Elvis On Tour The Rainmaker A BIG HUNK O LOVE A BOY LIKE ME A GIRL LIKE YOU
Monday, October 31, 2011
Unusual Christmas Gifts at Find-me-a-gift
Find-me-a-gift asked: At Find-Me-A-Gift, we pride ourselves on having the most incredible range of Unusual Christmas Gifts known to man! Whether you?re looking for an Unusual Christmas Gift for your mum, an Unusual Christmas Gift for your brother, an Unusual Christmas Gift for your friend or an Unusual Christmas Gift for a girlfriend, Find-Me-A-Gift can [...]
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Unusual Christmas Gifts at Find-me-a-gift
Find-me-a-gift asked: At Find-Me-A-Gift, we pride ourselves on having the most incredible range of Unusual Christmas Gifts known to man! Whether you?re looking for an Unusual Christmas Gift for your mum, an Unusual Christmas Gift for your brother, an Unusual Christmas Gift for your friend or an Unusual Christmas Gift for a girlfriend, Find-Me-A-Gift can [...]
Flaming Star Wild In The Country Blue Hawaii Follow That Dream
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Friday, October 28, 2011
Elvis-This Day In History
July 27, 1963 After 3 days of filming at the Lake Mead Marina, cast and crew from the Viva Las Vegas set returned to Los Angeles and by now Elvis and Ann-Margret were the subject of gossip. Elvis-This Day In … Continue reading
Elvis-This Day In History is a post from: The Elvis Presley Blog
FOOLS FALL IN LOVE FOOLS RUSH IN WHERE ANGELS FEAR TO TREAD THAT S WHAT YOU GET FOR LOVIN ME FOR OL TIMES SAKE
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Monday, October 24, 2011
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Backstage With Elvis
Theresea Hughes asked: Elvis often enjoyed causal meetings with celebrities like Marty Allen, Tom Jones, Bobby Darin, Jack Lord, Buddy Hacket, and Jean Rivers.In the early days Elvis also enjoyed the company of Sammy Davis Jr. and in later years enjoyed the company of Sammy Davis Jr. and his wife.At one of Elvis’s movie nights [...]
Girls Girls Girls It Happened At The World s Fair Fun In Acapulco Kissin Cousins
Why Elvis Fans Continue to Feel the Frenzy
Theresea Hughes asked: Elvis’ fans span the whole world. They can be found in all places from China to Czechoslovakia. Elvis fan clubs are estimated to number around five hundred, represented in all but six states in the US and forty-five countries around the world.With the sheer number of Elvis’ fans, there is no denying [...]
DON T CRY DADDY DON T FORBID ME DON T LEAVE ME NOW DON T THINK TWICE IT S ALL RIGHT
Gladys and Elvis -- A Mothers' Day Commemorative Stamp ?
Did you see the news earlier this week that the US Postal Service has changed its rules and will now consider stamp designs that feature people who are still alive. According to the Postmaster General, ?This change will enable us to pay tribute to individuals for their achievements while they are still alive to enjoy the honor.?
But, several news articles speculate that this could be as much about money as admiration. We all know the Postal Service is in bad shape financially. Could this new policy be a move to bring in extra profit, as they hope many of the new popular designs might be bought as collectibles and not used as postage?
There is one stunning example of this phenomenon ? the Elvis stamp from 1993. The USPS issued 500 million of them, but reported in 2002 that over 124 million were never used to mail a letter. That resulted in a cool $36 million profit for the post office.
The news sources also reported the Postal Service is now inviting suggestions for new stamps featuring people who are still alive. Although they get 40-50,000 suggestions every year, most of the resulting stamps don?t inspire folks to hang on to large numbers of them as collectibles. What they want now are pop culture icons like Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber with rabid fans who will buy lots and lots of stamps.
I have an idea for the Postal Service. Based on their prior experience with Elvis fans buying and hoarding the Elvis stamps, why not go back to the well one more time. How about a Mothers? Day commemorative stamp featuring Elvis and his mama Gladys? Can you think of any image that would better show a son?s love for his mother? I went into my files to see if there were any photos of the two that would make a good stamp picture. Here?s what I found.
This shot from 1956 is pretty good, but we can?t see either of their eyes, so, it?s probably not the one to use.
This would be a good one if it were a sharper image.
Probably the best so far. Elvis is his usual bad self and Gladys looks about as good here as she ever did in her last years.
This won?t work. Gladys just doesn?t look her best here.
Another shot with Gladys in profile and she looks pretty good. It would be better if they were closer and Elvis wasn?t wearing the hat.
It?s a nice image of Elvis kissing his mom, but Gladys looks so sad. I believe this shot was taken as Elvis prepared to join the Army.
When I finally found the picture I liked best for an Elvis and Gladys Mothers? Day stamp, it turned out to be a Photoshop composite. The shot of smiling Gladys below had to have been taken several years before the one of Elvis.
