CURRENT NEWS & EVENTS DECEMBER, 2021

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

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WEDNESDAY. DECEMBER 1, 2021

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

I have opened a MESSAGES TO JESSE page in order that everyone may write Christmas greetings as well as birthday wishes to Jesse.  I invite everyone to take part in this opportunity to write to Jesse who is the man the world knew and loved as Elvis.   I also ask that you please pass along this page link to everyone you know who would also like to write to Jesse.  Since I am no longer on Facebook nor Twitter, your help in spreading the word about this offer would certainly be appreciated.

My thanks to everyone for your participation and help with this.

MESSAGES TO JESSE FOR CHRISTMAS, 2021 & HIS BIRTHDAY ON JAN. 8TH, 2022

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THURSDAY DECEMBER 2, 2021

I just enjoyed watching the below video about the friendship between Elvis and Johnny Cash.  Jesse spoke to me about Johnny Cash and, as I recall, they were still friends up until Johnny’s death.  I believe that Jesse wrote that the last two years of his life as Elvis were pure misery and that he wasn’t seeing his old friends like Johnny Cash.    Naturally, Johnny would not have mentioned anything about his knowing Elvis after August, 1977.

The Truth About Elvis Presley’s Friendship With Johnny Cash

Nov 26, 2021

Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash were two absolute titans of popular music. Icons that straddled the lines between rock, country, and gospel, both Presley and Cash left behind massive legacies, and both got their start at the same place: 706 Union Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee, the home of Sun Records. Both future superstars were signed to the label in 1954, and they spent the rest of the decade in each other’s orbit. But what was their relationship really like? How much did they really influence each other? And did they stay in touch over the years? Here’s the truth about Elvis Presley’s friendship with Johnny Cash.

youtu.be/ouqTeWM-h0Q

THE TRUTH ABOUT ELVIS PRESLEY’S FRIENDSHIP WITH JOHNNY CASH
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
BY FRANK F./SEPT. 4, 2021 11:33 AM EST/UPDATED: NOV. 22, 2021 12:03 PM EST


Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley were two of the formative voices of rock ‘n’ roll. Each embodied the spirit of the genre, albeit in different ways. Cash came from a deeply religious background and rooted his sound in gospel, but he also represented a darker, anti-establishment ethos. He often put forth an outlaw image, perhaps most famously through his song “Folsom Prison Blues,” which he performed for the prison’s inmates in 1968. Presley also cut through the conventional mold of the ’50s — both through his music, which was heavily influenced by black artists and labeled as rowdy and rebellious; and his hip gyrations, which were deemed overly sexual.

Both Cash and Presley got started in Tennessee around the mid-1950s, and they had musical friends and influences in common. It’s not too surprising, then, that their paths crossed several times. Throughout the decade, they watched each other perform, sometimes on the same bill, and occasionally together. They developed a mutual admiration that would last a lifetime, even after fame and fate sent them their separate ways. Here’s more on the connections between the King and the Man in Black.

BOTH ELVIS AND JOHNNY CASH WERE SIGNED TO SUN RECORDS
jejim/Shutterstock

Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee
706 Union Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee marks the spot of what could be called the birthplace of rock ‘n’ roll — or, at least, the place that brought rock ‘n’ roll into the mainstream. According to The National, it all began in 1954, when a 19-year-old Elvis Presley performed Arthur Crudup’s “That’s All Right” for Sam Phillips, founder of Sun Records. That same year, Johnny Cash performed gospel songs in an audition for Phillips, who told him to “go home and sin, then come back with a song I can sell” (via Sun Records). By the end of 1954, Presley and Cash were both signed to the label.

“I can’t say for sure what pop music would sound like today without a Sun Records in the ’50s, but there may not have been a Beatles or Rolling Stones,” Sun Records president John Singleton told The National. “I believe it would be hard to find a successful rock artist who was not a fan of Sun.” Another iconic figure in music, Bob Dylan, mentioned the label’s impact in his 2004 memoir, “Chronicles,” writing, “I’d always thought that Sun Records and Sam Phillips himself ­created the most crucial, uplifting and powerful records ever made.”

