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Elvis Impersonator Articles

Elvis' Generosity

By Theresea Hughes
Elvis Presley was a generous man. Not only to those who worked for him, his family and friends, but often to strangers and regular gifts to charities, both national and local. Christmas time every year Elvis would donate around $100,000 to organized charities.

Some of Elvis’s generous gifts donated to charities would become public knowledge , but the rest of the donations were only known to a hand full of people, who were directly involved in the life of Elvis Presley.

These generous gifts in total, annually would reach a figure of 2 million dollars during the period of Elvis’s life when he was able to distribute that amount of money to organized charities.

There were also some small gifts generously given, one of which went to a crippled lady. Elvis personally delivered a brand new wheelchair.

Large and small amounts were generously given to relatives, friends and those who worked for him were also very much considered, with motorcycles, Cadillac’s, horses, trucks and cash gifts,

TCB and TLC necklaces were a symbolized gift given to the guys who worked for him and their wives, identification bracelets and Christmas gifts.

Bonuses were considered as a small part of his generosity.

Elvis offered many wonderful gifts to his family and friends. His generosity at times would involve building a beautiful new home for his father Vernon and wife Dee.

Elvis bought Joe Esposito a house in California. He gave Jerry Schilling $30,000 to buy a home also in California.

He had given a $50,000 cheque to the Motion Picture Relief Fund Home and Hospital. This large amount was one of the largest ever given and was accepted on behalf of the Hospital, by Frank Sinatra.

When it came to a special occasion, like Weddings.

Elvis had great joy in these occasions. He picked up the expenses for Joe Esposito and Jenny Schilling wedding in 1970.

There were also others, Elvis paid for Dick Grobs wedding. Then his wedding gift to Dick and Marilyn, was a new automobile.

George Klein was the next in line, George asked Elvis to be his best man. Elvis proudly accepted, offering to pay for the wedding and reception in Las Vegas.

All arrangements were made for the wedding to take place on the top floor of the Hilton, it was Elvis’ suite, which was beautifully decorated for the wedding. The catering was also organized for the reception.

Then all expense paid first class flights were arranged for the 15 couples being present.

Elvis Presley’s sincere generosity came from deep within, giving to others whether in his music to his fans or giving donations to selected organizations. His personal gifts to those he loved, was his way of sincere thanks to those who loved him.
 

Theresea Hughes is creator and dedicated fan, providing quality Elvis Presley biography information, pictures and articles for your entertainment. Download the free autobiography book version of “Elvis Presley Forever”. Visit http://www.elvis-presley-forever.com

 

 


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Lisa-Marie Presley Has Decided To Walk A Mile In Her Father's Shoes
By Jonathon Bates

Although Lisa Marie has managed to keep her children protected from the spotlight, she has recently gone public with her own musical work.

Lisa has not chosen to go the route of acting at this time. However, she has gone public with several press releases and appearances on news programs. I was able to catch an episode of Primetime Live, which featured Lisa Marie Presley for a full segment.

The news commentator interviewed Lisa and asked her many questions about her life and her past. One of the things they did was show side-by-side film footage of Lisa Marie performing, alongside her father, Elvis Presley. The two performances were at least 25 years apart, in time, but were spliced together to view Elvis and Lisa singing and dancing to show similarities.

Although Lisa is unique in her own right, there are many uncanny similarities between her and her father. Let's face it, it's only natural for this to happen. And we love it!

The Way Lisa holds a microphone and moves around and gazes at the camera are strikingly similar to the way Elvis would sing and dance, and sneer at the camera himself. Lisa Marie Presley is undoubtedly very talented and has decided to reflect her talent publicly at this time. The video chosen to display Lisa Marie's singing ability was the main track from her new CD, To Whom It May Concern. The main track is titled Lights Out.

In fact, the film clip from the video, Lights Out, was the clip shown next to the film footage of her father, taken from Elvis' 1968 Comeback Special, featuring him in his black leather outfit.

Although Lisa was not dressed in black leather, her clothes were flashy, and her whole aura reflected that of Elvis Presley.

I think that even though much of the major public are not all that crazy about Elvis impersonator's, the music industry, and Elvis fans alike, are really craving an entertaining personality with the talent and charisma of Elvis Presley.

I believe that even though much of Lisa Marie's facial expressions, moves, and natural looks are very close to her father Elvis, the people are going to accept this because not only are these features completely natural, they are expected of any offspring of Elvis Presley.

