Getaway: Has Elvis really left the building?Acadiana News - The Daily Advertiser - www.theadvertiser.com
The original rock megastar kicked off his career in this Shreveport landmark.
The 2009 James Burton International Guitar Festival Tribute to Elvis
Louisiana State Fair Grounds, Festival Plaza and Municipal Auditorium, Shreveport
Tickets: (318) 424-5000
Web site: jamesburtonmusic.comLegend has it that a few ghosts inhabit Shreveport’s historic Municipal Auditorium, where Elvis Presley began his career along with numerous country and rock legends.
Plans are in the works to restore one of the best examples of Art Deco architecture in Louisiana, but visitors can tour the building and see Elvis’s dressing room and take in Shreveport’s musical history at the Stage of Stars Museum with its rare photos and personal artifacts of the many musicians who have played there. Outside in front are two statues — Elvis and guitarist James Burton, one of Shreveport’s best-known performers.
The Municipal Auditorium opened in 1929, with seating for 3,000 with a 54-foot-high proscenium arch and accented by an art deco design. Mardi Gras balls, circuses and the famous Louisiana Hayride radio show were regular visitors of the building, the latter featuring musicians Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Tex Ritter, Doug Kershaw, George Jones and Huddie Ledbetter.
Elvis joined the lineup on Oct. 16, 1954, when he was paid just $18 per show. On his last performance in 1956, it was said, “Elvis has left the building.”
In 1969, when Elvis returned to touring, he contacted Burton and asked him to form a band. That was 40 years ago this year, a milestone that will be marked at the fourth annual James Burton International Guitar Festival on Aug. 21 and 22 in Shreveport.
Most of the festival takes place at the Hirsch Memorial Coliseum at the Louisiana State Fair Grounds with highlights including a guitar showdown and talent competition hosted by Tipitina’s Shreveport Music Office Coop at 9 a.m. Aug. 22, followed by live music at 11:30 a.m. and the attempt at a Guinness World Record featuring the most guitarists performing together at 2 p.m.
There will be a James Burton Birthday Bash featuring local and regional bands from 6 p.m. to midnight Aug. 21, at the Festival Plaza by the Red River in downtown Shreveport and a James Burton & Friends Concert will be held at 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 22, at the Municipal Auditorium with tickets costing $25 to $100.
The festival was created by the James Burton Foundation to raise money for free guitars, technical training and music lessons to young musicians who can’t afford them otherwise.Where to stay
Shreveport is home to several hotels and bed and breakfasts, plus numerous casinos flanking the Red River. The 25-story Horseshoe Casino, for instance, faces downtown on the Bossier City side, next to the new Louisiana Boardwalk, an outdoor outlet, lifestyle and dining mall. Horseshoe offers luxurious rooms with massive Roman bathtubs, a health spa, various dining options and, of course, plenty of gaming tables.
August 13, 2009
2009 James Burton International Guitar Festival Tribute to Elvis - www.theadvertiser.com
Books about Elvis Presley
Books about Elvis Presley
Last Train to Memphis
Amazon.com Promo Editorial ImageAugust 16 marks the anniversary of the death of Elvis Presley, one of the greatest American entertainers who ever lived. His life was fascinating to people across the world, and his music remains in the collective consciousness of his fans. Numerous books have been written to commemorate the life of this magical, tragic man and for those with even a passing interest in his life or his music, any of these books would be perfect for a read in memory of Elvis.
Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley, by Peter Guralnick, details the live of Elvis Presley before his name was a common household word. For the first 24 years of his life, Elvis was relatively unkown, and Guralnick does a thorough job of explaining the man before he was a star.
Elvis by the Presleys
Amazon.com Promo Editorial ImageCareless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley, by Peter Guralnick, is one of the best of the multitude of biographies written on the life and career of Elvis. The counterpart to Last Train to Memphis, it follows Presley’s life from his introduction to stardom to his untimely death. Many biographies take creative liberties with the facts surrounding aspects of Presley’s life and death, but Guralnick’s work has been noted for its rigorous fairness and meticulous attention to fact. For those looking to start learning about the life of Elvis or for a dedicated fan, Careless Love is an excellent choice.