JOHNNY CASH ATTENDED A COUPLE OF ELVIS’ EARLIEST CONCERTS
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Elvis Presley performing in 1954
The first Elvis Presley “concert” Johnny Cash went to wasn’t exactly a sold-out stadium show. Presley was performing from the flatbed of a truck to sing for a couple hundred people at a drugstore opening. At that time, he had only released one single, and was left with no choice but to play the same two songs — his only songs — on a loop, per “Cash: The Autobiography” (via Elvis Australia). That was also the first time the pair met.

Presley invited Cash and his then-wife, Vivian, to his next show at the Eagle’s Nest in Memphis, Tennessee, in July of 1954. “I remember Elvis’ show at the Eagle’s Nest as if [it] were yesterday,” Cash wrote in “Cash: The Autobiography.” “The date was a blunder, because the place was an adult club where teenagers weren’t welcome, and so Vivian and I were two of only a dozen or so patrons, fifteen at the most. All the same, I thought Elvis was great … He didn’t say much. He didn’t have to, of course; his charisma alone kept everyone’s attention.”

Cash noted Presley’s impressive rhythm guitar-playing, and the fact that Presley was never particularly known as a guitar player. In fact, Cash never heard anyone else praise Presley’s playing, nor did he recall ever hearing him playing guitar on his own records.

JOHNNY CASH WROTE ABOUT ELVIS’ EFFECTS ON WOMEN (AND MEN)
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Throughout his life, Johnny Cash felt a certain loyalty to the Elvis Presley he knew in the 1950s. He wrote in “Cash: The Autobiography” that he much preferred Presley’s music when they first met over his popular later work, which Cash thought was overproduced. “My Elvis was the Elvis of the ’50s,” Cash wrote (via Elvis Australia). “He was a kid when I worked with him. He was 19 years old, and he loved cheeseburgers, girls, and his mother, not necessarily in that order (it was more like his mother, then girls, then cheeseburgers) … Personally, I liked cheeseburgers and I had nothing against his mother, but the girls were the thing. He had so many girls after him that whenever he was working with us, there were always plenty left over. We had a lot of fun.”

Presley, his rock ‘n’ roll songs, and his hip-shaking famously drew hordes of enthusiastic girls. But Cash emphasized in his biography that Presley’s stardom was built on more than sex appeal. “We had a lot of fun in general, not just with the girls,” he wrote. “It was nice that we could make a living at it, but every one of us would have done it for free. And you know, Elvis was so good. Every show I did with him, I never missed the chance to stand in the wings and watch. We all did. He was that charismatic.”

ELVIS ‘INTRODUCED’ JUNE CARTER TO JOHNNY CASH
Getty Images/Getty Images


In the mid-1950s, June Carter of the country trio The Carter Sisters went on tour with Elvis Presley. By then, Presley had befriended — and become a fan of — up-and-comer Johnny Cash. The King took to playing Cash’s music on the road. In her 1987 autobiography, “From the Heart,” Carter recalled a time when Presley was trying to tune his guitar and sing Cash’s early hit “Cry, Cry, Cry.” “I don’t know this Johnny Cash,” Carter recalled saying (via Express), to which Presley replied, “Oh you’ll know Cash. The whole world will know Johnny Cash. He’s a friend of mine.” Throughout the tour, Presley proceeded to play Cash’s music on cafe jukeboxes.

In June 1956, Carter and Cash finally met at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. “Johnny Cash took me by the hand and said, ‘I’ve always wanted to meet you,'” Carter recalled (via Express). “The strangest feeling came over me. I was afraid to look him in the eyes. It was one of the things I did best. I never stammered and still found myself not able to say much of anything. I think I finally blurted out — ‘I feel like I know you already. Elvis plays you on the jukebox all the time and he can’t tune his guitar without humming Cry, Cry, Cry. Now he’s got me doing it.'”

