eTestimonials and News Articles

Now comes a cup that could be the biggest of them all: the Limited Edition Elvis Peanut Butter & Banana Creme, inspired by the singer's famous hankering for deep-fried peanut butter-and-banana sandwiches.

The Reese's wrapper will feature the image of the young Elvis - thin, snarling and, crooning into a '50s-style microphone. The candy will be sold in standard, mini and "The King" sizes, beginning in July, according to Hershey.

Timed to the 30th anniversary of Elvis' demise on Aug. 16, the promotion will be supported by a backbeat of contests and prizes that include a trip for two to Graceland, Elvis' home-turned-museum in Memphis.

"I think it's fantastic," says Barbara Lee Rowe, who runs the Kin of Rock and Roll, a hybrid Elvis/Civil War memorabilia store in Gettysburg. "Have you ever had a peanut butter-and-banana sandwich?"

There's no guarantee that putting Elvis' mug on a candy wrapper, or two of his favorite ingredients inside, will drive sales, experts caution.

"Images clearly draw attention, but that doesn't mean they'll push a consumer to actually buy," says professor Barbie Zelizer, who studies pop culture at the University of Pennsylvania. "We never know how images are going to work in conjunction with the products."

In recent years, the $28 billion candy industry has tried to sweeten profits with limited-edition treats. Manufacturers face rabid competition in the form of 2,000 new confections a year and, paradoxically, a public worried about eating healthy and losing weight. Companies like Hershey, which expects sales to fall slightly short of its goal this year, try to entice customers with variations on proven brands.

That's why you've seen six types of Kit Kat bar and inside-out Junior Mints.

But sales have slowed as makers exhaust the obvious white- and dark-chocolate possibilities, says Susan Fussell of the National Confectioners Association. The challenge now, she says, is to mate established products to unexpected flavors.

"This new Elvis is a really good example," she says.

And Elvis, who would have been 72 next month, is a reliable salesman. He earned $42 million in the last year, second only to Nirvana's Kurt Cobain among dead celebs, according to Forbes magazine.

The King's likeness and name isn't only on guitars and teddy bears, it's on everything, even a gun, the Smith & Wesson "Taking Care of Business" .357 Magnum revolver. Perfect for shooting out TV sets.

There are lines of Elvis foods, like Burning Love Hot Sauce and Blue Hawaii Luau Glaze, and wines including Jailhouse Red Merlot and Blue Suede Chardonnay. At Elviscoffee.com you can order bags of All Shook Up Smooth Blend.

For businesses seeking to sell products, Elvis offers two outstanding attributes:

He is enormously popular. And, well, he's dead.

Nobody has to fret about sales being hurt by footage of an addled, overweight Elvis padding around Graceland in a gold lame bathrobe.

Today, Elvis is who they say he is. And to Hershey, he's a sexy rock-and-roller with a curl in his lip - and a taste for banana creme.

Sid Shaw of Elvisly-Yours, London

The Kin of Rock and Roll refers to Sid Shaw as the "Elvis Guru." Sid is an amazing person devoted to the cause of Elvis and to Elvis fans all over the world. Sid's tireless efforts to fight on behalf of the rights of Elvis' fans to buy Elvis products outside of the United States brought him world-reknown and a victorious legal battle versing EPE.

Sid has gone out of his way to help those climbing the rungs of the Presley ladder of devotion. He is a good friend and a good soul. Sid has given up much to enshrine Elvis in London, England where the Elvisly-Yours Store is a major attraction and perhaps the largest in the world.

Sid had this to say about The Kin of Rock and Roll in his cyber-newsletter distributed to his many fans:

"Cyber Club

Newsletter 43

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www.elvisly-yours.com
October 2006

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World’s first store on
History of the Presleys

Barbara Lee dressed in authentic Civil War clothes

I was recently contacted by a cousin of Elvis about an interesting, new store. Her name is Barbara Lee Rowe and she has opened the world’s first store on the history of the Presleys. She is a mine of information on Presley family history and is in contact with many Presley family members around the country. Her store is in the Patriot’s Point shopping mall in Gettysburg and is more like a “Presley Museum”. The store has a wonderful name:

The Kin of Rock and Roll
241 Steinwehr Avenue
(located inside Patriot Point)
Gettysburg, PA 17325
OPEN FROM NOON TO 8pm
WINTER HOURS Thurs. thru Sunday

Her store must be visited, is highly educational and will help you understand Elvis’ Presley family roots. In fact, the store focuses entirely on the Presley history, and the Presley family members who fought at Gettysburg. Barbara Lee wants Elvis to be remembered for his contribution to the wonderful history of the Presley family. There are many Presley graves in Gettysburg and there was even a Confederate Army General from the Presley family.

Elvis would have been thrilled to know that he was also kin to the fellow who created the Winchester rifle. Some of the Winchester family, also Barbara Lee’s family, married into the North Carolina Presley line. That is why she is related to Elvis through several different channels coming down the line. Her ancestor, Thomas Presley, was a son of Andrew, Sr. Some of Thomas' children moved off to South Carolina and Tennessee, and Arkansas and mixed in there with a Pritchett line. There was a Pool/Poole connection, and Pruitt (the Texas line).

According to Barbara Lee there are 450 in all who have wonderful Presley ancestor information, but she has not met them yet. She has now been advised that the direct kin in Mississippi, et al, are notactually involved or interested in the family history, but does not know if this is true or not. She will do her own genealogical research for now and if anyone decides to jump in, that is fine.

Visit the Presley Family History website: www.elvisandhistory.com. She has a great selection of Ed Bonja’s photographs for sale in her store. Ed was Elvis’ official photographer in the 1970’s and most of the classic concert photos you see on albums, in magazines on Elvis memorabilia are the copyright of Ed Bonja but he has been cheated by EPE, RCA/BMG and manufacturing companies because he gets no royalties for use of his photos and cannot afford to sue them.To quote from Barbara Lee’s wonderful website:Join with us to help preserve the history and heritage of our nation. he children of today need to know from whence they came in order to see where they will go.

It is most important that we strive to enrich our lands, not to destroy them. It is most important to preserve sacred grounds and historic areas. Elvis wanted to do something to let the younger generation know that there was more to life than the way of fast living. Elvis would have been proud to help us preserve this land of our ancestors, and to honor our heritage.

Today, little children are drawn to Elvis. Years after his passing, his soul reaches out to them through the magic of his music. Elvis is truly an inspiration to the young, as he is to the young at heart.
Elvis belongs to history now. He is with his forebears-- in our hearts they will always be. Forever an inspiration.

Barbara Lee wrote to me, “all in all, ‘Elvis in Gettysburg’ may do very well and I am happy to be able to promote him in a different, yet favourable light; that is helping in remembering and preserving American history.”

Of course, she has had no help from EPE but Elvis fan clubs and fanscan pass on information ” in their newsletters, websites and emails about this unique Presley Store, “The Kin of Rock and Roll”.

She has a nice disclaimer on her website:

Presley family members reserve the right to use the Presley name and family photos without permission required...

...Barbara Lee also organises regular Elvis Shows in the small theatre at Patriot Point. It is also available for local fan club meetings. Send her an email for further information or visit her website: ww.elvisandhistory.com"

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Please check out the Elvisly-Yours site and see the fantastic works accomplished by Sid Shaw in the name of Elvis.

THANK YOU, SID! GOD BLESS!

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