COPYRIGHT LINDAHOODSIGMONTRUTHCONTD.COM MAY, 2009 – 2021 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS COPYRIGHT COVERS ALL OF MY ORIGINAL MATERIAL CONTAINED ON EVERY PAGE OF THIS WEBSITE.
Please do visit my YouTube channel:
Linda Hood Sigmon ‘s YouTube Channel
<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>
SUNDAY, AUGUST 1, 2021
This question stumped me and I was there way back in those days. I enjoyed this article and I think Jesse and my visitors will as well. My guess was “That’s Alright, Mama”.
Elvis Presley’s 1st #1 National Hit Record Released 66 Years Ago Today
In previous writings and conversations over the years, when I asked if others could name Elvis Presley’s first #1 rated national record, the answers were inevitably “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Don’t Be Cruel,” or “Hound Dog.” Occasionally, “Love Me Tender” or “Jailhouse Rock” were mentioned.
Even most big time Elvis fans were wrong. The first #1 national hit was released on August 1, 1955. Although I wasn’t born until four months later, I remembered the date because it was my maternal grandmother, Ruby Floyd’s, 45th birthday.
A few years or so later, she’d play Elvis Presley’s greatest hits album and we would dance to each song on both sides of the disc. It’s little wonder I became a solid lifelong Elvis fan.
Trail Drive-In, San Antonio, Texas
The first night of showing a new movie at the Trail or Mission Drive In theaters in San Antonio, my family would be there early–in time to be parked front and center and catch the cartoons and upcoming attractions previews.
Bill Black, Scotty Moore with the addition of Johnny Bernero on drums were the musicians.
Elvis’ first national hit was actually his last recording at Sun Studios and was cut on July 11, 1954 but released on August 1st over a year later.
Johnny was actually a full time plumber who worked opposite Sun Studios, but was hired by Sam Phillips to play drums from time to time.
Johnny was a bit older than the rest of the group and was more of a western swing style drummer, evidenced from the groove he plays on this track. He was offered the job as Elvis’ drummer but turned it down due to having a family.
Johnny did go on to record under his own name at Sun, however the singles weren’t released at the time and he never became successful in the music industry. You can find some of his recordings on line now though.
Scotty Moore’s guitar had a Nashville steel guitar sound, and Bill Black played a clip-clop rhythm on his large stand-up bass (now owned by Sir Paul McCartney).
Elvis sang a brooding vocal. This is the closest the trio came to a traditional country song while at Sun.
Elvis, Bill & Scotty at Sun Studio with Sam Phillips.
The song reached the Billboard national country music chart #1 position on February 25, 1956 on the Billboard C&W Best Sellers in Stores chart. It remained there at #1 for 2 weeks, and spent 5 weeks at #1 on the Billboard C&W Most Played in Juke Boxes chart.
The record reached #4 on the Billboard Most Played by Jockeys chart. It was the first recording to make Elvis Presley a nationally-known country music star. The song remained on the country charts for 39 weeks.
The single reached no. 2 on the Cash Box Country singles chart on the March 10, 1956 Top 15 Country Best Sellers Chart.
The flip side of this release, “Mystery Train”, peaked at the #11 position on the national Billboard Country Chart.
What was Elvis’s first #1 song? None other than “I Forgot to Remember to Forget.” (Click to YouTube clip)
https://cleverjourneys.com/2021/08/01/elvis-presleys-1st-1-national-hit-record-released-66-years-ago-today/#comments
<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>
MONDAY, AUGUST 2, 2021
Below is another excellent article from the same blog as my above article. I highly recommend this blog which has articles about many interesting topics.
I thoroughly enjoyed this article which once again proves that Elvis was certainly not a racist and NEVER was.
B.B. King, Others Knew and Defended Elvis Presley Against All Racist Assertions
Elvis & B.B. King and racism-Interview with Jack Dennis, 2010
B.B. King knew “the definitive truth about Elvis Presley and racism.” ‘.
‘Let me tell you the definitive truth about Elvis Presley and racism’, The King of the Blues, B.B. King said in 2010. ‘With Elvis, there was not a single drop of racism in that man. And when I say that, believe me I should know’.
A few years before Presley walked into Sam Phillip’s Recording Service at Sun Studios in Memphis, Riley B. King was beginning his recording career there in 1951.
King remembered when he first met the young Presley, it was obvious how respectful and comfortable he was around bluesmen. King, in his 1996 autobiography, said Presley ‘was different. He was friendly. I remember Elvis distinctly because he was handsome, quiet and polite to a fault. Spoke with this thick molasses southern accent, and always called me ‘sir’. I liked that’.
There has been some debate and speculation in the political world recently about Presley’s impact on music as it relates to race.
About 10 years ago, controversial lyrics from a then new Macklemore song called ‘White Privilege II suggested Miley Cyrus, Iggy Azalea and Elvis Presley were ‘so plastic, you’ve heisted the magic’ from the black culture.
Some suggest ‘race baiters’ or those with politically socialist agendas for America have been promoting and growing division between races.
In an Oct. 10, 2010 interview with this writer in his tour bus behind the Majestic Theater in San Antonio, Texas, King was particularly open in his comments.
(Perhaps it was because present was Hilton Conrad Joseph, a saxophone player for King in the 1970’s and 80’s that the writer helped arrange the two to see each other after more than 20 years).
B.B. King in San Antonio, 2010.
Photo: Jack Dennis
King enthusiastically shared his thoughts about happiness, his famous guitar (‘Lucille’), musical influences and Elvis, ‘the other King’.
‘All of our (Presley’s and King’s) influences had something in common’, King explained. ‘We were born poor in Mississippi, went through poor childhoods and we learned and earned our way through music. You see, I talked with Elvis about music early on, and I know one of the big things in heart was this: Music is owned by the whole universe. It isn’t exclusive to the black man or the white man or any other color. It shared in and by our souls’.
