Graceland Webcams
Friday, November 11, 2011
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
A Message from Lisa Marie Presley at Candlelight Vigil
August 15, 2011The following message below from Lisa Marie Presley was read tonight to fans who gathered at the gates of Graceland for the annual Candlelight Vigil during Elvis Week 2011:
Dear Friends:
Thank you so much for being here and continuing to honor the legacy of my father. Your ongoing love and support mean very much to me and my family. My father always said he had the best fans in the world, and he was right. The fact that you are here to celebrate his life 34 years after his passing is a testament to that.
I hope you've enjoyed our new exhibits at Graceland and I look forward to being involved personally with a very special exhibit called "Elvis Through His Daughter's Eyes" opening in the Spring of next year.
Before we know it, it will be Elvis Week 2012, which as you all know as the 35th anniversary will be special time. I look forward to being there with you, my mother and entire family.
Thank you all and I'll see you next August.
LMP
Monday, August 15, 2011
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Sonny West In Hospital - Update
Sonny West In Hospital - Update
http://www.elvisnews.com/news.aspx/sonny-west-in-hospital--update/13351
Sonny West, co-author of the August 1977 gossip book "Elvis What Happened?!" and persona non grata at most Elvis events, took a fall off his daughter's porch. The circumstances are not clear, but apparently the man broke 3 ribs and also has some cuts, abrasions and bruises. He is in the hospital. He'll survive.
Update from Sandy Pichon (June 26):
When we arrived we were distressed to see him. His color was gray, he had many cuts and abrasions and bruises and his hands, feet and legs were very swollen. His spleen was lacerated and his heart was not functioning normally. He is on oxygen and was in a lot of pain. The dr ordered a CT scan and afterward came in to speak with us. Sonny had blood clots in his lungs (pulmonary emboli) and in his legs. It was urgent that a Vena Cava Filter be put in place to prevent more clots from entering his lungs or his heart. We prayed with him, consent forms were signed and he was taken down. The procedure was performed immediately and his color began to improve. We were able to talk with him more until he asked for more pain meds. He is not out of the woods yet. The dr is unable to put him on blood thinner due to the spleen as a spleen bleed could be fatal, as could the clots. There is a possibility the spleen will have to be removed if it doesn't heal properly. The dr said that the fall actually saved his life as they believe the clots were there before the fall and had he not been brought to the hospital he would have died. Sonny asked me to thank you for your prayers and that you continue to lift him up until he is completely healed. He is anxious to get back to work on his movie Fame and Fortune. He is too sick to receive visitors or take phone calls (please) at this time, but if you would like to send a card to Sonny, you can send it to me at P O Box 161052, Memphis TN 38186. I plan to go back to Nashville soon as I promised Judy I would certainly be there for them when they need me. This is a very difficult time and I ask that you all please continue your prayers. I will update you as his condition progresses.
Update from Sandy Pichon (June 26):
When we arrived we were distressed to see him. His color was gray, he had many cuts and abrasions and bruises and his hands, feet and legs were very swollen. His spleen was lacerated and his heart was not functioning normally. He is on oxygen and was in a lot of pain. The dr ordered a CT scan and afterward came in to speak with us. Sonny had blood clots in his lungs (pulmonary emboli) and in his legs. It was urgent that a Vena Cava Filter be put in place to prevent more clots from entering his lungs or his heart. We prayed with him, consent forms were signed and he was taken down. The procedure was performed immediately and his color began to improve. We were able to talk with him more until he asked for more pain meds. He is not out of the woods yet. The dr is unable to put him on blood thinner due to the spleen as a spleen bleed could be fatal, as could the clots. There is a possibility the spleen will have to be removed if it doesn't heal properly. The dr said that the fall actually saved his life as they believe the clots were there before the fall and had he not been brought to the hospital he would have died. Sonny asked me to thank you for your prayers and that you continue to lift him up until he is completely healed. He is anxious to get back to work on his movie Fame and Fortune. He is too sick to receive visitors or take phone calls (please) at this time, but if you would like to send a card to Sonny, you can send it to me at P O Box 161052, Memphis TN 38186. I plan to go back to Nashville soon as I promised Judy I would certainly be there for them when they need me. This is a very difficult time and I ask that you all please continue your prayers. I will update you as his condition progresses.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Friday, May 13, 2011
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Happy Mother's Day
Elvis at the grave site of his mother somewhere in 1960. Gladys Love Presley died on August 14th 1958 at "Methodist Hospital" in Memphis just before "The King" went to Germany in the service.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Unseen pictures of Elvis Presley hugging a schoolgirl in his army days are revealed to BBC's Antiques
The photos show The King, then 24, relaxing on military service.
