BackinMemphis

Well, here's a video to make you smile. Check out this adorable boxer,(yes,adorable....but don't tell Presley I said that!)watching youtube and curiously twisting his head trying to figure out what he's hearing.

Hollywood hairdresser; author, 'Upper Cut: Highlights of My Hollywood Life'  It was 1989. Adam, my son, was 23. His band, Grace Period, was about to play at the Whisky A Go-Go for the first time. I remembered the big buzz on the Sunset Strip in the early 60s. The Whisky A Go-Go is coming. When? What was a Whisky A Go-Go anyway? Where was it coming from? All I knew was that a guy named Elmer Valentine had seen one in Europe and he was bringing one here. When this club finally did arrive, it didn't disappoint anyone. Especially me. Even after I married and had my son, I would get there every chance. I made sure Elmer knew me so I'd never have to wait in line to get to the dance floor. The house bands were sexy and exciting: Love, The Flying Burritos, a scruffy looking guy named Neil Young that sat on the edge of the stage when he played. Then the singer with the best hair, cut by my pal Jay Sebring, and his group The Doors, became the house band. I wanted to be th...

Imelda May is state side! She is performing 5 songs tonight for Chanel in Las Vegas. And then headed to Lexington, Kentucky for a few days. She will also make an appearance in the greatest city in the world... Yup, New York, New York!

Release date - April 1, 2012 The autobiography of legendary punk guitarist and founding member of the Ramones Johnny Ramone will be released this April. The book will be 176 pages long, according to the publisher, Abrams Images, and will have a foreword by former bandmate Tommy Ramone , who is currently the only member still alive of the original Ramones lineup. Lisa Marie Presley penned the epilogue for the book, and pictures were selected for inclusion by his widow Linda Ramone. Linda Ramone told the Associated Press that her husband, who died in 2004 and was chosen by Rolling Stone Magazine as the sixteenth best guitarist of all time, began working on “Commando: The Autobiography of Johnny Ramone” after he was diagnosed with cancer. The book, Linda Ramone said, includes Ramone’s thoughts on his entire life, beginning with his early days in Queens, New York. “It was like he knew he was dying, and he wanted to do something,” Linda Ramone said. Interviews with those cl...

Well, here's a story that caused a lot of controversy. Gotta Have It auction house in NYC had Sharon Tate's engagement ring up for auction last month. It sold for $21,260.   Click here for auction listing & photos L to R Sharon Tate & sister Debra Tate The ring was originally listed with the description that Sharon might possibly be wearing this very ring when she was murdered by Charles Manson followers. But her sister, Debra told TMZ  the ring featured in a recent auction on GottaHaveRockndRoll.com DID belong to the actress ... but she gave it away to a family friend long before she was killed by the Manson family in 1969. Debra says the ring was not an "official" engagement ring -- but rather an "unofficial symbol of her relationship" with Roman Polanski . Debra says, "The ring was not Sharon's style and she never wore it." Debra says Polanski later gave Sharon an "official" engagement ring -- a gold and diamon...

(Dan Bracaglia/For The Star-Ledger) It's a show fans lucky to be at the sold-out Paramount Theatre in Asbury Park on Saturday night will not soon forget. Bruce Springsteen played for close to two hours with Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers at part of Light of Day 12 to benefit Parkinson's Disease. Springsteen also played with two other artists and played a magical acoustic "Incdent on 57th Street" before joining Joe Grushecky and his band. By the time, the show ended at 2:10 a.m., with the crowd singing along on an acoustic "Thunder Road," fans walked away knowing they had just witnessed a great night of music. It was a fun, loose and determined Springsteen performing a 16-song set. He looked ready and set to begin his world tour with the E Street Band coming up in two months. Bruce's first appearance of the evening was when he joined Garland Jeffreys for "Wild in the Streets." He later joined Willie Nile for a very powerful ...