‘I told Elvis once, and he told me he remembered I told him this, is that music is like water’, King pointed out. ‘Water is for every living person and every living thing’.
King raised his finger up as if Elvis was still in front of him, and profoundly declared, ‘Water from the white fountain don’t taste any better than from the black fountain. We just need to share it, that’s all. You see, Elvis knew this and I know this’.
‘Many people make the mistake of being wrong about all of this’, King continued. ‘If you ask anyone, I’m talking about people from all kinds of music – Blues, Soul, Country, Gospel, whatever – and if they are honest with you and have been around long enough to know—they’ll thank Elvis for his contributions. He opened many doors and by all his actions, not just his words, he showed his love for all people’.
‘People don’t realize that when ‘That’s All Right, Mama’ was first played (by Dewey Phillips in July 1954) no one had ever heard anything like that record’, King stressed. ‘It wasn’t just country. It was Rhythm and Blues. It was Pop music. It was music for everybody. This is important’.
King spelled out that there were two very specific music influences that he had in common with Presley.
Elvis with reporters, Sammy Davis, Jr., Fats Domino and others.
‘I was barely 11 years old, when one of the greatest influences of my life, Robert Johnson, was recording just across the street from this (Majestic) theater recording his first ever songs’, he revealed.
King was talking about how, on the corner of Houston and St. Mary’s streets in San Antonio, at the Gunter Hotel, Johnson changed the music world forever. King grew up listening to the 16 songs Johnson recorded in the Gunter and ‘that had a lot to do with where I am today’.
‘Johnson came from the same dirt Elvis and so many of us did’, King submitted. ‘It was the world of sharecropping, and to survive that hard work bending over all day long, there would be plenty of singing. Elvis’ momma and daddy did their share of it – both the picking and the singing. It was called survival. It was called life. It was just as important to us as water. It was as important to those of us who had it in our souls as the water’.
and Elvis Presley
‘The other big influence was Jimmy Rodgers’, King said. ‘Some people want to say he was the Father of Country Music, but like Elvis, he was more than that. He was a big influence on not just me. I used to listen to my aunt’s records of Jimmy Rodgers and that was a real treat. I liked that ‘Mississippi Delta Blues’ and to listen to him yodel’.
‘I never did yodel’, King laughed. ‘But Jimmy Rodgers could sure yodel. He was very good at it. But yes, he influenced more than country music, he influenced Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters as much as he did Merle Haggard or Willie Nelson. See, Elvis did that too, but only much wider. Elvis influenced everybody’s music and it was for the good of all of us’.
‘Now, where did Jimmy Rodgers learn his music from’, King asked, before he gave the answer. ‘He learned it working alongside the black railroad workers and hobos. Elvis lived and played with black children back in (Tupelo) Mississippi. He told me that when he was just a baby and his mama had to work, he was cared for sometimes by his grandmamma, but mostly by a neighbor black lady’.
Rodgers turned out to be the first superstar in the country music field. Born in 1897, his mother died when he was barely seven years old. He spent his childhood residing with several relatives in southwest Alabama and southeast Mississippi. His father found him a job working for the railroad as a water boy for the railroad and Rodgers soon fit in among the rail workers and hobos. He enjoyed listening to gandy dancers, African American workers, who would sing hymns and work songs daily. He learned to pick a guitar from some of them.
‘People today will say things about Elvis they just don’t know about’, King commented. ‘They want to say this is black music, this is white music, this is country music. But when Elvis came along all that was suddenly washed down the drain’.
Elvis supported African-American
functions in Memphis despite local ordinances against it.
Elvis Presley & B.B. King backstage at the WDIA Goodwill Revue.
“Before Elvis we had Little Black Sambo, separate black restrooms and water fountains, and colored events that kept us away from the whites,” King noted as he mention that Presley would attend events especially designated just for African-Americans.
In June 1956, Presley ignored Memphis’s segregation ordinances by attending ‘colored night’ at the local fairgrounds amusement park.
The following December, King was there as Presley opened up almost unbreakable racial barriers by attending and supporting the segregated WDIA black radio station’s annual fund-raising event for ‘needy Negro children’ at Memphis’ Ellis Auditorium.
King wrote in his autobiography that he ‘liked Elvis. I saw him as a fellow Mississippian. I was impressed by his sincerity. When he came to the Goodwill Review (the event WDIA fund raisers of 1956 and 1957), he did himself proud’.
‘The Goodwill Revues were important’, he wrote. ‘The entire black community turned out. All the DJs carried on, putting on skits and presenting good music’.
African-American children in Tupelo.
‘When Elvis appeared (in 1956) he was already a big, big star’, King continued. ‘Remember this was the fifties so for a young white boy to show up in an all-black function took guts’.
‘I believe he was showing his roots and he seemed proud of those roots. After the show he made a pint of posing for pictures with metreating me like royalty’, King recalled. ‘He’d tell people I was one of his influences. I doubt whether that’s true but I like hearing Elvis give Memphis credit for his musical upbringing’.
In 1957, Elvis was being accused of singing “Devil’s Music and Rock n’ Roll should not be allowed in” Jersey City, New Jersey. A local minister, Rev. Milton Perry, counseled with the African American community and city officials. He did the research.
Perry solicited the opinions of African Americans and Caucasian (from) Memphis, on the subject of Elvis Presley.
“I found,” he concluded, “than an overwhelming majority of people who know him speak of this boy as a boy who practices humility and a love for racial harmony.
I learned that he is not too proud or important to speak to anyone and to spend time with his fans of whatever color, whenever and wherever they approach him.”
