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Teen Elvis sensation to join best tribute acts in the country

<p>In the bustling corridors of a regional high school in the Victorian town of Colac, where teenage dreams often centre around passing maths exams and surviving gym class, a baby-faced Year 10 student named Charlie Gaylard is gearing up for something far more extraordinary.</p> <p>With a swivel of his hips and a curl of his lip, this 15-year-old is preparing to dazzle audiences alongside Australia’s top Elvis tribute artists at the Cooly Rocks On nostalgia festival on the Gold Coast from June 5-9.</p> <p>The journey from classroom to the spotlight wasn’t something Charlie stumbled upon; it was a destiny orchestrated by a loving grandad and a bit of serendipity. Greg, his 73-year-old grandfather and manager, has been spinning Elvis records for Charlie since he was in diapers.</p> <p>"We have had a lot of time together since Charlie could walk," Greg explains. "We spent a lot of time in the car together when he was young, and all we would play was Elvis. I am from a family of Elvis fans, as we were all brought up in that era."</p> <p>"When he went to primary school in grade two, they had a talent quest, and Charlie decided that he wanted to go as Elvis," Greg continues. "He got up on stage and sang 'Hound Dog', and ended up winning 'St. Mary’s Got Talent'."</p> <p>"From day one, he concentrated on acting and dancing."</p> <p>Charlie’s final transformation into the young Elvis we see today started two years ago after he was mesmerised by Baz Luhrmann’s <em>Elvis</em> biopic. "He went and saw the <em>Elvis</em> movie," recalls Greg, "and then went back again and again, bought the CD, and never stopped watching it."</p> <p>After watching the film, Charlie then said to his grandad, “I want to give up acting. I think I can do Elvis just like Austin Butler.”</p> <p>Balancing school and his newfound passion, Charlie has become a sensation. His classmates might be studying biology, but Charlie’s researching Elvis’ dance moves and perfecting his rendition of “Jailhouse Rock.” </p> <p>The turning point in Charlie's journey came when renowned Australian singer Jack Gatto saw him perform on video. Recognising the teenager's raw talent, Gatto reached out to Greg. “We have to give this boy a go,” he insisted. </p> <p>It wasn't long before the one and only Dean Vegas – regarded as Australia's best ever Elvis impersonator – had flown Charlie and Greg to Brisbane so that Charlie could perform, resulting in an unbelievable response. And then – proving that three really is a charm – prodigious live show promoter Dom Arpa gave Charlie the go ahead to perform in three Elvis festivals.</p> <p>Grandpa Greg could not be prouder. "Everything has just blown me away. I’m truly flabbergasted," he says. "He was brought up in the Elvis world with me, but I didn’t teach him anything. Charlie does it by himself 100%."</p> <p><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">Retirement has turned into a second act for Greg, who now revels in every moment of this rock-and-roll adventure with his grandson. </span>"Tis has come along and suits me perfectly," he says. "I love every bit of it, every aspect of it. I could have never wished for anything better, never."</p> <p>Now, with Australia’s largest nostalgia festival on the horizon, Charlie is set to bring down the house. Cooly Rocks On is expected to attract over 160,000 visitors, all eager to relive the golden age of rock and roll. Among the glittering lineup, Charlie Gaylard stands out as the fresh-faced teen who, with a little help from his grandad, is keeping the spirit of Elvis alive and well.</p> <p><em>Images: Supplied</em></p>

Music

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“How is this funny?”: Tourist slammed over “disrespectful” act at Graceland

<p dir="ltr">An arrogant traveller has been slammed online after blatantly disregarding signage at Graceland, and taking a dip in the pool. </p> <p dir="ltr">A woman posted a video from the late Elvis Presley’s iconic property in Memphis, Tennessee, as she travelled to the area with her husband.</p> <p dir="ltr">Capturing the moment and sharing it online as a joke, a video posted to the woman’s TikTok account shows her husband, dressed in shorts, shoes and socks climbing over a pool fence, marked 'RESTRICTED AREA'.</p> <p dir="ltr">The man is then seen walking towards the diving board as a security guard rushes towards him.</p> <p dir="ltr">After wobbling a bit on the diving board, he jumps into the water before the guard can stop him.</p> <p dir="ltr">The woman captured the video, "My husband jumped into Elvis pool", adding a laughing emoji.</p> <p dir="ltr">Despite the couple’s jovial nature over the stunt, many people were quick to condemn the tourists and their video, which has been viewed over 14 million times. </p> <p dir="ltr">"How is this funny? People are so disrespectful and I hope he got arrested," one person commented.</p> <p dir="ltr">"As someone who has solid respect for Elvis Presley this is very disrespectful to him and his family," another agreed.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Travellers doing whatever they want as usual. Shame," another person commented.</p> <p dir="ltr">Despite the overwhelming condemnation, there were some who defended the man’s actions, with one person writing, "I think Elvis would have done the same thing lol."</p> <p dir="ltr">The woman also responded to the accusations that her husband's actions were disrespectful in another video, saying, "Elvis caught someone jumping into his pool once and he never stopped them. He never got them arrested. Told them to stay in the pool. That's what a pool is meant for is to jump into."</p> <p dir="ltr">One person quickly responded, "Whether people think 'Elvis would be laughing' or not it's all down to respect. There's a reason as to why certain areas are roped off."</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: TikTok</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Priscilla Presley's reaction to movie based on her life

<p>Priscilla Presley has shared how "emotional" she became after watching the new movie based on her life with her late rock star husband. </p> <p>The 78-year-old attended the premiere of the new film <em>Priscilla</em>, which was based on her 1985 memoir <em>Elvis &amp; Me. </em></p> <p>Priscilla took to the red carpet at the Venice International Film Festival on September 4th alongside director Sofia Coppola and the cast.</p> <p>"It was very difficult to sit and watch a film about you, about your life, about your love," she explained at a media call following the premiere screening.</p> <p>"Sofia did an amazing job. She did her homework, we spoke a couple of times and I really put everything out for her that I could," she added.</p> <p>Priscilla went on to explain why she thought her love story was so intriguing to a public audience, as she spoke about the early days of her relationship with the late rock star. </p> <p>"It was very difficult for my parents to understand that Elvis would be so interested in me and why, and I really do think [it was] because I was more of a listener," she said.</p> <p>"Elvis would pour his heart out to me in every way in Germany: his fears, his hopes, the loss of his mother which he never, ever got over. And I was the person who really, really sat there to listen and to comfort him. That was really our connection."</p> <p>She continued, "Even though I was 14, I was actually a little bit older in life, not in numbers. That was the attraction. People think, 'Oh, it was sex.' No, it wasn't. I never had sex with him. He was very kind, very soft, very loving, but he also respected the fact I was only 14 years old."</p> <p><em>Euphoria</em> star and Aussie actor Jacob Elordi plays Elvis in the new film, with Cailee Spaeny in the title role of Priscilla, which traces Priscilla's early years and relationship with the music icon.</p> <p>Elvis Presley estate officials reportedly slammed the movie, with <em><a title="TMZ" href="https://www.tmz.com/2023/06/22/elvis-presley-estate-officials-slam-priscilla-movie/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TMZ</a></em> claiming unnamed officials were displeased with news of the production, labelling it a "money grab."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: 'Proxima Nova', system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Fira Sans', 'Droid Sans', 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; caret-color: #333333; color: #333333; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;"> <div class="ob-smartfeed-wrapper feedIdx-0" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div id="outbrain_widget_0" class="OUTBRAIN" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline;" data-src="//celebrity.nine.com.au/latest/priscilla-presley-gets-emotional-after-very-difficult-viewing-of-priscilla/d6fd2f98-d746-4664-ada4-e5662a435aea" data-widget-id="AR_8" data-external-id="3820c6a948ab8b24c8020cab9d348600" data-ob-mark="true" data-browser="safari" data-os="macintel" data-dynload="" data-idx="0"> <div class="ob-widget ob-feed-layout AR_8" style="box-sizing: content-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 3px; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; position: relative; width: auto; min-width: 0px; clear: both;"> <div class="ob-widget-header" style="box-sizing: content-box; margin: 24px 0px 14px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 18px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: bold; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: #303030; direction: ltr; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; align-items: center;"> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div>