The picture on the stamp idea above was cropped from a larger one created by Tommy Piretos, who has designed at least two dozen great Elvis images. You can see fourteen of them on Flickr at http://www.flickr.com/photos/52594605@N02/ I have tried to find a way to contact Tommy Piretos and Piretos Creations using Google, Bing, and Flickr, but have had no success. I?d like to do a feature about these wonderful images and their creator. If you know of an e-mail address or website for Tommy Piretos, please let me know at philarnold@charter.net.
So, if you like the concept of an Elvis and Gladys Mothers? Day Commemorative stamp, you can boost the chances of it happening by sending your proposal to:
Creative Stamp Advisory Committee
C/O Stamp Development
US Postal Service
475 L?Enfant Plaza SW, Room 3300
Washington, DC 20260
You don?t need to send a picture with your proposal. That?s another long involved process, and the Postal Service has a group of preferred artists they use most of the time.
� 2011 Philip R Arnold, Original Elvis Blogmeister All Rights Reserved www.ElvisBlog.net
Elvis, Elvis Presley, and Graceland are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.
A LITTLE LESS CONVERSATION A MESS OF BLUES A THING CALLED LOVE A WHISTLING TUNE
Friday, October 21, 2011
Al Wertheimer Reflects on Photographing "The Kiss"
No matter what network you watch the news on, you probably saw a feature two weeks ago about the newly revealed identity of the girl in ?The Kiss,? Alfred Wertheimer?s iconic Elvis photo. She is Charleston, SC resident Barbara (Bobbi) Gray, who is now 75. ?The Kiss? was photographed in 1956, so it took 55 years for her identity to be revealed.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
On August 16, 1977, We Lost Elvis Presley
http://www.zoomers.ca/video/old-friend-elvis-tribute Bill Medleys Tribute To Elvis, Taken From The 1980s TV Special Graceland, And was hosted by Priscilla Presley. Remembering Elvis on this tragic day in history, gone much too soon, gone but never forgotten…. “And God shall wipe away … Continue reading
On August 16, 1977, We Lost Elvis Presley is a post from: The Elvis Presley Blog
AN EVENING PRAYER AND I LOVE YOU SO AND THE GRASS WON T PAY NO MIND ANGEL
Monday, October 17, 2011
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Priscilla Presleys Plastic Surgery - Is She Plastic Too?
Sheila Clinch asked: Living in a town where there is a constant struggle to look good, Hollywood stars would not mind if they have to shell out their living just to pay a cosmetic surgeon to maintain their look. Or this is what they think. There are numbers of celebrities that turned out to be [...]
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Why Elvis Fans Continue to Feel the Frenzy
Theresea Hughes asked: Elvis’ fans span the whole world. They can be found in all places from China to Czechoslovakia. Elvis fan clubs are estimated to number around five hundred, represented in all but six states in the US and forty-five countries around the world.With the sheer number of Elvis’ fans, there is no denying [...]
"Elvis and Us" -- The King is now in a Beatles Museum
This past Wednesday, October 5, a new Elvis exhibit opened in England. It is titled ?Elvis and Us,? and is stocked with a wonderful selection of items loaned by EPE. Some of the rare artifacts have never even been displayed at Graceland.
The venue housing ?Elvis and Us? is ?The Beatles Story? in the Fab Four?s hometown of Liverpool.
The news report and links on Elvis.com/news do not mention what was moved out to make room for the Elvis exhibit, but it certainly covers a lot of space.
Of course, fans will do self guided audio tours with head phones.
And a short film featuring an interview with Priscilla seems inevitable.
What would an Elvis exhibit be without a jumpsuit or two?
Other items from Elvis? wardrobe and jewelry are a must, too.
You didn?t think Graceland would miss a good opportunity to sell Elvis merchandise, did you?
So far, all the pictures here have been about Elvis exclusively, but the exhibit does connect him and the Beatles wherever possible. This wall shows the effect Elvis had on the young lads in Liverpool in the late 50s. The striped shirt on the left was worn by Elvis in Jailhouse Rock.
The big Elvis/Beatles connection was the one time they met at his home in Bel Air, California on August 27, 1965.
This wall echoes the words Elvis spoke when the meeting got off to a stilted start. The white bass guitar is the one Elvis strummed during the visit from the Beatles.
One of special items in the exhibit is the pool table from the home in Bel Air, which was used by Elvis? buddies and one or two of the Beatles that night. It has never previously been offered for public display. The Beatles? mop-top hairdos adapted better to a Q-ball design than Elvis? pompadour did.
So, if you are planning a trip to England any time in the next two years, be sure to include a day trip to Liverpool and take in ?Elvis and Us? at ?The Beatles Story? museum.
� 2011 Philip R Arnold, Original Elvis Blogmeister All Rights Reserved www.ElvisBlog.net
Elvis, Elvis Presley, and Graceland are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.
BY AND BY CANE AND A HIGH STARCHED COLLAR CAN T HELP FALLING IN LOVE
Friday, October 14, 2011
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Caption Contest # 27 -- Winner
There were more submissions for this Elvis caption Contest than we've had in a long, long time. Congratulations to Valerie Norris for her winning caption.