Jackie Wilson
‘Back in ’72, Elvis helped me get a good gig at the Hilton Hotel while he was playing in the big theater’, King acknowledged in 2010. ‘He put in a call for me and I worked in the lounge to standing room only. Elvis fans came in different colors but their love of good music was all the same. They were always a good audience’.
‘Many nights I’d go upstairs after we finished our sets and go up to his suite’, King confessed. ‘I’d play Lucille (his guitar) and sing with Elvis, or we’d take turns. It was his way of relaxing’.
‘I’ll tell you a secret’, King winked and laughed. ‘We were the original Blues Brothers because that man knew more blues songs that most in the business – and after some nights it felt like we sang everyone one of them. But my point is, that when we were hanging out in the Hilton in the 70s, Elvis had not lost his respect, his ‘yes sir,’ his love for all fields of music. And I liked that’.
At the same time ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ was climbing the charts in March 1956, Billboard magazine featured an article called, ‘Barriers Being Swept Away in C&W, Pop and R&B Fields. ‘Hard and fast cleavages between the country and western, pop, and rhythm and blues fields are rapidly breaking down’, writer Paul Ackerman penned. ‘Perhaps the most interesting example of the breakdown of categories, however, is the current overlapping of the country, rhythm and blues fields … The outstanding example of this type of performer today is Elvis Presley, recently with Sun Records and now on the Victor label’.
When Sam Philips, as Sun Records, released a Presley record, he made sure each bop/rock/pop song had a country tune on the flip side to appeal to both type of listeners. RCA took this innovation even further by marketing Presley in Country, Rhythm and Blues, and Pop fields. By May of 1956, Presley’s ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ became the first ‘Double-Triple Crown’ in Billboard history.
In his autobiography, King said he held no grudges because ‘Elvis didn’t steal any music from anyone. He just had his own interpretation of the music he’d grown up on, same is true for everyone. I think Elvis had integrity’.
“If anyone says Elvis Presley was a racist’, charged B.B. King in the 2010 interview. ‘Then they don’t know a thing about Elvis Presley or music history.”
<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>
I thank my very good friend, Dennis F. Miller, for his cheerful Monday greeting.
<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>
This one is so silly…but it has a couple of good chuckles in it. Maybe since it is Monday, I will be forgiven for throwing in this piece of foolish fluff. Everyone needs a giggle on a Monday.
SELL HOUSE ROCK: Elvis wants you to buy his Smith County real estate listing
https://www.kltv.com/2021/07/29/sell-house-rock-elvis
<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>
TUESDAY, AUGUST 3, 2021
I have just finished reading all three of the books written by Mr. Stan Romanek regarding his alien encounters. I am so glad that Jesse directed me to this gentleman. I thoroughly enjoyed the books and the videos and hated to finish the books.
I have a book that I purchased over 30 years ago and which I had put away and not even thought of until just this morning. I cannot recall what exactly is in this book so I am just beginning to re-read it. I am going to display the front and back of the book below in case anyone else is interested in it. There is VERY limited availability of this book today.
As you can see, mine was autographed to me by the author way back then. I have NO opinion of this book at the moment until I re-read it. But, as you can see, this was a topic in which I was very interested those many decades ago…long before I knew that Elvis told Wanda June Hill that he was from Rigel (in the Orion constellation).
I may post some updates on the contents of this book as I go along re-reading it.
Below is the author’s autograph in my book:
Here is the current status of this book on Amazon:
I have discovered an oddity related to this book. On Ebay, there are a number of jewelry items for sale which are based upon this book. I will display a copy of just one of those items below. There are earrings, pendants and lapel pins all bearing the title of this book as the names of the items. I find this very interesting as this book has been out of print for a time.
I thank everyone for looking over this material…
To the best of my recollection, I have never thought to mention this book to Jesse. I hope he won’t mind my including it on the site.
<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2021
I just saw that there is a copy of Jesse’s book for sale on eBay for a fairly reasonable price. I see that the prices are going up into hundreds of dollars recently. I always try to keep an eye out for a decent price as I know some of my visitors are looking for a copy of this precious book.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/224559217762?hash=item3448c5bc62:g:zAwAAOSwAxthCkkB
<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>
SENT TO JESSE THRU THIS POINT
ON THURSDAY, AUGUST 5, 2021
<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>
FRIDAY, AUGUST 6, 2021
11 pop stars who claim to have seen UFOs
Elvis Presley
The King had a thing for UFOs. According to Larry Geller, Elvis‘s multitasking spiritual advisor and hairstylist, Presley shared telepathic visions with aliens when he was eight years old, including one featuring a future Elvis in a white jumpsuit (the singer apparently didn’t know what the images meant at the time).
Geller said the pair had also seen bright objects in the sky while out driving in the desert, and then hovering above Graceland at a later date. An unidentified flying object was also allegedly seen hovering in the sky by Vernon Presley when his son was being born. Geller said: “His father told us he’d gone out to have a cigarette at 2am during the delivery, and when he looked up into the skies above their little shack, he saw the strangest blue light. He knew right then and there that something special was happening.”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/
footnote: The above is not entirely accurate (but what is these days!?). Vernon did not see a “flying object”, he saw a blue light around their home.
<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>
Elvis UFO Connection – Non-fiction Account of Alien Intervention
Richard Daniel, Castle Rock Press, USA, 1987, ISBN: none
|
In the world of Elvis literature, there are two obscure titles involving Elvis and UFOs. One is the mysteriously titled Elvis The UFO by Aileen Bringle, and the other Elvis UFO Connection Non-fiction Account of Alien Intervention by Richard Daniel. It is this latter book which is the subject of this review. Be prepared, Elvis UFO Connection is a very different Elvis book! The author(s) pose the question: Was Elvis consciously aware of repeated and continual abduction by alien beings? And if valid, does this strange intervention explain and shed new light on Elvis’ controversial private life and his meteoric rise to stardom? To support the theory, the author uses little known, almost obscure facts and reports documented in the Elvis legend. |
 |
Despite the incredible premise which will stretch credibility for many readers, Elvis UFO Connection is a well written book which interrelates little known aspects of the Elvis story with published research on UFO intervention in modern times, principally alien adductions of human beings.
