10:00 am. Guest House Ballroom, The Guest House at Graceland. Tickets: $70 BUY NOW Also included in the Elvis Week Platinum and Gold Packages Enjoy a Memphis-style brunch at The Guest House at Graceland while enjoying Elvis gospel music by Terry Blackwood and The Imperials. Terry Blackwood performed with Elvis as part of The Imperials – including during Elvis’ return to Vegas in 1969 and in the studio during Elvis’ recording of his Grammy award winning album “He Touched Me.” Advance ticket sales only for this event.
ALSO today at Graceland:
CANDLELIGHT VIGIL
8:30 pm. Gates of Graceland. After an opening ceremony at the Gates of Graceland, fans are invited to walk up the driveway to Elvis’ gravesite and back down carrying a candle in quiet remembrance. Gates remain open until all who wish to participate in the procession have done so, which typically takes until the early morning hours of August 16, the anniversary of Elvis’ passing. The Candlelight Vigil will be open for all to attend. No special passes or wristbands are required to participate in the Candlelight Vigil. All guests will be required to pass through security checkpoint. Can’t be in Memphis for the vigil? The Candlelight Vigil Ceremony will also be available to watch online.
Elvis Presley was known as the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, but he had a strong connection to Nashville, recording some of his most enduring material on Music Row. And now with a new box set, his final sessions in country’s capitol city are all in one place.
With Elvis: Back In Nashville, fans can enjoy a “definitive presentation” of Presley’s week-long 1971 Nashville studio sessions, the springtime recording block that would end up being his last in Nashville.
A 4 CD/digital collection that features 82 songs in their original format, the project finds Presley feeling rejuvenated after returning to the stage, and working with a tight group of Nashville studio musicians. With his sound evolving, these sessions were intended to fuel a whole year or more of releases as Presley planned his comeback, so he went to Nashville and recorded as much as possible. Elvis: Back In Nashville is the end result.
7:00 pm. Soundstage at Graceland, Elvis Presley’s Memphis. Tickets: $78, $68, $58, $48 Also included in the Elvis Week Platinum and Gold Packages Celebrate Elvis’ Nashville Marathon Sessions at Nashville’s Studio B in 1970 and 1971 with musicians James Burton, David Briggs, and Charlie McCoy, who shared the studio with Elvis during these legendary recordings. Joined by vocalists Terry Mike Jeffrey and Dean Z, this concert will feature an unforgettable evening of music and storytelling with special guest host Tom Brown. From fan favorites songs such as “Just Pretend” and “Bridge Over Troubled Water” to “I’ve Lost You” and “Stranger in the Crowd” – enjoy a very special night of Elvis music at the Graceland Soundstage.
Music experts say it’s the greatest country song of all-time. From Elvis’ Nashville sessions:
Today at Graceland: GRACELAND STABLE TOURS Tour Times: 10:00 am, 11:00 am and 12:00 pm. Graceland Stable. Limited tickets remain. Tickets: $20 – SOLD OUT
Back by popular demand, fans can tour the stables at Graceland during Elvis Week 2021! Artifacts on display as part of the Elvis Presley Stable Tour include saddles used by Elvis and his entourage, personal western wear worn by Elvis, checks and documents related to the purchase of some of Elvis’ horses, and home movie footage of Elvis on horseback at Graceland. Tours may be canceled or rescheduled due to inclement weather.
EVERY WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER, I’M RE-POSTING SOME OLD BLOGS I THOUGHT WERE INTERESTING AND WORTH A SECOND LOOK, OR A FIRST GLANCE FOR MY MANY NEW READERS.
Today Elvis Week 2021 began in Memphis.
Those who don’t know or respect the history and legacy of Elvis may, unfortunately only view Elvis as critics suggest, a bloated caricature of himself.
Amazingly, decades after his death, we still talk, write, discuss, compare, analyze anything and everything Elvis.
Britney reminded me of Elvis
By Kevin Fischer
Thursday, Sep 13 2007, 08:38 PM
I AM AN ELVIS FAN. I NEVER WILL MAKE ANY APOLOGIES FOR THAT.
I feel myself feeling sorry for Britney Spears this week.
And I’ll tell you why.
Women, yes, women of all shapes and sizes happily shout, “She’s too fat, she’s too fat,” knowing all too well they will never be as thin as Britney is.