Movies

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Priscilla Presley challenges Lisa Marie’s will

<p>Priscilla Presley has taken her late daughter’s trust to court mere weeks after Lisa Marie’s death on January 12. </p> <p>Priscilla allegedly discovered a document from 2016 that concerns an amendment to the trust. The actor and business woman reportedly filed documents that challenge this “purported 2016 amendment” to Lisa Marie’s will, and has asked that it be deemed “invalid”.</p> <p>Said amendment ousted Priscilla as trustee, instead naming Lisa Marie’s eldest daughter, Riley Keough, and her late son, Benjamin Keough, as co-trustees. However, Benjamin Keough passed away in 2020, leaving Riley as the sole trustee to their late mother’s estate. Priscilla claims that she and Barry Siegel, Lisa Marie's former business manager, were appointed co-trustees in 1993.</p> <p>Lisa Marie was the sole heir to Elvis Presley’s fortune after his death in 1977. The Graceland mansion is reported to be worth more than $100m USD (approximately $141m AUD).</p> <p>Priscilla questions the “authenticity and validity” of the amendment, and alleges that her daughter’s signature “appears inconsistent with her usual and customary signature” on the document from 2016, and even argues that Lisa Marie’s name had been spelled incorrectly. On top of this, Priscilla claims that the document wasn’t notarised.</p> <p>According to court documents, “Lisa Marie Presley appointed her mother, Petitioner, and her former business manager, Barry Siegel, as co-Trustees effective as of the date of the 2010 restatement.</p> <p>“The 2010 restatement further provides that Petitioner and Barry Siegel shall continue to serve as co-Trustees upon Lisa Marie Presley’s subsequent incapacity and/or death.</p> <p>“The Purported 2016 Amendment removed and replaced Petitioner and Barry as both current and successor Trustees of the Trust with Lisa Marie Presley as the current Trustee and naming Lisa Marie Presley’s daughter, Riley Keough, and son, Benjamin Keough, as successor co-Trustees of the Trust upon Lisa Marie Presley’s incapacity and/or 10 death.”</p> <p>Priscilla’s legal move comes less than one week after a memorial service for Lisa Marie at the Graceland estate in Memphis, Tennessee. </p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p> <p> </p>

Money & Banking

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"Elvis is waiting for her": Dolly Parton's hopes for Lisa Marie Presley

<p>Country music legend Dolly Parton has paid tribute to the late Lisa Marie Presley.</p> <p>Lisa Marie, who was the only child of Elvis and Priscilla Presley, passed away at the age of 54 from cardiac arrest. The news was confirmed by her mother in an emotional statement on Friday January 13th.</p> <p>Dolly initially took to Instagram to express her love and support for the Presley family, and to offer her condolences, writing, “Priscilla, I know how sad you must be … Elvis, I know how happy you must be to finally have her home and to have her back with you. Lisa Marie, may you rest in peace. We all love all of you.” </p> <p>Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, 76-year-old Dolly referenced her first statement, adding, “that was a sad, sad loss, and when I had made my statement that I just wanted to send my sympathies to Priscilla 'cause I can only imagine, but I knew he'd be waiting for her.”</p> <p>Lisa is survived by her mother and children: Riley Keough, Finley Aaron Love Lockwood, and Harper Vivienne Ann Lockwood. She lost her eldest son, Benjamin Keough, in 2020, and her father in 1977. Both Elvis and Benjamin were laid to rest at the Graceland estate’s Meditation Garden, where Lisa will be buried alongside her son. </p> <p>“We just all love that family, like family, and just wish them the best," Dolly reflected, "that was a sad, sad loss."</p> <p>The singer-songwriter confessed that while she has not had a chance to speak directly to Priscilla, she expressed her hope that “Priscilla will find some peace through the love we all have for her.” </p> <p>Despite Dolly’s grief, a feeling shared by fans and friends from around the world, the singer holds hope in her heart that with this tragedy, Lisa Marie and Elvis have been reunited, and that “they are up there being happy together."</p> <p>In lieu of a funeral, a  public memorial service is set to be held at Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee, on the 22nd of January. The event will be livestreamed for the public to pay their respects with the family. </p> <p><em>Images: Getty Images</em></p>

Caring

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Fate of Graceland finally decided

<p>Reports have finally confirmed that the iconic Memphis, Tennessee estate, Graceland that famously belonged to Elvis will go to Lisa Marie Presley's daughters, following her death from cardiac arrest at 54 years of age.</p> <p>Elvis’ granddaughters will inherit the estate after ownership was called into question. Graceland was first passed down to Lisa Marie when she was just nine, following the death of her legendary father in 1977.</p> <p>Graceland will now be entrusted to Lisa Marie's daughters, actress Riley Keough, 33 and 14-year-old twins Finley and Harper Lockwood. Lisa Marie will also be honoured with a public memorial service at Graceland following her death.</p> <p>A representative Riley has said that "Riley, Harper, Finley, and Priscilla are grateful for the support, well-wishes, and outpouring of love honouring their beloved Lisa Marie. A public memorial service has been arranged on the front lawn of Graceland at 9:00 am on Sunday, January 22 in Memphis, Tennesee."</p> <p>Her final resting place will be at Graceland next to her son Benjamin, who sadly died by suicide in 2020.</p> <p>Riley is the daughter of Lisa Marie and her first husband, Danny Keough, who also tried to save her life after she went into full cardiac arrest the day she died.</p> <p>Finley and Harper are the daughters of Lisa Marie and her fourth husband, musician Michael Lockwood, who Lisa Marie officially split from in 2021.</p> <p>According to the official website of Graceland, the estate was left to Lisa Marie in trust when she was nine.</p> <p>The trust officially dissolved on her 25th birthday in 1993, which gave her full ownership of the home.</p> <p>Lisa Marie later formed The Elvis Presley Trust to manage the property alongside her mother, Priscilla Presley, and the National Bank of Commerce.</p> <p><em>Images: Wikipedia / Getty Images</em></p>

Real Estate

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Lisa Marie Presley dies at age 54

<p>Lisa Marie Presley has died at the age of 54. </p> <p>The only child of Elvis and Priscilla Presley passed away in hospital, just hours after suffering from <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/lisa-marie-presley-rushed-to-hospital" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cardiac arrest</a>. </p> <p>Priscilla confirmed the news in a statement to <a href="https://people.com/music/lisa-marie-presley-dead-at-54/?utm_campaign=peoplemagazine&amp;utm_content=manual&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter.com&amp;utm_term=63c0b6e81f2b7a00014e679b" target="_blank" rel="noopener">People</a> magazine, saying "It is with a heavy heart that I must share the devastating news that my beautiful daughter Lisa Marie has left us."</p> <p>"She was the most passionate, strong and loving woman I have ever known."</p> <p>"We ask for privacy as we try to deal with this profound loss. Thank you for the love and prayers. At this time there will be no further comment.”</p> <p>Lisa Marie was placed in an induced coma after being found unresponsive in her home by a housekeeper, and was later taken off life support. </p> <p>Her ex-husband, Danny Keough had performed CPR until paramedics arrived at her Calabasas home.</p> <p>Medical professionals declared at the time that Presley had gone into “full arrest,” according to <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2023/01/12/lisa-marie-presley-rushed-to-hospital-cardiac-arrest/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TMZ.</a></p> <p>Just two days earlier, Lisa Marie and Priscilla attended the Golden Globe Awards in Los Angeles together in support of Baz Luhrmann’s <em>Elvis</em> biopic, starring Austin Butler as the king of rock’n’roll.</p> <p>In a clip from the red carpet, Presley appeared unsteady on her feet while being interviewed.</p> <p>The footage sees Presley turning to her friend Jerry Schilling, 80, and saying, “I’m gonna grab your arm,” as she was asked questions. </p> <p>After winning the award for his portrayal of Elvis, Butler paid tribute to Lisa Marie and Priscilla in his acceptance speech on stage.</p> <p>"The Presley family, thank you guys for opening your hearts, your memories, your home to me," he said.</p> <p>"Lisa Marie and Priscilla, I love you forever."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

News

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Elvis’ Honeymoon Hideaway hits the market

