LONG LIVE THE KING A QUARTER-CENTURY AFTER HIS DEATH, ELVIS IS GETTING BIGGER ALL THE TIME.Byline: Rob Lowman Entertainment Editor Welcome to the Church of Elvis. It seems we're all part of the congregation, even if we aren't all worshippers. Though Elvis Aaron Presley at age 42 departed this Earth 25 years ago this Friday, the King of Rock 'n' Roll rock 'n' roll: see rock music. seems to have become more than a mere legend. Today, in the words of longtime friend Diamond Joe Esposito Joe Esposito may refer to:
This summer, ``A Little Less Conversation,'' a remix of a 1968 Presley hit, went to No. 1 in a dozen countries, while Disney's animated smash ``Lilo 1. (operating system) lilo - Linux Loader. 2. lilo - first-in first-out. & Stitch'' introduced millions of kids to the King's music, starting with ``Heartbreak Hotel.'' RCA See RCA connector and video/TV history. is releasing a hits package this fall a la the successful ``The Beatles 1'' compilation. The King's ex, Priscilla Beaulieu Presley, is planning a musical called ``Elvis and Priscilla,'' based on her romance with Elvis. And, of course, there are new books, DVDs and tons of other merchandise hitting stores. At Graceland (informally known as the Church of Elvis) there is a week of sanctioned events that began Saturday with the Elvis Presley 25th Anniversary Celebration of Life Parade and ending with Elvis: The 25th Anniversary Concert, where the King ``stars via video in this concert event with his real, original bandmates live on stage.'' There will also be a Webcast of a candlelight vigil A candelight vigil is an outdoor assembly of people carrying candles, held after sunset. Such events are typically held either to protest at the suffering of some marginalized group of people, or in memory of lives lost to some disease, disaster, massacre or other tragedy. at the mansion starting at 6:30 p.m. Go to www.elvis.com for details. But what exactly are we marking? --How a poor white boy from Mississippi made black rhythm 'n' blues palatable for white teens - a fact that angers some people, especially in the African-American community? --A Hollywood career made up - with a few minor exceptions - of silly films that Elvis reportedly hated. Often they were only redeemed by a couple of good songs? --His 1968 ``comeback'' in black leather or his '70s incarnation as Vegas showman, complete with a white caped outfit that grew along with his waistline? Elvis lives, fans cry. Unlikely. If you look on the Web, you can find copies of the autopsy, which says Presley died of heart failure at 3764 Elvis Presley Blvd., in Memphis, Tenn., on Aug. 16, 1977, although even then, whispers said drugs. Friends, including Esposito, came forward later and admitted that at the time they covered up Presley's addiction to prescription drugs. (A note for the morbidly inclined: The Graceland tour does not include the upstairs bathroom where Presley died because that area, including his bedroom, was considered ``private'' and going there would be ``disrespectful dis·re·spect·ful adj. Having or exhibiting a lack of respect; rude and discourteous. dis  re·spect and inappropriate,'' although they never mention it as the death site.) So count him among the dead, despite countless sightings, impersonators and jokes. (In the sci-fi comedy ``Men in Black II,'' it was that he went back to his home planet.) But the fact that there is this persistent longing by some to have the King walk among us gives you pause. ``The identification of Elvis with Jesus has been a secret theme (among his fans) ... at least since 1956,'' wrote Greil Marcus Greil Marcus (born 1945) is an American author, music journalist and cultural critic. He is notable for producing scholarly and literary essays that place rock music in a much broader framework of culture and politics than is customary in pop music journalism. in his 1991 book, ``Dead Elvis: A Chronicle of a Cultural Obsession.'' To wit, Dolly Parton par·ton n. Any of the point particles believed to be a constituent of hadrons, now known as quarks. No longer in technical use. [part(icle) + -on1.] says