JOHN CARTER CASH WROTE ABOUT A POSSIBLE ROMANCE BETWEEN HIS MOTHER AND ELVIS
Leila Grossman/Getty Images


In 2008, John Carter Cash, the son of Johnny Cash and June Carter, released the biography “Anchored in Love: An Intimate Portrait of June Carter Cash.” In the book, John addressed speculation that June may have had an affair with Elvis Presley. “Throughout my life, I would see Mom get a mischievous twinkle in her eye whenever she mentioned Elvis Presley,” John wrote (via Express). “Her eyes would flash merrily, and she would say, ‘You know, son, your father was always jealous of Elvis’ … She even told me once that she sometimes wondered what would have happened if she had fallen in love with Elvis.”

Speaking to Express in 2020, John said, “My mother had worked on the road with Elvis when she was younger, so I heard a lot about him growing up.” June toured with Presley in the mid-1950s, around the time Presley and Johnny Cash signed to Sun Records, met, and became friends.

“Though Mom always maintained that she never had an affair with Elvis, Carl [Smith, her first husband] believed differently and perhaps for good reason,” John wrote in the biography. “After Carl moved out of their Madison home, Mom would sometimes let Elvis stay at the house to ‘rest’ after a tour.”

JOHNNY CASH AND ELVIS MADE UP ONE HALF OF ‘THE MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET’
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images


On December 4, 1956, singer-songwriter Carl Perkins headed to Memphis’ Sun Studio for a recording session. A pre-fame Jerry Lee Lewis was there on keys and, by pure coincidence, Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash both stopped by the studio, per NJ Arts. The foursome played an apt, 23-song blend of gospel, bluegrass, and contemporary hits, including Presley’s own “Love Me Tender” and “Don’t Be Cruel.”

Recognizing the unusual, and now historic, nature of this meeting of musical minds, Sun Records founder Sam Phillips alerted the Memphis Press-Scimitar. The paper ran the story the following day, complete with a photo of the four musicians, captioned “The Million Dollar Quartet.”

“I was the first to arrive and the last to leave, contrary to what has been written,” Cash wrote of the session in his 1997 book “Cash: The Autobiography” (via Elvis Australia). “I was just there to watch Carl record, which he did until mid-afternoon, when Elvis came in with his girlfriend. At that point the session stopped and we all started laughing and cutting up together. Then Elvis sat down at the piano, and we started singing gospel songs we all knew, then some Bill Monroe songs … So, again contrary to what some people have written, my voice is on the tape. It’s not obvious, because I was farthest away from the mike and I was singing a lot higher than I usually did in order to stay in key with Elvis, but I guarantee you, I’m there.”

ELVIS AND JOHNNY CASH IMPERSONATED EACH OTHER
YouTube


In 1959, Johnny Cash opened for Elvis Presley on a live tour. He began with a slapstick, hip-swiveling Elvis impression and a rendition of the King’s 1958 hit “Heartbreak Hotel.” Then, when Presley would enter the stage, he would take his turn impersonating the Man in Black. Video footage of Cash’s Presley impression, along with audio recordings of Presley singing Cash’s hits “Folsom Prison Blues” and “I Walk the Line,” is available on YouTube.

Presley’s Cash impression reportedly traveled offstage and on the road, according to Chuck Crisafulli and George Klein’s 2010 book “Elvis: My Best Man: Radio Days, Rock ‘n’ Roll Nights, and My Lifelong Friendship with Elvis Presley.” During Presley’s 1957 tour, he was riding a train when a teenage girl approached him, greeted him with an excited “Johnny Cash!”, and asked him to sing one of his – Cash’s — songs. “Elvis would never sing one of his own songs in that type of situation,” Klein wrote, “but for this little Johnny Cash fan he dropped his voice to its lowest notes and started singing a few lines of ‘Hey Porter,’ a song Cash had cut at Sun that seemed especially appropriate for a midnight train ride. The girl was thrilled, and even ended up with an autograph from Elvis, which read: ‘Best Wishes, Johnny Cash.'”

JOHNNY CASH WROTE THAT ELVIS WAS SENSITIVE TO GOSSIP
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images


The level of stardom that Elvis Presley experienced inevitably came with its share of scrutiny. And although Presley was eager to shake his hips on the world’s stage, he had a hard time with criticism of any kind, and particularly the rumors about him using drugs, as Johnny Cash noted in “Cash: The Autobiography.”

