, ‘We just assumed that constipation was a side effect of the medications he was taking for his arthritis pain and insomnia.’

A preventable death

Upset by the idea that they could damage his image, Elvis Presley had always hidden his constipation problems. According to Nichopoulos, the subject was extremely delicate to discuss with the star. According to the doctor, this is why the rocker had weight problems and he could still have been alive if he had agreed to do a colostomy. Elvis apparently refused the operation because his problems were so difficult to accept and hurtful to his ego.

• Rob Mitchell

https://www.gentside.co.uk/elvis/this-is-the-shocking-truth-behind-what-really-killed-elvis-presley_art3813.html

Elvis did discuss this health problem with Wanda June Hill and how hesitant Elvis was to have this surgery because of what it would do to his career.

Below is an excerpt from Wanda’s interview with Gary James of Classic Bands in which she explains how Jesse told me something to tell her so she would know that my Jesse really is Elvis.


He always talked about how he was really depressed in his last few years and he wanted a way to escape. He didn’t just want to die and that would be it. He knew he was going to die if he didn’t get medical help. To get the medical help he’d have to have, he would have to give up his career. The press would’ve just torn him up from one end to another. That’s what he thought and it’s probably true.

He’s given me information through Linda Sigmon that no one but him and I would know. For instance, the very first thing he said when I said do you really know it’s him? She said, “He told me to tell you if I ever question her to tell me that I have the bag.” And that was one of the things we had discussed while he was still here, before he “died.” He had to have colon surgery to remove his big colon and he would’ve had to have had a bag. That’s what he feared the most because he couldn’t be Elvis Presley and have something like that. That’s why he chose either death or life and I believe he chose life in the fact that he told her (Linda Hood Sigmon) to tell me that. I have the bag and I would know what he was talking about, and I do absolutely know. It wasn’t something that he told just everybody about, that he had that problem. Most people didn’t have a clue except for the few times he had to run off the stage. He was getting so he couldn’t stay out on the stage in that forum. It was very stressful doing that. He would leave the stage to go to the bathroom. He would change his clothes sometimes. He was just beside himself over that. You can imagine how horrible he would’ve felt if he hadn’t gotten off the stage in time.

http://www.classicbands.com/WandaJuneBerryHillInterview.html?fbclid=IwAR3WYk-O0u1nWIbZciUMWOhvExPnMXxm8K1amajgB9Tt37zaaLQG5O8v31Q

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SENT TO JESSE THROUGH THIS POINT

ON FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2019

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SATURDAY, JULY 20, 2019

I want to share with everyone that Jesse called me late this afternoon.  We had a long chat and I really appreciated that so much.  Jesse is doing well except for some aches and pains of arthritis.  He and I are in the same predicament with the old arthritis.  He had gotten out of the house for an extensive ride and enjoyed that.  He and I are still concerned about the people who have harassed me.  Jesse says that he can only figure that they are jealous.  Jealousy and dishonesty are a very ugly and nasty combination.  We are still thinking what can be done.  I love my big brother so very much and speaking with him always makes me feel better about things.

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SUNDAY, JULY 21, 2019

Below is a margin notation which Elvis wrote for himself. I expect most people have seen this, but I love it and want to share it again.

This copy is taken from a video on YouTube which I enjoy very much.

Be sure to listen closely and enjoy the beautiful musical accompaniment to this video. It is Elvis himself playing the piano informally just for fun.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPE006OBsNU

Image may contain: text

Published on Aug 27, 2011

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 24, 2019

This is a very good and interesting article about the profound effect Elvis had upon Las Vegas.

A

pologies to Celine, Elton, Britney, Gaga and all the others who’ve committed to performing a regular schedule of shows in Las Vegas, but let’s bow to The King, who 50 years ago this month kicked off a historic series of shows in Las Vegas — and its first residency. A VIP-only gig on July 31, 1969, marked the first show in what would become a seven-year-long residency at the International Hotel (which later became the Las Vegas Hilton and is now the Westgate). By his death in 1977, Elvis Presley had performed more than 600 — maybe even more than 800 — shows there, all of them sold-out. The shows encompass a defining arc of Elvis’ career, not only including the vital performer coming off of the acclaimed 1968 “comeback special,” but the final years of Elvis’ life, when pop culture consensus was that he had become a parody of his former performing self.