The themes expressed in Elvis UFO Connection will instantly appeal to those with a knowledge of Ufology while for those not so inclined will probably read like a fanciful fairytale. However, our world is a strange place at times and there are many well documented unusual occurrences that defy belief and rational explanation.
There is a logical structure to the arguments presented in the book and many interesting and challenging themes. The significance of an apparently insignificant piece of clothing is but one key in the Elvis UFO mystery story as are important events in the life of Gladys Presley.
Elvis UFO Connection provides the reader with a solid introduction to serious enquiry about alien abductions, and by interweaving seemingly unimportant and usually overlooked incidents in the lives of Elvis and Gladys, offers a unique perspective on, and answer to the eternal question: why Elvis?
About the author: “Richard Daniel” is actually two people, representing the combination of their first names: Richard Vaculig and Daniel Guyll.
In Elvis UFO Connection, the authors borrow heavily from Elaine Dundy’s seminal work, Elvis & Gladys, and also from UFO pioneers such as Brad Steiger, Whitley Streiber and astrophysicist, Dr. Jacques Vallee.
Verdict: While it is easy to dismiss Elvis UFO Connection as another far-fetched tale designed to cash in on the Elvis legend, it is actually a seriously written book with a cogent, if incredible, premise. Part mystery, part biography, part documentation of alien abductions, Elvis UFO Connection challenges common preconceptions about the Elvis story and is worth reading even if you don’t believe.
Availability: Elvis UFO Connection is extremely hard-to-find. In the past two years only one copy has been listed by a book dealer (and was sold at US$60.00), and to EIN’s knowledge no copies have been listed on ebay.
https://www.elvisinfonet.com/bookreviews_rarecuts_ufo.html
I am including the above book review which was published by Elvis Information Network on their website because it is a good and fair review. However, I normally do not use their material as they published an interview that contained libelous and slanderous lies about me many years ago. EIN refused to remove those lies about me in spite of my contacting them and making them aware of their mistake in publishing the interview. If they should find the time to review my 12-year website history now page by page, perhaps they would care to apologize to me and retract their earlier interview article.
<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>
Some blue suede UFOs
On the 30-year deathiversary of Elvis, we pause to take stock in The King’s abiding interest in UFOs. Because even if you’re a hardcore Presleyphile, you probably didn’t know Elvis was born beneath the light of a mysterious celestial object, in an eerie echo of the Star of Bethlehem.
Behold for yourself in “Alien Rock: The Rock ‘n’ Roll Extraterrestrial Connection” by New York author/promoter Michael C. Luckman.
According to Luckman, The King and his dad, Vernon Presley, were in Graceland mansion’s backyard one night when they watched a glowing UFO hover over their heads. The sighting jogged Vernon’s memory about what happened on that cold, dark morning in Tupelo on Jan. 8, 1935. Vernon then clued in Elvis, and the tale was circulated by The King’s astrologer, Larry Geller, and bodyguard Ed Parker.
During Elvis’ childbirth in a two-room Mississippi shack, Vernon recalled the place was bathed by a “canopy of blue light” emanating from a source in the sky.
Elvis didn’t learn of this event until he was an adult, but clearly it left an enduring subliminal imprint: Blue Suede Shoes, G.I. Blues, Blue Hawaii, Blue Moon Over Kentucky, Blue Christmas, Indescribably Blue, etc. The song he was allegedly playing just before he died? “Blue Eyes Cryin’ in the Rain.”
Luckman’s book details the numerous UFO encounters with Elvis, plus this claim The King made to longtime friend Wanda June Hill: “I am not of this world.”
footnote: I wish the author had gone on to include Elvis’ statement about being from “Rigel, my other home…where I’m from” (in the Orion constellation).
https://www.heraldtribune.com/
<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>
This about sums it up…some people have closed minds and open mouths.
<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>
SATURDAY, AUGUST 7, 2021
Elvis Presley News Report 2021: August. (Elvis Presley Channel is expected to launch in early 2022!)
<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>
SUNDAY, AUGUST 8, 2021
WOW!!!! The current prices for Jesse’s book just about took my breath away!!! I do hope that we will still find one of the less expensive prices now and then.
The below listings are on Abe Books.com. The highest prices are at the end of the below list.
https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?isbn=1561676764&cm_sp=mbc-_-ISBN-_-all
The Truth About Elvis Aron Presley: in His Own Words by Hinton, Donald; Presley, Jesse Garon
-
Stock ImageThe Truth About Elvis Aron Presley: In His Own Words
Published by Amer Literary Pr, 2001
ISBN 10: 1561676764ISBN 13: 9781561676767
Seller: GlassFrogBooks, Hawthorne, CA, U.S.A.
Contact sellerSeller Rating:
Condition: Good. A+ Customer service! Satisfaction Guaranteed! Book is in Used-Good condition. Pages and cover are clean and intact. Used items may not include supplementary materials such as CDs or access codes. May show signs of minor shelf wear and contain limited notes and highlighting.
-
Stock Image
The Truth About Elvis Aron Presley: In His Own Words
Published by Amer Literary Pr, 2001
ISBN 10: 1561676764ISBN 13: 9781561676767
Seller: Books Unplugged, Freeport, NY, U.S.A.
Contact sellerSeller Rating:
Condition: Very Good. Independent family-run bookstore for over 50 years! Buy with confidence! Book is in very good condition with minimal signs of use.