<p dir="ltr">The sprawling mansion that served as the hideaway for Elvis and Priscilla Presley has hit the market for just $US 5.65 million ($AU 8.99 million).</p> <p dir="ltr">The Presleys called the four-bedroom, three-bathroom home in Palm Springs, California, home for the first few days of their marriage, renting out the mansion for $US 21,000 in 1967.</p> <p dir="ltr">Although he initially planned to use the home as the location of his wedding, he and Priscilla decided to tie the knot in Vegas instead after the media found out about his plans.</p> <p dir="ltr">Complete with a spa, pool, multiple private terraces and spectacular mountain views, the Presleys spent four days honeymooning at the mansion, before Elvis had to leave for filming.</p> <p dir="ltr">Hosting music icons isn’t the only claim to fame the mansion has though.</p> <p dir="ltr">The house, designed by William Krisel in 1960, came with a futuristic design and modern amenities - including vacuum ports, an indoor kitchen grill, and wall-mounted radios - that made it ahead of its time and earned it the nickname ‘The House of Tomorrow’ in 1962 by Look Magazine.</p> <p dir="ltr">In more recent years, the house has been branded as Elvis’ Honeymoon Hideaway and open to the public for tours.</p> <p dir="ltr">Given its design features, it’s certainly a house you wouldn’t want to miss seeing.</p> <p dir="ltr">Highlights include its spaceship-like winged roof, the stepped waterfall located at the centre of the house, carved-wood double-height entry doors, and a circular theme throughout.</p> <p dir="ltr">The living room area boasts stacked stone walls, built-in seating, floor-to-ceiling windows, and a “futuristic steel beaker-shaped fireplace hood and floating hearth”, according to the <a href="https://www.compass.com/listing/1350-ladera-circle-palm-springs-ca-92262/1149386563352880433/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">listing</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">The dining room area overlooks the living room from a raised platform and opens out to a terrace and the pool, while the kitchen boasts top-notch appliances and a circular centre island.</p> <p dir="ltr">Each of the bedrooms comes with an ensuite, with two also featuring sprawling terraces and the main bedroom accessed via a grand staircase.</p> <p dir="ltr">The home has been renovated in recent years, with many of its original architectural details being restored.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-e619f1ec-7fff-8fd9-841a-f6f90b508c46"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Compass / Getty Images</em></p>

Real Estate

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Incredible collection of 200 "lost" Elvis Presley items up for auction

<p dir="ltr">A stunning collection of lost jewellery and other memorabilia and items that Elvis Presley gave to his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, is going up for auction on August 27 with the backing of his ex-wife, Priscilla.</p> <p dir="ltr">Up to 200 items, including gold rings encrusted with jewels, cufflinks, watches and chains, have been brought together by GWS Auction. Also included is the V-2 guitar played by Presley during his famous 'comeback' TV special of 1968, which alone is listed at US$750,000.</p> <p dir="ltr">Presley's 9.81 carat-to-weight Diamond 'First' TCB ring – where "TCB" stands for "taking care of business"' a favourite expression of the music legend – is also listed for a minimal bid of US$500,000.</p> <p dir="ltr">His 18 karat lion ring, which Elvis wore in the documentary 'Elvis: That's The Way it Is' is for sale too for a minimal bid of US$25,000. Other accessories, including watches, rings and necklaces, are mostly listed between US$1,000 to US$10,000 per item.</p> <p dir="ltr">The King's “Heartbreak Hotel” original lyrics board is also for sale for a minimal bid of US$50,000.</p> <p dir="ltr">Other items in the auction include: The King's "Speedway" Racing Jumpsuit, listed for a minimal amount of US$20,000; his 1976 Harley Davidson FLH 1200 Electra Glide for US$100,000; his 1973 Lincoln Continental 'Last' Limo for an amount of US$50,000; and his personally owned jet purchased for his father, listed at US$100,000.</p> <p dir="ltr">Many of the jewellery pieces were provided by Priscilla, although she doesn't own them. The lost collection's total estimated value, as well as its current owner's identity, remain unknown and it is also unclear how the items were found.</p> <p dir="ltr">Priscilla has also said she felt protective of the items because she designed some of them herself, including artefacts with the logo for TCB Band, the musicians who formed the core rhythm section of Presley's backing band in his later years.</p> <p dir="ltr">She also said she supported the auction in part because she was weary of seeing so many fake Elvis items for sale online.</p> <p dir="ltr">“There is so much product out there that is not authentic at all and that worries me,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I want to know for sure that that is going to go to someone who is going to care for it, love it.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The auction will be held in Los Angeles, California, at the Sunset Marquis Hotel starting at 10 pm on August 27.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Kruse GWS Auctions</em></p>

Money & Banking

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Was there anything real about Elvis Presley?

