From Elvis.com:
"This exciting, new exhibit is now open as part of the VIP tour experience. Guests will explore the birth of rock ‘n’ roll music in July of 1954 and journey through the transformation of the would-be King of Rock ‘n’ Roll from delivery truck driver to world-wide singing sensation and star of the silver screen. Rare artifacts displayed in the new “60 Years of Elvis” exhibit include: Elvis’ personal “That’s All Right” 45 rpm record; a pay stub from his early days as a driver for Crown Electric; telegrams home to his parents during his first few days on tour; an original script from “Jailhouse Rock”; his 1955 RCA Records contract; Elvis’ last GRAMMY® Award for his Gospel hit “How Great Thou Art,” along with the jumpsuit he wore on stage that night; Elvis’ wardrobe from “Viva Las Vegas”; and the award presented to Graceland and the Presley family upon Elvis’ induction into the inaugural class of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986."


Click here to view Caroline's photos of  the 
"60 Years of Elvis" exhibit!

All photos are copyright (c) Caroline Pratt, all rights reserved. They may not be reproduced in any form without prior written consent.

RCA/Legacy Recordings Releases 40th Anniversary 2-CD Edition of "Elvis Recorded Live On Stage In Memphis"
March 18, 2014

RCA Records and Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, will celebrate the 40th Anniversary of "Elvis Recorded Live On Stage In Memphis" with an expanded 2-CD release of the monumental complete concert experience featuring tracks left off the original album (because of the spatial limitations of vinyl).  The entire concert has been remixed and remastered.  "Elvis Recorded Live On Stage In Memphis" will be available on Tuesday, March 18, 2014. Order your copy of the 40th Anniversary Edition of "Elvis Recorded Live On Stage In Memphis" by visiting ShopElvis.com.

Want to win a copy of this? Follow @VisitGraceland on Twitter for more details!  

Disc 2 of the newly remastered expanded Legacy Edition of "Elvis Recorded Live On Stage In Memphis" presents a recently located recording of Elvis' complete concert "test-run" held for an ecstatic live audience at the Richmond Coliseum, on March 18, 1974, two days before his historic-concert-return to Memphis (where he'd last played live in 1961).  The remarkable "test-run" concert was recorded in MONO, drenched in the reverb Elvis preferred and provides new insight into the magic of Elvis.

As a special added bonus for Elvis aficionados, Disc 2 of "Elvis Recorded Live On Stage In Memphis" includes five intimate tracks cut at the RCA Studios in Hollywood on August 16, 1974. Originally intended as reference recordings for an upcoming Las Vegas engagement, the performances - which include "Down In The Alley," "Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues," "Softly As I Leave You," "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" and "The Twelfth Of Never"- provide a rare fly-on-the-wall glimpse into Elvis' consummate backstage artistry as he prepares these songs for concert.

The musicians backing Elvis on "Elvis Recorded Live On Stage In Memphis" include James Burton and John Wilkinson (guitars); Charlie Hodge (guitar and vocals); Duke Bardwell (bass); Ronnie Tutt (drums); Glen D. Hardin (piano); The Sweet Inspirations, J.D. Sumner & The Stamps, Voice and Kathy Westmoreland (vocals) with Joe Guercio and his Orchestra.

"Elvis Recorded Live On Stage In Memphis" will also include a 24-page booklet featuring rare photos, previously unseen memorabilia, new liner notes, press clips and more.

Following the artistic success of his 1973 Stax sessions and the global phenomenon of the "Aloha From Hawaii Via Satellite" album and broadcast the same year, Elvis opened 1974 with a 15-city tour routed to end in Memphis and a state-of-the-art concert recording.

"I wanted to record a live session in my hometown of Memphis," said Elvis at the time.  "After all, this is where it all started out for me."

Originally released on vinyl on July 7, 1974, "Elvis Recorded Live On Stage In Memphis" reached #1 on the Country charts and featured "How Great Thou Art," the track that would bring Elvis his third (and third Gospel) Grammy win.

