Baby, It's You! Shirelles Broadway Musical Previews March 26th

The cast of BABY IT'S YOU talks about their new musical and performs some of the show's best songs at the Hard Rock Café in Times Square.

Presenting the first look into the upcoming Broadway musical BABY IT'S YOU!

The inspiring story of New Jersey housewife Florence Greenberg whose 1958 discovery of The Shirelles turned her into the music industry's first female powerhouse.

BABY, IT'S YOU! starts previews on Broadway March 26th. Learn more at http://www.babyitsyouonbroadway.com

Child Sex Slave Trafficking Happening in Memphis

Memphis, Tenn. - Children being held captive and sold for sex, some call it modern day slavery and it's happening right here in Memphis and the Mid-South.

In Brief:

- TN lawmakers are calling on a full scale investigation of child sex trafficking.
- International child-sex traffic ring busted in Memphis in 2008.
- Sex with children is being advertised on common websites.

Child-Sex Traffic Ring Bust in Memphis

The FBI has been investigating human trafficking for years. Now the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has been asked by lawmakers to find out how big of a problem it really is.

The images are shocking but the details behind child trafficking are even harder to stomach.

"It's more serious than most people realize," said Ryan Dalton with Operation Broken Silence.

In 2008, Memphis federal officials were awarded for dismantling an international child sex-trafficking ring. One victim told investigators, at age 13, she was smuggled from Mexico with the promise of a job but was forced into prostitution once she to got to Tennessee.

At the age of 14 she says she was having sex with as many as 40 men a day and was working out of Memphis homes on Victory Heights, which were once brothels. Gerald Ware recently moved into one of the homes and says he still gets strangers visiting.

"Like I said we had a couple visitors knock on the door asking for somebody, I said you got the wrong address. They gotta be sick in the head to even involve themselves with kids anyway," said Ware.

Websites Promoting Child-Sex Trafficking in Memphis

Operation Broken Silence is a Memphis based human rights group, fighting human trafficking. Dalton says finding child trafficking is as easy as logging onto a computer.

"Just as you can chose between condos, roommates, etc, you can also select escorts. Some of these ads are people who are trafficked," said Dalton.

In September the Tennessee Attorney General joined other states, calling for a website called Backpage.com, to shut down its adult section, saying that ads for prostitution - including ads trafficking children - are rampant on the site.

"They're advertised as 18 or 19 but when you look at the pictures, look like little kids," said Dalton.

Dalton and Operation Broken Silence recently finished a 3 month investigation of the website. Dalton says during their investigation, they called authorities to report three cases where the photos of escorts, advertised in Memphis, were clearly of children.

He says a picture of one girl was extraordinarily disturbing.

"She looked totally terrified, she was in the back of a camper which is also indicative of trafficking."

Memphis Areas Advertised

Dalton took us to some of the commonly advertised locations where they believe traffickers are looking to sexually exploit children including near the Memphis Airport.
"An airport in any city is a common place for trafficking because you have motels and businessmen around there."

Sam Cooper is another place trafficking is believed to be taking place.

"A lot of ads show up there because inexpensive motels throughout there where people can travel to easily. The one most strange to us, around Wolfchase Mall, a lot were advertised there," said Dalton.

Dalton says that's because it's close to an interstate and there are a lot of people around.

He adds that human trafficking can be a lucrative business for pimps.

"Some people say as high as $1,000,000 a year, $500,000 is not uncommon if a girl is forced to sleep with 3 maybe 2 guys a night."The FBI agrees, it's a lucrative business. Last year, the bureau started a civil rights task force, in Memphis one of the few in the country that focuses on human trafficking.

FBI Supervisory Special Agent Jeremy Baker says those buying sex, may not realize they're dealing with a victim of trafficking.

"They may not be making a differentiation on whether these people were forced into this or not. Unfortunately in many instances the person is there against their will, have been tricked into doing this," said Agent Baker,

The FBI won't comment on the number of cases or children they believe are being trafficked in Memphis."Putting hard numbers on an industry cloaked in deceit is difficult to do," said Dalton.

But lawmakers want to know.

Lawmakers Get Involved

A legislative group has asked the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to conduct an in-depth study on child trafficking in Tennessee. The report is expected to be complete in May.

"I think we'll find, similar to our study, trafficking is more serious than the community could possibly think."

Democrat, Beverly Marrero of Memphis has proposed 2 bills this session. One bill would post human trafficking hotlines in airports, motels and truck stops the other would allow authorities to seize the assets of traffickers.

Dalton says he'd like to see the harsher penalties for human traffickers in the U.S.

"Most people think slavery don't exist anymore, other parts of the world, but it's definitely modern slavery," said
Dalton.

Operation Broken Silence is working to build an aftercare response system for victims of trafficking because once freed, some victims have nowhere to go and may end up being re-trafficked.

For information on Operation Broken Silence go here:

http://www.operationbrokensilence.org/?page_id=2269

Backpage.Com sent us a statement about it's adult section:

Backpage.Com is committed to preventing those who are intent on misusing the site for illegal purposes. We have implemented a series of new safety enhancements over the past several months to better protect our communities and will continue to further increase our safety practices.

Jill Monier - Reporter, FOX13 News

Priscilla Presley Discusses Being Married To Elvis on The Talk

Priscilla Presley shares the challenges of being married to Elvis Presley and why she says he was easy to mother. Plus, life together after their divorce.