-
Stock Image
The Truth About Elvis Aron Presley: In His Own Words
Published by Amer Literary Pr, 2001
ISBN 10: 1561676764ISBN 13: 9781561676767
Seller: Discover Books, Toledo, OH, U.S.A.
Contact sellerSeller Rating:
Paperback. Condition: VERY GOOD. Light rubbing wear to cover, spine and page edges. Very minimal writing or notations in margins not affecting the text. Possible clean ex-library copy, with their stickers and or stamp(s).
-
Stock Image
The Truth About Elvis Aron Presley: In His Own Words
Published by American Literary Press 2001-05-01, 2001
ISBN 10: 1561676764ISBN 13: 9781561676767
Seller: LowKeyBooks, Sumas, WA, U.S.A.
Contact sellerSeller Rating:
Paperback. Condition: Good. Item is in good condition. Some moderate creases and wear. This item may not come with CDs or additional parts including access codes for textbooks. Might be an ex-library copy and contain writing/highlighting. Photos are stock pictures and not of the actual item.
-
Stock Image
The Truth About Elvis Aron Presley: In His Own Words
Published by Amer Literary Pr; 0 edition (July 1, 2001), 2001
ISBN 10: 1561676764ISBN 13: 9781561676767
Seller: Big Bill’s Books, Austin, TX, U.S.A.
Contact sellerSeller Rating:
Condition: new.
-
The Truth About Elvis Aron Presley: In His Own Words
Published by Amer Literary Pr, 2001
ISBN 10: 1561676764ISBN 13: 9781561676767
Seller: GlassFrogBooks, Hawthorne, CA, U.S.A.
Contact sellerSeller Rating:
Condition: New. A+ Customer service! Satisfaction Guaranteed! Book is in NEW condition.
<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>
TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2021
I am sure that my visitors have been worried because I haven’t spoken with Jesse for the last while. I have been extremely concerned about him and my worries went back and forth between his health and those who restrict his contact sometimes.
Jesse did call tonight and we spoke for a little while. He has been very sick and is still not well. He has spent ten days in the hospital because of the stomach troubles which he has been having. They have changed his medication because the antibiotic was part of the problem. He said he finally just could not bear to be there any longer and told his Dr. to get him out of there. So he is home now but still not feeling really well.
I am just so very, very relieved to have heard from him. I do request that everyone keep him in their prayers that he may get back to being able to enjoy himself.
He did mention the events at Graceland leading up to the 16th but, obviously, won’t be able to travel there.
<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>
SENT TO JESSE THRU THIS POINT
ON THURSDAY AUGUST 12, 2021
<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>
FRIDAY, AUGUST 13, 2021
I thank my best friend MJ for calling my attention to the new Elvis Barbie Doll. I find this strangely amusing…but I won’t be buying one.
Celebrate Elvis Week With Your Very Own ‘Elvis Barbie Doll’
Mattel/Authentic Brands/AP PhotoIt’s safe to say that it’s been quite a hectic year so far, and it’s certainly taking a toll on us. But I’m here to bring good news, and let me tell you…it’s GOOD. This is my favorite week of the whole entire year. Why? Because it involves the one and only Elvis Presley.
Yes, Elvis Week is back, baby, and it’s returning with a big bang. In case you don’t know what this week is, once a year Graceland celebrates the late singer by creating special traditional events for Elvis Presley fans. The annual celebration of his life and death runs from August 11th to the 17th. Unfortunately, in 2020, the celebration was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but now it’s returning again so fans can celebrate. The 7-day celebration includes tribute artist performances, concerts, series of unique tours, and panel discussions.
But this year is a little bit more special because Barbie has jumped in on the celebration. They have decided to launch a new collectible Barbie doll dedicated to Presley himself. What a great honor it is indeed. Who would have thought we’d see an Elvis Presley Barbie doll? Mattel teamed up with Authentic Brands to introduce a “Little People Collector” set from Fisher-Price and a collectible Elvis Presley Barbie. Both of these designs commemorate the King of Rock and Roll.
It’s a beautiful Barbie with an even more gorgeous outfit. Inspired by Elvis’ iconic American white eagle jumpsuit, Barbie’s outfit is emblazoned with gold, blue and red sparkles. Just like the original one that he wore on stage. The silhouette also features a cape, belt and bell-bottoms.
Amazon 
Not only that but the Barbie dolls’ pointed-toe boots and a golden ring with a turquoise accent are heavily inspired by Presley’s signature accessories. And of course, you can’t forget about the hair. Barbie is designed to have a sleek ponytail that completes her iconic look. A timeless treasure for Elvis fans!
The Little People Collector Elvis Presley doll featured Little People character styles in several iconic looks by Presley, including a 50s-era Elvis with a guitar, his 60s-era in a black “leather,” and his 70s-era white jumpsuit with lei. All these adorable doll sets come specifically designed and in gift-ready packages for any Presley fan. The exclusive Barbie doll will be sold at major retailers, including Wal-Mart, Amazon and Target. The Little People Collector set will be sold for $14.99 and Elvis as Barbie for $50.
Editor’s Note: Products featured on Wide Open Country are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.
www.wideopencountry.com/elvis-barbie-doll/
<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>
SATURDAY, AUGUST 14, 2021
German town unveils life-sized Elvis Presley statue
The German town of Bad Nauheim has unveiled a bronze statue of its most famous resident — Elvis Presley. Even years after the Rock ‘N’ Roll star’s death, fans in Germany still can’t help falling in love with “The King.”
After years of planning and fundraising, two Elvis fans saw their dream realized on FridayThe picturesque German town of Bad Nauheim officially presented a statue of “The King of Rock ‘N’ Roll,” in celebration of his time there.
Presley lived in the town, some 30 kilometers (19 miles) north of Frankfurt, while stationed as a US soldier from October 1958 to March 1960.
