Was Elvis Interested?

The year 1959, Elvis' full year in Germany in the army, is more or less a "missing" year in Elvis history. We do not know that much about Elvis' life during this time frame. 

Take for example the story about a certain German actress, Vera Tschechowa - 18 years old at the time - who tried to meet Elvis when he was on field training exercises. That didn't work out, but Vera soon got a lucky break because she was hired to pose for publicity photos with Elvis for The March of Dimes campaign.

After their photoshoot Elvis and Vera posed for a formal portrait which appeared on the cover of the German magazine called Funk Illustrierte. During that day Elvis and Vera also visited the Frankfort Zoo, spending some quality time together.

After a while Vera visited Elvis in Bad Nauheim, and a few months later Elvis surprised her with a return visit that lasted 4 days. During this visit they frequented the Moulin Rouge and other night clubs in Munich.

Was Elvis interested in Vera? Who knows. To Vera, however, it was all priceless free publicity that she as a young and emerging actress was interested in.

The Next Step

The Ryman Auditorium, home to the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, TN, was built as a grand place of worship by Captain Thomas Ryan who first led a rather questionable life but later became a Christian.

After his passing in 1904, his namesake building eventually became one of the most legendary music venues in the world.

Fast forward to 1954. Elvis' first professional appearance is at the Overton Shell Park in Memphis. It goes well. He's a hit.

The next step is national attention via a try out at the Grand Ole Opry. It's a 300 km ride. To Elvis, Scotty and Bill the Ryman Auditorium is like a shrine. None of them has ever attended a show there and they wander around the dilapidated building in a daze, overwhelmed by the sense of history in the room.

Backstage, Elvis is insecure and scared stiff. He confesses to upcoming 20-year-old bass player Buddy Killen: They're going to hate me. If they'd just let me leave, I'd go right now. There are two more surprises for the band: Marion Keisker, supposed to be on duty at SUN, has left her post and driven all the way to appear backstage for support, plus Bill and Scotty's wives are in the front row.

Hank Snow introduces Elvis as "a new young and upcoming singer", but forget Elvis' name in the process! Elvis bounces out on stage the same way that he always does, as if he's just fallen off a fast-moving train, and does his one number. Scotty and Bill are more nervous than Elvis; to them it seems, there is nowhere to go but down from here, and they can sense by the polite, but tepid reception that this is exactly where they are going.

Elvis never performs on the Opry again but visits friends backstage at the Ryman in 1957.

The 2nd Was The 1st

 Elvis had 4 Stutz cars:

1. Blackhawk (bought 1970)

2. Two-Seater (bought 1971)

3. Pearl White Stutz (ordered after seeing it in a showroom window)

4. Blackhawk with Red Leather Interior (bought 1974 - his favourite and the last car he ever drove.)

Back to Blackhawk #1. The series was built on Pontiac chassis from the USA and shipped to Italy to get new bodies to transform them into Stutz Blackhawks, the most expensive cars at the time. The first prototype was made in 1969 and driven by the founder. The second prototype was the 1st Stutz Blackhawk ever SOLD, and to none other than Elvis!

Funny story. The first USA Stutz dealer shows up at Elvis' home at Hillcrest, CA, with the second prototype. Elvis is interested. He's told he can sign a contract and they will build him his Blackhawk. Elvis isn't interested in signing a contract, he's interested in buying the car, the one standing next to him. The car dealer tries to explain that it is the very first Stutz and he needs the car to drive around to show potential buyers. Elvis answers with a question: How do you think you will sell more cars, when YOU drive it, or when the people see ME driving it around? 

Good point. It works. Elvis gets the car, although he agrees to it being displayed at a motor show prior to delivery and some press pictures of him and the car.

Interesting twist: Sinatra is also interested in the Stutz. However, he will not agree to the publicity photos or the display at the car-show.

Game, set and match.

Topic of the Day

Recently unseen footage of Elvis was found, originating from a TV station in Fort Worth, TX. In the early hours of 11 January 1958 Elvis was on his way to Hollywood via train for the filming of his 4th film, King Creole. During a one hour lay over at the Fort Worth train station he stepped off to chat with fans and give autographs. Inside the train Elvis talked to news reporters. 

He could have been asked ANYTHING about his upcoming induction into the army, but take a guess what became the topic of the day? His hair. Mindboggling. 

Reporter: What do you think about jerks like the one in Kentucky who quit the draft board because you were given a 60-day deferment [for the filming of King Creole]?

Elvis: Mr. Hershey? Well, I'm just like him, I was expecting it.

Reporter: Would you rather be a lover or a fighter?

Elvis: It's just according to what the situation is, you know what I mean? Sometimes you'd have to be both.

Reporter: Do you mind cutting your sideburns as part of the army induction?

Elvis: No, they'll grow back. If it was a situation if they cut them off and I never could have any more then I would worry about them.

Reporter: The sideburns look shorter today. Have you worn them shorter than usual?

Elvis: Well, I wore them shorter than I use to, uh-huh.

Reporter: What's the reason for that, maybe?

Elvis: Well, I don't know... 