Richard Zoglin, author of “Elvis in Vegas: How The King Reinvented the Las Vegas Show” (Simon & Schuster, $28), argues that Elvis’ shows changed Las Vegas entertainment, ushering in a rock ‘n’ roll sensibility here that continues today.

Elvis performs at the International July 31, 1969, in Las Vegas. (Terry Todd/Las Vegas News Bureau)

Elvis performs at the International July 31, 1969, in Las Vegas. (Terry Todd/Las Vegas News Bureau)Here are 50 notes of the exciting, historic, ultimately melancholy melody that was The King’s Las Vegas reign.

1 — RCA Records announced the first show with a nine-page release that began: “On July 31, 1969, a tall, rangy, handsome and gifted singer-actor-performer will make his first appearance before a live audience in more than a decade when he steps on to the stage of the new International Hotel in Las Vegas. His name is Elvis Presley, and because of the evocative magic of those four simple syllables, his appearances at the International take on a special emotional as well as astonishing statistical meaning for millions of Americans, both teenagers and adults.”

From left, Las Vegas International Hotel-Casino President Alex Shoofey, Elvis Presley and Bill ...
From left, Las Vegas International Hotel-Casino President Alex Shoofey, Elvis Presley and Bill Miller tour the International Hotel’s construction site and sign Presley’s contract to perform in the hotel’s showroom on February 26, 1969. (Joe Buck/Las Vegas News Bureau)

2 — By 1969, the 34-year-old had sold more than 250 million records during 15 years with RCA. His recording of “Hound Dog” had sold more than 7 million copies since its 1956 release, and Elvis had starred in 32 movies, earned 47 single gold records and 10 gold albums.

3 — Elvis’ recorded voice had “been heard by more people in the world than that of any other performing artist in the history of the recording industry,” according to RCA, and the International contract would make him “one of the highest-paid performers in the history of Las Vegas.”

4 —Elvis’ contract with the International paid $100,000 a week for a four-week engagement, according to Zoglin. That matched what Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin were making, putting all three at the top of Las Vegas’ entertainer pay scale.

5 —The shows weren’t Elvis’ first performances in Las Vegas. In 1956, he played the New Frontier’s Venus Room, which billed him as “the atomic powered singer.” Elvis was listed as an “extra added attraction,” sharing the bill with Freddy Martin and his orchestra.

6 — Critical reaction to that New Frontier lounge appearance was tepid and colored with skepticism about Elvis’ chances of success in Las Vegas.

7 —“For the teen-agers, the long, tall Memphis lad is a whiz; for the average Vegas spender or showgoer, a bore. His musical sound with a combo of three is uncouth, matching to a great extent the lyric content of his nonsensical songs,” wrote the Las Vegas Sun’s Bill Willard.

My girlfriend and I were stunned … we started screaming. I thought, ‘That’s really him. This is not a TV, this is not my record player … I don’t remember the songs he sang. Just the way his hair was absolutely gorgeous, the way the light shined off of it.

Sue Lorenz, Viva Las Vegas Elvis Presley fan club president, who saw Elvis at the International Hotel and Las Vegas Hilton 15 times between February 1970, when she was 12, including his last show here in December 1976.

8 —Elvis held no grudge against Las Vegas. In 1963, he filmed “Viva Las Vegas” here, and on May 1, 1967, he married Priscilla Beaulieu at the Aladdin.

Singer Elvis Presley and his bride, the former Priscilla Beaulieu, are shown at the Aladdin Hot ...
Singer Elvis Presley and his bride, the former Priscilla Beaulieu, are shown at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas after their wedding on May 1, 1967. Presley, 32, and Beaulieu, 21, both from Memphis, Tenn., met while he was stationed in Germany with the U.S. Army. (AP file)

9 — “Viva Las Vegas” was considered by many fans and critics to be among his best films. Elvis confidant Joe Esposito told the Review-Journal in 2014 that “Viva Las Vegas,” which memorably co-starred Ann-Margret, was one of Elvis’ favorite films.