Elvis Presley shot his television in the 1970s. Leibovitz photographed the perforated set in a storage room at Graceland in 2011. (Annie Leibovitz courtesy of Random House) Far from the portrait photos that made her famous, a new exhibit by US photographer Annie Leibovitz shows her intimate journey in the footsteps of people or places that inspired her -- such as Niagara Falls or the home of Elvis Presley. Called "Pilgrimage," Leibovitz put together the exhibition mostly in the United States and a little in England on a "personal journey into her cultural inheritance," said museum curator Andy Grundberg. Through 64 photographs taken between April 2009 and May 2011, the show at the Smithsonian American Art Museum evokes images of former American president Abraham Lincoln, painter Georgia O'Keefe, British photography pioneer Julia Margaret Cameron and Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. "She is known for mostly photographing portraits of celeb...

Fender Elvis Presley Kingman acoustic Fender’s acoustic division proudly hails the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll and transports players back in time to 1967 with the introduction of the Elvis® Kingman acoustic guitar—a sharp looking, rich-sounding version of the carefree Fender acoustic that Elvis Presley® wielded with consummate cool in the late ’60s. In addition to honoring the king, the Elvis® Kingman dreadnought also successfully recreates Fender’s famous mid-’60s “Wildwood” finish, in which living beech trees that provided the backs and sides of the unusual instruments were dyed with several striking colors before being cut down and made into guitars. Highly distinctive features of the Elvis Kingman include Presley’s signature on the front of the Wildwood-style headstock, solid spruce top with scalloped X-bracing for full, resonant tone and durability, laminated Wildwood-style back and sides, Ivoroid neck and body binding, stylish dual checkerboard rosette, maple neck, 20-fre...

Dolly Parton is partnering with Gaylord Entertainment to open an entertainment park in Nashville. The park is said to include a water & snow park. The mayor of Nashville & TN state governor are on hand for the press conference underway now. NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Two of the biggest names in Tennessee tourism have announced plans to build an amusement park near Gaylord Opryland Hotel. Dolly Parton and Gaylord Entertainment CEO Colin Reed announced they will partner up to build a first of its kind 114 acre family entertainment zone off Briley Parkway. Its first phase will be a $50 million water and snow theme park. Governor Bill Haslam and Mayor Karl Dean were on hand for the announcement Thursday afternoon at the Grand Ole Opry House. The park will provide high energy water activities for the summer season and designated snow activities for winter play. Once it's open, the first year attendance is projected at 500,000, and they believe a large portion will come from out of...

American Idol returns tonight! And all of America has fallen in love with Aerosmith's Steven Tyler! We found this clip of Steven talking about America's first rock star, Elvis Presley ! And if you missed Steven's brilliant interview with Oprah Winfrey on her new network, OWN. Check out this clip above with Steven talking about American Idol and what it takes to be a judge!

GREG Page had given up on the idea of being a Wiggle. When illness forced him to retire from the famous Australian group five years ago, Page's only connection to the entertainment world was the Elvis Presley museum he had set up in Parkes, NSW. Yesterday in Sydney, however, the 40-year-old donned his familiar yellow jersey and announced his return to the band he helped create 20 years ago with fellow musicians Murray Cook, Jeff Fatt and Anthony Field. "It's really like I never left," Page told The Australian. "It's like I walked out the door yesterday and walked back in today. There is still the same chemistry between us." Page was forced to quit the Wiggles in 2006 after contracting a rare illness, dysautonomia, which causes fatigue, making it difficult for him to meet the demands of being on stage. He was replaced in the act by singer Sam Moran, who had been an understudy in the group beforehand. The full digital experience Moran stood down yester...

ELVIS Presley’s former tour manager and photographer Ed Bonja is bringing his unique collection of Elvis photographs to the Border, along with a treasure trove of his memories of the King. Mr Bonja worked with the music superstar for almost seven years, up until a couple of months before he died. As Elvis’ only official photographer, he built a large collection of images of the star snapped during hundreds of concerts, and intimate portraits taken in his private jet and home. Most of those he took before 1975, when Presley was still strikingly handsome. “I stopped taking pictures of him in June of 1975,” Mr Bonja said. “When he came back to the tour he looked like he had put on weight, so I waited, but he never went back to what he used to be like.” Mr Bonja said he walked away from the tour because the punishing lifestyle was killing him, too. Back in those days, the tour manager didn’t just make sure the star of the show had everything they desired, they also had to sell mechandis...