Lisa Marie's personality, the words she chooses to use, her facial expressions, especially the way she would raise one eyebrow up, open her eyes wide, and gaze at the camera when pleasantly making a joke out of a statement, was especially reminiscent of her father but also very refreshing.

During a very intimate portion of the interview, Lisa Marie stated that she has had some experience with drug use. However, she went on to clarify that she now lives a pretty clean life, for the most part. She shared stories about her past marriages, her children, her mother Priscilla, and memories of her father, Elvis.

Primetime Live also showed some home movies of Elvis, Priscilla, and Lisa Marie in their home environment with Elvis spending time with his family, and playing games with them. As Lisa sat there watching it along with everyone else, her facial expression began to change from perhaps having her guard up and being ready for difficult personal questions, to one of gentle, sweet, memories and peace.

It is certainly very sad that Lisa had to lose her father so early in her life. She seemed to go through things in her life that reflected the pain and difficulty she experienced with losing her father so soon.

With all the difficult times in Lisa's life, along with the good times, she has come a long way personally and professionally.

Lisa did comment on her marriage to Michael Jackson, but didn't spend much time on the subject. She spent more time talking about her relationship and marriage with her first husband, Danny Keough. This is the first marriage during which Lisa had a child. Danny Keough also became a member of Lisa's band in 2004.

While Lisa was in her late teens, and early twenties, she was managed by Jerry Schilling. Mr. Schilling is one of the original members of the Memphis Mafia, who went on to accomplish a successful business career in show biz after Elvis died.

A piece of trivia that would be interesting to all. Lisa Marie Presley's children provided backup vocals for her on her recent CD titled, To Whom It May Concern.

Jonathon Bates is a news reporter and publisher. He writes weekly columns for http://www.searchforelvis.com website. He is currently writing a book about Elvis Tribute Artists.

Filmmaker Offers $3 Million For Proof That Elvis Presley Is Alive
By Jonathon Bates

Adam Muskiewicz is a filmmaker, and director, filming a documentary addressing the possibility of Elvis Presley being alive. This may sound crazy at first. However, Mr. Muskiewicz has approached his film as an objective investigative reporter. Perhaps even scientifically.

The documentary film includes many people who knew Elvis, including insider people among his family and friends. Insider information reveals the possibility that Elvis may indeed be alive. Mr. Muskiewicz traveled the country and researched this subject for the last two years and has gathered information, documentation, film footage, and other evidence. His research indeed covers this subject thoroughly. The film is scheduled to be released later this year in 2007.

Adam has appeared on various news shows, television programs, and radio shows. When Adam was a guest on the very popular syndicated radio show, Coast-To-Coast AM, he revealed information that would raise the eyebrow of even the most skeptical person.

Although Adam did not reveal all of his information, as it would spoil the film, he did reveal some very surprising facts. These facts were coupled with credible sources that he was able to pinpoint by name.

Although there has been much controversy in the past of whether Elvis Presley really died on August 16, 1977; these arguments have always been laid to rest by credible sources and authorities not long after questions were raised.

The final arguments always lead to the closing of the subject and ultimately the whole idea of Elvis being alive as absurd. Back in the 1980s, Bill Bixby, an actor who knew Elvis and played opposite Elvis Presley in the 1965 movie, 'Girl Happy', hosted the very popular 'Elvis Files' on network television.

This television series investigated whether Elvis Presley really died on August 16, 1977, and the various circumstances surrounding this memorable event. However, not long after it began its broadcast, several very credible sources came forth and were able to shed sufficient light on the subject.

Their evidence led to not only the show being struck down, but to the whole subject being closed in the hearts and minds of people around the world. However, recent information and evidence has caused many people to reopen this case for another look.

It cannot be denied, that there are various facts that confuse the subject of Elvis's death. Some of the facts that lead one to reevaluate the subject are:

Elvis Could Have Been In The Witness Protection Program

Back in the early 1970s, Elvis Presley and his entourage, visited President Nixon at the White House. During this visit, Elvis and the President exchanged gifts. One of the gifts given to Elvis was a Federal DEA badge. Everyone thought this was simply something given to Elvis because he was famous, and desired having one since he was a child.