that where she grew up in east Tennessee East Tennessee is a name given to approximately the eastern third of the state of Tennessee. Unlike the names given to regions or portions of many of U.S. states, the term East Tennessee can be precisely defined. , Elvis is ``considered by many to be like a religious figure, like Jesus. ... I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. how to explain it, but it's there, and it's real, and people love it.'' ``If you'd told me after he passed away, he would be as popular, I'd say you're crazy,'' says Esposito, who himself is promoting his own DVD DVD: see digital versatile disc. DVD in full digital video disc or digital versatile disc Type of optical disc. The DVD represents the second generation of compact-disc (CD) technology. about the King, ``Elvis: His Best Friend Remembers'' (Universal Studios Home Video). ``No one could have predicted the ubiquity, the playfulness, the perversity per·ver·si·ty n. pl. per·ver·si·ties 1. The quality or state of being perverse. 2. An instance of being perverse. Noun 1. , the terror, and the fun of this, of Elvis Presley's second life ... made out of songs, artwork, books, movies, dreams ... tabloid headlines, best sellers, urban legends,'' wrote Marcus. Now, it's 11 years after the book's publication and Elvis' second life has ballooned. The directors of ``Lilo & Stitch,'' Dean Deblois and Chris Sanders, instinctively knew what they were doing when they added Presley to the mix of their movie. ``I like Elvis, but I wasn't sitting there thinking, 'We have to have Elvis in the movie,' says Sanders. ``But Dean was like, 'This is a great idea. We could really do things with this.' So I wrote the first scene with Lilo listening to Elvis music, and it was a big hit. That's when Elvis took hold in the film ... and Dean kept putting Elvis in the film.'' (One of the film's premieres, by the way, was held at Graceland.) The pair say they liked the idea of bringing Elvis music to a new generation and not doing it in a mocking way. ``All the images of Elvis that Lilo carries around are the beautiful Elvis. He's so young; he's really in his prime,'' says Sanders. ``The fun thing about presenting the world through a 6-year-old's eyes is that they romanticize ro·man·ti·cize v. ro·man·ti·cized, ro·man·ti·ciz·ing, ro·man·ti·ciz·es v.tr. To view or interpret romantically; make romantic. v.intr. To think in a romantic way. everything. They're not at the point where things are jaded.'' Which may be the point about this continuing fascination with the King. Those hips - those lips. A hunk of burning love. He just wants to be your teddy bear. It's the young, manly Presley that haunts our dreams, not the bloated figure ``at the end of lonely street.'' Nor the man whose talent was secondary to the bottom line, as far as his manager, Col. Tom Parker, was concerned, which explains why there are so many bad movies. You wonder if Elvis ever felt guilty (or burned from resentment) that he succeeded overwhelmingly when so many talented musicians - both black and white - were overlooked or too soon forgotten. ``Elvis was the most obvious early example of black music being appropriated by a white artist who went on to have a long, prosperous career because of that theft,'' said author Norman Kelley Norman Kelley is a freelance journalist, author, and former segment producer at WBAI 99.5 FM. Kelley has written for numerous publications, including (but not limited to) LA Weekly, The Village Voice, and Newsday. , editor of ``Rhythm and Business: The Political Economy of Black Music,'' a new collection of essays examining how black music is developed and marketed. ``That's just the way things worked. There were huge profits made - and still being made - by white musicians basing their sound on the inventions of black musicians. That's the real history of American pop.'' But, for others, Presley represents something more than music or stardom - something that goes to his poor-boy roots. Dave Marsh Dave Marsh (born March 1, 1950 Detroit, Michigan) is an American music critic who