Jay Leno, a fellow of sizeable girth, has no shame ridiculing Britney’s physique.
And I could go on and on.
Imagine if Britney had emerged onstage at the MTV Awards with the same outfit 9 out of 10 insecure Milwaukee women wear every wedding or every weekend night out: the ever so safe black dress or black blazer and black slacks.
What are you hiding ladies??????
What would the critics have said then?
Why is Britney so covered up?
When the *** puts clothes on, you still find fault?
Look, anyone with a brain knows Britney Spears is not fat. And yes, we build stars up, just to shoot them down.
Not me.
Not this week.
The nostalgic bones in my body traveled back to the summer of 1977.
One of my boyhood heroes (the other was Hank Aaron) stunned the world by his premature death at the age of 42.
CBS had been following Elvis around all summer, filming his concerts for a TV special that would coincide with an RCA album, Elvis In Concert.
I watched TV that night along with millions of others, as Elvis was captured, walking on stage for the last time. As difficult as it is for true Presley fans like me to watch, it solidified in my mind how dedicated this man was to his craft, to his audience, to his fans. Pay close attention to Elvis’ face as he’s just ready to go on, his eyes reaching toward heaven, the look of nerves felt by the greatest entertainer ever. He could have sat home at Graceland. He chose, instead, to give his fans what they wanted.
The broadcast of that CBS-TV special has never been shown again since its first airing in 1977.
Why?
Isn’t it obvious.
Look what’s happening to Britney Spears, a young woman with virtually no body fat accused of being overweight.
Was Elvis too fat?
Let’s say he was. True Elvis fans didn’t care. His second golden records’ album had the very appropriate title of “50,000,000 Fans Can’t Be Wrong.”
Of course, there will always be the imbeciles who wouldn’t know good music from their electric shaver. Whatever trash they’re listening to is only possible because of Elvis.
Britney made me realize it again this week.
Elvis wasn’t too fat.
Was he heavier than he was on those historic Ed Sullivan shows? Of course he was. Were you heavier at 42 than you were at 22?
Let’s imagine Elvis at 42 years of age, walking into a bar in Milwaukee. Would people fall off their bar stools, aghast at how obese this man was?
No.
The fact is, when Elvis died, he looked like your average 40-year old guy.
But because he was Elvis, it was so easy to take shots.
Elvis worked his butt off.
Two shows a night, every night, in Vegas.
No one, not Sinatra, not Newton, not anybody did that, especially after Elvis died. His good friend, Wayne Newton said it just became a rule after Elvis passed on that you just didn’t do two shows a night, period.
Elvis performed vigorously when he probably should have taken some time off. That only adds to his legend and greatness.
Watch this next video from one of his last concerts (as difficult as it may be for true fans) with narration from one of his best friends, George Klein.
As you watch, you fall into one of two camps.
You either admire the man for, despite his struggles, having the passionate will to storm that stage and satisfy his fans, or you are one of the shallow-minded that sophomorically just can’t resist a snicker and ugly joke.
Here’s what I say.
Elvis on a bad day was better than anybody else. Thank you Britney, for making me realize it.
Events begin today. Most feature Elvis tribute artists (Graceland doesn’t use the term impersonators).
For me I have no use for the King wannabes. I think they do more damage than good to the overall image of the King. I’ll always choose to watch and listen to the real deal.
An exception has always been Milwaukee’s own Tom Green. I appreciate his reverence, and his font of Elvis knowledge. When he hosted a weekly Sunday morning radio show on WRIT I never missed.
One night a ton of years ago I was standing in line at Kopps at 76th and Layton, wearing a leather jacket from Graceland. A woman behind me began conversation about Elvis and suddenly, somehow, and I don’t remember why, the subject got around to Green. I told the woman exactly what I wrote in the above paragraph.
Suddenly the woman was gone, but quickly reappeared before I put in my custard order with a CD of Green to give me. She happened to be Green’s significant other.
Visitors to Graceland this Elvis Week will crowd into Graceland. Lots to see.
Baker Knight wrote“The Wonder Of You” in 1959. Ray Peterson recorded the song and it peaked at #25. Peterson’s next single did much better in 1960, “Tell Laura I Love Her.”
Knight recalls Elvis took notice of “The Wonder of You.”