Disc 1 - The Memphis "Homecoming" Concert

Also Sprach Zarathustra
See See Rider
I Got A Woman/Amen
Love Me
Trying To Get To You
All Shook Up (not included on original album)
Steamroller Blues (not included on original album)
Teddy Bear-Don't Be Cruel (not included on original album)
Love Me Tender (not included on original album)
Long Tall Sally-Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On-Mama Don't Dance-Flip, Flop And Fly-Jailhouse Rock-Hound Dog
Fever (not included on original album)
Polk Salad Annie (not included on original album) 
Why Me Lord
How Great Thou Art
Suspicious Minds (not included on original album)
Introductions (not included on original album)
Blueberry Hill-I Can't Stop Loving You
Help Me
An American Trilogy
Let Me Be There
My Baby Left Me
Lawdy, Miss Clawdy (not included on original album) 
Funny How Time Slips Away (not included on original album) 
Can't Help Falling In Love
Closing Vamp

*Recorded live March 20, 1974 at the Mid-South Coliseum, Memphis, Tennessee

Disc 2 - The Richmond "Test Run" Concert 

Also Sprach Zarathustra
See See Rider
I Got A Woman/Amen
Love Me
Trying To Get To You
All Shook Up
Steamroller Blues
Teddy Bear-Don't Be Cruel
Love Me Tender
Long Tall Sally-Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On-Mama Don't Dance-Flip, Flop And Fly-Jailhouse Rock-Hound Dog
Fever
Polk Salad Annie
Why Me Lord
How Great Thou Art
Suspicious Minds
Introductions
Blueberry Hill-I Can't Stop Loving You
Help Me
An American Trilogy
Let Me Be There
My Baby Left Me
Lawdy, Miss Clawdy
Funny How Time Slips Away
Can't Help Falling In Love
Closing Vamp

*Recorded live March 18, 1974 at the Richmond Coliseum, Richmond, Virginia

The August 1974 RCA Rehearsal

Down In The Alley
Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues
Softly As I Leave You
The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
The Twelfth Of Never


source: http://www.elvis.com - Graceland/Elvis Presley Enterprises

Rare Artifacts from the"60 Years of Elvis" Graceland V.I.P exhibit were showcased in Nashville, Tennessee today:  Tuesday, March 18th, 2014. Kevin Kern, Director of Public Relations at Elvis Presley Enterprises showed the artifacts to WTVF News Channel 5 during the "Talk of the Town" segment. 

The new "60 Years of Elvis" exhibit will be open from now until February of 2015. For more information on tours, visit Elvis.com/Graceland. 

Keep up with the latest Elvis news and Graceland events by following @VisitGraceland on Twitter and Elvis Presley's Graceland on Facebook. For more information check out: www.elvis.com/graceland. 

Buy Elvis Presley's 12-Pound 'Aloha From Hawaii' Cape

Custom-made apparel from singer's famed 1973 show up for auction

By JASON NEWMAN
March 17, 2014 11:15 AM ET


A 12-pound cape custom-made for Elvis Presley for the singer's famed 1973 performance Aloha from Hawaii Via Satellite is up for auction.

The full-length cape, adorned with an American eagle and stars and inlaid with semi-precious stones, measured nearly five feet in length, but when Presley tried it on in rehearsals, he found it too heavy to be worn onstage for the show. Designer Bill Belew was forced to create a lighter replacement for Presley, with the original sent back to Graceland.

"Presley had the cape made to hide behind at the opening of the Hawaii show," says Bobby Livingston, a spokesperson for RR Auction, the Massachusetts company selling the cape. "The show was heavily choreographed — he intended to drop the cape and reveal himself to the anxiously awaiting crowd. However, when Presley tried on the cape during rehearsals, the weight almost pulled him over backwards, and it was decided that a smaller version was needed."

According to the description on RR Auction's website, "three small hooks and Velcro are sewn into the collar to connect the cape to Presley’s jumpsuit, and two small straps are sewn into the corners to enable Elvis to stretch out the cape while wearing it."

Belew, who died in 2008, gained fame for designing many of Presley's outfits from 1968 to 1977, including the velveteen ensemble the singer wore for his infamous "Elvis meets Nixon" photo. In 2008, Presley's Belew-designed peacock jumpsuit sold for $300,000, making it the most expensive piece of Elvis memorabilia sold at auction at the time. In 1999, the actual Aloha cape used by Presley for the Hawaii performance sold for $105,250 at auction. 