The statue pose was based on a photo thought to have been taken in 1959 that shows Elvis, in army uniform, leaning on the rails of a footbridge in the town. The artwork stands on the same bridge, in the same position.
Bad Nauheim already includes many markers and memorials to the late rock star, even a square named after him.
The unveiling comes as the town celebrates its European Elvis Festival, which also includes concerts, guided tours and a classic car parade.
Germany’s love for ‘The King’
Hardcore fans of the music legend regularly visit Bad Nauheim, where local authorities have preserved many of the sites that date back to his time there.
Two Elvis fans, Angela Storm and Meike Berger, came up with a plan to erect a statue in Presely’s honor back in 2018. They went on to raise their own funding for the project.
Germany has a soft spot for the famous singer and particularly for his time spent in the country — not unlike the national passion for the Beatles’ period performing in Hamburg before making it big.
Bad Nauheim has also played host to other big American names throughout its history, not least a young future President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who traveled to the town and went to school there for a short time in the 1890s.
The town of Friedberg, where Elvis served while in the US army, changed its street crossing lights to reflect his signature moves. It also has a statue of “The King.”
Clint Eastwood and Elvis Presley Used to Hang Out on the ‘Rawhide’ Set
ASSOCIATED PRESSIt’s almost hard to believe how long Clint Eastwood has been working in Hollywood. Now in his 90s, Eastwood has become an American institution and one of the most respected filmmakers in the business. And he’s still making movies! He’s been a box office draw for decades and has worked with some of the most legendary names in the business. He’s even recorded country music with Merle Haggard. But before his name became as iconic as Marilyn Monroe or James Dean, Eastwood was a TV star working on a Los Angeles studio right next to the one and only Elvis Presley.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, the Hollywood legend explained that he got to know the King of Rock n Roll back when he was filming his western TV series, Rawhide. Apparently, Elvis just couldn’t resist playing cowboy in his downtime, and can you blame him? This all makes a lot of sense considering he went on to star in a few of his own western films like Charro.
“I knew Elvis,” explained Eastwood. “Back during the days of doing Rawhide, we worked on the next stage over from one another. He used to come over and do fast draws and stuff like that.”
“I liked him,” Eastwood told USA Today according to Elvis.com. “He seemed like a good guy. Had a lot of guys hanging around, big entourage.”
This was back in the early 60s when Elvis, already a major superstar, was fully focused on his film career. Of course, as we know, Eastwood went on to have his own film career starring in The Dollars Trilogy, Dirty Harry films, and eventually making it to the Oscars with films like Unforgiven. Honestly, it’s pretty cool that these two icons crossed paths back in the day, bonding over cowboy culture and fast draws.
www.wideopencountry.com/clint-eastwood-elvis-presley/
<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>
MONDAY, AUGUST 16, 2021
I hope everyone has had a very good “Elvis Retirement Celebration” this past week.
I did watch the Livestream event of the Candlelight Vigil last night. I received an email today that a video is available to watch today. I am inserting the link below for those who care to check it out.
I want to add how very, very, very thankful I am that Elvis chose to retire on August 16, 1977, and to become Jesse. Had he not made that choice, he would no longer be alive and I would never have been blessed to become his close friend for the past going-on thirty years.
A huge hug of thanks to my “brother” Jesse.
Elvis Presley’s Graceland posted a new video on Elvis Week 2021 Candlelight Vigil.
https://livestream.com/elvispresleygraceland/events
I watched an Elvis movie today in honor of this happy anniversary. I chose to watch Flaming Star because of the hat which Jesse gave to my husband, Tom. Below is the photo of the hat and Jesse’s handwritten letter which accompanied the gift of the hat when he sent it to us.
First of all, here is the letter in which Jesse explains what the gift is. I will let Jesse’s words say it all…I need to add nothing to his letter.
Also, as a PS in that same package, Jesse sent me several pieces of his grandmother’s (Dodger’s) jewelry. There were 4 pieces in all…I am displaying one pair of earrings below along with his PS on the back of his envelope explaining about the jewelry.
<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2021
Yesterday I discovered, once more, that just about all of the photo images had disappeared from one of my pages on my original website. I spent many hours restoring that page AGAIN!! I have no idea why that particular page repeatedly becomes damaged.
I honestly feel that this troubled page is one of the most important pages on my websites. I do have it on both of my sites. I urge everyone, who has not done so, to visit that particular page and refer others who may not believe that my “brother” Jesse is really Elvis Presley.
Below are the links to this page on each of my sites:
<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>
SENT TO JESSE THROUGH THIS POINT
ON THURSDAY, AUGUST 19, 2021
<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>
SUNDAY, AUGUST 22, 2021
I wholeheartedly agree that there should never be a hologram created of Elvis. We have the real person on film and don’t need a man-made imitation.
Elvis Presley hologram tour: Graceland on The King’s view and if such shows will happen
ELVIS PRESLEY hologram tour is something some fans want to see happen and now Graceland has shared what The King thought of the idea and if such live shows will ever happen.
In recent years, hologram tours of music icons have been a growing industry. From Whitney Houston and Buddy Holly to Roy Orbison, could Elvis Presley be next? A malfunctioning hologram of The King singing appeared in Blade Runner 2049, but what about in real life?Well at this year’s Elvis Week, Managing Partner of Graceland Holdings Joel Weinshanker shared that The King wasn’t a fan of the idea and so don’t expect a hologram tour anytime soon.
Joel said: “It’s important that we establish and put forth things that Elvis would want.
“The money doesn’t matter. We will not do anything that we believe Elvis wouldn’t want.
“And that includes something like a hologram because I can tell you I chase people off with a stick who want to make a hologram of Elvis.”
Joel continued: “Besides the fact that I don’t think they’re good, the reason we won’t do a hologram is because Elvis had a conversation with three or four people and I’ve spoken with every single person in the room.