briefly attended Wayne State University, became a co-founder of Creem magazine, wrote for various publications such as Newsday, The Village Voice, and Rolling Stone , a music critic Noun 1. music critic - a critic of musical performances critic - a person who is professionally engaged in the analysis and interpretation of works of art and Presley biographer, put it this way: ``There are people in places that count in the world, and people in places that don't. He is the son of the people who don't count, and their shining star. That's what makes him unique and what people still respond to.'' But that still doesn't explain the mania. Historians point out there were numerous prophets running around Palestine during the time of Jesus, so why him? So why did Elvis become the anointed "Anointed" redirects here. For the process of anointing, see Anointing. Anointed is a Contemporary Christian music duo consisting of siblings Steve and Da'dra Crawford. Their musical style includes elements of R&B, funk, and piano ballads. one of rock 'n' roll? In his song ``From Galway to Graceland,'' singer-songwriter Richard Thompson captures the fervor of belief, describing a woman who leaves her home in Ireland after 20 years of marriage to fly to ``Graceland to be with the King.'' ``They came in the thousands/ From the whole human race/ To pay their respects at his last resting place/ Ah, but blindly she knelt there/ And she told him her dreams/ And she thought that he answered, or that's how it seemed.'' A religious experience? Type ``Church of Elvis'' into your favorite Internet search engine and you'll get hundreds of sites. Some of them humorous (or at least attempting to be) and some of them seemingly serious. But no matter. It's the sheer volume of interest in Presley that's astounding a·stound tr.v. a·stound·ed, a·stound·ing, a·stounds To astonish and bewilder. See Synonyms at surprise. [From Middle English astoned, past participle of astonen, . Biographers, critics, fans, anti-fans spew out billions of words - some clever, some insightful - but just words. It's as if everyone wants to connect in some way with the King, but no one can really explain the phenomenon. (Marcus, for instance, seems to have an obsession with writing about Presley.) So let's call it destiny, whatever that means, and take his advice: a little less conversation. Just know that Elvis floats in the cultural ether, part of the air we breathe. Amen and Thankyouverymuch. Staff writers Fred Shuster and Glenn Whipp along with the Associated Press contributed to this story. Go (channel) surfing with Elvis Plop down on the couch On the Couch is an Australian television program formally broadcast on the Fox Footy Channel and it focuses on the current issues in the AFL. This is now broadcast on Fox Sports after the closure of Fox Footy Channel. The show airs on Monday night and is hosted by Gerard Healy. with the remote in one hand and a fried peanut butter and banana sandwich in the other. With this handy reference, you can practically create your own Elvis marathon. We think that's the way Elvis, never known for practicing moderation, would have wanted us to do it. MOVIES G.I. Blues - 11:50 a.m. and 7:10 p.m. Monday, Movie Plex Spinout spin·out n. An instance of spinning out: a motorist who was injured in a spinout. - 7 a.m. Friday, TCM (1) (Trellis-Coded Modulation/Viterbi Decoding) A technique that adds forward error correction to a modulation scheme by adding an additional bit to each baud. TCM is used with QAM modulation, for example. Clambake - 9 a.m. Friday, TCM Frankie and Johnny - 11 a.m. Friday, TCM Girl Happy - 1 p.m. Friday, TCM Tickle Me - 3 p.m. Friday, TCM Elvis: That's the Way It Is - 5 p.m. Friday, TCM Viva Las Vegas - 5 p.m. Friday, VH1 Elvis and Me - 7 p.m. Friday, VH1 Jailhouse Rock - 7 p.m. Friday, TCM Speedway - 9 p.m. Friday, TCM Live a Little, Love a Little - 11 p.m. Friday, TCM Double Trouble - 1 a.m. Saturday, TCM Kid Galahad - 3 a.m. Saturday, TCM It Happened at the World's Fair - 5 a.m. Saturday, TCM Love Me Tender - 8:30 a.m. Saturday and 1 a.m. Aug. 18, AMC (Advanced Mezzanine Card) See AdvancedTCA. Change of Habit Change of Habit is a 1969 motion picture drama starring Elvis Presley and Mary Tyler Moore. As Dr. John Carpenter, Presley is practicing in a ghetto medical clinic and falls for a co-worker, Sister Michelle Gallagher (Moore), unaware that she is a nun; hence, the title was a - 10:15 a.m. and 11:20 p.m. Saturday, AMC Easy Come, Easy Go - noon Saturday and 2:40 a.m. Aug. 18, AMC Loving You - 8:30 p.m. Saturday, NBC NBC in full National Broadcasting Co. Major U.S. commercial broadcasting company. It was formed in 1926 by RCA Corp., General Electric Co. (GE), and Westinghouse and was the first U.S. company to operate a broadcast network. (Channel 4) OTHER PROGRAMS E! Ranks Elvis - Sure, he's No. 1 on many lists, but E! has compiled ``25 Reasons We Love Elvis,'' including his hair, his impersonators, his jewelry, his Graceland estate and his swiveling hips. 10 p.m. Monday, E True Hollywood Story: Elvis - Movie co-stars Barbara Eden (``Flaming Star'') and Mary Ann Mobley Mary Ann Mobley (born February 17, 1939 in Biloxi, Mississippi). She is a former Miss America, actress, and television personality. She married actor Gary Collins in 1967. Their daughter, Mary Clancy Collins, is a Senior Vice President with MGM Television. (``Harum Scarum'') talk about working with the King. 8 p.m. Thursday, E! Elvis: '68 Comeback Special - Arguably his best filmed concert. 3:30 p.m. Friday, VH1. True Hollywood Story: The Last Days of Elvis - The decline and fall of a king. 3:30 p.m. Friday, E! Almost Elvis - Humorous documentary (what else could it be?) about the culture of Elvis impersonation Impersonation Patroclus wore the armor of Achilles against the Trojans to encourage the disheartened Greeks. [Gk. Lit.: Iliad] Prisoner of Zenda, The , focusing on eight devotees who compete in regional contests on their way to the ``Image of Elvis'' world championship in Memphis, Tenn. 6 p.m. Friday, Trio Dateline NBC - A half-hour special edition preceding the network's showing of the digitally remastered film ``Loving You'' includes archival footage and an interview with Priscilla Presley. 8 p.m. Saturday, NBC (Channel 4) 3000 Miles to Graceland - 2001 feature has Kurt Russell and other Elvis impersonators planning a casino heist in Las Vegas. Apparently, sequined se·quin n. 1. A small shiny ornamental disk, often sewn on cloth; a spangle. 2. A gold coin of the Venetian Republic. Also called zecchino. tr.v. jumpsuits with huge collars are considered nondescript non·de·script adj. Lacking distinctive qualities; having no individual character or form: "This expression gave temporary meaning to a set of features otherwise nondescript" clothing there. 1:15 a.m. Aug. 18, HBO Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO) A form of oxygen therapy in which the patient breathes oxygen in a pressurized chamber. Mentioned in: Ozone Therapy 2 - Valerie Kuklenski If you're looking to spend some personal time with the King, there are plenty of options. If you want to own a collection, there are DVD documentaries, concert films and theatrical films. We've listed the more significant titles, with list prices or availability noted at the end. DOCUMENTARIES The Definitive Elvis (25th Anniversary Collection) - This eight-disc set includes more than 200 interviews with many of the King's most intimate friends, as well as those who worked with him in the film and recording industries, including Kenny Rogers, Tony Orlando, Patti Page, Mac Davis, Barry Gibb, Tab Hunter, Dick Clark, Phyllis McGuire, Bill Medley, Glenn Campbell, Ann-Margret, Stella Stevens, Deborah Walley, Mary Ann Mobley, Sheree North, Barbara McNair, Connie Stevens and Teri Garr. ($99.99) Elvis: The Great Performances Box Set - This three-disc set looks at both Presley's public and private life as well as tracing his path to stardom. It includes some narration by U2's Bono on the third disc. ($49.99) Elvis '56: In the Beginning - This 1987 documentary narrated by the Band's Levon Helm includes early performance footage of Presley, including the King crooning ``Hound