<p>In Baz Luhrmann’s <em>“<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkfplKD46Hs">Elvis</a>,”</em> there’s a scene based on actual conversations that took place between Elvis Presley and <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004596/">Steve Binder</a>, the director of <a href="https://www.blogtalkradio.com/feisty-side-of-fifty/2022/04/28/steve-binder-elvis-68-comeback-the-story-behind-the-special">a 1968 NBC television special</a> that signaled the singer’s return to live performing. </p> <p>Binder, an iconoclast unimpressed by Presley’s recent work, had pushed Elvis to reach back into his past to revitalize a career stalled by years of mediocre movies and soundtrack albums. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_I4h_Wm_aY">According to the director</a>, their exchanges left the performer engrossed in <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2018/08/elvis-presley-comeback-special-1968-50th-anniversary">deep soul-searching</a>.</p> <p>In the trailer to Luhrmann’s biopic, a version of this back-and-forth plays out: Elvis, portrayed by Austin Butler, says to the camera, “I’ve got to get back to who I really am.” Two frames later, Dacre Montgomery, playing Binder, asks, “And who are you, Elvis?”</p> <p>As a <a href="https://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/?id=p072703">scholar of southern history</a> who has written a book about Elvis, I still find myself wondering the same thing.</p> <p>Presley never wrote a memoir. Nor did he keep a diary. Once, when informed of a potential biography in the works, <a href="https://www.proquest.com/magazines/making-presley-biography/docview/2509565622/se-2?accountid=196683">he expressed doubt</a> that there was even a story to tell. Over the years, he had submitted to numerous interviews and press conferences, but the quality of these exchanges was erratic, frequently characterized by superficial answers to even shallower questions. </p> <p>His music could have been a window into his inner life, but since he wasn’t a songwriter, his material depended on the words of others. Even the rare revelatory gems – songs like “If I Can Dream,” “Separate Ways” or “My Way” – didn’t fully penetrate the veil shrouding the man. </p> <p>Binder’s philosophical inquiry, then, was not merely philosophical. Countless fans and scholars have long wanted to know: Who was Elvis, really?</p> <h2>A barometer for the nation</h2> <p>Pinpointing Presley can depend on when and whom you ask. At the dawn of his career, admirers and critics alike branded him the “<a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/Elvis_Presley/NqCQo9nqVHYC?hl=en&amp;gbpv=1&amp;dq=%22elvis%22+%22bobbie+ann+mason%22&amp;printsec=frontcover">Hillbilly Cat</a>.” Then he became the “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” a <a href="https://www.historynet.com/rock-n-roll-n-race-a-fresh-look-at-the-keystone-of-the-elvis-presley-legend/">musical monarch</a> that promoters placed on a mythical throne.</p> <p>But for many, he was always the “<a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/mono/10.4324/9780203700648-22/king-white-trash-culture-elvis-presley-aesthetics-excess-annalee-newitz-matt-wray">King of White Trash Culture</a>” – a working-class white southern rags-to-riches story that <a href="https://www.elvis-collectors.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&amp;t=51286&amp;sid=9bb9e7df80f341cfbdcc376d828e8d21">never quite convinced the national establishment</a> of his legitimacy.</p> <p>These overlapping identities capture the provocative fusion of class, race, gender, region and commerce that Elvis embodied.</p> <p>Perhaps the most contentious aspect of his identity was the singer’s relationship to race. As a white artist who profited greatly from the popularization of a style associated with African Americans, Presley, throughout his career, worked under <a href="https://www.southerncultures.org/article/elvis-presley-politics-popular-memory/%20%22%22">the shadow and suspicion of racial appropriation</a>.</p> <p>The connection was complicated and fluid, to be sure. </p> <p><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/magazine/2022/05/25/elvis-presley-rock-and-roll-graceland/%20%22%22">Quincy Jones</a> met and worked with Presley in early 1956 as the musical director of CBS-TV’s “Stage Show.” In his 2002 <a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/Q/zs1ixtkcJU8C?hl=en&amp;gbpv=1&amp;dq=%22quincy+jones%22+%22memoir%22+%22elvis%22&amp;printsec=frontcover">autobiography</a>, Jones noted that Elvis should be listed with Frank Sinatra, the Beatles, Stevie Wonder, and Michael Jackson as pop music’s greatest innovators. However, by 2021, in the midst of a changing racial climate, <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/music-news/quincy-jones-michael-jackson-elvis-presley-1234955138/">Jones was dismissing Presley as an unabashed racist</a>.</p> <p>Elvis seems to serve as a barometer measuring America’s various tensions, with the gauge less about Presley and more about the nation’s pulse at any given moment.</p> <h2>You are what you consume</h2> <p>But I think there’s another way to think about Elvis – one that might put into context many of the questions surrounding him.</p> <p><a href="https://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/fellows-book/a-troubled-feast-american-society-since-1945/">Historian William Leuchtenburg</a> once characterized Presley as a “consumer culture hero,” a manufactured commodity more image than substance.</p> <p>The assessment was negative; it also was incomplete. It didn’t consider how a consumerist disposition may have shaped Elvis prior to his becoming an entertainer. </p> <p>Presley reached adolescence as a post-World War II consumer economy was hitting its stride. A product of unprecedented affluence and pent-up demand caused by depression and wartime sacrifice, it provided almost <a href="https://americanhistory.si.edu/highlights-guide-consumer">unlimited opportunities for those seeking to entertain and define themselves</a>.</p> <p>The teenager from Memphis, Tennessee, took advantage of these opportunities. Riffing off the idiom “you are what you eat,” Elvis became what <a href="https://kennedy.byu.edu/you-are-what-you-eat/">he consumed</a>.</p> <p>During his formative years, he shopped at <a href="https://lanskybros.com/">Lansky Brothers</a>, a clothier on Beale Street that outfitted African American performers and provided him with secondhand pink-and-black ensembles. </p> <p>He tuned into the radio station <a href="https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/wdia-radio-station-1947/">WDIA</a>, where he soaked up gospel and rhythm and blues tunes, along with the vernacular of black disk jockeys. He turned the dial to WHBQ’s “Red, Hot, and Blue,” a program that had <a href="https://memphismusichalloffame.com/inductee/deweyphillips/">Dewey Phillips</a> spinning an eclectic mix of R&amp;B, pop and country. He visited <a href="https://www.poplartunes.com/">Poplar Tunes</a> and <a href="http://thedeltareview.com/album-reviews/the-young-willie-mitchell-and-ruben-cherrys-home-of-the-blues-records/">Home of the Blues</a> record stores, where he purchased the music dancing in his head. And at the <a href="http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/4183">Loew’s State</a> and <a href="http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/14070">Suzore #2</a> movie theaters, he took in the latest Marlon Brando or Tony Curtis movies, imagining in the dark how to emulate their demeanor, sideburns, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ducktail">ducktails</a>.</p> <p>In short, he gleaned from the nation’s burgeoning consumer culture the persona that the world would come to know. Elvis alluded to this in 1971 when he provided a rare glimpse into his psyche upon receiving a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9HWlYoR40A%20%22%22">Jaycees Award</a> as one of the nation’s Ten Outstanding Young Men “When I was a child, ladies and gentlemen, I was a dreamer. I read comic books, and I was the hero of the comic book. I saw movies, and I was the hero in the movie. So every dream I ever dreamed has come true a hundred times … I’d like to say that I learned very early in life that ‘without a song, the day would never end. Without a song, a man ain’t got a friend. Without a song, the road would never bend. Without a song.’ So, I’ll keep singing a song.”</p> <p>In that acceptance speech, he quoted “<a href="https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200215452/">Without a Song</a>,” a standard tune performed by artists including Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, and Roy Hamilton – seamlessly presenting the lyrics as if they were words directly applicable to his own life experiences.</p> <h2>A loaded question</h2> <p>Does this make the Jaycees recipient some sort of “odd, lonely child reaching for eternity,” as Tom Parker, played by Tom Hanks, tells an adult Presley in the new “Elvis” film?</p> <p>I don’t think so. Instead, I see him as someone who simply devoted his life to consumption, a not uncommon late 20th-century behavior. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2002/dec/19/highereducation.uk2">Scholars have noted that</a> whereas Americans once defined themselves through their genealogy, jobs, or faith, they increasingly started to identify themselves through their tastes – and, by proxy, what they consumed. As <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/me-the-self-and-i/201904/how-do-we-form-identities-in-consumer-society">Elvis crafted his identity</a> and pursued his craft, he did the same.</p> <p>It also was evident in how he spent most of his downtime. A tireless worker on stage and in the recording studio, those settings nevertheless demanded relatively little of his time. For most of the 1960s, he made three movies annually, each taking no more than a month to complete. That was the extent of <a href="https://theconversation.com/elvis-presley-was-paid-a-kings-ransom-for-sub-par-movies-because-they-were-marketing-gold-81586">his professional obligations</a>.</p> <p>From 1969 to his death in 1977, only 797 out of 2,936 days were devoted to performing <a href="https://www.concertarchives.org/bands/elvis-presley">concerts</a> or recording in the <a href="https://blackgold.org/GroupedWork/d29f6423-5784-ccf6-6ca1-cff37b9081e9-eng/Home">studio</a>. Most of his time was dedicated to vacationing, playing sports, riding motorcycles, zipping around on go-karts, horseback riding, watching TV and eating.</p> <p>By the time he died, Elvis was a shell of his former self. Overweight, bored, and chemically dependent, he appeared <a href="https://www.salon.com/2018/04/07/elvis-in-his-prime-was-america-now-america-is-elvis-in-decline/">spent</a>. A few weeks before his demise, a Soviet publication <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1977/07/29/archives/notes-on-people.html">described him</a> as “wrecked” – a “pitilessly” dumped product victimized by the American consumerist system. </p> <p>Elvis Presley proved that consumerism, when channeled productively, could be creative and liberating. He likewise demonstrated that left unrestrained, it could be empty and destructive.</p> <p>Luhrmann’s movie promises to reveal a great deal about one of the most captivating and enigmatic figures of our time. But I have a hunch it will also tell Americans a lot about themselves.</p> <p>“Who are you, Elvis?” the trailer hauntingly probes.</p> <p>Maybe the answer is easier than we think. He’s all of us.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared in <a href="https://theconversation.com/was-there-anything-real-about-elvis-presley-184902" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Music

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Elvis actress found dead at just 44

<p dir="ltr"><em>Elvis</em> actress Shonka Dukureh has died at the age of 44.  </p> <p dir="ltr">The shining star who made her debut in the Baz Luhrmann biopic was found by one of her children in her Nashville apartment.</p> <p dir="ltr">Neighbours called 911 about 9.30am on July 21 and she was pronounced dead at the scene.</p> <p dir="ltr">Police don’t suspect any foul play and are waiting on the autopsy to understand the cause of death. </p> <p dir="ltr">Dukureh played Big Mama Thornton, a blues singer, in the new <em>Elvis</em> film. </p> <p dir="ltr">When she got the role, she took it seriously explaining Big Mama Thornton was someone she could relate to. </p> <p dir="ltr">"[Big Mama Thornton] was really raw with what she did and very honest and truthful and [made] music as she felt it. And I could totally relate to that," she told The Tennessean.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I was very aware and wanting to really be intentional about making sure I was paying respect, respecting her, respecting her legacy, respecting her spirit, respecting everything about what she brought to music and understanding that I'm able to do it because she's done it and laid that foundation."</p> <p dir="ltr">Dukureh, a self-taught vocalist, also sang alongside Doja Cat as Big Mama Thornton in the single <em>Vegas</em> from the <em>Elvis</em> soundtrack.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I know that she was a self-taught singer, like myself,” Dukureh said of Big Mama Thornton. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I never took a formal class, just like her. She taught herself how to sing, she taught herself how to play the drums, harmonica, and she said things like, ‘I don’t know how to read music, but I know how to sing and I know what good music sounds like.’ And I can relate to all of it.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Dukureh was also planning on releasing her first studio album The Lady Sings the Blues. </p> <p dir="ltr">“The project is a tribute to the blues music genre in celebration of those fierce unsung pioneering artists and musicians who paved the way for the rock’n roll music revolution,” she wrote on her <a href="https://sacredsoulmusic.com/home#about-shonka" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a>. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

News

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Was there anything real about Elvis Presley?