“In fact, Presley liked Ray Peterson’s version so much that he asked Ray to visit a movie set and meet with him. Elvis took Ray out to lunch, almost asking permission to cut the number,” said Knight.
“Elvis did not record the song then. But he never forgot it, either. A decade later, Knight got a call that sent him into the clouds. ‘I had just gotten a divorce, was living in an apartment in Ventura. I was always a night person and slept during the day. Anyway, the phone rang 7:30 in the morning. I couldn’t imagine who would be calling me at that time. On the line was one of the folks in Elvis’ band, Glen Hardin. He asked me if I could give him the words to ‘The Wonder Of You’. Elvis needed them because he had decided to do the song on stage that very night.” That evening Elvis sang “The Wonder of You” for the very first time in front of a sellout crowd at the International Hotel in Las Vegas. His live version was released as a single, sold more than two million copies, and reached #9.
But that’s not this week’s forgotten oldie. Flip the single over…
March 8, 1958. This press print of United Press Association shows the famous rock and roll star Elvis Presley at a charity campaign organized by ‘March of Dimes’, that had been committed at that time to the fight against polio. Presley lifts up the eight year old Mary Kosloski who was the ‘National Polio Poster Girl’ in 1955.
Today’s read is from POLITICO: Here’s an excerpt:
As the star of the year—Elvis Presley—prepared for his breathlessly anticipated appearance on the highest-rated variety show of 1956, the United States was in the throes of a medical crisis. The Salk polio vaccine had been available for just over a year, creating hope for eradicating a virus that had haunted communities for decades. Despite scant government safety oversight, the vaccine had been embraced by much of the public as a long-awaited salvation. But one early batch of bad shots had sickened, paralyzed and killed children.
Those shots were recalled, the drugmaker expelled from the polio program. Vaccinations resumed, but some people remained hesitant. Teenagers, especially, balked at getting inoculated, because of a mistaken belief that immunization for a disease also known as Infantile paralysis was only for little kids and babies.
The March of Dimes—an extraordinarily high-profile organization at the time, closely identified with the long war on polio—sought someone who could rev up immunization, giving it a jolt of attention and excitement, the perfect marriage of science and pizzazz.
So on Oct. 28, 1956, backstage at “The Ed Sullivan Show,” the 21-year-old Elvis Presley—the smooth-faced, pouting, swivel-hipped hero of American youth—extended his left arm. In went the needle. Off went the flashbulbs. A polio star was born.
GRACELAND DRIVE-IN August 13, 14, and 16. 9:00 PM
Graceland hosts three nights of the king on the big screen with our first-ever Graceland Drive-in. Watch Elvis on a four-story outdoor screen from inside your car listening over the car radio, or bring some chairs and a portable radio to enjoy the movie under the stars.
Graceland Drive-in Screenings include:
Viva Las Vegas on Thursday, August 13 at 9:00 pm Buy Tickets
’68 Comeback Special on Friday, August 14 at 9:00 pm Buy Tickets
Elvis: Aloha from Hawaii on Sunday, August 16 at 9:00 pm Buy Tickets
The Graceland Drive-in is included for Elvis Week Day Pass purchasers for that day. Carloads are $20. Advanced purchase strongly encouraged. More about the Graceland Drive-in
Elvis’ special, “Aloha from Hawaii,” aired on January 14, 1973, and it was the first entertainment special by a solo artist to be broadcast live around the world.
There was no set ticket price for the concert; instead, donations were given. The more the donation, the better the seat. Elvis actually purchased a ticket for himself and his entourage at $100 each (which, with inflation, would be over $575 in today’s money).
He asked that donations and merchandise sales go to the Kui Lee Cancer Fund, which had been established following the songwriter’s death in 1966. Lee wrote hits like “Ain’t No Big Thing,” “The Days of My Youth” and “I’ll Remember You,” which Elvis covered in many of his concerts, including in the “Aloha” special. The goal was to raise $25,000. A total of $75,000 was raised for the fund.
The ‘Aloha’ concerts were filmed at the Honolulu International Center (now known as the Neal S. Blaisdell Center). Elvis’ “Aloha from Hawaii” aired in more than 40 countries across Asia and Europe. It is estimated that between 1 and 1.5 billion viewers watched the king’s special.
The special didn’t air in the United States on January 14.
Why Not? Something else of major proportions was going on the same day.
This Just In... From Franklin, WI 