Photographer sensed star quality as soon as he met young singer

“When he first stepped in front of the camera, I told him, `You sure would make a wonderful actor,’ ” says photographer William Speer of his most famous subject.
Elvis Presley was 19 when he showed up at Speer’s studio. He had been sent to Speer by his first manager, Bob Neal, to have publicity photos […]

22-year-old holds the record for singing the King from memory

Jamie Aaron Kelley performed his first Elvis impersonation on stage when he was 11 months old. He wore a specially made jump suit that snapped open in the back so his mother could change his diapers.
“I just kind of waddled on and waddled off and that was it,” Kelley said. “They (his parents) figured it […]

Virtually live at the Pyramid: Mo’ better Elvis

A tomb fit for a king?
Try The Pyramid fit for one Elvis Presley, who appears tonight at the downtown venue in a 25th anniversary extravaganza that pays as much tribute to the performer as it does his fans.
We did say virtual Elvis, right? When Presley enters the building, he’ll be bigger than life, broadcast on […]

‘Elvis touched us, and what joy flooded our souls’

It was his voice that first touched her soul.
She was 11 years old. She didn’t speak English, but she heard something in his voice over the radio waves in Argentina that touched her.
Something wild.
She hunted for pictures of him and finally found an American movie magazine with stories about him. She had no idea what […]

Lonesome Tonight?

Boxed sets provide hours of Elvis fun
Elvis or Jesus?
That question - a variation on such puzzlers as “Sin or salvation?” and “Blues or gospel?” - is pondered by conflicted nun Mary Tyler Moore in Presley’s last dramatic feature film, Change of Habit, one of several Elvis movies and specials making their DVD debut just […]

Elvis’s ’sister’ breaks long silence to talk about life as singer’s confidant

She was the sister Elvis Presley never had, a companion, confidant and keeper of secrets in the exciting days of his early career.
They drove bumper cars in Las Vegas, rode horses in California and hung out at Graceland, the Memphis home he had just bought for his mother.
Her name is Judy Spreckels, and she agreed […]

Burning love - Remembering Elvis

Sense of loss same at biggest vigil of all
Not even a torrential Memphis downpour could stop approximately 30,000 fans from paying their respects at the grave of Elvis Aaron Presley Thursday night.
They came from countries far and wide, piling flowers, stuffed teddy bears, heartfelt poems and trinket tributes around the bronze plaque beneath which lies […]

Public archives show the curious more of Elvis

For fans of Elvis Presley who crave artifacts beyond the gates of Graceland, government archives hold fascinating and curious tidbits that detail the King’s life and death.
Thousands of pages of Presley-related public records are kept securely in government, court and law enforcement vaults, though many are easily accessible in person or via the Internet.
Presley’s last […]

Seminar lauds Elvis as brave, folksy force for change

The “Is Elvis History” seminar at the University of Memphis was part high-toned academic exercise and part salt of the earth fandom.
The assembly explored Elvis Presley’s bridge from popular culture to bona fide historic figure. Participating were Presley pals, pundits and published professors who mainly agreed that Elvis deserves a place in history more lofty […]

At last, we know what’s meant by burnin’ love

A New Zealand supermarket owner has spent two months fashioning toast to mark the 25th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death.
Reuters reports that Maurice Bennett has constructed a portrait of Elvis measuring 62 square feet and crafted out of more than 4,000 small slices of toast.
Bennett - he’s done Mona Lisa, too - says Elvis has […]

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  • New Elvis Record

    The latest Elvis record is not the kind you download. If you were in Memphis, you knew you weren’t on Lonely Street at all those sold-out events. But Graceland spokesman Kevin Kern says the official attendance figure for the week was 75,000. Even in the sweltering heat, 55,000 took part in the candlelight vigil. “The […]

  • King’s fare gets new flair

    City chefs reinterpret Elvis’s ol’ standbys
    Give a chef some lemons, and he’ll whip up a chicken fricassee with carrots, mustard greens and avgolemono sauce.
    Ask him to put his spin on Elvis Presley’s favorite foods and watch him twiddle his apron strings while (probably for the first time in his life) pondering the mix of […]

  • Humes High School

    Elvis began his freshman year in September 1949 at Humes High School, now the site of Humes Middle School. He walked 10 blocks down Jackson every day to get to school from Lauderdale Courts.

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