It seems everyone simply 'wrote it off' because of this. However, when one looks into this deeper, it raises questions because no other celebrity has been given an 'honorary' Federal DEA badge, or FBI badge since. The Federal Government appreciates entertainment, but doesn't give out Federal Bureau of Investigation, or DEA badges just for the fun of it. They take their jobs, and their positions very seriously.

Elvis' Name Misspelled On His Grave Stone

It is a known fact that Elvis' middle name was misspelled on his grave stone. It's not rocket science to figure out that something doesn't seem right with Elvis' name not matching on his birth and death certificates. Elvis' father Vernon, had Elvis' middle name misspelled deliberately on the grave stone. Why did he do this?

The Shroud of Turin Book

It is said that Elvis was reading the book titled 'The Shroud of Turin' at the time of his death. However, evidence shows that the book was not published until a year following Elvis's death. What could this mean?

New Elvis Recordings Emerging Form Nowhere

Furthermore, there are various recordings of Elvis being released that were apparently never released prior to his death. One could simply dismiss this quickly with the response that the recording labels chose not to release them before now.

However, there are various sources that have another story. Their story raises questions and further challenges the idea that Elvis is really gone.

It would make no sense at all to argue that Elvis is alive simply for the reasons or circumstances just stated. However, with the film scheduled to be released later this year, and more sources coming forth to be reported by various primetime news shows and publications, perhaps it would make no greater sense to simply dismiss the idea.

Jonathon Bates is a reporter and publisher for various news programs and publications. His weekly editorial can be read at searchforelvis.com Additional information regarding the new film to be released is available at http://www.searchforelvis.com
 

Elvis Presley, Lifting Off
By Don Bracken

He seems to live forever. A network television movie about his life is scheduled for 2005.Three years ago,in 2002, the month of August was set aside for him. He was everywhere, as if he never died twenty-five years earlier. The old records reappeared as freshly minted CD’s, he was seen shaking his hips on TV “news” clips and one CBS news piece revealed that an astounding forty two percent of the US population consider themselves to be Elvis Presley fans. His short life was looked at anew, re-examined and pontificated upon. Every day was accounted for, except that one day in January 1956 when he shot to stardom. Who could have known what would happen on that day? The biographers could not have been there but a handful of people did see what happened on that unusual and fascinating day. As a college student working as a weekend gofer in the CBS- TV studio, I was one of them. To fill in that gap in the Elvis Presley story, this is what happened on that remarkable day, January 26, 1956.

The green 1952 slope-backed Pontiac crawled off of Broadway onto West Fifty-Third Street, gasped, then rolled to a stop. Four men slowly emerged, heads shaking, hands gesturing as the freezing wet January wind stole their words. Three of the men got behind the car, the dark leather encased bass fiddle strapped to its roof glistened with frost. Suddenly one of them, wearing a light blue parka broke away, bent his hooded head into the bitter wind and pushed on down the street stopping midway at a black door indented in a red brick wall. He opened the door, entered a small gray vestibule and tapped on a little square window. I was standing next to Charlie Burgess, the paunchy security guard, who turned at the clank-clank-clank on the glass and slid the window open.

“What can I do for you, fella’? Charlie said, the eyes in his round, gray face squinting beneath an overhang of silver hair.

“’Ah’m on the Show tonight sir..an’ we got some car trouble outside. ‘Ah think we need some help.”

“O.K., and who are you?”

“My name is Elvis Presley, sir…’an like ‘Ah said sir, our car broke down on the way over here. Can we can get some help, sir?”

And so he had arrived, not only for his first scheduled appearance in New York City, but to appear for the first time on network television before the entire nation on Stage Show starring Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey. Prime time. Live. Saturday night. The eight p.m. lead-in to The Honeymooners. But his appearance on network television would not be his New York debut. That would be something, unscheduled and unexpected And something small, like the spark in the ignition of a Saturn rocket.

Elvis Presley, a wild card, was signed for one appearance on Stage Show for January 28,1956. Although he was gaining some “notoriety” in three southern states and had connected with a local Louisiana television show, he did have one try at the county music “big time” on the Grand Ole’ Oprey and was told “never to come back.” On Stage Show he would be one of three guests that night and he would be the least guest of all. Sarah Vaughan would headline and comedian Gene Sheldon, would be second on the bill.