The man who ran the company that owns "American Idol" is back to take another crack at the entertainment business. Robert F.X. Sillerman, former chief exec of CKX Entertainment, went public Wednesday with launch plans for the first product to be released under his oddly named new company, Function(x). The venture is moving into the nascent social-TV space with a new app, dubbed Viggle, that rewards viewers for watching TV with a loyalty program not unlike the kind airlines have been using for years. What exactly Sillerman had in mind with Function(x) has been shrouded in mystery since he snapped up a dormant company, Gateway Industries, nearly a year ago and renamed it without saying much beyond his intent to get back into the media business. Sillerman already made a name for himself at CKX, which owned production company 19 Entertainment, the firm behind "Idol" and the licensing rights to dead celebrities including Elvis Presley. Before starting CKX in 2005, S...

JERRY PRESLEY'S MUSIC SHOW WITH GUEST STARS - THE BLACKWOOD GOSPEL QUARTET (A BENEFIT SHOW FOR UPDATING THE WALNUT RIDGE BASEBALL PARK FOR THE KIDS) DATE:            SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, 2012 TIME:             7:00 PM LOCATION:  WALNUT RIDGE COMMUNITY CENTER THEATER                          504 SOUTHERN AVENUE                          WALNUT RIDGE, ARKANSAS 72476 TICKETS:       $10.00 ADVANCE,   $15.00 AT DOOR TICKETS AVAILABLE AT: MONI'S RESTAURANT -  115 WEST ELM STREET, WALNUT RIDGE, AR. PHONE NUMBER - 870-886-7521 WALNUT RIDGE CITY HALL - MAIN STREET, WALNUT R...

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, today you can visit the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, TN for 3.00 or 2.00 with a canned good donation for the food bank. The NCR museum is the former Lorraine Motel where Dr. King was killed.

Dolores Hart & Elvis Presley In April, HBO will air it's new documentary, GOD IS THE BIGGER ELVIS  which tells the story of Dolores Hart , a rising Hollywood starlet who appeared in films with Elvis Presley, Montgomery Clift and Anthony Quinn , but abandoned her career to become a Benedictine nun in 1963 at age 23. Now Mother Prioress of the cloistered Abbey of Regina Laudis, in Bethlehem, Ct., she reveals her life, past and present, with grace and humor in this unique documentary. Directed by Rebecca Camissa. The film runs 37 minutes. Source: Megan Murphy

Country music recording artist Pam Tillis recorded this tribute song to Elvis Presley & Dr. Martin Luther King . She sings the song with upcoming R & B singer, Kris Thomas , a Memphian himself. The video was filmed in Memphis by local documentary film maker, Molly Secours . Thomas has an impressive music background. He was a member of the StreetCorner Harmonies , he also attended Stax Music Academy . He has performed with Isaac Hayes and Mavis Staples . Pam and Kris filmed the video back in Memphis . Scenes were shot on Beale Street, Mud Island, and Stax museum . Beautiful and heartfelt photos of Elvis Presley and Dr. Martin Luther King are featured in the video. Photos of fans at the annual candle light vigil for Elvis Presley are shown and photos from the funeral of Dr. Martin Luther King . And today's StreetCorner Harmonies perform on the song as well. The song itself was co-written by Brenda O'Brien at a songwriter camp. O'Brien was one o...

Price inc. S/H US Priority $25.00 USD US Media $20.00 USD Worldwide Econo $30.00 USD

Fellow Memphian and legendary entertainer and humanitarian Danny Thomas has been immortalized with his face on a forever stamp.   The United States Postal Service revealed the stamp honoring Thomas over the weekend. The unveiling celebrated Thomas' 100th birthday and the 50th anniversary of St. Jude, the hospital Thomas founded in 1962. A portrait of Thomas appears on the stamp with the hospital in the background. It will be available for sale by the middle of February.