Dog'' to a basset hound basset hound, breed of short-legged, long-bodied hound developed centuries ago in France. It stands from 12 to 15 in. (30.1–38.1 cm) high at the shoulder and weighs from 25 to 50 lb (11.3–22.7 kg). on Steve Allen's variety show. ($24.98) Classic Albums: Elvis Presley - Another documentary approach to the King's early music. ($24.98) CONCERTS Elvis: '68 Comeback Special - In 1968, the King was considered something of a has-been when he got himself in shape and covered himself in black leather for a TV special that helped him reclaim his throne. A classic. (Good luck finding it.) Elvis: One Night With You - This 1968 session has been called Elvis unplugged. It was originally taped for his ``Comeback Special,'' but only a part of it was used. Here you see a relaxed Elvis laughing and joking with bandmates during an acoustic set of 11 songs, including ``Heartbreak Hotel,'' ``Blue Suede Shoes'' and ``When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again.'' ($24.98) Elvis: That's the Way It Is (Special Edition) - A 1970 concert filmed in Vegas. ($19.98) Elvis: Aloha From Hawaii Aloha from Hawaii is an Elvis Presley music concert broadcast live via satellite around the world on January 14, 1973. The first-ever such performance to be broadcast live via satellite, Presley taped a January 12 rehearsal concert as a fail-safe in case anything went wrong via Satellite (1973) - The Caped One filled this concert with plenty of Hollywood and Vegas glitz glitz Informal n. Ostentatious showiness; flashiness: "a garish barrage of show-biz glitz" Peter G. Davis. tr.v. . This network special is seen by many as the high point of Presley's performing career. Elvis Presley: The Alternate Aloha Concert- This is a rehearsal for Elvis Presley's ``Aloha From Hawaii'' concert. ($34.95) THE MOVIES Viva Las Vegas (1964) - Ann-Margret, car racing and a classic title tune. ($19.98) Blue Hawaii (1961) - You get Angela Lansbury as Elvis' mom plus the title tune and ``Can't Help Falling in Love.'' ($19.99) Clambake (1967) - He's back in Hawaii with Shelley Fabares, but mostly one more reason for that ``Comeback Special.'' ($14.95) Jailhouse Rock (1957) - Yeah, this black-and-white film defines '50s cool. Not much plot but lots of songs, including fun choreography on the title song. ($19.98) King Creole (1958) - The man who directed this drama, Michael Curtiz, also directed Humphrey Bogart in ``Casablanca'' and James Cagney in ``Yankee Doodle Dandy Yankee Doodle Dandy feather-capped dandy; “handy” with the girls. [Nurs. Rhyme: Opie, 439] See : Foppishness .'' There's little music, with Presley as a troubled New Orleans youth. Walter Matthau appears as a gangster. (Hard to find.) Flaming Star (1960) - Elvis gets another good director, Don Siegel (``Dirty Harry''), as he plays a ``halreed.'' Supposedly originally written for Marlon Brando. With Barbara ``I Dream of Jeannie'' Eden. ($19.98) Love Me Tender (1956) - Elvis' first effort. ($19.98) Wild in the Country (1961) - Directed by Philip Dunne (writer on ``The Ghost and Mrs. Muir''), it's the King's last dramatic role. Hope Lange, Tuesday Weld and Millie Perkins co-star. ($19.98) Change of Habit (1969) - His last film role - as a doctor who falls for a nun - co-stars Mary Tyler Moore This article is about the actress. For her 1970s television series, also known as "Mary Tyler Moore", see The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Mary Tyler Moore . ($24.98) G.I. Blues (1960) - Tried to capitalize on Elvis' induction in the Army, with Juliet Prowse. ($19.99) Roustabout (1964) - A formula Presley flick with Barbara Stanwyck as the woman who runs the carnival. Look for a glimpse of Raquel Welch. ($19.99) - Rob Lowman CAPTION(S): 5 photos, box Photo: (1 -- cover) love him tender Although Elvis has been dead for 25 years, his status as a legend shows no signs of slowing down (2 -- 4) no caption (Elvis Presley) (5) no caption (Elvis Presley and female) Box: (1) Go (channel) surfing with Elvis (see text) (2) Documentaries (see text) |
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