Here you will find news articles, kinformation articles, and other material for reading, reviewing, and research.
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Mississippi Blues Trail Marker to Honor Elvis' Birthplace ~ 1/08/08 ~ A Mississippi Blues Trail marker was placed at Elvis' birth home in Tupelo on Tuesday, 8 January 2008 as part of a birthday celebration. The event was sponsored by the MS Development Authority's Tourism Heritage Trails Program, the Mississippi Blues Commission, the Tupelo Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the Elvis Presley Birthplace Museum. After all, it was in Tupelo, MS, where Elvis first encountered the blues.
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17 January 2008 |
Man Who Designed Elvis' Jumpsuits Dies
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. — Costume designer Bill Belew, who created Elvis Presley's jumpsuits and the tight black leather outfit he wore on his 1968 television special, has died. He was 76.Belew died Jan. 7 at Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs after battling diabetes, his longtime companion, Paul Dafelmair, told the Los Angeles Times.

In his nearly 50-year career, Belew designed costumes for many stars of stage, screen and television, ranging from Ella Fitzgerald to Gloria Estefan.

But it is his work with Presley for which Belew will be best remembered.

"Bill Belew changed the face of rock 'n' roll fashion," Presley costume historian Butch Polston said.

After creating the jumpsuits for Presley, "everybody wanted to dress like Elvis," Polston said. "(Belew) designed stuff for the Osmonds, the Jacksons, just numerous celebrities."

His collaboration with Presley began in 1968, when Belew was asked to design the wardrobe for the hourlong TV special that that became known as Presley's "comeback."

"It always seemed like people assumed he wore black leather, but he never did," Belew recalled in an interview with Salon.com in 1999. "He may have worn a leather jacket, but that's about it."

But the tight black leather outfit became an instant hit.

In the 1970s, Presley began wearing Belew-designed, bejeweled jumpsuits. They included a tall collar, pointed sleeves and bell bottoms, plus a matching cape and wide belts.

"I think when he got to the '70s, Elvis did have complete confidence in Bill's designs. Bill said they'd made the point about Elvis' masculinity and didn't have to worry about that," Julie Mundy, author of the book "Elvis Fashion," told The Associated Press in 2003.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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O' Reilly Puts A Bad Spin on Elvis | On the
O' Reilly Factor last evening, 19 Feb. 2008, Bill O' Reilly had a segment on film stars called the American Movie Icon Series, and hosted a critic named Richard Walters. The question O' Reilly posed was why Elvis made terrible films. The topic, itself, was bad enough, for Elvis' films, though not award winners, were extremely entertaining for the young set and for Elvis' fans. Elvis had the makings of a fine actor had he chosen to pursue the art, which he did not. The questions was answered by this Mr. Walters who seemed to know very little about Elvis and actually blamed his bad film image on the anphetimines he had taken while in the service. Walters further insinuated that Elvis was a drug user and may have been under the influence while filming his pictures. It appears that Mr. Walters has been reading Sonny West's book and needs a straightforward, truthful lesson on the behavioral patterns of Elvis Presley. Lo and behold, this show and it's guest need to apologize to the late Elvis Presley, his family, and his fans. Why not write in to O' Reilly and urge such an apology from this Mr. Walters, a well-noted critic on film tactics.

Excerpted from Elvis World News | Feb., 2008. Original notice from Rachel Harden of Roots of Elvis: Cousin of Elvis Passes Aunt Annie Cloyd Presley of Tupelo MS passed away last Thursday. She was a friend of Gladys Smith Presley and was interviewed over the years by numerous authors of Elvis books. Annie is remembered by those who visited her, saying "Ya'll are so good to come visit." She was known as Annie Virginia Cloyd and was the only person that married into both Rosella Presley's line and also Rosalinda (Mary Jane) Presley's line. She first married Sales Presley (Rosella's line) and then, years later, married Sales cousin, John Delton Presley (Rosalinda's line). She was a delight to know and she will be missed. Annie was the one person who cleared up the age-old myth that Gladys walked Elvis to school even during his high school years. Annie said that this was absolutely untrue.

Confirmed Report, read it on Lisa Marie's My Space:

Lisa Marie: Not Pudgy, Pregnant | Fri Mar 7, 9:56 AM EST
The King's princess is getting ready to welcome a new subject.

Lisa Marie Presley
has confirmed, with excitement and yet a great deal of reluctance, that she and husband Michael Lockwood are expecting their first child together this fall. The 40-year-old Elvis heir announced the impending stork delivery Thursday in a message titled "Confirmation under the gun" on her MySpace blog. The post came in response to the spate of unflattering speculation in the media on her rapidly expanding midsection.

"After being the target all week of slanderous and degrading stories, horribly manipulated pictures and articles in the media, I have had to show my cards and announce under the gun and under vicious personal attack that I am in fact pregnant," she wrote.

"Once they got a glimpse of my expanding physique a few days ago, they have been like a pack of coyotes circling their prey whilst eerily howling with delight...They couldn't wait to find out if my weight gain was because I was just overeating in which case it would be open season and they can do the old following in her father's sad and unfortunate demise story again or less interesting for them and probably much to their dismay, I could just be pregnant..."

While Presley regrets the circumstances that led to her divulging her happy news, she is nonetheless thrilled that she is expecting.

"It is unfortunate that I couldn't have announced something that is this much of a blessing and that has made us so incredibly happy under better circumstances," she wrote, going on to further explain her ire.

"Pardon my seething contemptuous tone but ladies, you KNOW if you were pregnant and you felt you were expanding uncontrollably by the moment as a result and the worldwide media started badgering and harassing you for it, plastering you everywhere in an unflattering light, you would be mortified as well."