10 — The International shows would come just eight months after Elvis’ critically acclaimed TV special, which aired in December 1968. Officially called “Singer Presents Elvis,” it is widely known as “the comeback special.”

11 —The special drew “a whopping 42 percent of the viewing audience,” Zoglin notes, and it revealed an earthy, charismatic Elvis, helping to reignite interest in the performer.

12 —But first, Elvis had to take care of a final bit of cinematic business: In early 1969, he filmed “Change of Habit,” a drama in which he played a hip, inner-city doctor who fell for a nun (honest!) played by Mary Tyler Moore.

13 — On July 13, 1969, about two weeks before opening night, the RJ reported that Presley’s monthlong set of shows was 80 percent sold out.

14 —The International, which opened July 1, 1969, was then the world’s largest hotel-casino at 30 stories tall, with just over 1,500 rooms, and with a showroom that seated about 1,150.

(My band) opened the Landmark across the street from the International Hotel. Elvis and his band were all good friends of ours and also customers of our family’s restaurant. … It was like when Frank Sinatra electrified when he came to town. A very similar dynamic. … We always say Frank taught us how to swing and Elvis taught us how to rock.

Lorraine Hunt-Bono, former Nevada lieutenant governor and Clark County commissioner who in 1969 was leader of The Lauri Perry Four and attended Elvis’ opening night show

15 —Elvis didn’t open the Showroom Internationale. That distinction goes to Barbra Streisand, on July 2, 1969. According to Zoglin, Elvis’ manager, Colonel Tom Parker, deemed it too risky for Elvis to open a new showroom with all the technical glitches that might bring.

16 —Elvis saw Streisand perform the second-to-last show of her engagement, and according to Zoglin, “Midway through the show he turned to one of his Memphis pals and muttered, ‘She sucks.’ ”

17 —A full-page RJ ad announced the other performers on Elvis’ bill: Comedian (and longtime Las Vegas resident) Sammy Shore, the Sweet Inspirations, the Imperials and the Bobby Morris Orchestra. The ad also named James Burton (guitar), Jerry Scheff (electric bass), Larry Muhoberac (piano), John Wilkinson (guitar) and Ronnie Tutt (drums). The bottom of the ad read: “This announcement courtesy of Elvis and the Colonel.”

Elvis Presley is greeted by comedian Rodney Dangerfield, left, at the International Hotel in La ...
Elvis Presley is greeted by comedian Rodney Dangerfield, left, at the International Hotel in Las Vegas during a press conference to announce Presley’s new show on August 1, 1969. At left, Col. Tom Parker, Presley’s manager, wears a jacket advertising the Presley show. (Terry Todd/Las Vegas News Bureau)

18 —Fun trivia: The Sweet Inspirations was co-founded by Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston’s mom, and the group recorded with a stellar roster of artists including Jimi Hendrix, Aretha Franklin and Van Morrison.

19 —The band lineup changed as Elvis’ tenure at the International continued, filling what became known as The TCB Band (for “taking care of business”).

20 —Elvis’ contract called for him to play two shows a night, at 8 p.m. and midnight. Tickets began at $15, “top of the Vegas scale at the time,” Zoglin writes.

21 — The early show was a dinner show, and the midnight show included drinks. Included on the July 1969 Showroom Internationale menu: Roast sirloin with pommes parisienne, tomate au gratin and Parfait Internationale.

22 — Opening night’s audience reportedly included Fats Domino, Sammy Davis Jr., Tom Jones, Ann-Margret, George Hamilton, Paul Anka, Pat Boone, Carol Channing, Juliet Prowse (who co-starred with Elvis in “G.I. Blues”) and Henry Mancini.

23 — VIPs even got a “welcome gift box,” which included two Elvis albums, a 1969 pocket calendar, two 8-by-10 Elvis photos, a color photo of Elvis, a brochure of Elvis records and tapes, a press release and a stat sheet.

24 —Sammy Davis Jr. got an extra souvenir. According to Graceland’s blog, Davis, who sat in the front row, was given one of Elvis’ rings, right from the stage, by Elvis.

25 —The opening night set list included “Blue Suede Shoes,” “All Shook Up,” “Love Me Tender,” “Jailhouse Rock,” “Don’t Be Cruel,” “Heartbreak Hotel” and “Hound Dog.”