Board approves re-naming Memphis street for MLK : MyFoxMEMPHIS.com

 Starpulse's Stephanie Nolasco recently interviewed Cassandra Peterson (Elvira). Nolasco told Cassandra she heard the Mistress of the Dark learned everything she needed to know from none other than Elvis Presley and drag queens. Below is Cassandra's answer. "I don’t know if I learned everything from Elvis, but I definitely got great advice from him. At the time I was the youngest showgirl in Vegas and if it weren’t for Elvis, I would now be the oldest showgirl in Vegas history. I thought I had made it. It went all downhill from there (laughs). Elvis was the one who convinced me I could go further, instead of just staying in Vegas and dancing. It made a big impact on my life, obviously. Coming from Elvis you’re going to take his advice, right?" Read full Elvira interview here

Sanitation Worker Recalls the Strugle for Equality: MyFoxMEMPHIS.com Thank You Mr.Nickleberry!

Click ad to enlarge Price incl. S/H US Price + Econo S/H $21.95 USD US Price + Priority S/H $24.95 USD Outside USA + Econo International S/H $26.95 USD Product Details: Format: NTSC Region: All Regions Number of discs: 1 Rated: G (General Audience) Run Time: 30 minutes Product Description:   Young man of the nation is a documentary based on America's top ten young men of the year in 1970 One of those men was Elvis Presley and is a sure fire highlight of this presentation. Elvis would cherish this award for the rest of his life. Others who received this prestigious honor in the past were John Kennedy and Richard Nixon.

Van Halen just released their new single,Tattoo. The first line mentions Elvis Presley , "I got Elvis on my elbow.  When I flex, Elvis talks." Pre-Order Album Here Van Halen 2012 Tour Dates & Tickets

Linda Thompson was out to dinner @ Mr Chow's in Beverly Hills last week, when a pap for TMZ asked her about Elvis. She was first asked what her fondest memory of Elvis was, to which she answered, "his generosity, he was just a good, kind person. That was the big stand out feature. And he had a great sense of humor as well. And he was kinda talented." Another pap then asked, out of all of your lovers, where does he rank? She says, "Where do you think?" she coyly laughs. The pap then asks, can you talk about that with us? Linda then playfully says, "What do you mean? All my lovers? I'm a good girl! I could count on one hand here." The pap then says, "Of all yours lovers, how was he in bed?" To which Linda replies, " Let's just say he was the king in more ways than just Rock & Roll!"

Robert Gordon + Million Dollar Quartet B.B. King Blues Club & Grill, Wed 8pm. 237 W 42nd St (between Seventh and Eighth Aves) (212) 997-4144    www.bbkingblues.com Subway: N, Q, R, 42nd St S, 1, 2, 3, 7 to 42nd St–Times Sq advance $25, at the door $30 Durable rockabilly revivalist Robert Gordon returns, as much of a veteran now as his ’50s idols were when he launched his recording career in 1977. Tonight he pays tribute to Elvis Presley and busts out some originals, too, with support from cast members from the former Broadway musical Million Dollar Quartet.

The Elvis Presley Birthplace in Tupelo is gearing up for a birthday celebration. On Sunday, Elvis would have been 77 years old. Birthplace Executive Director Dick Guyton says the public is encouraged to attend the birthday party which will be held at 2 p.m. where the gift shop is located. They plan to sing "Happy Birthday" and serve cake and punch. Guyton says this annual event would have made Elvis proud. "I know there are other birthday parties in our community as well as Graceland is having one on Sunday and they're important as well, but the fact that the birthplace as a birthday party-that's key," Guyton said. Guyton says guests will find out about a new offering at the birthplace. They are now offering a new ticket which is an annual pass. For one fee, six people can visit the attraction six times a year. Source: WTVA

Year of Elvis - EPE pulls out stops for 35th anniversary of singer’s death Visitors line up to visit the Lisa Marie airplane at Graceland last week. The 35th anniversary of Elvis’ death comes in August 2012 and it’s going to be a big year for Graceland.  “Obviously this is an Elvis Week times two,” Kern said. The New Year promises to be bigger and busier for Graceland, one of Tennessee’s largest tourist attractions, averaging 600,000 visitors annually, but which can see those numbers escalate during a major anniversary year. During Elvis Week alone in 2007 – the 30th anniversary of Presley’s death – Graceland saw 75,000 visitors. With such high expectations, Kern said, the planning for the 2012 festivities began two years ago. “We traditionally have music events at the Orpheum or the Cannon Center, but this year they’ll be at the FedExForum, that’s the size and scope of a major anniversary year for us.” “When you get to that milestone date, it becomes bigger,” said Wayne ...