He is shown cuddling 15-year-old Sigrid Schulz and letting her wear his cap before signing records for fans.
Sigrid handed the photos to a friend to prove she had met the singer at a German army base in 1959. But for many years they lay gathering dust in a drawer.
Tonight the photos, worth up to £7,000, will be shown on BBC1’s Antiques Roadshow. Presenter Fiona Bruce said: “These must be some of the most stunning pictures of a young Elvis I’ve ever seen. To think they’ve never been seen in public before.”
It was pure luck that young Sigrid met Elvis when her father took her to Bad Nauheim, where he was staying.
She found her hero in a relaxed mood while off duty. Elvis – Private Presley 53 310 761 – was stationed at nearby Friedberg having been drafted into the US Army in March 1958 and flown to Germany that October.
The woman, who owns the pictures and now lives in London but wishes to stay anonymous, was a childhood pal of Sigrid.
She recalled: “Sigrid, who was a year or two older than me, told me excitedly, ‘I’ve seen Elvis and I’ve touched him and he kissed me’.
“To prove it, she gave me copies of the photographs that her parents had taken. When word got out, there was a meteoric rise in her popularity.
“She had obviously been able to spend some time with Elvis and, being a very pretty girl, seems to have impressed him. She was kissed by him and wouldn’t wash her cheek for a week.
“He gave her a rose, which we pressed and she shared the petals with me. I kept the dried petals in foil under my bed. I still have them. Sigrid and I lost touch long ago but I kept the photographs safely in a drawer and brought them out when the Antiques Roadshow came to London.”
Roadshow memorabilia expert Hilary Kay said: “I’ve never seen Elvis Presley look more gorgeous. It is a wonderful collection and the thing is nobody knew these photographs existed.
“Cumulatively these are really valuable – worth between £5,000 and £7,000. The fan base for Elvis is still really strong.”
The photos were taken shortly before Elvis met wife-to-be Priscilla Beaulieu, who was just 14.
This period was also thought to be when he was first introduced to drugs that blighted his later career.
He was discharged from the Army in 1960.
He and Priscilla wed in 1967 but divorced six years later. He died aged 42 in 1977.
Antiques Roadshow, BBC1 tonight at 8pm
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Friday, March 11, 2011
Graceland Redevelopment Plans Scaled Back
The owner of Elvis Presley Enterprises said Wednesday it is scaling back plans to redevelop the Graceland attraction due to a difficult economic climate. CKx Inc. said in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing that expanding the visitors center and adding new attractions, shops, and a new hotel adjacent to Elvis' former home would take several years and substantial financial investment.
The filing also said expenses for operating the Memphis tourist attraction rose last year due to higher professional and legal fees that were primarily related to a 2010 master plan that has been postponed.
The company is exploring opportunities to build a new Heartbreak Hotel with a business partner, CKx CEO Michael G. Ferrel told The Associated Press. But the other previously studied parts of the redevelopment would happen only in "incremental steps," depending on the economy, he said.
"We ran straight into a headwind for what this project was supposed to be," Ferrel said. "It's going to be done on a different timetable than we first anticipated for reasons beyond our control."
CKx has been studying ways to redevelop Graceland and the surrounding area for years, with the possibility of breaking ground in 2011 or 2012. Ferrel told AP in August that tough economic conditions over the past two years, including a dearth of financing for construction and a drop in consumer spending, had delayed the study looking at improvements.
Elvis lived at Graceland for 20 years before he died in August 1977. The home has been open for public tours since 1982. Jack Soden, president CEO of Elvis Presley Enterprises, said the visitors complex development is on a slower track, but the company is still committed to investing in the long-term growth of Graceland.
"It's designing and developing with a sharper pencil, and that's the new economy," Soden said. Last year, 518,940 people visited Graceland, a 4.4 percent drop from 542,728 in 2009.
The filing also said expenses for operating the Memphis tourist attraction rose last year due to higher professional and legal fees that were primarily related to a 2010 master plan that has been postponed.
The company is exploring opportunities to build a new Heartbreak Hotel with a business partner, CKx CEO Michael G. Ferrel told The Associated Press. But the other previously studied parts of the redevelopment would happen only in "incremental steps," depending on the economy, he said.
"We ran straight into a headwind for what this project was supposed to be," Ferrel said. "It's going to be done on a different timetable than we first anticipated for reasons beyond our control."