In a 2005 interview, Belew explained his process behind designing Presley's white jumpsuits. "The lighting [in Las Vegas] was still in its early stages," said the designer. "And we found that the color that worked the best was white. It allowed them to change the colors on him, where as black would absorb all the color. And it was hard to highlight him. And we experimented with blue which was one of his favorite colors. Red. But it just ended up that white was the best thing and, of course, you know, you want the star to be the person, you know, and not the wardrobe."

Presley filmed the special on January 14th, 1973 at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center (then named the Honolulu International Center). It aired in more than 40 countries, with the United States airing it three months later on April 4th. 

The cape is being sold through Thursday, March 20th.


source: http://www.rollingstone.com

Elvis Presley's concert in Memphis in March 1974, when he returned to the city during a U.S. tour to perform in his hometown for the first time in 13 years, is featured in a new two-CD set.

RCA Records and Legacy Recordings say "Elvis Recorded Live On Stage in Memphis" will go on sale Tuesday.

The set includes a re-mastered version of the full concert, including songs that weren't on the original July 7, 1974 release on vinyl. The 1974 album featured the song "How Great Thou Art," which would win Presley a gospel Grammy.

The set also includes a recently located recording of a test run for a show in Richmond, Va.


source: http://www.billboard.com

Gossip websites are reporting that Britney Spears is planning to get married to David Lucado at Elvis Presley’s former home in Tennessee.

The site claims,”Britney wants to get as much attention and money for pictures with her third wedding as she did for her second, which is why she is considering reaching out to Elvis’ daughter Lisa Marie Presley to ask if she can be married in the Graceland Estate in Memphis, Tennessee.” 

We don’t believe this for a second.

Here’s why:

• Britney is sharply focused on her residency at Planet Hollywood and no one in their right mind would try to plan a wedding at the same  time.
• Britney doesn't need the money from selling a wedding picture.

• A source close to Britney tells RumorFix “I haven’t heard that to be true.” A source close to Lisa Marie tells us, “It’s just a rumor.” And a source close to Graceland tells us, “As of this morning Britney has not reached out to Graceland.”
  

By the way, weddings are not allowed in the mansion, but if Britney really wanted to she could get married at the nearby Chapel In The Woods and then take pictures in front of the mansion.


source: http://rumorfix.com

Producer Ted Richmond, who produced more than 60 movies from the 1940s through the 1970s including Elvis' 'It Happened At The World's Fair'  and his most successful movie the 1973 thriller "Papillon" (with Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman), passed away in Paris on Dec 23rd, 2013. He was 103.

For 40 years he produced movies in a variety of genres. There were Westerns such as "The Cimarron Kid," starring Audie Murphy, and "Return of the Seven," as well as comedies. 

Richmond also worked with such stars as Beau Bridges, Charles Laughton, Boris Karloff, Tony Curtis, Janet Leigh, Anne Bancroft, Rock Hudson, Charles Bronson and Bob Hope. The producer's last film was 1979's "The Fifth Musketeer."

Talking about 'It Happened at the World's Fair' Ted Richmond told the local paper, "Writers have been in Seattle recently, selecting locations and material. While the Fair will be the background we also plan to include other facets of the Northwest, the orchards, the logging camps, in the picture which will be shot in colour and CinemaScope" 

During filming to get across the fairgrounds Elvis had to ride through crowds of fairgoers in an open electrical vehicle. Although a security perimeter of sorts was attempted, "Girls laughingly assaulted the police who locked arms to keep the crowds from the singer.” 

With inclement weather potentially delaying filming with Elvis, Ted Richmond joked, "I'm holding my breath at the rate of $6,000 an hour"! 


source: http://www.elvisinfonet.com

Gotta Have It Rock 'n' Roll auction house is having a celerity auction, March 26th. They are offering numerous items relating to Elvis Presley. 

Click the link below to view the Elvis items!
http://www.gottahaverockandroll.com/catalog.aspx?searchby=3&searchvalue=elvis

Forbes names Memphis second most affordable city

March 12, 2014
StaffMemphis Business Journal

Memphis has been ranked the second most affordable city in the United States, according to Forbes’ Most Affordable Cities ranking.