For all you celebratory types out there — and you know who you are — here’s an event that promises to be fit for a king. Or more specifically, for “The King,” thankyaverymuch. A musical tribute/birthday party for Elvis Presley (he would have turned 77 on Sunday) will be staged from 6 to 10 p.m. this Saturday at A. Schwab, 163 Beale. The Elvis-themed evening launches a new era for the store as part of what the proprietors promise will be an ongoing effort to spotlight artists from Memphis and the Delta region. Saturday’s musical entertainment will be provided by several artists, including Amy LeVere and the Tramps, the Jason Freeman Band and the Memphis Dawls. Admission is $5 at the door. The event marks the first weekend entertainment offering at the historic dry goods store since it was sold on Dec. 22 to a group of investors, led by Terry Corona Saunders, principal of Martin Group Realty, and her husband, Jake, a grandson of Piggly Wiggly founder Clarence Saunders. Othe...

Birthday party Sunday for Elvis Elvis' Angels fan club will host a "Birthday Party for Elvis" from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday in the gift shop at the Shreveport Municipal Auditorium, 705 Elvis Presley Ave. Cake and punch will be served, and local Elvis tribute artist Richard Cook will perform some Elvis songs. The gift shop has some new Elvis items for sale, and for a $5 donation, tours of the Municipal Auditorium and showcases will start at 1 p.m. For more information, call Dianne Harmon at 773-3776.

  Chuy's will pay tribute to Elvis with its annual Birthday Bash on Jan. 8, at all locations in Nashville and Murfreesboro. The King's 77th birthday party will have a Blue Hawaii theme, and Chuy's will offer special pricing on their longtime favorites — Elvis Green Chile Fried Chicken and the Elvis Presley Memorial Combo — all day. And for those who come dressed as the King (or his better-half Priscilla), the entree is free. The day will also be filled with party favors, including Hawaiian leis, Elvis sideburn tattoos and a special Big Kahuna cup, available when you purchase a margarita or Blue Hawaiian. Limited edition Elvis and Priscilla T-shirts will be available to commemorate the big day. When Chuy's first opened in 1982 in Austin, Texas, there was little money for restaurant décor. Chuy's founders hit the streets with $20 in search of something to put on the walls. The over-sized velvet painting of Elvis they returned with changed the course of Chuy...

Close friends and co-stars of Elvis Presley plan to join together as part of "A Celebration of the King's Life," honoring Elvis' music and legacy at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday at The Club inside the Cannery, 2121 E. Craig Road. Tickets are $10 at the door. The commemoration is timed to coincide with Elvis' birthday weekend. Performances are planned by Johnny Fortuno and The Stamps Quartet. Special guests are set to include Darlene Tompkins, Cynthia Pepper, Sonny West, Steve Christopher and Sammy Shore. Visit cannerycasinos.com. Source: LVRJ

To celebrate what would have been Elvis Presley's 77th birthday Jan. 8, Potawatomi Bingo Casino is organizing a series of not-so-secret flash mobs around Milwaukee. Elvis contestants in the casino's 10th annual "Tribute to the King" competition Wednesday through Sunday will appear in full costume to sing and swivel to a yet-to-be-decided Elvis song at four locations on Wednesday: at 3:45 p.m. at Mitchell International Airport near the flight information board; at 4:45 p.m. at Milwaukee Intermodal Station Lobby, 433 W. St. Paul Ave.; at 5:15 p.m. at Red Arrow Park, 920 N. Water St.; and at 6 p.m. in the Potawatomi Bingo Casino Grand Lobby, 1721 W. Canal St. And, yes, all Elvis wannabes are invited to don a jumpsuit or cast off their parkas and join in the dancing and singing. You'll get a giveaway just for attending. Source: Milwaukee Journal