It would be Elvis’ first opportunity at the “really big time”. In a cultural world governed by tastes developed over the decades, the big eastern cities, New York especially, were the epicenters of what was considered to be popular music. Country music was held at a distance. Not one radio station in New York played country music. Elvis, the country boy, just turned twenty one years of age, not only knew this but had to have apprehensions about being in the biggest and most alien of all cities for his chance at the “real” big time. If he was told “never to come back,” by Stage Show where else could he go, after the whole country had seen him? He was understandably nervous when he arrived.

His face in the window was a smooth, hairless, oval outline, framed in a tightly drawn blue hood. The soft skin on the face glowed red from the cold. Checking the show roster, Charlie Burgess nodded “ Yep, there you are.” and opened the inner door. As he did, the three car pushers opened the outer door and squeezed in, shivering and shaking their fingers from the cold. All four shuffled into the warm interior corridor that led to the small dressing room elevator which was my theater of operations. As a gofer I not only got the coffee but I drove the dressing room elevator. . After warming up, Elvis’s companions, his back- up musicians and driver, had gone out to bring in the instruments. When they returned, a rumbling of pounding feet and the prattle of voices arose as a crowd of young women in leotards turned the corner from the backstage wing. The June Taylor Dancers just off rehearsal, their feet clicking on the gray tiled floor, swarmed past Elvis and his manager, the short, pudgy, Colonel Parker,whom he had just met, and past the three companions bringing smiles of wonderment and a thaw to their frozen faces. Then Elvis and his back-up team went up to their dressing rooms on the fifth floor, the area they were scheduled to share with ventriloquist Jimmy Nelson, his dummy Danny O’Day and actor Jimmy Blaine who did the show’s commercials. Used by The Ed Sullivan Show, airing from the same studio on Sundays to house the acrobats, jugglers and animal acts usually booked, it was the floor customarily used for the lesser acts.

When he returned to the backstage, the hooded parka was gone and he was there in all his hair. His pompadour crested backward like a dark wave into currents of hair that flowed across the top of his head then channeled downward on a wild run past both his ears and there was an oil slick to it all. People tried not to notice but in a post-war, military- influenced world of crew cuts and close -cut hairstyles, people did notice. The DA of the grease- minded Happy Days crowd, carefully modeled after a duck’s after body, was the accepted form of hirsute rebellion. This was hitting the cultural beach with a shock assault. I could feel the bristles of my crewcut standing tall. Surely,I thought, he was defying the gods.

In a few moments Col. Parker, dark suited and hands in his pockets, joined Elvis who was talking to Jimmy Dorsey. Tommy Dorsey, trombone in hand, the overhead lights a glint on his gold-rimmed glasses, and Executive Producer Jack Philbin, lean and fortyish in a dark pinstriped suit, closed in a moment later. “ We’ve got an idea!.” Philbin said.

It was a two minute buzz of conversation alive with staccato phrases and clauses:... let’s get the studio reaction…the warm-up… he’s gotta do it, the kid’s got a wild act… let’s see how the audience reacts, this is New York, for petessake.… maybe tone it down a bit , it’s national TV..…do a test run you mean,…hmmm, but no one does the warm-up …. It’s just not done. Do you mind, Elvis? No sir, don’t mind…Let’s do it. You’ll do it then? You don’t mind? No sir, yes sir, I’ll do it.”

So he would do the studio warmup, something a featured performer simply did not do because ego always stood in the way. But it was something that would become the highlight of the evening. Like a shooting star on a summer night.It was noted by Charley Burgess that Elvis Presley, used the word "sir" a lot and had a desire to please. Perhaps the latter trait was why he agreed to do something that other featured performers would never do. Something that was, perhaps, the explosive charge that got him off the launching pad.

Elvis wanted to go up to his dressing room and as he walked toward the elevator his head started to nod. Suddenly, like a plane vibrating with restrained energy before take-off, he stopped walking and started bobbing his head. Then his arms reached out and pumped back and forth and he started slashing the air with his fists leading with his left, whipping in with his right. Then, suddenly, as if hearing the bell, he straightened up, and went to his corner in the far side of the elevator. I watched him with curiosity as we went up in the elevator. We were the same age, the same six feet in height and the same weight but he was definitely different.

The nervous energy was building up and the choke was still on. Upon returning from the dinner break, while riding the elevator again to the sixth floor, he vibrated into round two, crouching and punching the air with a fury, the little elevator car shaking against the shaft. Then, when the little car reached his floor he stopped as quickly as he started, straightened his shoulders and walked off, his head still bobbing.