“And it’s obvious that he didn’t like them, never wanted to be one, thought it was kitschy, didn’t think it was real.
“What he realized is there was no soul in it. At the end of the day, there’s no soul in a hologram. It’s soulless. By definition it is. For me, when I can watch Elvis, when I can hear Elvis, that’s Elvis. Everything else is a pale imitation.”
<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>
THURSDAY, AUGUST 26, 2021
I apologize that the below is a topic that I have already covered…still interesting though. I am hoping that we can find a way to get this channel on our TV’s. We don’t have TV access to the streaming channels yet. Rural living, doncha know. LOL
Cinedigm Launching Elvis Presley Streaming Channel
Elvis has re-entered the building through a new streaming deal with Cinedigm, in partnership with Elvis Presley Enterprises.
Cinedigm June 30 announced the upcoming launch of an ad-supported (AVOD) and linear streaming service, The Elvis Presley Channel, featuring archival content and specials, as well as musical content from other rock ‘n roll artists that inspired the music industry. The channel seeks to provide viewers an intimate view into the artist that defined a generation with exclusive films, specials, and documentaries. The Elvis Presley Channel will also give fans a chance to watch rare home footage from the Graceland Archives.
Expected to launch in early 2022, Cinedigm is planning to make the channel available in the United States and Canada for linear and AVOD platforms on connected TVs, digital set-top boxes, media- streaming devices and the web. The Los Angeles distributor plans to stream programming across the broader OTT landscape, which includes Samsung Smart TVs, Pluto TV, Roku, Hulu, Amazon Prime Channels and Tubi, among others.
“The opportunity to build a branded channel around Elvis opens up streaming possibilities to an entirely new demographic in the fastest-growing segment of the ad-supported business,” Erick Opeka, president of Cinedigm Digital Networks, said in a statement.
Marc Rosen, president, entertainment, Authentic Brands Group (ABG), which owns Elvis Presley Enterprises, said the Elvis fandom is incredibly passionate and loyal.
“Cinedigm is best-in-class when it comes to serving fervent fan bases,” Rosen said.
The launch of The Elvis Presley Channel continues Cinedigm’s expansion into the legacy icon space, which began last year through the successful launch of The Bob Ross Channel — showcasing memorable moments and paintings from the long-running public television series. The channel features more than 350 classic episodes.
Cinedigm plans to feature continual Elvis programming with specials and documentaries, including “Singer Presents … Elvis” (the ’68 Comeback Special), “Elvis Aloha from Hawaii Via Satellite,” and “Elvis by the Presleys” on The Elvis Presley Channel.
Additionally, Cinedigm is planning to tap into the archives of legends such as Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison and more. Many of music’s most iconic locations will be on display, with specials highlighting impact cities like Memphis that helped shape rock ‘n’ roll, as well as general music documentaries.
The deal was negotiated by Josh Thomashow, Executive Director of Acquisitions at Cinedigm, and Andrew O. Miller on behalf of Authentic Brands Group (ABG).
www.mediaplaynews.com/cinedigm-launching-elvis-presley-streaming-channel/
<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>
Lots of work and talent is shown in this very unusual Elvis portrait.
UK Fan Creates Amazing Elvis Presley & Marilyn Monroe Art With Screws
Graphic designer Darren Timby, from Roker, United Kingdom is gaining international recognition from two unusual large artworks he completed.Two of the most famous entertainment icons in history, Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe are portrayed by an unusual art medium: screws. He completed Monroe last year out of 26,304 screws which would be about 2/3rds of a mile if laid out end to end. Each screw was colored black, grey, silver or red in advance and 8mm in diameter. It weighs 183 lbs.
The Presley art piece weighs 126 lbs and took 12,500 screws.
Presley and Monroe were Darren’s recently deceased father, Billy Timby’s two favorite celebrities. His next projects will be his own favorites, including Freddie Mercury, David Bowie and Mick Jagger.
“Obviously my dad was a big fan of Marilyn Monroe but he was an even bigger fan of Elvis Presley,” he told local news. “Two of his three funeral songs were by Elvis.”
“I’ve been able to get this one completed much quicker than Marilyn, in total it has been about three months from concept to completion.”
<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>
SENT TO JESSE THRU THIS POINT
ON THURSDAY, AUGUST 26, 2021
<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>
FRIDAY, AUGUST 27, 2021
This is from HBO Max…because of all that I have read about the filming of this movie, I am trying to keep an open mind as to its worthiness. Time will tell…
New releases on HBO Max 2021 and beyond !
Elvis – This is an upcoming biographical musical drama film. Directed by Baz Luhrmann and screenplay by Sam Bromell, Craig Pearce, Baz. The life and career of Elvis Presley are shown in the movie. On June 3, 2022, the film will release.
<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>
This photo is from an account which I follow on Tumblr. I copied it from an Email which I received from Tumblr reminding me that I had not visited for a long time. I like this photo a lot and wanted to share it. The link to the page on Tumblr is shown below for those who wish to visit this account. She has many wonderful and rare photos and I do highly recommend her material on Tumblr.
https://elvisanddenise.tumblr.com/
<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>
I have been very worried because I have not heard from Jesse for a little over 2 weeks and I know that some of my regular visitors have been concerned as well.
Thank goodness that tonight Jesse called me. He has not been well at all. He had to go back into the hospital and had his gallbladder removed. He just got home from the hospital yesterday. He said that he thinks he is getting better now. You will recall that the last time we spoke, he had just gotten home from ten days in the hospital and was still sick. That’s just one of the reasons that I have been so concerned about him.
Needless to say, I am so very relieved to have spoken with him. Please continue your prayers and healing thoughts for Jesse.
His calls always light up my days…but this time was nothing short of a blessing for me.
<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>
MONDAY, AUGUST 30, 2021
Below is an in-depth article regarding the August 16th Elvis festival in Germany including the beautiful new statue.