“[Presley] was very sensitive, easily hurt by the stories people told about him being on dope and so on,” Cash wrote (via Elvis Australia). “I myself couldn’t understand why people wanted to say that back in the ’50s, because in those days he was the last person on earth who needed dope. He had such a high energy level that it seemed he never stopped – though maybe that’s why they said he was on dope. Either way, he wasn’t, or at least I never saw any evidence of it. I never saw him use any kind of drug, or even alcohol; he was always clear-headed around me, and very pleasant.”

Cash himself didn’t see Presley as a “bad boy” or a contentious figure at all. “Elvis was such a nice guy, and so talented and charismatic — he had it all — that some people just couldn’t handle it and reacted with jealousy,” Cash wrote. “It’s only human, I suppose, but it’s sad.”

JOHNNY CASH AND AND ELVIS ‘WEREN’T CLOSE AT ALL’ IN ELVIS’ LATER YEARS
Keystone/Getty Images


Beyond the 1950s, Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash went their separate ways. “Elvis went on to make his films and some more music later on and they never worked again together after the 1950s,” Cash’s son, John Carter Cash, told Express in 2020.

“He and I liked each other, but we weren’t that tight — I was older than he was, for one thing, and married, for another — and we weren’t close at all in his later years,” Cash wrote in “Cash: The Autobiography” (via Elvis Australia). “I took the hint when he closed his world around him; I didn’t try to invade his privacy. I’m so glad I didn’t, either, because so many of his old friends were embarrassed so badly when they were turned away at Graceland.”

In the 1960s and ’70s, Cash’s occasional interactions with Presley were positive but professional, and conducted from a distance. “He and I chatted on the phone a couple of times and swapped notes now and again,” Cash recalled in his book. “If he were closing at the Las Vegas Hilton as I was getting ready to open, he’d wish me luck, that kind of thing — but that was about the extent of it.”

JOHNNY CASH & FRIENDS PERFORMED A SONG IN ELVIS’ MEMORY
YouTube


Elvis Presley died on August 16, 1977, at the age of 42. That December, Johnny Cash recorded the Johnny Cash Christmas Special, which included an all-star tribute to the King. He was joined by the other two members of “The Million-Dollar Quartet,” Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis, as well as fellow Sun Records star Roy Orbison. “I worked my very first concert as a guest, and he was a star,” Cash said of Presley (via YouTube), “and he always was a star because all of us remember him, and how he loved gospel songs, and how we liked him. This song is for Elvis.” The group then performed the gospel standard “This Train is Bound for Glory” in Presley’s honor.

The special also included performances of three songs that Presley had recorded, per Elvis Australia. Cash teamed up with the quartet The Statler Brothers to perform “Blue Christmas,” a song Presley popularized in 1957. Perkins performed “Blue Suede Shoes,” which he wrote and initially recorded in 1955. Lewis performed “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On,” which he popularized in 1957 and Presley covered in 1971.

JOHNNY CASH CALLED ELVIS THE ‘BEST PERFORMER’ EVER
YouTube


Johnny Cash was known for transcending the boundaries of genre and getting crowds — of people ranging from devout Christians to prison inmates — on their feet. But by 1988, after three decades of touring with countless rock ‘n’ roll icons, Cash had his own idea of which artist had the best stage presence: the King himself. “The best performer probably was Elvis Presley,” Cash said during a 1988 interview on The Late Late Show. “I don’t think anybody could touch him. I never saw Hank Williams, who was one of my favorites. He died before I ever got to see him.”

“He had a lot of rhythm,” Cash continued, referring to Presley. “He was a very good singer. And he was a fabulous performer in the way he moved the people. When he was 19 years-old, that’s when I toured with him at first. And not only the girls loved Elvis. But every man backstage was standing in the wings watching Elvis. He had that charisma, that magic that a great performer needs to get the people right there.”

JOHN CARTER CASH TALKED ABOUT HIS DAD’S LOVE FOR ELVIS
Colin Escott/Getty Images


In the early 1970s, Johnny Cash was in Las Vegas to play a show while Elvis Presley had a residency there. Cash brought the whole family along, including his young son, John Carter Cash, according to Express. The family was planning to see Presley perform, but the plans fell through. “I was very young; would have been four or five years old,” John told Express during a 2020 interview. “But I got ill so we weren’t able to go. I never met Elvis!”