The list is based on data from the 100 largest metropolitan statistical areas and metropolitan divisions with populations of 600,000 or more. It looks at housing affordability, cost of living and average home prices in relation to residents making average income for the area.

Buffalo, N.Y. was the most affordable city, closely followed by Memphis. Knoxville was the only other Tennessee city in the top 20.

Honolulu and New York City were tied for the least affordable cities in the U.S. The complete list can be seen here.


source: http://www.bizjournals.com

Sony Music will release the box set 'Today, Tomorrow and Forever' in May under the 'RCA/BMG Heritage' label. 

'Today, Tomorrow, and Forever' is a 2002 Elvis Presley compilation album released by RCA Records. 

The album features songs from the early years of Presley on Sun Records to his movie career, 68' Comeback Special, Gospel, Vegas and later years. 

As indicated on the packaging, none of the tracks in this four-CD set had ever been released previously, as all tracks featured were either alternate studio takes or previously unreleased live performances. The title track of the collection is a (then-) recently discovered outtake from the soundtrack recording sessions for Viva Las Vegas featuring Presley in duet with Ann-Margret.


source: http://www.elvismatters.com

Finn Fan Productions announced the release of the book "We'll Remember You" by Ed Bonja. The dual language (English and Finnish) is due June/July 2014 and limited to 1000 copies. From the publisher: "In July of 2014 an independent Finn Fan Productions will release a unique coffee table book titled "Elvis – We'll Remember You". The book will contain many unseen photos of the King of Rock'n'Roll from the files of Ed Bonja. Bonja will open his photo exhibition of the same name in a South-East harbor town of Kotka, Finland on July 23rd, and the photo book supports the exhibition.

Photos for this publication were taken by Ed Bonja, who worked as Tour Manager and Official Photographer from 1970 to 1977. During that period he took some 10.000 photos of Elvis and various happenings in conjunction with the tours and engagements. Ed's photos were routinely used on all kinds of souvenir materials promoting Elvis tours, Las Vegas and Lake Tahoe engagements. In addition, most photos used on the single and LP covers from the 70's are from Ed. “Elvis – We’ll Remember You” covers years 1970 – 1975; including various tours, photos from Las Vegas Hilton Engagements and photos of crew members and musicians alike.

The book is divided in four different categories, which makes it a very special one. These chapters allow you to take a look also behind the scenes of a superstar’s production. On 200 full color pages, we see Elvis meeting fans – on and off stage, sometimes receiving gifts and awards. Roadies can be seen taking care of business and helping the organization their own way, as well as Colonel Parker relaxing at his home in Palm Springs or playing Santa for Hilton employees children. Included are the photos Ed took at Graceland when went there to take pictures for the live album cover. Not to forget The King himself: you’ll see Elvis on stage doing what he loved to do – entertaining.

Text in the book is in both Finnish and English, which makes this book international. Naturally, photos speak for themselves and cross all language barriers. Ed is a fantastic story teller and his vivid memories are integral part of this book.

This is not an ordinary photo-album-style book, this is a photographic essay which tells the Elvis story in many ways: particularly through the lens of Ed Bonja.


source: http://www.elvismatters.com

July 5, 2014 will mark a huge anniversary for Sun Records: Elvis' first hit single, "That's All Right Mama", and what many mark as the birth of Rock & Roll. 

You can celebrate this monumental occasion with our That's All Right 60th Tee. 

'Shades of Elvis' tribute book featuring over 75 different talents wearing/posing with a pair of Elvis' personal famous shades. These beautiful photographs are featured in a 12x12 hardcover coffee table book. Two years in the making, Priscilla Presley & Christopher Ameruoso are proud to share 'Shades of Elvis' with the world.

Available now: http://bit.ly/1kxWUiU

Coming Soon - one of the best ELVIS concerts in Europe, a Special anniversary show featuring the people who knew and worked with Elvis
This show is unique because it features Elvis’ friends and original musicians. 

