Elvis Blog Archives — August 2008
Entry #22: Posted August 7, 2008 This will be my first trip there during Elvis Week, and with it just a few days away, feelings of both excitement and apprehension are building up inside me. The excitement stems from being a part of the world’s premier annual Elvis celebration. The apprehension arises from the realization that I couldn’t have picked a worse time to sell my book at a trade show. Two factors surely will conspire to keep attendance and spending down at this year’s Elvis Week. First, last summer marked 30 years since Elvis’s passing, and that anniversary produced a record crowd for Elvis Week. Elvis Presley Enterprises went all out with advertising and special guests to draw in the fans. But going to Elvis Week is an expensive proposition, and it’s natural to expect that many of those who attended last year will not return this year. Even many long-time Elvis fans won’t be there. Recently I spoke with a very prominent Elvis fan figure, who told me he is not attending Elvis Week this year, and that he didn’t know anyone else who would be. Throw in the high gas prices and the sluggish economy, and Elvis Week could be looking at a record crowd again this year, only at the lower end of the spectrum. Still, while I’m resigned to the possibility that I won’t even sell enough books at Elvis Expo to meet expenses, I refuse to let that discourage me. I’m looking forward to meeting lots of Elvis fans and making some connections that will last for years to come. My only experience with Elvis Week will be Elvis Expo. I’m coming in just for those two days (Wednesday and Thursday) and won’t be taking in any of the other activities. I won’t even be able to attend the Elvis Insiders Conference, since it takes place the same two days as Elvis Expo. So, when I received the “Booth Assignments” sheet from EPE, I looked it over carefully to see which Elvis-related personalities would be in the same room with me. The man who will stand far above anyone else in the room in stature, and who will surely draw the biggest crowd to his booth, is DJ Fontana. To my mind, DJ is one of the brightest stars in the Elvis universe. Of those who were intimately involved in the Elvis phenomenon of the 1950’s, only DJ, Scotty Moore, and Jordanaire Gordon Stoker remain. DJ will be in booth #12, and I attend to wander over there and introduce myself before they open the doors to the public. A number of others who worked with Elvis over the years will also have booths at Elvis Expo. I imagine they’ll all be offering autographed photos, and some will have books to sell. Wanda Jackson will be in booth #28. As a country singer, she toured with Elvis in 1955 and early 1956. She was there to witness Elvis’s sudden and explosive rise in popularity. Also in the room will be five actors who worked with Elvis during the movie years. First, Edward Faulkner will be in booth #6. He had a bit part in G.I. Blues and then had a major supporting roll as the egotistical swimming instructor Brad Bentley in Tickle Me. Celeste Yarnell, who played the part of Ellen in Live a Little, Love a Little, will be in booth #14. Darlene Thompkins, who played the part of Patsy Simon in Blue Hawaii, will be in booth #56 and Chris Noel, who was Betsy in Girl Happy, will be nearby in booth #58. Actress Francine York will be my neighbor in booth #43. (I’ll be in #44.) The credits of Tickle Me list Francine as playing the part of Mildred in the film. However, I’ve watched the film twice lately and didn’t hear any of the girls in the picture referred to as “Mildred.” So I’m looking forward to having Francine identify her character in Tickle Me for me. My neighbors on the other side will be The Imperials in booth #45. I’m anticipating a big crowd there to meet the singers who backed Elvis at times during the concert years of the 1970s. (Maybe I can work the part of the crowd that backs up in front of my booth.) Lowell Hays (booth #24) was also close to Elvis during that period. As Elvis’s jeweler, Hays carried around a briefcase full of expensive jewelry while touring with Presley. When in the mood, Elvis would summon Hays and pick out expensive baubles as gifts for friends and, on occasion, strangers. Rounding out the “I-knew-Elvis” crowd will be Tanya Lemani George (booth #31), who had a part in Elvis’s ’68 Comeback Special, and Nancy Rooks (both #22), who served as Elvis’s maid at Graceland. On its web site, EPE indicates more guests might be added to the list. Others associated with Elvis will appear at the Elvis Insiders Conference but will not have booths at Elvis Expo. They include Dixie Locke Emmons, Elvis’s high school girlfriend; Mike Stoller, co-writer of many classic Elvis tunes, including “Jailhouse Rock” and “Hound Dog”; Sammy Shore, a comedian who opened