No easy answers on tragic ending: Drugs, deepening depression, heredity, failed relationships and creative dilemma share blame

For the thousands of visitors who’ll make the pilgrimage to Memphis this week to mark the 30th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death, the next seven days will be filled with a mix of sightseeing and book-signings, concerts and celebratory events.
But for those who knew Presley best, like his longtime friend Jerry Schilling, […]

Elvis’ last sessions show hint of genius

One of the byproducts of Elvis Presley’s personal demise was the decline — both in quantity and quality — of his studio output during the latter years of his life.
Following the ‘68 Comeback Special on television, Presley achieved a kind of creative and commercial high-watermark with the 1969 sessions at American Sound Studio […]

A card-carrying ‘mafia’ member: Esposito met Presley in army, then became trusted friend

“I don’t know if I was Elvis’ best friend,” says “Diamond” Joe Esposito, “but he was definitely my best friend.”
The Chicago-born Esposito first met Presley in 1958, during their respective stints in the Army in West Germany. Esposito went to work for Elvis in 1960, and he rode shotgun for the next 17 […]

West still grieves at failure to save Elvis

Delbert “Sonny” West may be the most controversial and outspoken former member of the Memphis Mafia. As Elvis’ bodyguard and security chief, West was a trusted confidant of the King, accompanying him everywhere from concert halls to the inner sanctum of the White House.
West, his cousin Red West and Dave Hebler were fired […]

Sinatra poured the fuel; Elvis lit the fire

Girls in poodle skirts and bobby socks helped turn Frank Sinatra into the first singer who opened up a young audience for pop music in the 1940s. Screaming teenage girls were part of “Sinatra mania,” but a decade later Elvis Presley upped the ante.
“There was something about Elvis Presley that gave them a joy […]

Kick-Off Elvis Week 2007 with Tribute Artist Chris MacDonald

[ August 11, 2007; 1:00 pm; ] It’s time to get All Shook Up with Elvis Tribute Artist Chris MacDonald! MacDonald’s rocking performance will take you through three decades of Elvis and kick-off Elvis Week 2007 in Memphis. Free and open to the public.

Peabody Place Retail and Entertainment Center
150 Peabody Place
Main Atrium

Top Dawg

We asked some of the biggest talent gurus on the planet whether anyone, past or present, was or could be as big a celebrity as Elvis Presley.
From Randy Jackson and Simon Cowell to Rolling Stone music critic and historian Dave Marsh, the answers compared Elvis with everybody from Michael Jackson to Frank Sinatra to Marilyn […]

A Bad Dose of Elvis

Commercial comes on during the news last night. A bunch of dudes– 40-somethings, maybe — are sitting around in their clubhouse with their instruments. Jam session. They’re Elvis fans! We know because they start singing one of The King’s most rousing tunes, “Viva Las Vegas.” Only, they’ve personalized the lyrics! Each guy gets a verse. […]

Elvis 30th

My DNA has not been infused with Elvis’, but I was once offered a strand of Elvis hair and the opportunity to bring in a DNA expert to test a sweat stain in an Elvis jumpsuit. It was part of a story on the chances of cloning Elvis.
I have helped cover Elvis for The Commercial […]

Club Elvis at Graceland

[ August 18, 2007; 9:00 pm; ] The Elvis Presley Automobile Museum in Graceland Plaza becomes Club Elvis tonight and you’re invited. Come hang out and enjoy a private party with your fellow Elvis fans. A disc jockey spins Elvis records for your listening and dancing pleasure. Cash bar featuring adult beverages (ID’s checked) and soft drinks. Outdoor smoking area designated – […]

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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 […]

  • Book provides a peek at King’s spiritual side

    Coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the untimely passing of Memphis’ most famous son, a new book offers an inside look at gospel leanings of the King of Rock and Roll.
    Joe Moscheo, longtime member of inspirational quartet The Imperials and part of Elvis Presley’s Las Vegas show, has written “The Gospel Side […]

  • Memphian Theatre

    Elvis often rented the old Memphian Theatre, now the site of Playhouse on the Square, for private screenings of movies.

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