<p>In Baz Luhrmann’s “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkfplKD46Hs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elvis</a>,” there’s a scene based on actual conversations that took place between Elvis Presley and <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004596/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Steve Binder</a>, the director of <a href="https://www.blogtalkradio.com/feisty-side-of-fifty/2022/04/28/steve-binder-elvis-68-comeback-the-story-behind-the-special" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a 1968 NBC television special</a> that signaled the singer’s return to live performing.</p> <p>Binder, an iconoclast unimpressed by Presley’s recent work, had pushed Elvis to reach back into his past to revitalize a career stalled by years of mediocre movies and soundtrack albums. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_I4h_Wm_aY" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to the director</a>, their exchanges left the performer engrossed in <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2018/08/elvis-presley-comeback-special-1968-50th-anniversary" target="_blank" rel="noopener">deep soul-searching</a>.</p> <p>In the trailer to Luhrmann’s biopic, a version of this back-and-forth plays out: Elvis, portrayed by Austin Butler, says to the camera, “I’ve got to get back to who I really am.” Two frames later, Dacre Montgomery, playing Binder, asks, “And who are you, Elvis?”</p> <p>As a <a href="https://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/?id=p072703" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scholar of southern history</a> who has written a book about Elvis, I still find myself wondering the same thing.</p> <p>Presley never wrote a memoir. Nor did he keep a diary. Once, when informed of a potential biography in the works, <a href="https://www.proquest.com/magazines/making-presley-biography/docview/2509565622/se-2?accountid=196683" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he expressed doubt</a> that there was even a story to tell. Over the years, he had submitted to numerous interviews and press conferences, but the quality of these exchanges was erratic, frequently characterized by superficial answers to even shallower questions.</p> <p>His music could have been a window into his inner life, but since he wasn’t a songwriter, his material depended on the words of others. Even the rare revelatory gems – songs like “If I Can Dream,” “Separate Ways” or “My Way” – didn’t fully penetrate the veil shrouding the man.</p> <p>Binder’s philosophical inquiry, then, was not merely philosophical. Countless fans and scholars have long wanted to know: Who was Elvis, really?</p> <h2>A barometer for the nation</h2> <p>Pinpointing Presley can depend on when and whom you ask. At the dawn of his career, admirers and critics alike branded him the “<a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/Elvis_Presley/NqCQo9nqVHYC?hl=en&amp;gbpv=1&amp;dq=%22elvis%22+%22bobbie+ann+mason%22&amp;printsec=frontcover" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hillbilly Cat</a>.” Then he became the “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” a <a href="https://www.historynet.com/rock-n-roll-n-race-a-fresh-look-at-the-keystone-of-the-elvis-presley-legend/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">musical monarch</a> that promoters placed on a mythical throne.</p> <p>But for many, he was always the “<a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/mono/10.4324/9780203700648-22/king-white-trash-culture-elvis-presley-aesthetics-excess-annalee-newitz-matt-wray" target="_blank" rel="noopener">King of White Trash Culture</a>” – a working-class white southern rags-to-riches story that <a href="https://www.elvis-collectors.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&amp;t=51286&amp;sid=9bb9e7df80f341cfbdcc376d828e8d21" target="_blank" rel="noopener">never quite convinced the national establishment</a> of his legitimacy.</p> <p>These overlapping identities capture the provocative fusion of class, race, gender, region and commerce that Elvis embodied.</p> <p>Perhaps the most contentious aspect of his identity was the singer’s relationship to race. As a white artist who profited greatly from the popularization of a style associated with African Americans, Presley, throughout his career, worked under <a href="https://www.southerncultures.org/article/elvis-presley-politics-popular-memory/%20%22%22" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the shadow and suspicion of racial appropriation</a>.</p> <p>The connection was complicated and fluid, to be sure.</p> <p><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/magazine/2022/05/25/elvis-presley-rock-and-roll-graceland/%20%22%22" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Quincy Jones</a> met and worked with Presley in early 1956 as the musical director of CBS-TV’s “Stage Show.” In his 2002 <a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/Q/zs1ixtkcJU8C?hl=en&amp;gbpv=1&amp;dq=%22quincy+jones%22+%22memoir%22+%22elvis%22&amp;printsec=frontcover" target="_blank" rel="noopener">autobiography</a>, Jones noted that Elvis should be listed with Frank Sinatra, the Beatles, Stevie Wonder, and Michael Jackson as pop music’s greatest innovators. However, by 2021, in the midst of a changing racial climate, <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/music-news/quincy-jones-michael-jackson-elvis-presley-1234955138/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jones was dismissing Presley as an unabashed racist</a>.</p> <p>Elvis seems to serve as a barometer measuring America’s various tensions, with the gauge less about Presley and more about the nation’s pulse at any given moment.</p> <h2>You are what you consume</h2> <p>But I think there’s another way to think about Elvis – one that might put into context many of the questions surrounding him.</p> <p><a href="https://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/fellows-book/a-troubled-feast-american-society-since-1945/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Historian William Leuchtenburg</a> once characterized Presley as a “consumer culture hero,” a manufactured commodity more image than substance.</p> <p>The assessment was negative; it also was incomplete. It didn’t consider how a consumerist disposition may have shaped Elvis prior to his becoming an entertainer.</p> <p>Presley reached adolescence as a post-World War II consumer economy was hitting its stride. A product of unprecedented affluence and pent-up demand caused by depression and wartime sacrifice, it provided almost <a href="https://americanhistory.si.edu/highlights-guide-consumer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unlimited opportunities for those seeking to entertain and define themselves</a>.</p> <p>The teenager from Memphis, Tennessee, took advantage of these opportunities. Riffing off the idiom “you are what you eat,” Elvis became what <a href="https://kennedy.byu.edu/you-are-what-you-eat/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he consumed</a>.</p> <p>During his formative years, he shopped at <a href="https://lanskybros.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lansky Brothers</a>, a clothier on Beale Street that outfitted African American performers and provided him with secondhand pink-and-black ensembles.</p> <p>He tuned into the radio station <a href="https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/wdia-radio-station-1947/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WDIA</a>, where he soaked up gospel and rhythm and blues tunes, along with the vernacular of black disk jockeys. He turned the dial to WHBQ’s “Red, Hot, and Blue,” a program that had <a href="https://memphismusichalloffame.com/inductee/deweyphillips/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dewey Phillips</a> spinning an eclectic mix of R&amp;B, pop and country. He visited <a href="https://www.poplartunes.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Poplar Tunes</a> and <a href="http://thedeltareview.com/album-reviews/the-young-willie-mitchell-and-ruben-cherrys-home-of-the-blues-records/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Home of the Blues</a> record stores, where he purchased the music dancing in his head. And at the <a href="http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/4183" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Loew’s State</a> and <a href="http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/14070" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Suzore #2</a> movie theaters, he took in the latest Marlon Brando or Tony Curtis movies, imagining in the dark how to emulate their demeanor, sideburns, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ducktail" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ducktails</a>.</p> <p>In short, he gleaned from the nation’s burgeoning consumer culture the persona that the world would come to know. Elvis alluded to this in 1971 when he provided a rare glimpse into his psyche upon receiving a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9HWlYoR40A%20%22%22" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jaycees Award</a> as one of the nation’s Ten Outstanding Young Men:</p> <blockquote> <p>“When I was a child, ladies and gentlemen, I was a dreamer. I read comic books, and I was the hero of the comic book. I saw movies, and I was the hero in the movie. So every dream I ever dreamed has come true a hundred times … I’d like to say that I learned very early in life that ‘without a song, the day would never end. Without a song, a man ain’t got a friend. Without a song, the road would never bend. Without a song.’ So, I’ll keep singing a song.”</p> </blockquote> <p>In that acceptance speech, he quoted “<a href="https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200215452/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Without a Song</a>,” a standard tune performed by artists including Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, and Roy Hamilton – seamlessly presenting the lyrics as if they were words directly applicable to his own life experiences.</p> <h2>A loaded question</h2> <p>Does this make the Jaycees recipient some sort of “odd, lonely child reaching for eternity,” as Tom Parker, played by Tom Hanks, tells an adult Presley in the new “Elvis” film?</p> <p>I don’t think so. Instead, I see him as someone who simply devoted his life to consumption, a not uncommon late 20th-century behavior. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2002/dec/19/highereducation.uk2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scholars have noted that</a> whereas Americans once defined themselves through their genealogy, jobs, or faith, they increasingly started to identify themselves through their tastes – and, by proxy, what they consumed. As <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/me-the-self-and-i/201904/how-do-we-form-identities-in-consumer-society" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elvis crafted his identity</a> and pursued his craft, he did the same.</p> <p>It also was evident in how he spent most of his downtime. A tireless worker on stage and in the recording studio, those settings nevertheless demanded relatively little of his time. For most of the 1960s, he made three movies annually, each taking no more than a month to complete. That was the extent of <a href="https://theconversation.com/elvis-presley-was-paid-a-kings-ransom-for-sub-par-movies-because-they-were-marketing-gold-81586" target="_blank" rel="noopener">his professional obligations</a>.</p> <p>From 1969 to his death in 1977, only 797 out of 2,936 days were devoted to performing <a href="https://www.concertarchives.org/bands/elvis-presley" target="_blank" rel="noopener">concerts</a> or recording in the <a href="https://blackgold.org/GroupedWork/d29f6423-5784-ccf6-6ca1-cff37b9081e9-eng/Home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">studio</a>. Most of his time was dedicated to vacationing, playing sports, riding motorcycles, zipping around on go-karts, horseback riding, watching TV and eating.</p> <p>By the time he died, Elvis was a shell of his former self. Overweight, bored, and chemically dependent, he appeared <a href="https://www.salon.com/2018/04/07/elvis-in-his-prime-was-america-now-america-is-elvis-in-decline/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spent</a>. A few weeks before his demise, a Soviet publication <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1977/07/29/archives/notes-on-people.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">described him</a> as “wrecked” – a “pitilessly” dumped product victimized by the American consumerist system.</p> <p>Elvis Presley proved that consumerism, when channeled productively, could be creative and liberating. He likewise demonstrated that left unrestrained, it could be empty and destructive.</p> <p>Luhrmann’s movie promises to reveal a great deal about one of the most captivating and enigmatic figures of our time. But I have a hunch it will also tell Americans a lot about themselves.</p> <p>“Who are you, Elvis?” the trailer hauntingly probes.</p> <p>Maybe the answer is easier than we think. He’s all of us.</p> <p><em><strong><span id="docs-internal-guid-50930962-7fff-c9a1-b4e7-879dc3d98ece">This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/was-there-anything-real-about-elvis-presley-184902" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.</span></strong></em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Movies