for Elvis in Las Vegas from 1969-1972; Susan Henning, who appeared in Live a Little, Love a Little and Elvis’s 1968 Comeback Special; Steve Binder, producer of the ’68 Special; Joe Guercio, Elvis’s concert musical director and conductor in the 1970s; and Jerry Schilling, a member of Elvis’s inner circle for many years. All of these people had a part in Elvis’s life and are sure to have interesting stories to tell. However, I can’t help but be disappointed that, other than DJ Fontana, none of the real heavyweights in the Elvis universe are scheduled to appear. Priscilla, Lisa Marie, the Jordanaires, James Burton and the rest of Elvis’s ’70s band—all of them made appearances at a sanctioned event during Elvis Week in 2007. None of them are listed anywhere on the current schedule of events for this year’s Elvis Week. I’m not criticizing anyone for not being there. I’m just pointing out another indication that Elvis Week 2008 might turn out to be a poor cousin to Elvis Week 2007. But, hey, all of this is actually a good thing for those Elvis fans who are planning to participate in the festivities next week. They won’t have to fight the huge crowds of past years, and that should enable them to get closer to the wonderful Elvis-related personalities who will be there. — Alan Hanson
Entry #23: Posted August 16, 2008 My blog this week is running three days late due to my trip to Memphis for part of Elvis Week. This post is dated August 16, which marks the anniversary of Elvis’s death. I had originally intended in this Elvis blog to share some of my experiences at Elvis Week, but I’ve decided to put that off until next week, and instead to comment on the significance of this date in mid-August that holds such meaning for Elvis fans. It’s hard to believe that Elvis has been gone for 31 years. I’ve been an Elvis fan for 45 years, but only 14 of them were while he was alive. Elvis was one of those rare historical figures whose death is burned into the memory of nearly all Americans who were old enough to know who Elvis was in 1977. Most people can tell you exactly where they were and what they were doing when they heard Elvis had died. (In my lifetime, JFK is the only other figure to generate such a powerful memory on his death.) I was 28 years old on August 16, 1977, and had just returned to my apartment after a morning tennis match with a friend. As usual, I automatically turned on the TV as soon as I walked in the door. The first thing I heard was a newsman saying, “In case you haven’t heard, the King of Rock ’n’ roll, Elvis Presley” … somehow I just knew what the next few words would be … “died today in Memphis.” The simplicity of that announcement was in stark contrast to the significant change it brought to my life. For 14 years I had lived with the constant anticipation of seeing Elvis’s next movie or hearing his next record. That all came to a sudden end that day; Elvis would never record or perform again. The finality of it fairly stunned me. There are so many younger fans these days who'll never know the joy of sitting in a movie theater and watching a new Elvis movie that had just come out. They’ll never know the excitement of hearing Elvis’s latest single for the first time on the radio and then running down to the record store to buy the record. They’ll never hear the incredible news that Elvis is actually coming to town and feel the excitement in the crowd while waiting in line to buy a ticket—“one please, as close to the stage as possible!” And then came the absolute thrill of seeing him perform on stage. It was a dream come true for a fan like me, who came to Elvis during the movie years and never imagined he would ever get to see Elvis in person. But all the joys that today’s younger fans missed by not knowing Elvis during his lifetime is balanced by the misery they avoided in not having to experience his death. Losing his earthly presence was bad enough for Elvis fans back then, but all the revelations and accusations that surfaced at the time made it even harder to bear. First, almost simultaneous with Elvis’s death came the publication of Elvis: What Happened by three of Elvis’s dismissed and disgruntled bodyguards. In it most fans first learned of Elvis’s prescription drug abuse and his increasingly erratic behavior. It shattered the image we fans had long accepted of Elvis as a model human being and citizen. I knew some Elvis fans who refused to read the book or believe its troublesome accusations. They had accepted the carefully cultivated public image of Elvis for so long that they refused to face the painful truth—Elvis Presley was a human being with the frailties that always accompany that designation. Then there was the seemingly endless speculation in the press about how and why Elvis died. Dr. Nick was vilified as the