We are now one week away from the August 16 release of the 'Elvis By Request: The Australian Edition' CD and Sony Music Australia has organized a huge promotion for the release. 'Elvis By Request' is as the title suggests a compilation of Elvis Presleys most popular songs as voted for by his Australian fans online between June 4 and July 13, 2012. Fans were able to select their choice from a list containing over 800 Elvis Presley recordings. The track listing will be revealed on August 16, 2012.
This is the cover-art for the DVD edition of the 'God Is Bigger Than Elvis' documentary DVD featuring Dolores Hart. The DVD is due October 10, 2012.
Elvis Week Tips in Southern Gaming and Destinations Magazine
Southern Gaming and Destinations Magazine recently posted an article with fast facts on Elvis Week including helpful tips and the complete schedule of events. Southern Gaming and Destinations writer Rudi Schiffer also spoke with Elvis' long-time friend Geroge Klien about the importance of preserving Elvis' legacy. “Elvis is rocking through generation after generation, and who can say when it will fade. I don’t think the fan fervor will ever decline,” Klien said. “Elvis will always be a pop icon, and Elvis Week only confirms that and further strengthens the ties that bind us to him."
The article describes Elvis Week as "hordes of fans descending on Memphis for Elvis Week, not for just one day, like many stars would be glad to have, but for a whole week of festivities."
Elvis' Birthplace Unveils New StatueOn Thursday, August 9, 2012, Tupelo unveiled a larger-than-life statue to commemorate the life and legacy of Elvis Presley. Hundreds of fans gathered in the Tupelo Fairpark District, former site of the Tupelo fairgrounds where Elvis performed the famous homecoming concert in September of 1956, to see the statue unveiled.
The statue was sculpted by Mississippian William Beckwith based on the Roger Marshutz's 1956 photograph of Elvis reaching into the crowd in Tupelo. It is known by fans as “the hands.”
The unveiling was held as part of Tupelo’s free summer music concert series titled “Down on Main” and was part of a celebration of Mississippi artists. Mississippians Eden Brent and Marty Stuart headlined the show for the night. The Tupelo Unity Choir opened the night with the gospel music Elvis loved and joined Eden Brent on the stage for a couple of songs.The statue was met with thunderous applause with many fans breaking into tears. The remainder of the night was spent in line waiting to get their picture made holding the hand of Elvis. Traffic at the statue has been steady since the unveiling and is anticipated to remain that way through the Elvis Week activities.
Of the statue, Neal McCoy, executive director of the Tupelo CVB commented, “The statue is more than just a piece of bronze erected in Elvis’ honor. It’s a constant reminder of how important Tupelo’s cultural influence was to him and how important he still is to Tupelo .”
Elvis Presley was born in Tupelo, Miss. on Jan. 8, 1935, where he grew up around his extended family. In the thirteen years that Elvis spent in Tupelo, he was exposed to many different kinds of music that played an important role throughout his career. He was exposed to gospel music in his childhood church, discovered the blues in the Shake Rag community and on “the Hill” where his family lived for a while and he listened to country shows on the radio with his family during this time.
(Source: Elvis Australia / Elvis Club Berlin / EPE)