A celebration next weekend of Elvis Presley's birthday allows a few lucky and select people to recall when the King performed in northern Nevada.His live appearances at the Las Vegas International (now the Las Vegas Hilton) are the most famous, but his concerts at Del Webb's Sahara Tahoe (now the Horizon) between 1971 and 1976 were equally as noteworthy, selling out at fantastic speeds for the time. Long lines awaited what few seats may have become available after the show's start, featuring an Elvis not in the best physical shape – but few cared. Depending on the concert, he could be extremely dynamic or strangely detached. The showroom where he performed is no longer – replaced by a movie multiplex. The suite where he stayed is still available but little remains of the ephemera of the concerts. Menus can be found on auction sites and a book has been published with some photos, but the Horizon itself lacks practically any vestiges of the High Sierra Theater where not only ...

The new stripped down marquee The Las Vegas Hilton hotel-casino officially changed its name to drop its hotel chain moniker on Tuesday after a license agreement expired at the start of 2012. Workers changed the hotel marquee to reflect the new name for the property east of the Las Vegas Strip: The Las Vegas Hotel & Casino. Its new motto: "Same Fame. New Name." It's the second time Elvis Presley's former haunt has changed its name. Billionaire investor Kirk Kerkorian opened the property in 1969 as the International Hotel, then sold it to the Hilton chain. It became the Las Vegas Hilton in 1971. The hotel-casino sought to end the agreement last year as the property contended with financial troubles. It defaulted on a $252 million loan in 2010 and used operational expenses to make payments during three months last year while it tried to restructure debt. Casino name changes are uncommon, though not unprecedented in Sin City, said Michael Green, a C...

MORROW, Ga. — "You'd think the most popular item in all of the National Archives' holdings would be some important document from our nation's history, like the Declaration of Independence, or the Constitution," said Mary Evelyn Tomlin, the public programs specialist for the Morrow-based National Archives at Atlanta. "No, it's the photograph of Elvis meeting Nixon (President Richard Nixon) at the White House." The local National Archives branch is preparing to celebrate what would have been the 77th birthday of the "King of Rock and Roll" — Elvis Presley — this weekend, with a birthday party. The free-to-attend party is scheduled to be held on Saturday, from 12:30 p.m., to 1:30 p.m., at the archives, located at 5780 Jonesboro Road, in Morrow. The public is invited to attend. The actual anniversary of his birth will be Sunday, but the National Archives is typically closed on that day of the week, Tomlin said. "It just seemed lik...

Elvis At The Movies A Special Elvis Month Event Presented by The GRAMMY Museum Wednesday, January 4, 2012; 7:30pm As part of our first-ever Elvis Month, The GRAMMY Museum is proud to present a special panel focusing on the King of Rock-n-Roll's time spent in Hollywood. Join as we take a special look into the lesser-explored side of Elvis Presley's career with Elvis At The Movies. Through a panel of his costars Mary Ann Mobley (Girl Happy and Harum Scarum) , Celeste Yarnall (Live A Little, Love A Little) and Jan Shepard (King Creole), guests will get a unique view into the inner-workings of Elvis courtesy of the people who acted along side of him. After the discussion, moderated by GRAMMY Museum Executive Director Bob Santelli, panelists will take audience questions. Doors open at 7:00pm. Admission is free for Museum Members; reservations required. Members receive priority seating. To reserve your seats, please call 213.765.6800 or e-mail programs@grammymuseum.org....

What went wrong with Cirque du Soleil’s Viva Elvis show at the Aria? Just about everything, according to local gaming industry insiders who know a thing or two about the entertainment business. It’s difficult to imagine a multimillion-dollar Elvis show not doing very well in Las Vegas. His concerts were a travel destination in themselves during the 1970s when he was regularly filling the showroom at the Las Vegas Hilton. But that was then and here we are some 35 years after his death. All those years seemed to give Cirque’s big thinkers the feeling that the time was right for the company’s own interpretation of Presley’s music. "Elvis was a show without heart, a lot of talent but no heart," says Minnie Madden, a Las Vegas-based producer, director and critic who now writes and talks about the business where she has made her living for a number of years. "When you’re doing a show about someone as iconic as Elvis, people want to see the performer they loved,"...