man who supplied the drugs that “obviously” killed Elvis. In the end, he was absolved of any legal responsibility. Eventually the press and the American public tired of all the recriminations, and Elvis’s memory was left to wander in search of a legacy. So, as we again celebrate the King of Rock ’n’ on the 31st anniversary of his death, let’s try to honestly answer the question, “How have the years treated Elvis’s memory?” Fairly well so far, I’d say. Granted, a slew of books have revealed more about the man’s flaws than we ever wanted, or have a right, to know. But thanks to Priscilla’s foresight in opening Graceland to the public, a natural venue has been created for fans to gather every summer to celebrate Elvis’s life. Elvis’s music has continued in the form of remastered original recordings and alternate studio material and unheard live recordings issued on the BMG and Follow That Dream collectors’ labels. Amazingly, a whole new generation of Elvis fans, those very young or not even born when Elvis died, has arisen. From fan base, merchandising, and musical perspectives, Elvis Presley seems alive and well 31 years after his death. We shouldn’t take it for granted, however, that it will always be so. The passage of three decades has taken away many of those figures who actually worked with Elvis and aged those who remain with us. Even the pool of first generation fans, many of whom have passed on their love of Elvis to their children, is dwindling. If the fans are to continue coming to Memphis each summer, than new connections must be made with the new fans to replace those that time has and will continue to take away. Those who control the Presley legacy will have to be both imaginative and aggressive in their efforts during the coming years if August 16 is to remain a day of celebration for Elvis fans. Let’s hope they’re up to the challenge. — Alan Hanson
Entry #24: Posted August 21, 2008 I’ve had a few days now to ponder the experiences of my first Elvis Week. Some were pleasant and others not so pleasant. My differing feelings stem from that fact that I actually went to Memphis wearing two hats. First, I was an author hoping to sell some books, make some money, and do some networking. It turned out that I sold only 25 books, didn’t come anywhere near covering my trip expenses, and made few, if any, promising business connections. I also went as an Elvis fan, and in that role I enjoyed listening to some good music and meeting and talking with other fans. I was not the only one to take a financial bath at Elvis Expo. As I feared, the crowd was small and not in a spending mood. There were 69 booths selling Elvis merchandise, ranging from trashy trinkets to classy items like jewelry and etched Elvis wine glasses. Those selling just one item—like me and a nearby booth selling Elvis keys—did the worst business. The Elvis-connected personalities seemed to be the only vendors who were doing well. There were six actors in the room who had worked with Elvis—Edward Faulkner (Tickle Me), Celeste Yarnall (Live a Little, Love a Little), Francine York (Tickle Me), Tanya Lemani (’68 Special), Chris Noel (Girl Happy), and Darlene Thompkins (Blue Hawaii). DJ Fontana and The Imperials also had booths, as did Elvis’s jeweler Lowell Hays and maid Nancy Rooks. All kept busy selling autographed pictures of themselves with Elvis. The going rate was $20 per photo, although a few charged less. (The Imperials sold signed pictures for a mere $5.) Many Elvis fans seemed eager to simply touch and talk with anyone who had a connection with Elvis, no matter how fleeting it might have been. It’s obvious to me that EPE’s best strategy for marketing Elvis Week in the coming years is to keep bringing in similar personalities who help fans feel close to Elvis. And the bigger the names the larger the draw. I wonder if co-stars like Ann-Margret or Shelley Faberas have ever been invited to appear during Elvis Week? Aside from poor book sales, my biggest disappointment at Elvis Expo was my long-anticipated meeting with DJ Fontana. As I mentioned in my blog two weeks ago, I had wanted to interview DJ while doing research for my Elvis ’57 book, but was unable to contact him. It was too late now to interview him, but I thought at least I would have an opportunity to tell DJ about my book and ask him a couple of questions about the 1957 period. Elvis Expo started on Wednesday, and before the doors opened at 9 a.m., I took a stroll around the room. Noticing DJ and his wife sitting in their booth with no one else around, I walked up and introduced myself. I told DJ about my book and that I had not been able contact him for an interview. Right then his wife spoke up, something to the effect that, “Oh, DJ doesn’t do interviews. He gets so many requests for interviews, you