Featuring former bandmembers – bassplayer Duke Bardwell, drummer Jerome ‘Stump’ Monroe – and other top musicians paying tribute to Elvis. The MC for the proceedings is Elvis’ former head of security, Dick Grob. Grob will be telling stories from his years with the King, and there will also be plenty of opportunity to talk to him and ask him questions. 

The musical part of the show will include Elvis' band mates plus the leadsinger, the phenomenal Dwight Icenhower, who is regarded by many as one of the best Elvis tribute artists worldwide. Icenhower has won many awards, including “The World’s Best Elvis” in Memphis. They will be backed by a full band. 

These are the people that stood next to The King when he rocked the world, and this is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to get up close to an important part of music history.

Spring Tour - 2014 Show Dates 
Thursday May 1, 2014- Klockargården, Tällberg, Sweden
Friday May 2, 2014 - Klockargården, Tällberg, Sweden
Saturday May 3, 2014 - Vara Konserthus, Vara, Sweden.
Sunday May 4, 2014 - Vershuset, Grønnegade Kaserne 10
Tuesday, May 6, 2014 - Kerava-Sali, Kerava, Finland
Wednesday, May 7, 2014 - Turku - Konserttitalo
Thursday, May 8, 2014 - Tampere - Musiikkiteatteri Palatsi
Saturday May 10, 2014 - Melkweg, Amsterdam, Holland
Sunday May 11, 2014 - Effenaar, Eindhoven, Holland

Go HERE for booking details


source: http://www.elvisinfonet.com

Actor Kurt Russell is known for a myriad of roles in movies that span throughout his 52 year career, he even stared as ELVIS in John Carpenter's 1979 biopic of the same name. Kurt Russell is an icon that many fans adore to this day. 

When Kurt Russell first started his career, he appeared in a number of television shows and supporting roles in a couple of movies. Not many people realize this, but when Kurt Russell was 10 years old, he was able to act alongside Elvis Presley in 'It Happened at the World’s Fair. 

Recently Melissa Molina asked Russell whether he remembered anything from his interaction with Elvis. When the topic of Elvis came up, he leaned up against the wall, a small twinkle gleamed in his eye as a smile spread across his face.

... “It was my first brush with a real celebrity. I’ve never seen anything having to do with a real celebrity before. I didn’t really know who Elvis Presley was. I was a 10 year old kid. I knew Elvis Presley was a name that everybody knew. If I’d seen him, I didn’t know it. I wasn’t into music and I didn’t listen to music that much. So the first time he came on the set, a car went on the set, round 5000 women just broke through there and jumped on his car. We were all staring and I was thinking what’s going on there. This guy says ‘Well that’s Elvis. We won’t be able to get him in on this round.’ They backed the car up… it was just watching them attack the car. Wow. To a 10 year old kidit’s like ‘What are they doing? What are they thinking?’ He came out later, through a different way, and he’s just this really nice guy. I was just this kid and I asked him‘What’s the deal with all those girls jumping on your car?’ He could see that I was just this innocent kid and responded with ‘Ah they get crazy.’ I told him ‘You should never come in that way again, you know.’ So I remember that. I remembered him having his car completely jumped up with girls.”



source: http://www.elvisinfonet.com

Attention Corvette lovers/collectors and Elvis Presley fans: You’ll have the chance to add the Riverside Red 1963 split-window coupe seen in the 1964 feature film Viva Las Vegas to your collection when it crosses the block at Mecum’s Houston 2014 Auction, set for April 10-14 at the Reliant Center. 

Here is the full story:

In the 1960s, Harry Mann advertised his Los Angeles dealership, Harry Mann Chevrolet, as the largest Corvette dealer in America. But when the new 1963 Corvette Sting Ray Z06 made its race debut in the October, 1962 Los Angeles Times Grand Prix at Riverside, Mann and his driver Gary Pickens were relegated to the sidelines. Chevrolet had issued only four Z06 Corvettes for the race; none of them had gone to Mann, and none would be available to dealers until December 1962.