26 — In retrospect, it’s surprising that the list didn’t include “Viva Las Vegas,” the title song from the movie, which still is the closest thing Las Vegas has to a theme song.

27 — The premiere show ran about an hour and 15 minutes.

(A member of Elvis’ entourage) showed me where Elvis stood in the wings before he’d come out. He’d have his guys hold him back, almost as if they were preventing him from getting onstage, so when he came out he’d come out with a big flourish … He was moving forward so he’d build up a big head of steam and bound out onto the stage.

Ira David Sternberg, Las Vegas Hilton vice president of communications and community relations from 2004-2009, host of “Talk About Las Vegas”

28 — Elvis was a hit, and the reviews were great. According to Zoglin, Billboard’s review was headlined “Elvis Retains Touch in Return to Stage.” Variety called Elvis “very much in command.” And The New York Times’ rock critic enthused that Elvis “still knows how to sing rock ‘n’ roll.”

ONE TIME USE ONLY JUL21, 2019 Elvis performs at the International July 31, 1969, in Las Vegas. ...
Elvis performs at the International July 31, 1969, in Las Vegas. (Terry Todd/Las Vegas News Bureau)

29 — The opening-night show was such a hit that Parker and International president Alex Shoofey quickly negotiated another contract on a tablecloth in the hotel’s coffee shop.

30 —During that first engagement, which ended Aug. 28, 1969, Elvis performed 57 shows, all of which sold out.

31 —Elvis drew 101,500 people over the that run — a Las Vegas record — and gross ticket receipts totaled $1.5 million, according to Zoglin.

32 —At the time, Las Vegas shows typically were considered loss leaders. Zoglin writes that Elvis’ reportedly were the first shows to make money, ushering in a new Las Vegas business model.

33 —The tablecloth deal called for Elvis to appear at the International for two four-week engagements a year over the next five years. For that, Elvis would be paid $125,000 a week.

34 — When Elvis performed here, he lived in a 5,000-square-foot suite on the International’s 30th floor. It has been altered in the years since, and no longer looks the same.

There were parties almost every night in the Elvis suite, but they were not loud, crazy, alcohol-infused parties. … Somebody was always stopping over from another hotel, whether it was Tom Jones or Steve (Lawrence) and Eydie (Gorme). The only ones who never came over were the Rat Pack.

Dominic Parisi, Westgate executive casino host, who tended to Elvis from 1972 to 1976, as a room service staffer

35 — During shows, Elvis would wipe his brow with silk scarves that he’d kiss and give to female fans. Those scarves were designed and painted at Opportunity Village, the Las Vegas nonprofit, which provided Elvis’ scarves until the day he died.

36 — In October 1969, RCA released a live recording of the Las Vegas show, “In Person at the International Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada,” as part of a double-album set called “From Memphis to Vegas/From Vegas to Memphis.”

Elvis Presley sings during a 1973 concert. (Associated Press file)
Elvis Presley sings during a 1973 concert. (AP file)

37 — It was Elvis’ first live recording, and Las Vegans could get it at the local Woolco for $5.49 (“a $9.98 value”).

38 — Fans who felt particularly inspired by Elvis also could visit Woolco to buy a “folk guitar outfit” for $8.97, reduced from the regular price of $12.97.

39 — Zoglin said the International shows created a new customer base for Las Vegas, not the sort of high rollers and table game players that the Rat Pack drew, but of middle-Americans and those who otherwise might not have come here.

40 — Elvis’ second engagement at the International began on Jan. 26, 1970, and it was as popular as the first. The third was in August 1970. An August 1970 show was filmed and became the documentary “Elvis: That’s the Way It Is.” Released in November of that year, the film features Elvis singing several numbers and records a rehearsal session.

41 — Elvis is recognizable by a single name, but the hotel he played changed its name several times over the years. Opening as the International, it became the Las Vegas Hilton and then the LVH before becoming the Westgate in 2014.

42 — Elvis performed his last show at the then-Las Vegas Hilton on Dec. 12, 1976. Elvis was found dead in a bathroom of his home at Graceland on Aug. 16, 1977, at age 42.

