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ELVIS EVERYWHERE- AUG’09

JAMES BURTON INTERNATIONAL GUITAR FESTIVAL

August 21, 2009 from 6:00 p.m. to midnight - James' 70th Birthday Bash
- Festival Plaza in downtown Shreveport, Louisiana.  Bands playing,
food booths and cake! Lots of fun! $5.00 per person.

August 22, 2009 - 9:00 am - Kids Guitar Contest - grade school, junior
school, high school and ages 18-21.  One winner in each category gets a
new guitar.  Register through Tipitina's at 318-934-0000.

At 2:00 pm the Guinness World Record attempt will be held.  We need as
many guitar players as possible to break the existing record of 1860
(in Germany).  There is no charge to enter this however we ask that you
register on the website.  They can also register the day of the event.

At 7:00 pm James Burton and Friends Concert will be held at the
Municipal Auditorium on Elvis Presley Avenue in Shreveport, Louisana. 
Tickets are on sale at the James Burton Foundation Office.  Phone
318-424-5000 or 318-424-8000.

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A PIECE OF GRACELAND HISTORY UNCOVERED

By: Gerard Montz

In 2009, Graceland will celebrate the 70^th Anniversary of the building of Graceland Mansion in Memphis, Tennessee. Some younger fans of Elvis might not realize that Graceland was not named by Elvis. The house was actually named after Ms. Grace Toof who was the aunt of Ruth Brown Moore who built Graceland in 1939 along with her husband Dr. Thomas D. Moore. When Elvis purchased the home in 1957, he liked the name Graceland and continued to refer to his home as such.

In this regard, I would like to tell you the story of a little piece of Graceland history which I uncovered in March of 2007. While I was doing some research of old newspapers, something caught my eye. I was looking at a copy of the Decatur Daily Review (Decatur, Illinois) from Saturday, January 12, 1929. What I found was the headline entitled “Dies Suddenly” and underneath the following was written:

“Word has been received here from Mrs. Bello Little saying her sister

Miss Grace Toof of Memphis had an apoplectic stroke and died in a few

minutes on December 28^th. Mrs. Little and Miss Toof spent their summers

in Decatur for several years and have many friends there.”

When I read this, I immediately made the connection to Graceland. I had recognized the name Grace Toof. I felt that I had discovered something interesting and immediately sent an email to Graceland’s archives department telling them what I had found. The next day, I received a response from Ms. La Vonne Gaw who is an archives researcher at Graceland. She sent me a history of the Graceland property which she had written. In the Graceland history, the following was noted regarding Grace: “At this writing, we do not know what happened to Grace and why she had no heirs”. It seems that I had discovered a little piece of missing Graceland history. Even though it pre-dates Elvis, it is still interesting to find out this piece of information regarding the house and the former owners and/or their relatives. I feel like a history detective and thought that with Elvis Presley Enterprises and/or Graceland observing the 70^th Anniversary of the Graceland Mansion in 2009, that the readers of Elvis - The Magazine would be interested in this lost piece of information.

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Elvis Presley Memorial Dinner

Elvis Presley Memorial Dinner for Make-a-Wish.  You really should support this.  This is Marian Cocke’s event and she has been doing this for many years-before EPE and KPX took over everything and they make no mention of this on Elvis’ web page because it’s not their event.  She was Elvis’ nurse and her heart is in this.  It’s in the beautiful Skyway Room of the Peabody Hotel.  Guests are Kevin Adams, Ray Walker, Ronnie McDowell, and Terry Mike Jeffrey.  Cost is $85 and the food is wonderful.  After all, this is the Peabody.  Reach her at www.mariancocke.com or e-mail her at epnurse@bellsouth.net.

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LISA MARIE PRESLEY SPEAKS OUT ON THE DEATH OF MICHAEL JACKSON

BY MARIE FLETCHER

LISA MARIE PRESLEY WAS MARRIED TO MICHAEL JACKSON IN 1994 AND DIVORCED IN 1996. WHILE MARRIED BOTH HER AND MICHAEL COULD IDENTIFY WITH "SUPER STARDOM". BOTH AT A VERY YOUNG AGE KNEW WHAT IS WAS LIKE LIVING BEHIND CLOSED DOORS. I CAN ONLY IMAGINE HOW HARD IT WAS FOR LISA TO HEAR MICHAEL JACKSON HAD DIED AND SEEING THE NEWS COVERAGE BEING TELEVISED MUST HAVE BROUGHT BACK HER OWN TRAGIC MEMORIES OF WHEN HER FATHER ELVIS PRESLEY DIED IN 1977. AT ONLY NINE YEARS OLD SHE LOST HER BELOVED FATHER. WHAT DO YOU SAY TO CHILDREN SO YOUNG WHEN THEY LOOSE THIER FATHER AND ALSO HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE MEDIA, CAMERAS AND FAN'S WHILE BEING HEART BROKEN OVER THIER OWN LOSS? LISA MARIE PRESLEY SAID "I AM HEART BROKEN FOR HIS CHILDREN WHO I KNOW WERE EVERYTHING TO HIM AND FOR HIS FAMILY". SHE ALSO SAID " I AM SO VERY SAD AND CONFUSED WITH EVERY EMOTION POSSABLE ." LISA MARIE WHILE MARRIED TO MICHAEL JACKSON RECALLS A CONVERSATION WITH MICHAEL STATING THAT HE SAID "I AM AFRAID THAT I AM GOING TO END UP LIKE HIM THE WAY HE DID". MEANING LIKE HER FATHER ELVIS PRESLEY. SHE ALSO STATED "HE KNEW". THEY SHARED A BOND OF FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS FROM LIVING THE LIFESTYLE FORCED ON THEM BECAUSE THE WORLD EMBRACED HER FATHER ELVIS PRESLEY AND NOW MICHAEL JACKSON. I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE MY CONDOLENCES TO THE JACKSON FAMILY AND CHILDREN. MAY MICHAEL JACKSON "NOW" REST IN PEACE.