know, that he just doesn’t do any of them.” There was an awkward silence as they both looked up at me. For my part, two realizations were running through my head. First, it wouldn’t have mattered had I been able to contact DJ two years ago. He still wouldn’t have answered my questions. Second, any questions I asked him now would seem like an unwelcome interview. There was nothing left to do but make a graceful exit. Not the memorable meeting with DJ that I had always looked forward to. Elsewhere in Elvis Expo, directly behind my booth, in fact, one aisle over, was a double booth assigned to the “Ultimate ETA Contestants.” I don’t remember ever actually seeing or hearing any of the contestants over there. Instead, it was mostly a karaoke station that offered anyone passing by the opportunity to sing an Elvis song. There was no shortage of takers. Most singers were average, some were very good, and some were painfully bad. The Imperials had the booth to my right, and whenever a particularly good singer was at the mike, or a particularly poor one, we’d gather at the back of our booths, part the curtains, and gaze at the ETA booth across the way. Depending on the quality of the performance, we’d either look on in admiration or shake our heads in wonder. All in all, it was fun entertainment either way. Over the course of the two days, I had many enjoyable conversations at my booth with Elvis fans who had read my book or seen Elvis-History-Blog.com. I also enjoyed talking with the “Elvis Girls” who were my neighbors. Francine York was in the booth to my left, Tanya Lemani was right across the aisle, and Darlene Thompkins was right behind me. They were a trio of very personable gals, who were more than willing to share their Elvis stories at times when the crowd in our area was thin. In my blog next week, I’ll share some of what I learned about these “Elvis Girls.” I think EPE realized we Elvis Expo booth-holders were going to be in for a hard time. So when we checked in Tuesday afternoon, we were offered free tickets to all other Elvis Week events. The only one I took was to Tuesday night’s “Music and Movies” at Graceland. It started at 7 p.m. on the lawn at Graceland with a concert by Terry Mike Jeffrey and his band. The crowd was rather small, I thought, for such an occasion. Jeffrey, who sang Elvis tunes for 90 minutes, is not an Elvis Tribute Artist. He didn’t dress, nor move, nor particularly sound like Elvis, but instead offered his own energetic and entertaining interpretation of Elvis’s music. In my blog before I left for Memphis, I expressed my disappointment that most of the heavyweight Elvis personalities were not going to appear at Elvis Week this year. I mentioned James Burton in particular. Of course, I was wrong, as James and other TCB band members Jerry Scheff and Glen Hardin played with Jeffrey’s band. The Imperials came out to sing backup, and even Joe Gercio made an appearance on stage to conduct the band for its final number. After the concert, “Elvis, That’s the Way It Is” was shown on the big outdoor screen at Graceland. It was a very entertaining event on a cool (for Memphis) summer evening. I couldn’t afford to stay for the whole week, and so I was up at 4 a.m. Friday for the long series of plane rides back to Spokane. Despite my financial setback, my first Elvis Week was an enjoyable experience. It confirmed what I’ve always known—Elvis fans are the best. — Alan Hanson
Entry #25: Posted August 28, 2008 For me the most enjoyable experience of attending this past Elvis Week in Memphis was the chance to meet four “Elvis girls” who appeared at Elvis Expo. All of them had worked with Elvis in the 1960s. It seemed there were always fans in front of their tables, but as a table-holder myself, I was able to spend some time with each of them before the doors were open to the public and at other slower times during the day. Here are some highlights from my conversations with the “Elvis girls.” Francine York Francine played one of the women trying to get into shape at the ranch where Elvis worked in Tickle Me. The film’s credits list her as playing the part of “Mildred,” although at no time during the picture is she referred to by that or any other name. In her one close-up, Elvis gives her an archery lesson. Francine said several other scenes featuring her with Elvis were shot but not used in the movie. She can be seen often among the crowd of girls surrounding Elvis in Tickle Me. Since she had the booth directly to my left, I talked with Francine quite often. Like the other “Elvis girls” in the room, she has appeared in many other movies and TV episodes over the years and is still a working actress. Francine was very friendly with all the fans who crowded around her table. She did a brisk business selling autographed photos for $20 