Bad Nauheim pays tribute to famous former resident, US Army Pvt. Elvis Presley
BY
KARIN ZEITVOGELSTARS AND STRIPES AUGUST 26, 2021
A statue of Elvis Presley, paid for by fans, stands on a bridge in a park in Bad Nauheim, Germany, where the American singer lived from 1958-1960 when he served in the Army. (Karin Zeitvogel/Stars and Stripes)
Two years after Bad Nauheim last rocked to the strains of Elvis Presley soundalikes with slight German accents, it again welcomed thousands of visitors to its mid-August celebration of the king of rock ’n’ roll.
Women in swing dresses walked through the spa town’s parks, and couples danced in the street on Aug. 15, the last day of the European Elvis Festival.
Next to the Hotel Villa Grunewald, where Elvis briefly stayed in 1958 when he arrived in Germany to serve as a U.S. Army private, people laid flowers and left candles and pictures at a stone memorial to the star. Nearby, Germans had their picture taken next to shiny Chevrolets and Cadillacs.
Women sit near a vintage Chevrolet Corvette in Bad Nauheim, Germany, on Aug. 15, 2021. The Corvette was one of many classic cars that were in the spa town for the European Elvis Festival, a tribute to Elvis Presley, who lived in Bad Nauheim when he was a soldier, from 1958-1960. (Karin Zeitvogel/Stars and Stripes)
The 19th edition of the Elvis festival also brought a new attraction to Bad Nauheim: a bronze statue of the American icon on a bridge spanning the aptly named Usa River.
To comply with social distancing rules, crowd control officials allowed only small groups of people onto the bridge to take pictures by the statue, which replicates a pose Presley struck on the same spot in a photo shoot in March 1959.
People wait on a bridge in Bad Nauheim, Germany, to take pictures next to a statue of Elvis Presley, Aug. 15, 2021. The spa town holds a festival in August in memory of Presley, who lived in Bad Nauheim when he served in the U.S. Army from 1958-1960. (Karin Zeitvogel/Stars and Stripes)
Once on the bridge, people ignored coronavirus rules and stood close to one another before handing their phones to strangers to take snaps of them close to what some said wasn’t the best likeness of Elvis.
Coronavirus-wary Elvis fans can take photos by the statue after the festival is over; it’s staying put on the bridge.
The three-day tribute to the King has been held every year since 2002 except for last year, when it was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. It always takes place over the weekend in August that falls closest to the anniversary of Presley’s death on Aug. 16, 1977.
Presley was already a star when he shipped out to Germany in early 1958 to serve in Company D, 32nd Tank Battalion, 3rd Armor Division, based in Friedberg, about 4 1/2 miles south of Bad Nauheim, where he first lived in the Hotel Villa Grunewald on what is now Elvis-Presley-Platz.
Soon after arriving, he and his entourage, including his father, grandmother and some friends from Tennessee, had to move to a house on Goethestrasse, to make way for King Saud of Saudi Arabia, who had booked the entire hotel for one of his regular visits for spa treatments in the town.
For those who have never heard of Presley, aren’t huge fans of his or visit the town outside of the festival dates, Bad Nauheim has plenty of other attractions, many within walking distance of one another.
People ride in paddle boats on the lake in the Kurpark in Bad Nauheim, Germany, Aug. 15, 2021. The lake, the park and paddle boats are some of the attractions of the spa town, where Elvis Presley lived from 1958-1960. (Karin Zeitvogel/Stars and Stripes)
At the art nouveau Sprudelhof, visitors can sip the waters that bubble up from springs under Bad Nauheim and are said to treat heart conditions and backache.
They can stroll through the Kurpark, go paddleboating on its lake, tour a duck habitat or breathe in air laced with sea salt at any of the five giant “gradierbauten” around town.
Near the bridge and statue, bronze plaques lining the “walk of fame” show that other notable Americans — including a young Franklin D. Roosevelt, media magnate William Hearst and his wife, actress Marion Davies, Albert Einstein, Mark Twain, actress Lilian Gish, and Gen. George Patton — also spent time in Bad Nauheim.
Hearst reportedly met Italian dictator Benito Mussolini in the town and is said to have described him afterward as “a marvelous man.”
But no one was bending over any of their commemorative plaques snapping photos in mid-August. At that time of year, Bad Nauheim and its visitors move to the beat of Elvis Presley, probably the coolest resident the town has ever had.
Elvis Presley T-shirts are for sale outside a shop in Bad Nauheim, Germany, August 15, 2021. The spa town hosts the European Elvis Festival in August, in tribute to Presley, who lived in Bad Nauheim from 1958-1960 when he was a private in the U.S. Army. (Karin Zeitvogel/Stars and Stripes)
Directions: Bad Nauheim is about one hour from Wiesbaden, two hours from Kaiserslautern, 2½ hours from Spangdahlem and three hours from Stuttgart.
Cost: The large outdoor parking lot on Frankfurterstrasse costs 2.50 euros for four hours or 3.50 for 24 hours. Coins only. Walk from there through the Kurpark into the center of town. The Elvis statue on the bridge over the Usa River is a few hundred yards away.
Food: The many dining options include Fellini Cafe Vinoteca at Kurstrasse 3, where a salad and cappuccino run around $13, with U.S. credit cards accepted.
Information: Online: bad-nauheim.de/en
KARIN ZEITVOGEL
Bad-nauheim-army-private-elvis-presley-festival
<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>
TUESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2021
Another month’s news from Emiel Maier:
Premiered Aug 27, 2021
Elvis Presley News Report 2021: September. (Deep fake Elvis + New Nashville Box + New Elvis Statue)
<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>
I HAVE CREATED A NEW PAGE
FOR
THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER, 2021
-
