A heavily embellished white leather belt worn by Elvis Presley during a performance in November 1972 in Hawaii and gifted to actor and friend Jack Lord has been sold for $354,000. The estimate for this item was $20,000-40,000.
The belt is adorned with faux turquoise, lapis lazuli, and coral, all set in gold-toned metal pieces. The buckle has a dragon-like resemblance, and three dangling brass chains are affixed to the bottom. Presley wore the belt with at least two different ensembles, including his well-known heavily jeweled “Thunderbird.”
It was one of fifty-nine Elvis Presley items sold during Julien's Music Icon's Auction. Other items that gained high bids were a ring given by Elvis to a fab ($100,000) and an 1968 Fender Telecaster Prototype (115.200 dollar).
Due for release from Anthem Publishing on May 24, 208 is volume one in a three volume series entitled "The Elvis Years". The first volume is entitled "From Tupelo To Stardom", the second "From fort Hood to Hollywood", due August 23, 2018 and volume 3 is entitled "From Comeback to Final Years". The latter is due November 11, 2018.
Synopsis:
The Elvis Years is a brand new three-part series that celebrates the life, music and legacy of the one and only Elvis Presley.
For Volume 1 of The Elvis Years, we track the beginnings of Elvis's incredible career: from his birth and humble upbringing in Tupelo, to his pivotal move to Memphis and Sun Records fame. Beyond Sun, we then return to the studio sessions where Elvis made his mighty RCA major label debut.
Further in, we profile Elvis's original band, the Blue Moon Boys: guitarist Scotty Moore, bassist Bill Black and drummer DJ Fontana. Plus we take a look at his harmonious vocal backing quartet The Jordanaires. There's also an in-depth investigation into two of Presley's main collaborators from the period: Sun Records producer and label boss Sam Phillips and prodigious songwriter Otis Blackwell.Other Volume 1 features include a look at 50s rockabilly Mecca the Louisiana Hayride, Elvis's first pop No. 1 single Heartbreak Hotel, the heralded Million Dollar Quartet session – with Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash – and a sightseeing trip to Presley hot spots in Tupelo.
His first four seminal Hollywood film roles – Loving You, Love Me Tender, Jailhouse Rock and King Creole – are also given due attention, as are his fascinating connections to the UK. Lastly we feast our eyes on Presley's lavish 50s wardrobe and take a listen to a few of his lesser-spun wonders from the era. So join us as we retrace the King’s footsteps, from Tupelo to Stardom…
(Source: FECC / Anthem Publishing)