Lockwood, 46, is a guitarist and music producer who toiled as Presley's musical director and oversaw her 2005 album, Now What. They married in January 2006 in Japan, with ex-husband Danny Keough serving as best man.

Presley has two children from her union withKeough, 18-year-old daughter Riley and 15-year-old son Benjamin. This will be Lockwood's first child.

© 2008 E! Entertainment Television, Inc. Allrights reserved

JAN | FEB | MARCH, 2008
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News as of March 3, 2008 | Todd Morgan, who for years has been Graceland's "public face," was found dead in his apartment.It had not been announced publicly yet, but Todd had just been promoted to a new position and was to report directly to Gary Hovey in Los Angeles, though he would remain in Memphis. He was due to go out to dinner last night with friends to celebrate his promotion, but did not show.

Reports are he must have died in his sleep last night.

Todd has been at Graceland since it was opened to the public in 1982. He started as a tour guide.

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Lisa Marie having twins! We Share Lisa Marie's Anger with the Media | Lisa Marie (with husband, Michael Lockwood) are expecting a child, his first and the third child for Lisa Marie who turned 40 in February. We wish her the very best in health and happiness, and would like to take a stand behind her in dis-missing the horribly unkind accusations made against both she and her father. Lisa Marie deserves some degree of privacy and the media nowadays shows little, if any, regard for privacy. We feel for Lisa Marie, and express our displeasure over the personal and cruel attacks she has had to endure in the news further causing her grief during what should be a joyous time for her and her family.

Lisa Marie, you have a crowd of well-wishers behind you that you may enjoy this time with your family in peace, happiness, and freedom from fotographers.

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Presley Family Info.:

Death of Elvis' Cousin, Basil Presley | GOLDEN- Basil Presley, 84, died Saturday March 29 at the Care Center in Red Bay, Ala. He was born Nov. 21, 1923 in Itawamba County to Walter and Samantha Brown Presley. He was a member of Oakland Baptist Church. He worked at Air Cap in Tupelo before working many years at Dura-Crates in Fulton and in his later years he worked at PCA Sawmill. He raised chickens and hogs and enjoyed hunting, fishing and gardening.

Survivors include his wife of nearly 60 years, Mary Zell Presley, of Golden; two sons James Presley (Linda) of Bear Creek, Ala., and Jerry K Presley of Golden; two sisters Myrtle Roberts of Fairview and Dimple Young of Fulton; four grandchildren, Dania Westbrook of Hackelburg, Ala., Jamie Presley of Bear Creek, Ala., Joshua Presley of Falkner and Michael Presley of Fulton; six great grandchildren, Jordan Franks, Tristan Quinn, Samatha Quinn, Gage Presley, Candace Presley and Jessica Earnest.

He was preceded in death by one son, Johnny Presley; three brothers, Carrel Presley, Paul Presley and Clarence Presley; two sisters Madie Hayes and Mable Lentz; and his parents.

Services will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday at McNeece-Morris Funeral Home Chapel in Fulton with Rev. James Wilson officiating. Burial will be in Providence Cemetery.

NOTE: Walter Presley was the brother of Jesse D., Elvis' grandfather. Basil's son, Jerry Presley, is the 2nd cousin of Elvis and not to be confused with Jerry Presley, ETA, also a cousin of Elvis but not of this line.

Elvis Presley performs at Madison Square Garden in this June 1972 photo provided by George Kalinsky
By COLLEEN LONG, AP
Wed Apr 9, 10:08 PM EDT
Never-before-seen photos have surfaced of Elvis Presley rocking Madison Square Garden in all his jumpsuited glory. The images were taken in 1972 by George Kalinsky, the official photographer of the famed arena, the singer's estate said Wednesday. Kalinsky came across the photos while working on a campaign for a billboard company called "Great Moments in New York." Now one of them is on display as part of the campaign on a three-story billboard atop the Virgin Megastore in Times Square; it shows The King glancing up, his outstretched arms holding the cape of his glittering jumpsuit.

Kalinsky needed to get permission from Elvis Presley Enterprises, the business arm of the performer's estate, to reproduce Presley's image for the campaign. The estate asked if he had any more photos, and Kalinsky came back with about 40 unpublished images from Elvis' second-night performance at the Garden in 1972, said Kevin Kern, spokesman for Elvis Presley Enterprises.

Kern said a team of archivists well-acquainted with publicized images of Presley were quite impressed with Kalinsky's photos.

"What came from their mouths was `Wow!'" Kern said. "These are very crisp, clear, professional photos of Elvis. It's such a rare find."

The collection will be displayed at Graceland starting Memorial Day weekend as part of "Elvis Jumpsuits: All Access," an exhibit that will also feature more than 50 of Elvis' famous jumpsuits.

Kalinsky said he didn't realize at the time that he had so many good shots.

"When I photographed the show, I thought I only had a few good ones," he said. "I just never really looked at the files until recently."

Kalinsky has been the official Garden photographer for more than 40 years. He's also the official photographer of Radio City Music Hall and a special photographer for the New York Mets.

He has photographed scores of celebrities and famous athletes, including Muhammad Ali, Frank Sinatra, Luciano Pavarotti and Pope John Paul II, and his images have appeared in Life, Sports Illustrated, Esquire, Time and Newsweek. Kalinsky's images of Jimi Hendrix and Sinatra are also part of the Times Square billboard campaign.

Back in '72, he went backstage to meet Presley.

"He was electrifying in his white jumpsuit, with his cape on," Kalinsky remembered. "He was quite humble, but he had an aura. There are very few people who have triple-X charisma, and Elvis was one."

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.