4— Exactly how many shows Elvis performed here is, surprisingly, debatable. According to the Hilton, he performed 837 shows between July 31, 1969, and Dec. 12, 1976, all of them sellouts, to an estimated audience of 2.5 million people.

4— After a review several years ago, Graceland revised the total to 636.

He had a phenomenal rapport with the audience. He’d take off scarves and give them to women, and women would charge the stage like a feeding frenzy. He was just fun to watch. He was a great entertainer, even when he was bursting out of his jumpsuit.

David Siegel, founder of Westgate Resorts, who knew Colonel Tom Parker and saw Elvis about 15 times at the International and Las Vegas Hilton

45 — Whatever the number, the Hilton honored the record-breaking streak with the installation in September 1978 of a statue that now sits near the Westgate’s front desk. Hilton President Barron Hilton, Priscilla Presley and Vernon Presley, Elvis’ father, attended the ceremony.

An Elvis Presley statue in the lobby of the Westgate on Thursday, July 11, 2019, in Las Vegas. ...
An Elvis Presley statue in the lobby of the Westgate on Thursday, July 11, 2019, in Las Vegas. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @benjaminhphoto

46 — About 2,000 fans also attended, the RJ reported, and Priscilla described the statue as looking “very much like” Elvis.

47 — Elvis’ relationship with Las Vegas continues. In 2016, a portion of Riviera Boulevard was renamed Elvis Presley Boulevard, and Southern Nevada also is home to Elvis Presley Court and Elvis Alive Drive.

48 — Elvis also received a star on the Las Vegas Walk of Stars in 2008.

49 — Elvis was a Las Vegas game-changer. Zoglin writes that Elvis at the International “established a new template for the Las Vegas show: No longer an intimate, sophisticated, Sinatra-style nightclub act, but a big rock-concert-like spectacle.”

50 — Elvis’ shows also altered the way Las Vegas entertainment is consumed, Zoglin says, as “people began to schedule their trips to Vegas around Elvis shows, rather than coming to town and then choosing from available shows.

Contact John Przybys at jprzybys@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0280. Follow @JJPrzybyson Twitter.

Book signing

Richard Zoglin, author of “Elvis in Vegas: How The King Reinvented the Las Vegas Show,” will be in Las Vegas Aug. 2 for a presentation and book signing at the Clark County Library, 1401 E. Flamingo Road.

The event will begin at 7 p.m. A signing and reception will follow Zoglin’s talk, and The Writer’s Block wll be selling books at the door.

The event is free and open to the public, but seating will be on a first come, first served basis. For more information, call 702-507-3459.

https://www.reviewjournal.com/entertainment/shows/elvis-came-to-las-vegas-50-years-ago-and-history-was-made-1807088/

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THURSDAY, JULY 25, 2019

Another monthly news report…

Elvis Presley News Report 2019: July

Emiel Maier

Published on Jul 19, 2019

www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfdOe-kEc_o

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfdOe-kEc_o&w=560&h=315%5D

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SENT TO JESSE THRU THIS POINT

ON FRIDAY, JULY 26, 2019

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 2019

I apologize that I have not added any new material to my website this week.  I have been working on my computer trying to get it set up and restored after having repairs done which wiped everything completely off.

Also, the shots only helped the pain in my wrists for a few days and then the pain returned so that is holding me back a great deal.

My original website has crashed again and I have no idea when or IF my web host will get it back on line.  I will have to think about that when I get my own computer working again.

I will return to posting when that is possible.

I thank everyone for your understanding and patience.

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 1, 2019

I want to share with everyone that Jesse called this afternoon.  He sounded great and is doing well.  

We got a new puppy last Friday and when I wrote to him, last Thursday night, I told him about how happy and excited I was.  So, he called today to talk about our little “Daisy”.  He wants photos and, if possible, a video of her.  So, Tom and I will be working on that later today.

We enjoyed a happy phone visit and, of course as always, it just made my day.

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SENT TO JESSE THRU THIS POINT

ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 2019

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I HAVE CREATED A NEW CURRENT NEWS PAGE

FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST, 2019

https://lindahoodsigmontruthcontd.com/current-news-and-events-index/current-news-and-events-august-2019/

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