Elvis Presley from the pages of the Las Vegas Sun

 cat talks back
Letter to the editor
Las Vegas SUN
May 12, 1956

Mostly about Mr. Elvis Presley, Esq.

I will try to bravely carry on after reading the report of the SUN's police reporter concerning Mr. Elvis Presley now holding forth at the Venus Room of the Hotel New Frontier. I'm not after the teen-age vote or to sell Portia's pound of flesh. I come not to bury Caesar, but to praise him. It is a weakness of the mind to preconceive a judgment of your thought before the act is done. And so McDuff, lay on.

Despite the acid hemlock broth stirred by the Sun's copy boy methinks Mr. Presley will survive and live to sing some more. Not that for many moons to come his name will be well known about the countryside.

Perhaps this cat should have studied grand opera, the fiddle or just be satisfied herding a truck. I don't join that school of thought. He's happy and he's making lots of other people happy doing just what he is doing naturally. You see, he's a natural. Any dope knows what a natural is.

This cat Presley is neat, well gassed and has the heart. His vocal is real and he has yet to go for an open field. He is hep to the motion of sound with a retort that is tremendous. These squares who like to detract their imagined misvalues can only size a note creeping upstairs after dark. This cat can throw 'em downstairs or even out the window. He has it.........

Presley has a depth of tone that can sink deeper than a well. He can wilt into a whisper faster than a gossipmonger can throw down a free drink. He is classier than a new sock and a skinner on the strings. He really makes them cry. He's a smooth cast, cool and crazy with new stuff. His sound is dreamy and unique, loaded with mystery.

So settle down dad. Take your cow straight. Wipe the blood out of your eye. I still got your coat. Music shines in anything that sounds.

Youth is an exuberant stage of life with the top down. Presley's voice is that of American youth looking at the moon and wondering how long it will take to get there. He is not a Rock 'n' Roller nor is he a cowboy singer. He is something new coming over the horizon all by himself and he deserves his ever-growing audience. Nobody should miss him. Parents would do well to take their children to hear him. It would be a good way to get to know and understand your own kids.

Yep, this boy's sails are set and he's got wind. Good luck boy and the best of everything. I hope they hold you over! After all ten million cats can't be wrong.

Ed Jameson
805 Grant
Las Vegas

IN MEMORY OF VERNON PRESLEY

 

Birth:  Apr. 10, 1916 Death:  Jun. 26, 1979 Father of Elvis Presley. He was born in Fulton, Mississippi, the oldest of 5 children. Vernon's parents were Jessie D. McClowell Presley and Minnie Mae Hood Presley. He liked music and had a good singing voice. He also enjoyed working on cars. He met Gladys Love Smith in Tupelo, Mississippi. They were married on June 17, 1933 in Ponotoc County, Mississippi. Vernon was often unemployed and worked as a milkman, carpenter, farm hand and truck driver. The family rented a house on the edge of Shakerag, an area of Tupelo. In 1948 the Presley's moved to Memphis, Tennessee. Gladys died in 1958 and Vernon remarried to Davada "Dee" Stanley, a nurse in Huntsville, Alabama, in June 1960. They later divorced. When Elvis died at Graceland on August 16, 1977, his will appointed Vernon, who had long handled Elvis' personal, non-career business affairs, as executor and trustee. Vernon died of heart failure. Family links:  Parents:   Jessie D. McClowell Presley (1896 - 1973)   Minnie Mae Presley (1890 - 1980)  Brother and Sisters:  Vester Presley (1914 - 1997)   Gladys Earline Presley Dowd (____ - 1985)   Delta Mae Biggs (1919 - 1993)   Nashval Lorene Presley Pritchett (1925 - 1994)  Spouse:   Gladys Love Smith Presley (1912 - 1958)  Children:     Elvis Aaron Presley (1935 - 1977)   Jessie Garon Presley (1935 - 1935)   Burial: Graceland Mansion Estates Memphis Shelby County Tennessee, USA

Added by: David

                             