MARIE FLETCHER

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The Elvis Cruise

The Elvis Cruise, hosted by Jerry Schilling, is scheduled for Thursday, November 12 through Monday, November 16, 2009.  The cruise will sail from Tampa, Florida and cruise through the Caribbean to Cozumal, Mexico.

Guests include the TCB Band, the Imperials, the Sweet Inspirations, Joe Guercio, D.J. Fontana, Terry Mike Jeffrey, Andy Childs, Ronnie McDowell, the Dempseys, and previous tribute artist winners.

Prices begin at $599.  For more information, go to www.Elvis.com/cruise.  

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Ronnie McDowell

August 14-Ronnie McDowell is also doing a concert at the Horse Shoe Casino in Mississippi.  Tickets available on his website or check with Horseshoe-this is always a great show.

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Memories of 50 Years Ago

By:  Carol Austin, Memphis

 1959-Paris- Elvis Presley said Saturday that just thinking about his return to television in eight months gives him the shakes.  “I reckon when I get in front of those cameras I’m going to shake even more than I did before,” the Memphis rock-and-roller said.  Presley, an Army Jeep driver, is in Paris on furlough.  “We went to the Lido Nightclub the other night, and they hauled me up on the stage,” Presley said.  “For the first time in 15 months there I was in front of an audience.  Then it flew all over me, boy-sudden fear.”  Presley said he was having a whale of a time in Paris, touring the girlie shows and living a touch of the old life.

1959-Frankfurt, Germany-Ptc. Elvis Presley was a little startled Wednesday night to learn that rumors of his death in a traffic accident were spreading throughout Western Europe.  “He is definitely OK and hasn’t been in any accident,” said a friend of the rock and roller at his Bad Nauheim Hotel near here.  “But he’s too busy to answer the phone himself.”

“We got more than 20 calls in the past hour,” the friend said.  “Everybody was checking on the rumor.  Some even called from London.”

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VERNON PRESLEY DEDICATION

By Jim Clark

A historical marker has recently been placed on the plot of land where Vernon Presley was born.  The marker dedication took place at the log cabin where the Joshua Hood family lived during the Civil War.  Joshua was the great-great grandfather of Elvis Presley.

Elvis Presley was born in Tupelo, but his roots from both sides of the Vernon Presley family can be clearly traced to Itawamba County.

Joshua Hood migrated to Itawamba County in the spring of the mid-1850s, from St. Clair, Al.  He, no doubt, looked forward to returning to the relative peace of the red clay hills after serving as a Private in Company E, of the 4^th Regiment Mississippi Calvary.  He proudly wore the gray of the Confederate Army.  The brigade was under command of Col. Griffith, of the Arkansas Regiment, who answered to Nathan B. Forrest, and indirectly to Robert E. Lee.

Joshua fell under the charms of Margaret Johnson.  The couple married and had a son, William H. “Buck” Hood, who would become the father of Minnie Mae Hood and grand-father of Vernon Elvis Presley.

On the other side, Hugh “Henry” B. Wallace was lured from Lincoln County, TN to the arms of Lidya Gideon.  The two had a son, John Wallace, who would take up with Rosella Elizabeth Presley.  She would give birth to Jesse Dee McDowell Presley, who would be the father of Vernon Elvis Presley.

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Elvis The Magazine/Upcoming Events  7-27-09

Soundz Good Records presents the 17th annual Collecting The King Memorabilia Show 2009 in the PEABODY HOTEL, 149 Union Avenue, downtown Memphis TN. in the Hernando Desoto Room.  The show will take place Thursday, AUGUST 13 through Saturday, August 15 with a one-time admission of $3.00 for all three days.  Show hours are Thursday through Saturday: 10 am to 7 pm.  There will be a Special Collectors Preview on Wednesday evening, August 12th from 6 pm to 9 pm - Admission is $10.00.  The Collecting The King Memorabilia Show is the longest-running collectibles show in Memphis during Elvis Week, run by Elvis the Magazine’s own columnist Robert Alaniz and features dealer tables with thousands of rare and vintage Elvis Presley memorabilia.  Collectors and fans can BUY, SELL or TRADE items such as records & CDs, movie posters, vintage RCA promotional items, books, magazines, 1956 memorabilia, Las Vegas concert souvenirs, and DVDs.  Special Guests this year include Howard Dvorin, son of Al Dvorin (one of Elvis’s tour managers and the man who coined the phrase “Elvis has left the building”) and Jerry Osborne, author of “Presleyana VI – The Elvis Presley Record and Memorabilia Price Guide”.  If you plan to be in Memphis for Elvis Week 2007, be sure to include Collecting The King ’09 on your agenda of events for Elvis Week.  For general or dealer space information contact “Collecting The King” columnist Robert Alaniz at sndzgood@aol.com or call (815) 464-7681.