BackinMemphis

Lonnie "Lonnie Mack" McIntosh Guitarist Lonnie "Lonnie Mack" McIntosh, 74, of Smithville, TN, formerly of Dearborn County, Indiana, passed away Thursday, April 21, 2016 in Nashville, TN. He was born Friday, July 18, 1941 in Dearborn County, Indiana, son of the late Robert McIntosh and the late Sarah Sizemore McIntosh. Lonnie was a well known music legend and pioneer. His guitar recordings were a significant influence on many prominent rock guitarists, including, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Paige, Keith Richards, Jeff Beck, Duane Allman, Dickie Betts, Ted Nugent and especially Stevie Ray Vaughan. He was considered one of the finer "blue-eyed soul" singers of his era. His famous 1958 Flying V guitar judged among the world's 150 "most elite guitars" and in 1993 the Gibson Guitar Corporation issued a limited-run "Lonnie Mack Signature Edition" of the iconic guitar. Lonnie played sessions for record labels with Fraternity Records, Elect...

Prince’s Paisley Park home is set to become a museum after his sudden death last week. The mansion near Minneapolis, Minnesota, has become a focus for fans mourning their hero since the Purple Rain singer, below, was found not breathing in the lift at his home. And the extravagant 50,000sq ft complex, which contains a recording studio and nightclub, is set to become a lasting point of pilgrimage for fans – just like Elvis Presley’s Graceland. The singer’s brother-in-law Maurice Phillips told The Sun: “We will turn Paisley Park into a museum in Prince’s memory. “It would be for the fans. He was all about the fans – this would remember his music, which is his legacy. “Prince was always private but would have wanted his music remembered.” Yahoo News

Investigative reporter Geraldo Rivera's exposé documentary of the Willowbrook State School. The exposé revealed gruesome conditions and neglected mentally disabled children. Rivera won a Peabody Award for this documentary and has done several exposing follow-ups, including a book; Willowbrook: A Report On How It Is And Why It Doesn't Have To Be That Way.  

Here's George Klein interviewing Jerry Schilling on GK's Memphis Sounds tv show in Memphis, TN from 2009. About a minute and twenty seconds in, Jerry tells the story of Elvis meeting Nixon. It's sweet and passionate not comical. Jerry of all people could make a great historically important, serious and passionate movie about Elvis instead of satire. This meeting was so important to Elvis and I wish THAT was portrayed in movies and the media. Instead of making Elvis THE joke, Elvis' humor could have been featured. They could have had the audience laughing WITH Elvis and NOT AT HIM! We all have heard about Elvis' great sense of humor. It could have been done. Younger generations could have walked out of the theater knowing that Elvis Presley was THE COOLEST! He was not just A Rock Star, he was THE KING of Rock N Roll not a wimpy buffoon. Elvis isn't seen as a real person anymore. With EPE so focused on their hotel, Elvis is just the Mickey Mouse mascot of...

Merle Haggard’s life may be made into a feature film. GMH Productions has optioned the script Done It All, about the life of the legendary country singer/songwriter/musician, written by Cinderella Man scribe Cliff Hollingsworth. The project, named after one of the country legend’s hit songs, was developed in conjunction with Carl Cooper, a friend who Haggard put in charge of helping to develop a movie about his life with the screenwriter. The idea for the project originally started with producer Donald Kushner, who had been talking to Haggard about a movie about his life. Kushner then approached Hollingsworth as a writer for hire, but Hollingsworth said he’d rather do it on spec. Cinderella Man was also sold as a spec and was made into a film that starred Russell Crowe as 1930s boxer James Braddock. That inspirational film ended up garnering three Academy Award nominations and Hollingsworth was nominated that year by BAFTA and the WGA for best original screenplay. The script...

Jerry Schilling says Elvis Presley died because he wasn't cast in 'A Star is Born' KRIS KRISTOFFERSON killed Elvis Presley. At least that's how The King's former confidante Jerry Schilling tells it. Schilling, a friend of Presley's who executive produced the new film "Elvis & Nixon," says that getting into some kind of treatment program might have brought Presley back from the abyss before his 1977 death. But missing out on the lead role of a mediocre 1976 movie was the beginning of the end for Presley. "I think that would have made a difference, but I think the major problem was creative disappointment," Schilling told us at the Tribeca Film Festival. "He wanted to do 'A Star is Born.' Barbra Streisand offered it to him. I think him not being able to work…." Shilling says that deal fell apart for a variety of reasons, one being Presley's controversial manager Colonel Parker. "I think it was the in...