Elvis was the first to answer the ten- minute show time alert that I customarily called out. Guitar in hand, dressed in a mustard plaid sport jacket that had a second-hand store look and with abundant and oily hair locked in place, his eyes, now, were peering out from a deep, dark ring of eye shadow. My eyes were transfixed as we descended.

Sixteen June Taylor Dancers, wearing black and white harlequin outfits and scheduled to open the show were falling into place behind the closed curtain. Announcer Jack Lescoulie who always did the studio warm-up by telling stories to loosen up the audience was standing in the wing, staring out at the stage. Prop men, stagehands and electricians were clustered around Lescoulie and staring past him at Elvis as he, guitar in hand, was walking out on the stage. He was about to do something scheduled performers had never done before nor would ever think of doing: the studio warm-up, a task usually assigned to a production aid or the announcer, certainly not a billed performer. More, it was to be a test run.

“What’s he doing out there?” someone said. “I can’t believe it,” another added. “I think he’s actually going to do the warm-up.”

Suddenly there was a loud, sharp strumming of guitar and with equal suddenness Elvis Presley, standing in front of the shimmering gold curtain, catapulted forward. One two three o’clock,four o’clock rock! Five six seven o’clock,eight o’clock rock!…

The words and the music swirled around the studio and his body followed. We’re gonna rock around the clock tonight! As he plunged into the rhythm a fever picked up backstage. June Taylor Dancers, in their thigh-high black and white outfits, flashed their legs as they twirled in an impromptu lindy hop with stagehands. Prop men and more stagehands gyrated in tempo as the words gave way to wild rhythm. On stage, Elvis, one with the beat, swung his shoulders, spread his legs apart, vibrated his hips with frenzy. Backstage, mouths dropped halfway stopping to laugh incredulously then appreciatively. I felt a wild surge of excitement, and wanted to connect with the music, to dance, but all the girls were taken. I joined the chorus.

“ Yeah, yeah!”“Wow!” “Holy Cow, I can’t believe it. Go, go, go.” “My God, do you see that! Go man, go.”

And so it went, his New York debut. A studio warm-up and a test run. It was also lift-off time. Returning backstage he was showered with kudos. The normally taciturn backstage crowd that had worked with the greatest of the great on The Ed Sullivan Show were electric, “You were great man!.” “Wonderful, wonderful.” “Terrific, just terrific.”

Further backstage more kudos but Elvis hadn’t smiled through any of them. He had a blank look as though he was afraid to give away his thoughts or feelings. He moved to a corner of the wing, his guitar diagonally across his mustard plaid jacket. Only his eyes moved, shifting laterally to different angles like a visitor to a strange new land.

Then the curtain parted to the blaring rush of the Dorsey Orchestra. The June Taylors stepped off flying into their number. Seconds after their finish, Elvis Presley stepped on stage. He was in full color, his mustard jacket in its greatest glory. But he was not. It wasn’t the same. His frenetic energy was held back by the Dorsey music. It didn’t mix. The excitement and beat of the warm-up was lost. But the body language wasn’t and that came across on the black and white telecasts across America.

Then the phones started ringing but no kudos from Mr. and Mrs. America that night. Charges of moral turpitude and obscenity filled the wires from parents concerned for their children’s virtue.

But destiny could not be denied. Fate had intervened. He was now off the pad and heading downrange. The reaction backstage was positive. The Producers knew what he could do with the right music. Elvis was signed for another week then four more after that. I estimated that during those five weeks, Elvis went the full fifteen rounds. I noticed too, that his dressing room assignment gradually descended to the lower floors. When he returned to the studio several months later to do The Ed Sullivan Show and the famous “show no pelvis,Elvis” show when the cameramen were instructed to shoot only above the waist, he not only arrived in a fully powered limousine but he moved down to share Ed Sullivan’s dressing room on the second floor.

He was heading for the stars.

Don Bracken is the Senior Editor of the History Publishing Company and the author of the forthcoming book, Times of the Civil War, a study of the New York Times and the Charleston Mecury's coverage of the American Civil War.He also co-edited the Historyscope Series, a computerized study of the American Civil War that has been widely hailed by educators and Civil War experts.When a college student in New York, he worked for CBS television in what is now known as The Ed Sullivan Theater on week-ends and was there when Elvis Presley showed up. http://www.historyscope.com