Undaunted, Mann and Pickens ordered a new 1963 Corvette Sting Ray coupe equipped with the RPO L84 fuel injected 327/360 HP engine, the same one used in the Z06, with the goal to assemble all the other pieces needed to build their own. The new car arrived to a flurry of modifications that included a roll cage, a comprehensive weight-reduction program and competition brakes. A recreational gambler, Pickens completed his new racer by painting his number - 711 - as dice on the doors, hood and rear deck.

Pickens raced the car throughout California in 1963, but his fifteen minutes of fame arrived in July when filming began in Nevada on the new racing-themed Elvis Presley movie Viva Las Vegas. The producers needed real race cars for the movie’s climactic racing scene, especially a new Corvette, and Pickens’ dice-liveried Riverside Red racer was the perfect choice.

It turned out to be Gary Pickens’ most lucrative payday; MGM rented the car for the duration of filming and paid Pickens to drive it, including a $500 bonus for the famous spinout scene, during which the car received the only racing damage of its career, hitting the rear clip without damaging the frame or any other fiberglass.

Gary Pickens raced the 711 Corvette again in 1964 with a replacement 1964 327/375 HP engine, eventually selling it to fellow racer Ron Herrera. In 1972, it went into private ownership in Los Angeles, where it cruised the streets--still in racing configuration--before disappearing into a garage.

Although hunted for years by hopeful collectors, the car remained secreted until 2011, when Corvette specialist Mike Scott learned that it was owned by a customer and close friend in Torrance, California. Scott and restorer Gary Nabers confirmed the car’s history, purchased it, and brought it to Nabers Brothers of Houston, Texas, who completed a thorough no-expense-spared restoration in March 2013 to qualify it for the National Corvette Restorers Society (NCRS) American Heritage Award. The Concours quality restoration included retaining the well-preserved interior, the 1964 engine Pickens installed, and the original matching-numbers Borg-Warner T-10 4-speed. Rare period-correct Z06 components were sourced and used wherever necessary, ensuring the car is authentically configured as it ran at Riverside in 1963.

The 711 Corvette has since been accepted into the Registry of Corvette Race Cars, qualifying it for vintage racing events at a wide range of venues. Importantly, it is fully mechanically sorted for high performance driving, a hard runner that tracks straight and handles and brakes with consistency and predictability.

The Gary Pickens 711 1963 Corvette Sting Ray coupe combines provenance as a historically significant racing Corvette with that of a genuine movie star car, a rare combination that puts it in a category all its affords it a singularly unique position in the collector Corvette milieu.


source: http://www.elvismatters.com

by Michael Berkens
March 8, 2014


Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.  (EPE) has been awarded the 20 year old domain name graceland.com  by three member UDRP panel.

The domain was not parked but contained bible verses with Google Adsense which put up ads related to the former home of Elvis Presley which is now a huge tourist attraction.

The parties didn’t even agree if it was the domain owner who offered to sell the domain to the trademark holder for $200,000 or if the trademark holder offered the domain holder $200,000 for the domain.

EPE owns the domain name Graceland.org, which as the domain holder pointed out was in fact parked and not used for the tourist attraction.

Here are the relevant allegations and findings:

Complainants allegations:

The Complainant is the owner, inter alia, of registered trade marks in the USA for GRACELAND for a wide variety of goods and services. It owns over 30 domain names containing GRACELAND including <graceland.org> and <gracelandtours.info>.

The Respondent has been involved with domain name registrations since the mid 1990s and is the owner of over 40 domain names. He has owned graceland.com since 1994 and to date has never used the registration for a legitimate purpose. Almost since its inception the website has shown bible quotes and advertisements for travel, tours and merchandise relating to Elvis Presley, specifically Graceland.


source: http://www.thedomains.com

Due for release from Joseph Tunzi is the book "Elvis '72 Bright Summer Nights".

From the press-release: 
Elvis '72, Bright Summer Nights - features over 150 photographs, many unpublished from his June 1972 tour and on to Las Vegas in August. This hardback book will share insight into these two engagements." 

Also, the book "Sessions 4" will be distributed worldwide with the most accurate information of any previous sessions books or websites. It is based on documents and every union contract containing more information that is sure to capture the hearts of every Elvis fan of music enthusiast. The book will be over 1000 pages and over 500 photographs from the first session in Nashville to the last session in Graceland.


source: Joseph Tunzi