Lamar, Red. Help!!! Get me out of here.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Friday, October 7, 2011
Thursday, October 6, 2011
July 2011 Elvis Auctions -- Part 2
Mid-September seems like an odd time to post a blog about an auction of Elvis items that took place back in July, but there have been reasons for the delay. After the Heritage Music Memorabilia Auction ended on July 29, a number of things came up that inspired timely articles on ElvisBlog: The Elvis Super Hero book, the identity of the girl in the famous Al Wertheimer photo ?The Kiss,? the death of the prolific writer of Elvis song lyrics Jerry Leiber, and more.
Nothing big related to Elvis was in the news this week, so let?s look at some interesting Elvis things that changed hands at the auction.
Celebrity?Signed Western Shirt:
This shirt brought in $7,170, and that high price might be because dozens of celebrities signed it, in addition to Elvis. Some of the names you can?t see or are not legible include Steve Allen, Andy Griffith, Tex Ritter, Raymond Burr, James Mason, Red Foley, Fess Parker, Phil Silvers, Cesar Romero, Roy Rogers, and Jack Webb.
Here are some autographs you can read. If you start at the top button above, Colonel Parker is just to the left. Scotty (Moore) is farther down and to the left. Red Skelton is clearly visible to the right of the face. Susan Hayward is signed vertically just to the right of the buttons. A little lower, Phyllis Diller and Betty White are easy to see.
In this blow-up, Elvis is circled, and Larry Geller is just to the left. The box below tells some of the history of this shirt, but does not explained how all the autographs were collected.
The shirt came with a Letter of Authenticity from Joe Esposito. It has been sold at auction at least once before, starting with Bonham?s Auctions back in 1997.
1972 Martin D-28 Acoustic Guitar: There were two Martin acoustic guitars in this auction, but the 1953 Martin 00-21 failed to attract any bidding above the $37,500 minimum. The 1972 Martin D-28 model pictured above did surpass its minimum bid and went for $19,120. Elvis played Martin guitars early in his career and switched back to them again in the 70?s. This 1972 D-28 came with two letters of authenticity and two large color photos of Elvis using it in concert. Personal Address/Phone Book: If this looks familiar, it should, because it was included in an ElvisBlog article last September about the Ultimate Elvis Auction held in Memphis during Elvis Week. It sold for $10,217 then, and it brought in $13,145 this time. At first glance, it would appear that somebody made a quick $3,000 on this item. However, the latest sell price includes the auctioneer?s 19% fee. After that is deducted from the proceeds, the seller made only $100. I think I would have just held on to it. Concho Belt: Elvis? jumpsuit belts aren?t the only ones highly prized by collectors. He bought this silver concho belt in 1967 while filming Stay Away Joe in Sedona, Arizona. The belt has eleven silver conchos with turquoise settings, and the buckle is solid silver with fourteen more turquoise stones. Elvis later gave the belt to his musical director Joe Guercio, who replaced the buckle with one of his own (the one on the belt in the photo). There was no mention of what happened to the original buckle shown in the photo of Elvis wearing the belt. It will probably show up in an auction someday. In spite of not having the original buckle, the belt brought in $5,078. Set of Sun 78 Records: You true Elvis fans know that Sun Records released five Elvis records, and most of them were in the 45RPM format favored by the kids. But, they were also released in the older and much more brittle 10 inch 78RPM format. This set is in pretty good, but not mint, condition, and they went for $2,629. Graceland Purchase Agreement: This was the top item in the bidding, even though it fell short of the auction estimate. The three-page real estate sales contract for Graceland, dated March 26, 1957 went for $21,510. It?s interesting that Elvis paid $102,000 for Graceland, and 63 years later, just the signed contract sells for over $21,000. Sunglasses with "TCB" Logo: According to the auction website, Elvis had over 400 pairs of custom-designed sunglasses specially made for him. He gave away so many pairs of these glasses that there has been a steady parade of them showing up in Elvis auctions. However, this model is a design called Nautic, and it is much rarer than the familiar model with the decreasing holes in the temples and the TCB on the bridge. Also, these lenses are half-tinted in Elvis' favorite Dove Blue shade. No wonder this pair inspired active bidding and a top bid of $11,950. � 2011 Philip R Arnold, Original Elvis Blogmeister All Rights Reserved www.ElvisBlog.net
Also included is an 11" x 17" engineer's survey draft of the estate and surrounding acreage and a two-page letter from Shelby County regarding property taxes. The reason these items brought in such a high bid is probably due to the fact that the contract had the signatures of Elvis, his father Vernon, and his mother Gladys. According to the auction website, items signed by all three family members are extremely rare, due to Mrs. Presley's untimely death on August 14, 1958. You will note that Elvis originally omitted his middle name, but did add it later. Elvis signed very few signatures as Elvis Aron Presley, so that added to the collectible value as well.
Elvis, Elvis Presley, and Graceland are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.
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