Vernon and Dee

  

 

Vernon Presley was known to Elvis always as, "Daddy",  and Vernon often referred to Elvis to everyone as the boy.  Vernon took care of financial matters throughout Elvis' life. He was scared that they would lose the money and end up broke again. This is why he was so scared of the Memphis Mafia, because Elvis wanted to share his riches and give the Mafia gifts all the time. Cautious, Vernon believed the guys were hangers-on, but nonetheless, did form bonds with different members of the Mafia.
Vernon died of heart failure not long after his son's death in 1979.  Many people have remarked that Elvis was more of the father figure to Vernon than Vernon was to him. They shared an intimate relationship and one of trust
A lot of Elvis' wit and abilities came from his dad. The humor, the dry humor - That's Vernon Presley. Most people smile with their lips, but he laughed with his eyes. Elvis got an awful lot of that from him.

Elvis and Vernon At Graceland



Inside Vernon's Office

Sign On Vernon's Office Door

Gladys Love Smith, Vernon's first wife, died of a heart attack on August 14, 1958, and is buried beside her son. Two years after the death of Gladys, Vernon married Davada (Dee) Elliot Stanley. Elvis never attended the second wedding of his father, which shows that he probably did not approve of the it. In the end, Vernon's second marriage ended in a disastrous divorce in 1977 after three years of separation

Vernon And Elvis Mourn After Gladys' Death

  Elvis And Vernon On The Set Of Live A Little, Love A Little





Elvis Introducing His Daddy On His Last Tour

 

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Elvis Vinyl Bootleg Book

 

Elvis Vinyl Bootleg Book

A new website promises a giant book on Elvis' Vinyl Bootleg releases. The authors are very pleased to announce that they are on the final stretch, adding last minute information, doing corrections and a final proof reading that will lead us into graphical designing by September.

In April 2012 this most extensive, informative and hopefully also very enjoyable book, to be simply titled Bootleg Elvis, will be made available to all of you with an undying love for the good old (illicit) vinyl records of Elvis Presley.

All the covers are printed in full color! 1000+ pics of Elvis vinyl bootlegs over 500 pages. And over twenty stories from the original bootleggers telling how they made these original boots back in the 70s and 80s

karate Elvis live pics

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marilyn, Elvis Team Up For Retro World Game

Marilyn, Elvis Team Up For Retro World Game

Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe, both long dead, get new lives in an online game aimed at the 40-and-over crowd that seeks to tap into the Hollywood legends' eternal, and lucrative, popularity.

Presley and Monroe are both "starring" characters in Entertainment Games' episodic, free-to-play adventures of "Retro World," which will launch on Facebook on November 8 before expanding to Google+ and tablet devices.

But in an unusual twist, Presley and Monroe won't play themselves. Just like in Hollywood, they play characters within the serialized point-and-click adventure games.

Entertainment Games is banking on nostalgia and story driven content to connect with the older demographic communing on Facebook and adopting new technology like tablets.

"We think the new generation of gamers is the 40-plus crowd, and they don't want games that look like Saturday morning cartoons," said Gene Mauro, president of Entertainment Games,

"They want something that appeals to them visually, and has actual gameplay at the core. Story-driven adventure games helped advance the game industry forward 20 years ago, and we believe what is old is new again."

Michael Pachter, video game analyst at Wedbush Morgan Securities, believes as many as half of Facebook's 150 million monthly unique users are over 40 years-old.

"The 40-plus audience grows every day," said Pachter. "More people over 40 get on Facebook and more people under 40 get older. There is a ton of opportunity in this market."

Pachter noted the games that do best on Facebook, such as Zynga's 'Cityville' and 'FarmVille' and Electronic Arts' 'The Sims Social,' "all cater to this audience."

A Pew Research Center Internet and American life tracking survey found the number of early boomers ages 46-55 who used social networking grew from 20 percent in 2008 to 50 percent in 2010. Older boomers, ages 56-64, spiked from 9 percent to 43 percent, and those between 65 and 73 grew from 11 percent to 34 percent in two years' time.