The Elvis Encyclopedia, by Adam Victor, is a very detailed portrait of the life of Elvis during his time in and out of the limelight. Featuring numerous photographs of the star, including some rare pictures unseen by many, this is one book sure to delight any fan. In addition to more basic biographical facts, there are also entries on Elvis’s opinions on religion, as well as his last will and testament.
E is for Elvis
Amazon.com Promo Editorial ImageElvis by the Presleys, a book written by Priscilla Presley and Lisa Marie Presley, is filled with family stories, photographs and acts as a companion volume to other media recollections of Presley family members. Although it is not a comprehensive retelling of life with Elvis, Elvis by the Presleys is a warm and inviting series of memories and images pair in tribute to the man they knew and loved.
E is for Elvis: The Elvis Presley Alphabet, by Jennie Ivey, W. Calvin Dickinson and Lisa W. Rand, is a whimsical and interesting look at the King. Beautifully illustrated by Ron Wireman, Jr. and featuring entries like O is for Overweight, E is for Elvis offers a humorous and magical look at the image of Elvis and the magic h
The Gospel According to Elvis Presley: Elvis' gospel recordings (gospel videos included)
The Gospel According to Elvis Presley: Elvis' gospel recordings (gospel videos included)The Gospel According to Elvis Presley
Born and raised in the Bible belt and baptized at First Assembly of God Church in Tupelo, Mississippi, Elvis grew up singing in church, reading the Bible and developing his life-long interest in spiritual matters. According to elvisgospel.com, Elvis held Bible studies at his home in Bel Air, California, where he lived while making films during the mid 1960s, and Wikipedia indicates "It is well known that Elvis Presley was a devout Christian."
As reported in Who Was Elvis Presley? Elvis had a fascination with gospel music from his childhood and he named gospel pioneer Sister Rosetta Tharpe as an early influence. Rolling Stone once reported, "Gospel pervaded Elvis' character and was a defining and enduring influence all of his days." According to Christian Century, Elvis wrote more than 50 gospel songs and recorded many classic hymns in his career.
Elvis recorded and performed with gospel groups throughout his long career. Some of the gospel groups Elvis worked with would include: the Blackwoods, the Songfellows, the Imperials, The Jordanaires, the Sweet Inspirations, and J.D. Sumner and the Stamps Quartet.
In 1957 Elvis released his first gospel EP as well as a Christmas album. The best-known gospel song Elvis recorded and performed is probably the hymn "How Great Thou Art" released on a 1967 album and again as a single. Elvis would sometimes personalize the song by singing "my God how great I think You are." His live version of "How Great Thou Art" won Elvis Presley a Grammy award in 1974.
In total, Presley won three Grammy awards for his gospel recordings: "How Great Thou Art" the album, "How Great Thou Art" the single, and the album "He Touched Me."
Although Elvis Presley turned to spiritualism in his later years, he never completely turned from his Christian roots. According to his friend and background singer Joe Moscheo, not only was being a gospel performer the first dream of his life, it was one one Elvis never fully left. His last gospel recording was Promised Land in 1975. Two years later, on August 16, 1977, Elvis Presley was dead.Elvis Presley's gospel albums and EPs
A list of gospel albums and EPs recorded by Elvis Presley would include:
1957 Elvis' Christmas Album - this album was reissued and repackaged several times over the years
1957 Peace in the Valley - released as an extended play
1957 Elvis Sings Christmas Songs - released as an extended play
1958 Christmas with Elvis - released as an extended play
1960 His Hand in Mine
1967 How Great Thou Art - How Great Thou Art was Presley's second full-length gospel album and won a Grammy Award in 1967 for Best Sacred Performance
1971 Elvis Sings The Wonderful World of Christmas
1972 He Touched Me
1975 Promised Land
Another popular gospel music video on YouTube is Elvis Presley singing "O Happy Day."
For more info:GMA 2004 Year-End Release (features Elvis)
Mr. Skin’s Top Celebrity Nude Scenes!
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