One Hour Lay Over

Recently, more unseen footage of Elvis was found, originating from a local ABC TV station in Fort Worth, Texas. In the early hours of 11 Jan 1958 (only 9 days before the filming of King Creole) Elvis was on his way to Hollywood via train. During a one hour lay over at the Fort Worth train station he stepped off to chat with fans and give autographs. Inside the train Elvis talked to news reporters. During all of the answers there were lots of laughs.

Reporter: What do you think about jerks like the one in Kentucky who quit the draft board because you were given a 60-day deferment?  

Elvis: Mr. Hershey? Well, I'm just like him, I was expecting it.   

Reporter: Would you rather be a lover or a fighter?

Elvis: It's just according to what the situation is, you know what I mean? Sometimes you'd have to be both.  

Reporter: Do you mind cutting your sideburns as part of the army induction?

Elvis: No, they'll grow back. If it was a situation if they cut them off and I never could have any more then I would worry about them. 

Reporter: The sideburns look shorter today. Have you worn them shorter than usual?

Elvis: Well, I wore them shorter than I use to, uh-huh. 

Reporter: What's the reason for that, maybe?

Elvis: Well, I don't know... 

First Million Seller

Can you believe the original handwritten lyrics for Heartbreak Hotel was kept?

At the 1955 Disc Jockey Convention in Nashville, Tennessee, (where Elvis was lauded as The Most Promising New Talent In Country Music), songwriter Mae Boren-Axton - known as the Queen Mother of Nashville - told Elvis she was going to write him his first million seller.

Together with Tommy Durden, she did. It was Heartbreak Hotel, which Elvis recorded in Jan 1956.

As you can see, the lyrics is handwritten in pencil and has various additions and corrections, and the lyric sheet is signed at the bottom by both songwriters.

No wonder it recently sold for a cool R3,2 million.

Armond Morales

The Imperials is a southern gospel quartet who sang backup for Elvis from 1969-1971. They also recorded with Elvis in sessions from 1966-1971, including on the Grammy Award-winning How Great Thou Art and He Touched Me album sessions.

During the 1960s The Imperials became pioneers of contemporary Christian music. Armond Morales was a founding member of The Imperials and fondly remember the group going to Graceland, riding around in golf carts, attending movies after hours and riding on a plane with Elvis.

Armond recalls: We were in Las Vegas at the International Hotel, practicing, and all the singers were in one section and the rhythm section was in another area, and Elvis was in the middle with the microphone. In the middle of rehearsal he just stopped and stomped his foot. He said, "I don't know what's wrong with you people", and he stomped out the door. He said, "Armond come out here." And I walked out the door, wondering what was going on. Elvis said: "I scare them, didn't I?" Turns out he was just having fun and joking.

Happy Birthday, Vernon.

On this day, 55 years ago, Elvis gives his father a stunning 14 carat yellow gold Omega watch as a gift for his birthday. The face of the watch is accented with 46 round diamonds and the back is engraved with the following words:

Happy Birthday, Dad. Love, Elvis. April 10, 1969.

A Star Is Born - A Missed Opportunity For Elvis?

The Premise

 

The story goes that in 1975 Barbra Streisand offered Elvis the role of the leading man in A Star Is Born, a movie she was about to make, but that the deal was nixed by our old friend Colonel Tom Parker - either on the basis that Streisand was getting star billing over 'his boy', alternatively that there was not enough money involved. 

It seems in retrospect that Elvis was in fact not all that concerned about the money, but had hoped that a part in a movie with a super-star such as Streisand would have given his career a boost. In the event the role went to Kris Kristofferson. 

Until quite recently I had not had an opportunity to see the movie but managed to catch it on TCM the other day, and thought it might be an interesting exercise to examine to what extent Elvis might just have missed a trick here.  

The Plot

The film is the story of two singers, one on his way down (Kristofferson), the other on her way up (Streisand). After one of his concerts Kristofferson goes into a night-club where Streisand is singing. He

How Elvis Really Died

Finally. Someone whose work and word can be respected by the general public gives his verdict re Elvis' cause of death. 

Dr. Stephen Kingsmore, a genetic scientist who has been named one of Medscape's physicians of the year and has had his work featured among Time Magazine's Top 10 Medical Breakthroughs of 2012, has reportedly established the exact cause of Elvis' death - and ultimately put to rest the commonly accepted drug-related death theories, often smugly alluded to by authors, the media, and also, fans.

Dr. Kingsmore's DNA-based findings - now being accepted in medical circles as the definitive explanation as to why Elvis passed away - were featured in the UK Dead Famous DNA TV program. The doctor analysed a sample of Elvis' hair which pointed to the singer having suffered from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy - a disease which causes the thickening of the heart and weakening of the heart muscle.

Elvis displayed many of the symptoms of this disease, including an irregular heartbeat, fatigue, fainting and high blood pressure. Although it was officially recorded that Elvis had died of heart failure, constant speculation about his demise has continued for nearly 40 years.

Dr. Kingsmore stated: There has been so much speculation about cause of death, and so much ill spoken of his lifestyle, and we had this intriguing finding that possibly Elvis had a medical illness, and all of the stuff about how he killed himself with his lifestyle might have been very unfair. 

Source: Belfast Telegraph