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Elvis Presley's childhood home heads to auction

<p dir="ltr">The childhood home of Elvis Presley has been listed for auction - but the once-abandoned little blue house will be sold in an unusual way.</p> <p dir="ltr">Located in Tupelo, Mississippi, the dilapidated structure was home to the King of Rock'n'Roll and his parents, Vernon and Gladys Presley, from 1943 to 1944.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to the <em><a href="https://nypost.com/2022/06/28/elvis-presleys-abandoned-childhood-home-goes-up-for-auction/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York Post</a></em>, the home will be auctioned off on August 14 as part of week-long celebrations of Elvis Week 2022 in Memphis.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, the home has been listed by Rockhurst Auctions with an estimated price of $US 30,000-50,000 ($AUD 44-73,000) and doesn't come with any land.</p> <p dir="ltr">Instead, the house comes completely disassembled, ready to be taken to a new location. </p> <p dir="ltr">“The house itself has been dismantled and taken apart meticulously, so it can be put back together. It is being stored in a trailer,” Jeff Marren, owner of Rockhurst Auctions, explained to The Post.</p> <p dir="ltr">“So when someone buys the house, they’re going to get the whole trailer and the designs for putting back together.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Whoever buys it can actually hire the person who took it apart to put it back together for them.”</p> <p dir="ltr">When the home is put back together again, it's a simple three-bedroom, one-bathroom home with just 117 square metres of living space - a polar opposite to the sprawling Graceland, Presley's final home.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-21febfaa-7fff-4120-83da-27422b1de263"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Domain.com.au</em></p>