MARILYN MONROE: SPY

In the "Owl Files," the first "Retro World" launch, Monroe plays a 1960s-era spy. Another series features Presley as a doctor -- just as he was in his final film, "Change of Habit."

The format allows the stars to appear in multiple games over time as different characters, and both icons will also be available for purchase as custom avatars for players to explore the game world with.

Besides adventure games, players can buy, customize and race classic cars, or join in arcade-style mini-games like Mahjong with friends.

The games all run on the Heyday platform, which allows developers to take licensed images from Spiegel, Corbis and Getty and create interactive experiences in decades ranging from the 1950s to the 1980s.

Entertainment Games has partnered with Dick Clark to serve as the game world's host -- appearing as he did in the '70s -- and also available as a premium avatar. Clark will also deliver content that players can purchase as "Retro World" expands.

"It feels good to be a part of something fun, geared at the 40-and-over community", Clark said.

"Imagine being able to revisit your favorite fashion, TV shows, celebrities, cars and more from your teens and 20s. ... I'm excited to be part of the whole Heyday platform," he said.

While "Retro World" will be free to play, there will be micro-transactions as well as brand-sponsored virtual items to drive revenue for the game aimed at a demographic that spends more money online than any other.

Pachter believes "Retro World" has a shot at staking a claim in the $2 billion casual free-to-play game arena, half of which Zynga now owns. With that space expected to double to $4 billion by 2013, it will ultimately be the quality of the game experiences that dictate Entertainment Games' success.

And for that, just as they did when they were box office powerhouses, Presley and Monroe have been resurrected to grab the attention of boomer gamers amid a sea of Facebook and online game experiences.

Once they do, watch for more "Retro World" adventures based on hit television shows from the '50s through the '80s -- with the help, of course, or more Hollywood icons.._,___

Elvis's final recording session in the 1950's

 

Elvis's final recording session in the 1950's occured on June 10 and 11, 1958, at the RCA studio in Nashville, Tennessee.   Elvis recorded:   " I Need Your Love tonight" " A Big Hunk O' Love " " Ain't That Loving You Baby " " A Fool Such As I "    and " I Got Stung "   The following musicians were used:   Guitar - Walter Hank Garland, Chet Atkins, and Elvis Bass - Bob L. Moore Drums - D.J. Fontana Bongos - Murray " Buddy " Harman Piano - Floyd Cramer Vocals - The Jordanaires

Presleymania reached its peak in November 1956

 

Elvis Presley's breakout year was 1956, as every Elvis fan knows. However, it wasn't until November of that year, after his first two appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show, that the stampede began among merchandisers to capitalize on the Presley phenomenon. On November 3, 1956, Variety detailed some of the craziness. At the time RCA reported that sales of Elvis's "Don't Be Cruel"/"Hound Dog" single had reached 2.6 million copies in the U.S. alone. Over 1.8 million copies of his new single, "Love Me Tender," had already been shipped. The record company was selling more than Elvis records in 1956, though. That November it started shipments of its Elvis Presley portable record player. The player featured Presley's autograph stamped in gold on the top cover of the simulated blue denim case and could be purchased in two different packages. A four-speed model came with a two-pocket Elvis extended play record for $32.95. The second offer included an automatic 45 r.p.m. player with a three-pocket EP album for $44.95. Variety also reported several other tidbits of Presleyana on November 3. The Leonet Corporation in New York was granted an exclusive license for the sale of Elvis Presley scarves. Besides a silk-screened image of Elvis, they carried the titles of his hit records. An Elvis letter-writing contest run by station WAIT in Chicago drew a total of 1,099,127 pieces of mail in two weeks. Two teenagers won prizes for delivering 136,600 and 127,825 letters respectively to the station. Finally, although RCA officials denied any connection with its Presley meal ticket, the company started closing its New York 24th Street offices at 5 p.m., thus shortening their employees' workweek by 2½ hours. Record companies with less hit records continued to work until 5:30.