John went on to tell the outlet about the dynamics and differences between his father and Presley. “They were contemporaries and were part of the driving force that created rock and roll,” he said. ‘They each had their own individual, unique traits as artists … Dad carried on and he made music up until the very end. In some way, his legacy’s quite a bit different, but he always appreciated and loved Elvis.”

Read More: https://www.grunge.com/595910/the-truth-about-elvis-presleys-friendship-with-johnny-cash/?utm_campaign=clip

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SENT TO JESSE THRU THIS POINT 

ON THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2021

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2021

Here’s one just for fun!  I love it so much!

Jerry Lee Lewis, Orion – Good Golly Miss Molly (Duet)

Taken from Duets Catalog Number: SRC-CD-7028-2

youtu.be/4LJfPM09obA

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MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2021

Been listening to Elvis singing the songs from the Elvis Found Alive CD and it sounds so.o.o.o good.  I hope that all of my visitors also click on the link to your right on this page and listen to the CD while you are on my web site.  I am sharing my favorite song below just to call everyone’s attention to this song…”listen to the words“.   Joel Gilbert forced me to stop saying that these songs were sung by Jesse…therefore, please listen to Gilbert’s mystery singer.

The Dance

Jan 4, 2015

Provided to YouTube by Music Video Distributors Inc. The Dance · Highway 61 Elvis Found Alive ℗ Copyright Released on: 2011-12-06 Artist: Highway 61 Auto-generated by YouTube.

I love this song especially because of the way that he changed some of the words to make it about himself and his leaving.

Don’t ever forget that Jesse said that it is him on the songs on that CD.

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2021

I hope everyone will enjoy watching this video of a lady who grew up with Elvis after he moved to Memphis.  Her memories are precious to hear.  

Elvis: True Stories Blanche Jordan Scott

Aug 28, 2013

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2021

I am happy to share with everyone that Jesse did call me tonight.  We did not get to talk for very long but had a good conversation for a little while.  He is doing pretty well.  He saw a Dr. today and will be seeing another Dr. on Thursday.  He is having trouble with his feet swelling from some fluid retention.  His voice sounds so good and strong and it made my heart happy just to hear him speak.  

I will be mailing the first batch of your messages to him in my weekly mail this Thursday.  

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SENT TO JESSE THRU THIS POINT 

ON

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2021

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2021

Just want to remind everyone that I will continue mailing your messages to Jesse thru December 29th.  Everyone is welcome to post more than one message.  Also, please do pass this invitation on to anyone you know who loves Elvis and would like to write to him.

My sincerest thanks to everyone for participating.

MESSAGES TO JESSE FOR CHRISTMAS, 2021 & HIS BIRTHDAY ON JAN. 8TH, 2022

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One star was dubbed “the greatest singer in the world” by Elvis Presley.

One star was named “the greatest singer in the world” by Elvis Presley.

Throughout his career, ELVIS PRESLEY was a huge music fan who listened to a variety of singers.

However, he singled out one singer as having the “perfect” voice.

There were a number of other artists who sang rock music before Elvis Presley and The Beatles claimed it as their own.

Many of these artists opened for Elvis at concerts, but one American singer, known as The Big O, left a lasting impression on the King of Rock and Roll.

Throughout his career, Elvis collaborated with Roy Orbison, the man who created the rockabilly genre.

Roy started his music career in the early 1950s and paved the way for Elvis Presley and The Beatles in the decades that followed.

Roy was a huge Elvis Presley fan.

Roy had “the most perfect voice” on stage, he was quoted as saying.

He was also a fan of the singer’s music and made a promise not to play any of her songs.

Elvis Presley covered a huge number of songs over the years, from Frank Sinatra to George Harrison’s “Something.”

However, as a clear mark of “respect,” Elvis never recorded one of Roy’s songs.

According to the website Elvis.com.au, the King did this because he believed he could not sing Roy’s songs as well as the original artist.

During one of his Las Vegas residency shows, the Blue Suede Shoes singer referred to Roy as “the greatest singer in the world.”