Real Estate

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Elvis at the movies

<p>‘The movies’ have always been part of Elvis’s story. The drama and beauty of the golden age of American cinema shaped young Elvis’s creative talent and sense of style, Hollywood became the focus of his own stellar career for a decade, and since his early death in 1977, Elvis has been brought to life on screen many times, most spectacularly this year with the release of Baz Luhrmann’s much anticipated biopic <em>Elvis</em>.</p> <p>Elvis was born in the wake of the Great Depression, on 8 January 1935, to adoring parents Vernon and Gladys. Growing up in rural Mississippi, in a railroad town named Tupelo, Elvis didn’t have much money to play with – but he and best friend Sam Bell made their own fun by sneaking into the movies at Tupelo’s Lyric Theatre. Bell has described the Lyric in the days of segregation laws, when the balcony seating was partitioned into Black and white sections. Elvis and Sam would sneak through the separate entrances and once inside, Elvis would “climb on over” so the boys could sit together and share their “ten cent popcorn”, sitting in the aisle watching Westerns. (Sam Bell interviewed in 2016.)</p> <p>One of Elvis’s earliest teenage jobs was ushering in Loew’s State Theatre, in 1950 and again in 1951, in Memphis. The little Presley family made the move to Memphis, a cosmopolitan Southern city bustling with post-war industry and a vibrant cultural scene, when Elvis was 13 years old. Elvis studied the faces and expressions of 1950s screen idols such as Tony Curtis and Marlon Brando, observing not only their methods of conveying emotion and connecting with audience, but also their distinctive fashion and 1950s brand of masculine beauty.</p> <p>Fresh out of high school, in mid-1954 Elvis had his first hit single with ‘That’s All Right’ on the innovative Memphis label Sun Records. He soon caught the attention of a canny talent manager known as ‘the Colonel’ Tom Parker. Parker moved swiftly to take control of Elvis’s blossoming career and brokered the sale of his contract to major label RCA Victor in November 1955. By March 1956, Parker had Elvis in Hollywood screen-testing for powerhouse Paramount producer Hal B. Wallis. Elvis had already appeared on The Dorsey Brother’s (television) <em>Stage Show</em> six times by this stage (he would go on to do a further five appearances in 1956 alone, on shows hosted by Milton Berle, Steve Allen, and Ed Sullivan). As Wallis’s Paramount colleague Allan Weiss put it: “We had all seen him on television, the swivelling hips below the bottom of the screen, unseen. But it wasn’t just sex; it was an indefinable energy that transcended that. The question was, would it show on film?”</p> <p>Elvis had been sent a script for <em>The Rainmaker</em>, in production at Paramount with Burt Lancaster and Katherine Hepburn. He performed two short scenes, and also lip-synched a performance of ‘Blue Suede Shoes’ for the screentest. Weiss got the answer to his question: “We knew instantly that we were in the presence of a phenomenon; electricity bounced off the walls of the sound stage.” Elvis was “absolute dynamite”.</p> <p>Paramount signed Elvis for a multi-picture deal immediately, despite not yet having a script ready. Parker had negotiated in the contract that Elvis do one film a year with another studio – this clause was utilised straight away to enable Elvis to get started on a film with 20th Century Fox while Paramount prepared a script.</p> <p><em>Love Me Tender </em>was released just eight months after those first Hollywood meetings. The film was a civil war era drama, in which Elvis plays honourable and guileless Clint Reno, caught in a complicated love triangle with his young bride (played by Debra Paget) and his older brother Vance (played by Richard Egan). At the end of the film, Clint is killed in a dramatic shootout. This ending, however, was so displeasing to young audiences in test screenings that the studio was forced to ‘bring back’ Elvis, awkwardly superimposing him singing the title song over the final scene. In a private screening held the day before the film’s public release, at Elvis’s former place of employment, Loew’s State Theatre in Memphis, Gladys cried at her son’s death scene.</p> <p>Elvis aspired to become a serious dramatic actor, he is said to have known all the dialogue from the generation-defining hit film <em>Rebel Without a Cause (1955)</em>. From the very beginning though, music was deemed essential to any production designed around the young superstar.</p> <p>Even despite a substantial period of pause during his Army service (approximately March 1958 – March 1960), Elvis pumped out an astonishing 31 features between 1956 and 1969. Certain early films stand out for their relatively high quality. <em>King Creole (1958)</em> for example is one of his most critically admired films, directed by legendary Hungarian-American auteur Michael Curtiz of <em>Casablanca (1942)</em> fame. The film is set in the nightclubs and back alleys of New Orleans, as Elvis’s hot-headed Danny Fisher grapples with the temptations of organised crime and a droll temptress played by Carolyn Jones. The excellent soundtrack features skilled song-writing duo Leiber and Stoller, including an evocative title song and a sultry number titled ‘Trouble’, reprised by Elvis for his ground-breaking 1968 NBC television special.</p> <p>Throughout the 1960s, Elvis became disillusioned with his career in Hollywood. Always the professional, he fulfilled relentless contracts and was described as a good worker on set, but privately he was embarrassed by the increasingly flimsy and formulaic quality of his films, and the hastily produced soundtrack albums. In a rare candid interview during filming for the 1972 documentary <em>Elvis On Tour</em>, he explained:</p> <blockquote> <p>“Hollywood’s image of me was wrong and I knew it. And I couldn’t say anything about it, couldn’t do anything about it. I’d be right into production, I’d be doing a lot of pictures close together – and the pictures got very similar… you know, if something was successful, they’d try to recreate it the next time around. So I’d read the first four or five pages and I knew that it was just a different name, with 12 new songs in it. The songs were mediocre in most cases… But I was never indifferent, I was so concerned…. It worried me sick.”</p> </blockquote> <p>In 1968, his smash hit television special today known as the ’68 Comeback Special reignited his passion for live music performance and gave him a pathway out of Hollywood and onto the stages of Las Vegas.  In 1970 and 1972, two innovative music documentaries captured the re-energised Elvis in this second phase of his career as a stage musician: <em>That’s the Way It Is (1970)</em> and <em>Elvis On Tour (1972)</em>.  These films still sparkle today as dynamic examples of music documentary making, and the glamour and excitement of 1970s Las Vegas.</p> <p>In recent decades, many actors have attempted to emulate ‘The King’ on screen, including Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Don Johnson, Michael Shannon, and a fan favourite, Kurt Russell. (Fun fact: a 12-year-old Russell appears in the 1963 romance <em>It Happened at the World’s Fair </em>– he kicks Elvis in the shin in his scene!) Almost half a century on from Elvis’s death, fans around the world nervously await their chance to watch Austin Butler’s portrayal of Elvis, which has already been given a glowing review by the people who knew Elvis best, his former wife Priscilla and daughter Lisa Marie, who tweeted: “Austin Butler channeled and embodied my father’s heart & soul beautifully”.</p> <p>For more information on the Elvis: Direct from Graceland exhibition at the Bendigo Art Gallery (19 March – 17 July 2022), <a href="https://www.bendigoregion.com.au/bendigo-art-gallery/exhibitions/elvis-direct-from-graceland" target="_blank" rel="noopener">click here</a>.</p> <p><em><strong>This is a sponsored article produced in partnership with the <a href="https://www.bendigoregion.com.au/bendigo-art-gallery/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bendigo Art Gallery</a>.</strong></em></p> <p><em><strong>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/culture/elvis-at-the-movies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader’s Digest</a>.</strong></em></p> <p><em>Images: Bendigo Art Gallery</em></p>

Movies

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Elvis actor reveals his shock condition after filming

<p dir="ltr"><em>Elvis </em>star Austin Butler has revealed the toll that portraying the King of Rock and Roll took on him after he spent three years immersing himself in the life of Elvis Presley.</p> <p dir="ltr">In a new interview with <em><a href="https://www.gq.com/story/gq-hype-austin-butler" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GQ</a></em>, the actor explained that the morning after shooting for the film had officially wrapped, he woke up in “excruciating” pain.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I woke up at four in the morning with excruciating pain, and I was rushed to hospital,” he told the publication.</p> <p dir="ltr">Butler had contracted a virus which stimulated appendicitis, leaving him bedridden for a whole week.</p> <p dir="ltr">“My body just started shutting down the day after I finished Elvis,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Along with the preparation and method-acting, the film’s prolonged production certainly wouldn’t have helped Butler’s case.</p> <p dir="ltr">Having been originally cast in 2019, production and filming were delayed when the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to <em>GQ</em>, producers offered to send Butler home to have a break from production during the early stages of the pandemic, but he chose to stay and continue embedding himself into the role.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 30-year-old ended up turning his entire apartment into a sort of “detective scene”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Just images of Elvis everywhere, from every time period,” Butler explained.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I think the film would have been very different if we had started shooting at that point, and I’m grateful I had the time to let myself marinate.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Buter also spoke about meeting Priscilla Presley and her and Elvis’ daughter, Lisa Marie, who were both involved in production. He recalled walking away from a meeting with them with “tears” in his eyes.</p> <p dir="ltr">Both <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/movies/so-filled-with-pride-lisa-marie-presley-shares-thoughts-on-new-elvis-movie" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lisa Marie</a> and <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/movies/wow-priscilla-presley-s-first-impressions-of-new-elvis-movie" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Priscilla</a> have shared high praise for Butler and <em>Elvis</em>, which is set to be released in cinemas on June 23.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-9e3f3cb0-7fff-f288-8e2f-9945f7c646d4"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @austinbutler (Instagram)</em></p>

Movies

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Elvis takes centre-stage in unlikely destination

<p dir="ltr">A blockbuster exhibition of all things Elvis Presley is taking over the regional Victorian city of Bendigo, with over 30 activities featuring across the four month celebration.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-e2855737-7fff-6496-3e4e-e95a964df353"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Elvis: Direct From Graceland has taken over Bendigo Art Gallery displaying about 300 personal items on loan from Graceland, Memphis, including Presley’s military uniforms, jumpsuits, his wedding suit and Priscilla’s wedding gown and veil, and their daughter’s toys.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CbWu5Y4twRG/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CbWu5Y4twRG/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Bendigo Art Gallery (@bendigoartgallery)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Even the King’s vehicles have made the journey, with his custom Harley Davidson and the red convertible from the film Blue Hawaii - the only car Elvis actually owned from his movies - included in the display.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-72aa5824-7fff-8be8-fb5d-2fbc697e22e9"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">One room is dedicated entirely to his outfits, including the one he wore to meet President Nixon, an array of his bedazzled Vegas suits, and casual off-stage outfits.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/05/elvis-bendigo1.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Elvis’ personal items, including an array of his dazzling suits, are also on display. Image: @bendigoartgallery (Instagram)</em></p> <p dir="ltr">But, the Elvis-themed festivities extend beyond the gallery, with appropriately themed cuisine appearing in the local restaurants and Bendigo Central’s chocolatier.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-ca309c2b-7fff-9f96-9a2a-9c3b3279d53b"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Hustler, Bendigo’s modern American diner, has added two burgers to its menu: the Burning Love burger and the Fool’s Goldburger, featuring a 150g beef patty, crisps, peanut butter and raspberry jelly between a doughnut bun.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CbcDAGZrZrJ/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CbcDAGZrZrJ/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Hustler (@hustlerbendigo)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-45413cd0-7fff-ddd8-6e60-edc664959410"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Another highlight is the Shake, Rattle and Roll tram, a moving bar operating every weekend and offering Love Me Tender cocktails to sip on as you trundle along the picturesque cityscape with a soundtrack of Elvis classics.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/05/elvis-bendigo2.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>The Shake, Rattle and Roll tram makes its way through the city streets every weekend. Image: Supplied</em></p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-1b8d5a86-7fff-f037-f508-14530678ffbd"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">The conservatory in Rosalind Park has also been transformed to include interactive displays that pay homage to Elvis’ favourite hangouts, while performers and screening of Elvis movies descend on Hargreaves Mall.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/05/elvis-bendigo3.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Elvis’ wedding suit and Priscilla Presley’s gown on display at the gallery. Image: @bendigoartgallery (Instagram)</em></p> <p dir="ltr">So whether you’re a die hard Elvis fan or are looking for a unique weekend away, Bendigo will be the place to head to until July 17, when the King heads home once again.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-299505cc-7fff-311f-0183-65dc7bbcb0d2"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @bendigoartgallery (Instagram)</em></p>