each and posing for pictures with any and all who requested it. For some reason, though, she seemed restless at Elvis Expo. Over the two days, she often left her table, sometimes disappearing for a half hour at a time. Her time working with Elvis was obviously special to her. “After working with him for five weeks back then,” she told me, “I find it very difficult to look at photos of him toward the end of his life.” Darlene Thompkins Darlene had a prominent role in Blue Hawaii as one of the four teenage girls, who, along with their chaperone, was showed around the islands by Elvis. She played the part of Patsy, who teases Ellie, the spoiled teenager. Her table was directly behind mine, and a couple of times I walked around to her side to talk with her. She had a couple of her girlfriends with her, and they all seemed to be enjoying themselves. Like Francine, Darlene was very friendly with all those who came to her table. She seemed eager to talk with everyone and pose for pictures. She sold autographed photos of her with Elvis for the bargain price of $10. When I asked her if she kept in touch with any of the girls she worked with in Blue Hawaii, she shared what she knew of them. She said Nancy Walters, who played the girls’ adult chaperone in the film, is in very poor health these days. Of the three other girls who played her fellow tourists, Darlene revealed one now lived in the LA area, another she never heard of again, and Jenny Maxwell, who played the spoiled Ellie in the film, had been murdered years ago. (According to Wikipedia, Jenny and her husband were shot to death outside their Beverly Hills condo during a robbery in 1981. She was 39 years old.) I also asked Darlene about her appearance in Fun in Acapulco. She’s listed far down on the credits as having a bit part as a “secretary,” but I watched the film before going to Memphis and couldn’t spot her. She explained that she had run into Elvis in Hollywood at the time, and he insisted that she be given a part in the film. She described her role in the movie, but unfortunately, I can’t share here what she said, since she swore me to secrecy. Darlene uses her role in Fun in Acapulco as a trivia question whenever she appears before a gathering of Elvis fans, so she didn’t want that information made public. I’ll give you a couple of hints, though. She has one spoken line in the movie, and she definitely does not play a “secretary.” Tanya Lemani George Tanya played the belly dancer in the “Little Egypt” segment of the Guitar Man production number in Elvis’s 1968 “Comeback” TV special. Like Francine York, through the years Tanya has appeared in numerous movies and TV episodes, including another belly dancer role in an episode of the original Star Trek series. In fact, Tanya had appeared at a Star Trek convention just prior to coming to Elvis Expo. Along with photos of herself on Elvis’s ’68 special, she was also selling copies of her autobiography, Have Belly, Will Travel. Since her booth was right across the aisle from mine, I had plenty of opportunities to observe and talk with Tanya. Whether she was talking with fans, posing for pictures, or demonstrating some belly dancing moves, she clearly enjoyed being at Elvis Expo. These days she’s a writer/producer/actress and runs her own company, TanaVision Productions. I strongly recommend her web site, www.tanyalemani.com, where photos of her on the ’68 Special are posted and available for purchase. Celeste Yarnall Like Tanya Lemani George, Celeste Yarnall has connections to both Star Trek and Elvis. She played Yeoman Martha Landon (Chekov’s love interest) in the original Star Trek episode “The Apple.” Then, in 1968, she played the part of Ellen in Live a Little, Love a Little. In the film Elvis picks her out of a crowd of girls at a pool party, sings “A Little Less Conversation” to her, and kisses her several times. That same year the National Association of Theatre Owners named her “Most Promising New Star of the Year.” Through the years she has appeared in dozens of movies and TV shows. Celeste’s booth was not near mine, so I only got to speak with her once, and then just briefly. On one occasion, though, the Elvis Tribute Artists booth, which was near mine, started playing “A Little Less Conversation” on its karaoke machine. Suddenly, here came Celeste running down the aisle from her booth on the other side of the convention center. When she reached the karaoke machine, she demonstrated for the crowd how she danced while Elvis sang that song to her in Live a Little, Love a Little 40 years ago. It was obvious that for Celeste, and the other “Elvis girls” in the room, the experience shared with Elvis so many years ago lives on as a special memory. — Alan Hanson Go to Current Blog
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