Elvis didn’t have a one-sided respect for Roy.

He held the King in high regard as well.

In fact, from 1954 to 1976, Roy went to every Elvis Presley concert he could.

Only The Lonely, Crying, In Dreams, and Oh, Pretty Woman were among the songs that made him famous in the United States.

Roy spent the majority of the 1960s touring America, and as a result, he became the only artist to ever open for Elvis Presley and another legendary band.

Roy, in addition to playing with Elvis, also opened shows for The Beatles when they came to America.

However, he never managed to write a song for either act.

Only The Lonely was the only song Roy wrote for Elvis, according to legend.

“Brinkwire News Summary.”

 

one-star-was-dubbed-the-greatest-singer-in-the-world-by-elvis-presley/

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2021

Elvis Presley – Blue Christmas (Official Animated Video)

Dec 3, 2020

youtu.be/wO6Kubm5tyE

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New Elvis Presley plaque unveiled in Honolulu, Hawaii

A new plaque recognizing Elvis Presley’s role in raising funds to build the USS Arizona memorial at Pearl Harbor was unveiled yesterday. The unveiling took place at a private ceremony at the Hilton Hawaiian Village.

Editor’s note: The date is incorrect on the plaque. Elvis performed the concert on March 25, 1961, not March 21. The World War II Foundation says they will be fixing the plaque.

In attendance at the ceremony were (pictured below, left to right): actor Jon Seda, the Global Spokesperson for the World War II Foundation, who plays Gunnery Sgt. John Basilone in HBO’s “The Pacific,”  Daniel Martinez, Chief Historian of The USS Arizona and Pearl Harbor,  actor Chike Okonkwo, star of NBC’s “La Brea,” Tim Gray, President of the World War II Foundation, Randy Stratton, son of USS Arizona survivor Donald Stratton, and a Hawaiian priest (Kahu).

The 12 x 18 plaque with a bronze bust of Elvis at the top was presented by the World War II Foundation and made possible by donations from the public including many Elvis fans.

The plaque reads:

“On March 21, 1961, Elvis Presley performed in a benefit concert at Pearl Harbor’s Bloch Arena to raise funds for the construction of the USS Arizona Memorial.

Elvis held his pre-concert press conference here at Hilton Hawaiian Village. Following the concert, Elvis remained at the hotel for the filming of the renowned movie, “Blue Hawaii.” The hotel was to become his place of retreat during his many visits to Hawai’i.


Dedicated on December 7, 2021 – The 80th Anniversary of the Day of Infamy – by the World War II Foundation.”

The plaque is on display next to the Hilton Hawaiian Village Tapa Tower, where the history of the hotel is shown on posters on the wall.

According to Tim Gray, President of the World War II Foundation, the Elvis plaque was chosen to be displayed at the Hilton Hawaiian Village because “that is where Elvis always stayed when in Oahu. He held his press conference there prior to the concert and the hotel has preserved his suite there today. It’s called the “King Suite” and is a shrine to Elvis staying there often and his role in the Memorial effort. We know it will be seen by tens of thousands of people each year who visit the hotel and maybe that will inspire them to want to know more about Elvis’ role in the project.”

Gray’s latest documentary film, Elvis and The USS Arizona, has just aired on American Public Television stations across the U.S.  The film tells the story of how Presley literally helped build the memorial that stands today.

Here is the trailer:

https://elvis-news.com/2021/12/08/new-elvis-presley-plaque-unveiled-in-honolulu-hawaii/

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Exclusive: ELVIS’ CHAMPIONSHIP GOLD BELT UP CLOSE! The King’s REAL Gold Belt worn @ Nixon Meeting

J.R. as ELVIS (Channel 1)

THIS IS THE INCREDIBLE GOLD BELT WHICH ELVIS WAS AWARDED FOR BREAKING ALL LAS VEGAS ATTENDANCE RECORDS. ELVIS WORE THIS BELT MANY TIMES ON STAGE AND HE WAS WEARING IT WHEN HE MET THE PRESIDENT AT THE WHITEHOUSE! This priceless gold belt was on display at the O2 in London as part of the “Elvis On Tour” exhibit.

youtu.be/pslBt-2Ihxc

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2021

I want to share with everyone that Jesse called me a few minutes ago.  We were only able to speak for a few minutes.  Jesse is still doing well.  We had one main topic to discuss and so our call was not too long this time.  I was even more blessed than usual to be able to speak with him tonight.  I have a new recently diagnosed health problem and that is why Jesse phoned me.  I will post more about this situation pretty soon as it may impact my time on the computer as my treatment progresses.  Jesse and I are sticking together thru whatever comes for both of us.