CKx has been studying ways to redevelop Graceland and the surrounding area for years, with the possibility of breaking ground in 2011 or 2012. Ferrel told AP in August that tough economic conditions over the past two years, including a dearth of financing for construction and a drop in consumer spending, had delayed the study looking at improvements.
Elvis lived at Graceland for 20 years before he died in August 1977. The home has been open for public tours since 1982. Jack Soden, president CEO of Elvis Presley Enterprises, said the visitors complex development is on a slower track, but the company is still committed to investing in the long-term growth of Graceland.
"It's designing and developing with a sharper pencil, and that's the new economy," Soden said. Last year, 518,940 people visited Graceland, a 4.4 percent drop from 542,728 in 2009.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Today in Elvis History
February 23, 1955
Elvis performed at the High School Auditorium, Pine Bluff, Arkansas at 7.30 and 9.30 p.m.
February 23, 1956
Elvis performed at the New Baseball Park Jacksonville, Florida. Here Elvis collapses in the parking lot after the first show and was taken to a hospital, where the doctor diagnosed exhaustion and told him to slow down.
February 23, 1957
Steve Sholes arranged a session at Radio Recorders for Elvis to cut Loving You again, this time as an RCA single, but Elvis turned his attention to other material instead. During a session from 10.00 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. I Beg Of You and One Night came out , with each a potential candidate for single release.
February 23, 1967
Elvis returned to the studio, wearing a complete cowboy outfit with chaps. He overdubbed vocals on the prerecorded instrumental tracks. Some were completed on this date, but several had to wait until his return to Hollywood.
February 23, 1969
Elvis returned to Los Angeles.
February 23, 1970
Elvis closed his engagement with a midnight show that ran until 3.00 a.m. giving what many considered to be one of his finest performances. He played the piano on Lawdy, Miss Clawdy and Blueberry Hill and toward the end of the evening he introduced the Colonel to the audience saying: "He's not only my manager, but I love him very much."
February 23, 1971
Elvis concluded his Las Vegas engagement with a show that ranged from an uninhibited Mystery Train/Tiger Man Medley to a sadly bittersweet Help Me Make It Through The Night. As on almost every other final night, there was also a water fight.
February 23, 1972
Priscilla flew in for the end of Elvis' engagement and informed his that she was involved with karate champion Mike Stone.
Elvis was awarded a 5 degree black belt from Ed Parker's International Kenpo Karate Association.
February 23, 1973
Ann-Margret was in the audience on Elvis' closing night. To Lamar, who was in charge of the lights, Elvis said: "Leave the light on her, man, I just want to look at her."
Elvis performed at the High School Auditorium, Pine Bluff, Arkansas at 7.30 and 9.30 p.m.
February 23, 1956
Elvis performed at the New Baseball Park Jacksonville, Florida. Here Elvis collapses in the parking lot after the first show and was taken to a hospital, where the doctor diagnosed exhaustion and told him to slow down.
February 23, 1957
Steve Sholes arranged a session at Radio Recorders for Elvis to cut Loving You again, this time as an RCA single, but Elvis turned his attention to other material instead. During a session from 10.00 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. I Beg Of You and One Night came out , with each a potential candidate for single release.
February 23, 1967
Elvis returned to the studio, wearing a complete cowboy outfit with chaps. He overdubbed vocals on the prerecorded instrumental tracks. Some were completed on this date, but several had to wait until his return to Hollywood.
February 23, 1969
Elvis returned to Los Angeles.
February 23, 1970
Elvis closed his engagement with a midnight show that ran until 3.00 a.m. giving what many considered to be one of his finest performances. He played the piano on Lawdy, Miss Clawdy and Blueberry Hill and toward the end of the evening he introduced the Colonel to the audience saying: "He's not only my manager, but I love him very much."
February 23, 1971
Elvis concluded his Las Vegas engagement with a show that ranged from an uninhibited Mystery Train/Tiger Man Medley to a sadly bittersweet Help Me Make It Through The Night. As on almost every other final night, there was also a water fight.
February 23, 1972
Priscilla flew in for the end of Elvis' engagement and informed his that she was involved with karate champion Mike Stone.
Elvis was awarded a 5 degree black belt from Ed Parker's International Kenpo Karate Association.
February 23, 1973
Ann-Margret was in the audience on Elvis' closing night. To Lamar, who was in charge of the lights, Elvis said: "Leave the light on her, man, I just want to look at her."
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Sunday, November 14, 2010
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