BackinMemphis

Elvis Is Back! Box Set About Elvis Is Back! Elvis Is Back is all about Elvis' return to the music scene in 1960. This year was a bittersweet one for Elvis. He was being discharged from the Army. Music had changed in two years and he was a little insecure about his music career. Yet he enters the sessions with such ambition and determination. He delivers a new mature diverse voice. 'It's Now Or Never' and 'Surrender' are truly challenging for Elvis. He proofs himself to be a truly talented singer and not just a flash in the pan. These recording sessions will forever stand out in Elvis' history. It's almost as if Elvis hit the ground running upon his return. The Colonel had been busy preparing for Elvis' return for a very long time. Not only were the recording sessions lined up, an appearance on the ABC televised Frank Sinatra Special and the filming for 'G.I. Blues' were immediately following. His appearance on the Sinatra Special is wa...

Nancy O'Dell sat down with Priscilla Presley (former wife of the King of Rock and Roll Elvis Presley) and Priscilla singles out teen sensation Justin Bieber as one of today's young talented musicians. When asked whether there could ever be another musical giant like Elvis, Priscilla says, " It's unlikely because the business has changed so much.You know, today is such a different time. It's just a different time. Justin Bieber is actually doing great at a very young age, that's another phenomena."

The owner of Elvis Presley Enterprises said Wednesday it is scaling back plans to redevelop the Graceland attraction due to a difficult economic climate. CKx Inc. said in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing that expanding the visitors center and adding new attractions, shops, and a new hotel adjacent to Elvis' former home would take several years and substantial financial investment. The filing also said expenses for operating the Memphis tourist attraction rose last year due to higher professional and legal fees that were primarily related to a 2010 master plan that has been postponed. The company is exploring opportunities to build a new Heartbreak Hotel with a business partner, CKx CEO Michael G. Ferrel told The Associated Press. But the other previously studied parts of the redevelopment would happen only in "incremental steps," depending on the economy, he said. "We ran straight into a headwind for what this project was supposed to be," Ferrel ...

MEMPHIS, TN (WMC-TV) - The bodies of two women were dumped like trash last month within days of each other at Mt. Carmel Cemetery off Elvis Presley Boulevard. "It's sad," said Robert Brown. Brown knew 44-year-old Rhonda Wells, a known prostitute. She lived with her grandmother in a now boarded-up house on Gaither Street. Brown said a lot of people dropped by the day after Wells' body was discovered. "I told my grandson to go over there and see what happened and he came back and said Rhonda got shot in the head," recalled Brown. He said he was unaware of Wells' criminal history for working the streets. "I just saw her in and out, in and out," said Brown. "I did not know." Jessica Lewis, 28, was a known prostitute as well and was the first to be found dead in the cemetery. She also died from a gunshot wound. While police refused to confirm any connection, they do not appear to be ruling out the possibility of a single ki...

The name Elvis conjures up visions of hip shaking, gold records, and screaming women—the likes of which are rarely seen to the scale that the young man from Mississippi was able to create. And, it’s just those visions that the Elvis Presley Graceland Museum is trying to cultivate with its recent media blitz. Covering towns around Memphis, including Presley’s triumphant return to Louisville, the Graceland media team is taking “Elvis on Tour.” Graceland’s Director of Communications, Kevin Kern will be in Louisville on March 14 and is bringing Elvis artifacts with him. Previous stops have included Chicago, St. Louis and New Orleans. The Graceland Museum—in honor of the 55th anniversary of Presley’s first hit song, first film, and several of his first television appearances—has added three new exhibits to the King’s Graceland mansion. Included is Presley’s first Grammy from 1967, a belt he wore while now famously meeting with President Richard Nixon, and Elvis’ first gold record for ...

Dick Zimmerman became world-renowned for introducing a style of celebrity portrait photography that looked like a painting. (You remember all those TV Guide covers from the '70s and '80s, right?) Over the years, he's shot some of the biggest names in Hollywood, ranging from Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman to John Travolta and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Over a 13-year period, Zimmerman also had three sessions with Michael Jackson, the most famous being in 1982, when Zimmerman shot the cover for the record-breaking 'Thriller' album. Zimmerman, who these days offers oil-painting portraits on commission worldwide, talks about creating that iconic MJ portrait. Tell us about the day you photographed Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' cover. DZ: On the day of the shoot, he came alone. No entourage. We had two racks of wardrobe, handpicked by one of the best stylists in LA. Michael didn't really care for anything on it. He said, "I'd like to be wea...