December 05 - Elvis, Stop and Go!

The King is back. He's helping pedestrians cross the road in Friedberg, north of Frankfurt, with his trademark swinging hips. The Wetterauer Zeitung reported Wednesday that Elvis Presley had been immortalized in three pedestrian lights in the Hessian city.

The new signal system has been installed around the city's Elvis Presley Square. Local politician Marion Götz told the paper that the Elvis traffic lights, which were designed by an artist, cost around €900.

So why has Elvis become an 'Ampelmann' or traffic light man? Well, because the rock 'n' roll star was stationed as a soldier in Friedberg from October 1958 to March 1960, and lived in neighbouring Bad Nauheim during this time. The King is therefore a big deal in both these cities.

Elvis Presley: A Moment in Time

The FTD book 'Elvis Presley: A Moment in Time: 4 Days in '56' by Michael Rose was published as a Kindle edition by Water Street Press.

At the time the book featured a cache of never-before-seen Elvis photos from his late spring tour in 1956. These remarkable photos show the singer as he was just on the cusp of becoming a star. They’re wonderful candid shots of him performing, meeting his fans, relaxing between shows at a local arcade and at home with his family in Memphis. 

Ernst Jørgensen stated about the book, “In the 20 years I have been privileged to work with Elvis Presley CDs and books there have been a number of great discoveries. One was when I was approached by Michael Rose, who said that he had found a treasure of photos from 1956. I was absolutely not prepared for the quantity and quality of these historic images. It was one of these situations where you forget all about financial logic, and just KNOW that this has to be shared with all the fans."

(The Local / Elvis Club Berlin / Elvis Information Network)