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SENT TO JESSE THRU THIS POINT

ON THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2021

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2021

I want to share that Jesse called me tonight to check on my health situation.   He is doing pretty much alright.  I had a visit with my surgeon yesterday and he set a date for my surgery which will be on Monday, December 27th.  Jesse’s phone calls are a wonderful blessing to me.

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2021

“Graceland is excited to announce that it was voted #1 “Best Holiday Historic Home Tour” at 10Best.com again this year! Graceland was voted into the top spot by the general public and readers of USA Today’s popular 10Best online travel site. Graceland has previously won “Best Holiday Historic Home Tour” for the past three consecutive years, making 2021 our fourth win in this category! Thanks to all who voted!”

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Elvis/Jesse’s birthday will be coming up very soon and so I want to share the Graceland announcement about the proclamation ceremony on the morning of January 8th.  It says we can watch it for free via livestream if we cannot attend.  I try to never miss seeing this event.

Saturday, January 8

ELVIS BIRTHDAY PROCLAMATION CEREMONY

8:30 am. North Lawn, Graceland Mansion. 

Enjoy a ceremony with Priscilla Presley and Graceland/EPE officials, a birthday cake cutting and a proclamation of Elvis Presley Day by Memphis and Shelby County officials. Fans who are unable to attend can watch the ceremony online for free via Graceland’s Livestream page. 

For the full schedule of events for the 4 days of the Birthday celebration, please visit the below Graceland link:

https://www.graceland.com/elvis-birthday

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MONDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2021

Below is a beautiful Graceland Christmas video with Elvis songs provided for all of us to enjoy.

Be sure to use your cursor to move the screen around to view the rooms surrounding the fireplace.  Also, there is an icon in the upper corner of the video, to your left, where by you may also move the view of the rooms.

Watch the Official “360 Holiday Yule Log” by Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley – Christmas at Graceland 360 Yule Log

  Elvis Presley

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Watch the Official “360 Holiday Yule Log” by Elvis Presley

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Christmas with Elvis at Graceland was always something special. For many years the tradition was to put all the decorations in place in early December, just after Thanksgiving, and keep them up at least through his birthday in January. The main Christmas tree would be placed in the dining room and sometimes there would be others elsewhere, such as in the living room. Other decorations could be found throughout the house. Beginning with his first Christmas here in 1957, outside on the front lawn Elvis had a Santa, sleigh and reindeer display with the message Merry Christmas to All, Elvis suspended above it. In the early 1960s, he switched to a life-size Nativity scene, along with lighted aluminum trees along the front of the house. He also started having the long winding driveway lined with hundreds of blue lights. Elvis would also have the draperies in the front rooms of the house switched to red for the holidays.

Elvis enjoyed Christmas, which was usually a special time for him and his family, friends and staff. Elvis’ generous nature was especially evident during the season of giving, with checks and expensive gifts for the people in his life, and annual donations to a long list of Memphis-area charities. Of course, choosing a gift for Elvis, a guy who had everything, presented a challenge for everyone. To him, gifts that related to his current hobbies or interests were a good choice, and gifts that represented not great expense but special thought or feeling toward him meant the most.

Today, the Graceland staff authentically continues Elvis’ Christmas decorating traditions each year – inside and out, including bringing out the red holiday draperies and setting up both versions of his front lawn displays. #ElvisPresley #360HolidayYuleLog #Official #Christmas

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2021

YouTube Rewind 2021: Elvis News. (Bio Pic, New Music, Auction results + trip around the Elvis World!

The Elvis Year In Review: 2021 !!

youtu.be/lAu9Ub2OpuI

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2021

The below is not a new video, but it is still interesting and fun to watch during Christmas week.