Domestic Travel

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“So filled with pride”: Lisa Marie Presley shares thoughts on new Elvis movie

<p dir="ltr">Lisa Marie Presley has praised the new film about her late father Elvis Presley, and reflected on how her children’s reactions moved her to tears.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 54-year-old shared her thoughts in a lengthy Instagram post where she opened up about the grief she feels for her late son, Benjamin Keough, who she thinks “would have absolutely loved” the movie too.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Navigating through this hideous grief that absolutely destroyed and shattered my heart and soul into almost nothing has swallowed me whole,” Presley wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It breaks my heart that my son isn’t here to see it. He would have absolutely loved it as well.”</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-8333be6d-7fff-8863-bd2f-d3c2dc9b719e"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Benjamin passed away in 2020 aged 27, leaving behind his sister, Riley Keough, and half-siblings, Harper and Finley Lockwood.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/By8tI88F-Eo/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/By8tI88F-Eo/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Lisa Marie Presley (@lisampresley)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Amidst the grief, Presley highly praised the “absolutely exquisite” film and its director, Baz Luhrmann, for the “pure love, care and respect for my father throughout”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“You can feel and witness Baz’s pure love, care and respect for my father throughout this beautiful film, and it is finally something that myself and my children and their children can be proud of forever,” Presley wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-27e3359b-7fff-a6e7-9b39-c2eb6dfd5657"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“What moved me to tears as well was watching Riley and Harper, and Finley afterwards, all 3 visibly overwhelmed in the best possible way, and so filled with pride about their grandfather and his legacy in a way that I have not ever experienced.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CdjV23APIrq/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CdjV23APIrq/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Lisa Marie Presley (@lisampresley)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The King of Rock and Roll’s daughter also had plenty to say about Austin Butler, who plays her father in the movie, and joked that she would “eat her own foot” if he didn’t win an Oscar for it.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Austin Butler channelled and embodied my father’s heart and soul beautifully,” she wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“In my humble opinion, his performance is unprecedented and FINALLY done accurately and respectfully (sic).</p> <p dir="ltr">“If he doesn’t get an Oscar for this, I will eat my own foot, haha,” she joked.</p> <p dir="ltr">Presley thanked everyone involved in the film who “poured their hearts and souls into it” and Luhrmann for creating the “beautiful” project.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Baz, your utter genius combined with your love and respect for my father and this project is just so beautiful and so inspiring,” she concluded.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I know I’m being repetitive, but I don’t care.</p> <p dir="ltr">Thank you for setting the record straight in such a deeply profound and artistic way.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Love you ~LMP.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a46a7548-7fff-bdaa-7208-926ea9671cd5"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

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"WOW!": Priscilla Presley's first impressions of new Elvis movie

<p dir="ltr">Priscilla Presley, the late King of Rock and Roll’s former wife, has sung the praises of Baz Luhrman’s latest biopic about her ex-husband, after revealing she was invited to see it by the director himself, per <a href="https://celebrity.nine.com.au/latest/priscilla-presley-praises-elvis-biopic-austin-butler/f35c6bee-9538-4f8f-b286-4222cd1e9509" target="_blank" rel="noopener">9Honey</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 76-year-old took to Facebook to praise Luhrman’s <em>Elvis</em>, which is due to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in mid-May before its theatrical release on June 23, after she was invited to the screening along with Jerry Schilling, a longtime friend of Elvis.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-1b135aeb-7fff-7397-a2ea-63d6d297f955"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“For those curious about the new film <em>ELVIS</em>, Baz Luhrmann, the director, provided a private screening for me and Jerry Schilling at Warner studios recently,” she wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/05/priscilla13.png" alt="" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Priscilla Presley (Facebook)</em></p> <p dir="ltr">“This story is about Elvis and Colonel Parker’s relationship. It is a true story told brilliantly and creatively that only Baz, in his unique, artistic way, could have delivered.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Priscilla praised Austin Butler, who starred as the <em>Jailhouse Rock</em> singer, for his “outstanding” portrayal.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Halfway through the film Jerry and I looked at each other and said WOW!!!,” she added. “Bravo to him… he knew he had big shoes to fill. He was extremely nervous playing the part. I can only imagine.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The <em>Naked Gun</em> star also had plenty of praise for Tom Hanks, who played Elvis’ manager Colonel Tom Parker.</p> <p dir="ltr">“What a character he was,” Priscilla reflected. “There was two sides to Colonel, Jerry and I witnessed both. The story, as we all know, does not have a happy ending. But I think you will understand a little bit more of Elvis’ journey, penned by a director who put his heart and soul and many hours into this film.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Footage from <em>Elvis </em>was also shown at CinemaCon, with Butler appearing and telling the crowd about his approach to playing the famed musician.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The main thing I set out to find was his humanity,” the 30-year-old told the crowd. “He’s one of those individuals that has been lifted up to such an iconic status that he’s almost superhuman.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-8068e39a-7fff-8feb-ab92-93656921c8c4"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty Images / Warner Bros (YouTube)</em></p>

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First look at Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis biopic

<p dir="ltr">The first look at Baz Luhrmann’s new biopic has been released, with the first glimpse of the actor set to play the King of Rock and Roll: Elvis Presley. </p> <p dir="ltr">30-year-old Austin Butler is stepping up as <em>Elvis</em> for the Warner Bros. movie, which hits theatres in June, and is seen in the trailer sporting the singer’s signature slicked back hair and leather jacket. </p> <p dir="ltr">Academy Award winner Tom Hanks, who is heard narrating the three-minute trailer, also stars in the film as his manager Colonel Tom Parker, while Olivia DeJonge stars as Presley’s wife, Priscilla. </p> <p dir="ltr">The film appears to be a love letter to the influential musician, who tragically died at age 42 from a heart attack in 1977. </p> <p dir="ltr">The trailer shows footage of young Elvis as a gospel singer, before being bullied for his unusual hair and dance moves as he tried to break into the music scene. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Elvis</em> also follows the singer’s rocket to international fame and the personal struggles he faced as a result of his superstardom. </p> <p dir="ltr">It also details how the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis jolted him back to his humble roots.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Elvis</em> is the first movie from Baz Luhrmann since his 2013 smash hit <em>The Great Gatsby</em>, which starred Leo DiCaprio, Tobey Macguire and Joel Edgerton, and made $353 million worldwide.</p> <p dir="ltr">Speaking with <a href="https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/movies/upcoming-movies/trailer-drops-for-baz-luhrmanns-elvis-biopic/news-story/ceb47096f377b001b8cb20c75fc70b36" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a> last year, Luhrmann said he was excited for audiences to see what Austin Butler can bring to the challenging role. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I can say that we have had to create lots of different worlds, and there was no world we were challenged in creating,” Luhrmann said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We went to a lot of effort, but it’s all there.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The performances are remarkable. Austin Butler, I think he’s really going to surprise people. And Tom … enough said.”</p> <p dir="ltr">You can check out the trailer for <em>Elvis</em> below. </p> <p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wBDLRvjHVOY" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Warner Bros. Pictures</em><span id="docs-internal-guid-144c9419-7fff-a6d9-c447-c3387786e08d"></span></p>

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