Priscilla Presley Discusses Family Life On The Talk

Delta Cuts Memphis Flights

Listen up Memphis travelers...we have good news and bad news. The bad news is Delta has cut Memphis flights. And the good news is Southwest airlines may very well merge with Airtran.

The Commercial Appeal reports Southwest Airlines buyout of AirTran, potential balm to Memphis International Airport's losses to a Delta Air Lines downsizing, moved a step closer to reality Wednesday.

AirTran shareholders approved a proposed $1.4 billion sale to Southwest Airlines, leaving federal antitrust clearance as the last hurdle. Southwest and AirTran want to close the deal in the second quarter and merge operations over time.

AirTran, with four flights daily from Memphis to Atlanta, would have sole occupancy of Terminal A once Delta completes a 25-percent departure reduction and consolidates gates into Terminal B at Memphis.

The potential to bring in Southwest and inject more competition into the Memphis fare structure wasn't lost on airport, business and tourism officials. Delta said Tuesday it would eliminate 8-10 percent of its seat capacity on flights departing Memphis, primarily by cutting out unprofitable routes to small regional markets.

Greater Memphis Chamber president John Moore said Memphis officials must be diplomatic in efforts to shop the airport to new customers.

"If we blast out there, 'There's an all out effort to go after Southwest,' that won't help us with either Southwest or Delta," Moore said. "One of the things I feel like we need to be cautious about is any efforts under way, we don't want to undercut those efforts."

Airport Authority president and CEO Larry Cox said Southwest expansion of AirTran's Memphis service makes sense.

"Obviously, if I was Southwest and I was seeing Delta reduce their size here, it gives them an opportunity. Certainly there are facilities at the airport for them to immediately not only continue the Atlanta service but to select other markets in the United States," Cox said.

"We don't know what their plans are," he added. "They're not telling anybody. For one, the federal government has not approved their merger yet."

Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau president Kevin Kane said officials recognize the opportunity with Southwest. "We're not brain dead. We all have neighbors and friends who talk about having to drive to Little Rock or Nashville because you can get so much better air fare when you take the wife and three kids to Los Angeles or New York or something. We're not asleep at the switch."

AirTran said more than 98.6 percent of votes cast and 77.5 percent of outstanding shares were in favor of the deal.

AirTran chief executive Bob Fornaro, in a written statement, said stockholders recognized the value of bringing together AirTran and Southwest for “increased profitability and sustainable long-term value.”

AirTran’s board of directors had unanimously recommended approval. The deal is not subject to approval by Southwest shareholders.

The buyout would give AirTran shareholders $3.75 in cash and 0.321 shares of Southwest common stock, and values AirTran stock at $7.25 to $7.75, depending

on the Southwest stock price, a substantial premium over AirTran’s price when the deal was struck last September.

Former AirTran shareholders would own about 6 percent of Southwest after the deal, according to the companies.

Southwest’s entry into Atlanta, where AirTran has its main hub, means a bigger primary competitor for Delta Air Lines. It also furthers consolidation in the airline industry, which has seen mergers between Delta and Northwest; United and Continental; and US Airways and America West in recent years.

Elizabeth Taylor's Final Resting Place - UPDATED!

Elizabeth Taylor's Final Resting Place

Update: March 24th 6:45PM
TMZ has obtained Elizabeth Taylor's death certificate which states she will in fact be entombed at Forest Lawn, Glendale, the same cemetary as her dear friend, Michael Jackson and not next to her parents in Westwood as previously reported.

Elizabeth Taylor's Death Certificate

The private funeral service is being held now, TMZ reports only family and close friends will be attending. Click below to watch video of the limos arriving for her service.

Video of the limos arriving for Elizabeth Taylor funeral

A public service is being planned and we'll update when we have more information.

Marian Cocke's 20th Annual Elvis Presley Memorial Dinner

The 20th EPMD will be on August 12, 2011 and tickets are already on sale

Cost will remain at $85.00 and tables will be reserved as is our custom -

If you have groups of friends who would like to sit together - please send all checks for that table at the same time.

My preference is that you send a sase to have your tickets returned.

The event will be at the Peabody Hotel Grand Ballroom Mezzanine

A beautifully appointed dinner will be served followed by a memorial service to remember Elvis .

This candlelight service lasts about 15 minutes and will then be followed by entertainment.

If you would like to be a part of the memorial service YOU MUST ATTEND PRACTICE WHICH STARTS AT 12:00 noon - PLEASE BE ON TIME.

Marian Cocke

784 Pecan Gardens Circle East
Memphis TN 38122

(901) 324 9612

E-mail Marian At:
epnurse@comcast.net

Memphis Heat: The True Story of Memphis Wrasslin Premieres March 24th

'Memphis Heat: The True Story of Memphis Wrasslin'
The days when Memphis wrestling first got hugely popular in the Sputnik Monroe era, all the way through the ’70s when Jerry Lawler and “The Mouth of the South” Jimmy Hart were the big names in Memphis. It will premiere at Malco Paradiso with shows at 7 and 9 on March 24, and then will have a week-long run at Studio on the Square beginning the 25th. To commemorate the film, March 24 is being named National Sputnik Monroe Day.

Event details
Place: Malco Paradiso
Date: Thursday, March 24, 2011
Time: 9 p.m.