Gates of Graceland – Elvis and Graceland at Christmas

Dec 28, 2015

Merry Christmas from the Gates of Graceland! Host Kevin Kern and Graceland’s Director of Archives Angie Marchese discuss Christmas at Graceland. Learn about Elvis’ traditional Christmas lights and decorations, Presley family Christmas cards, Elvis’ Christmas music, the family’s holiday gifts and much more. Stay tuned to the end of the video for a special Christmas surprise! See Graceland decorated for the holidays. Go to Graceland.com to plan your Christmas-time visit to the king’s castle.

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Below is another video of Graceland and surrounding structures and exhibits during Christmas of last year.  Very nice tour for those of us who have never visited Graceland at Christmas.

Elvis Presley CHRISTMAS At GRACELAND Full Tour! MEMPHIS

Dec 25, 2020

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2021

Below is the thank-you statement which I wrote and posted on the Messages to Jesse page for Christmas and his Birthday.  I felt that I should also share this here as my way of letting visitors who do not visit the Messages page know why I may have to be somewhat less active here on my site after Monday December 27th.  I thank everyone for your understanding and patience.

Hi everyone:

I just want to let you know that I have just printed out all of your messages to Jesse and will be mailing them out this afternoon.

I am sending my mail to Jesse a day earlier than usual this week because of the holiday.

I will be sending the final group of messages out to Jesse on next Wednesday the 29th. I am hoping and trusting that I will be well enough to put my package together to send out by Wednesday. If I should be unable to do so on Wednesday, I will definitely take care of getting it mailed out the very first day that I am able.

I will be having surgery on Monday the 27th for breast cancer…my recovery will take some time. I will be going to the hospital for follow-up radiation treatments 5 days a week (Monday thru Friday) for 6 weeks. I dread this very much because being away from home that often is going to really limit my time on the computer. But I will do my very best to update my site and will definitely send mail out to Jesse every week no matter what!! Doing things for Jesse is what keeps me going.

Again, I thank each of you so very much for your wonderful messages to Jesse and your kind words to me as well.

So much love, light and peace to each of you,
Linda Hood Sigmon

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SENT TO JESSE THRU THIS POINT

ON 

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2021

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2021

I am wishing everyone a most blessed and happy Christmas day…

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2021

I want to share with everyone that Jesse called me tonight so we could speak before my surgery tomorrow.  He called us on Christmas eve but his phone is giving trouble again and disconnected the call before we could speak.   Jesse said that he had prayed for me and he knows that I will be fine.   He is doing pretty well.  He was scheduled for a diagnostic procedure on Thursday the 29th but his Dr. has postponed it.

I thank everyone for your kind wishes for me during my surgery which is scheduled for 11:00 AM.  I hope to be able to be back on the web site in time to prepare my weekly mail for Jesse to send it out on Wednesday afternoon.

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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2021

I want to share with everyone that Jesse called me late last night to see how my surgery went and how I was doing.  We only spoke for a very few minutes but his call was the very best part of my rough day yesterday.

I am doing as well as can be expected from my surgery and I do plan to get my weekly mail out to Jesse tomorrow.  

I will be printing out the messages to Jesse at noon tomorrow.  I want to let everyone know in order that you may still get your last-minute messages posted before noon.  I know that Jesse will continue to appreciate and enjoy your messages for his birthday…as well as any still on the page for Christmas.

I sincerely thank everyone who has participated in the Messages to Jesse page this month.  

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My good friend Dennis F. Miller has shared the following images with me and I really like them and want to share them here with my visitors.  My heartfelt thanks to Dennis as always.

 

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SENT TO JESSE THROUGH THIS POINT

ON WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2021

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I HAVE CREATED THE NEW PAGE FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY, 2022

PLEASE VISIT THE NEW PAGE AT THE BELOW LINK

CURRENT NEWS & EVENTS JANUARY, 2022

COPYRIGHT LINDAHOODSIGMONTRUTHCONTD.COM MAY, 2009 – 2021 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS COPYRIGHT COVERS ALL OF MY ORIGINAL MATERIAL CONTAINED ON EVERY PAGE OF THIS WEBSITE.