To pay homage to Elvis Presley on the occasion of what would have been his 75th birthday on January 8, several events will occur in various locations in the US and elsewhere throughout the year for thousands of fans to celebrate his legacy on this landmark occasion. For all things Elvis, there are museum exhibits, concert tours, books, CDs and dolls, radio homages, movie marathons, and, of course, a Facebook page (www.facebook.com/elvis).
Graceland
Memphis, Tennessee
Elvis's former wife Priscilla Presley and their daughter, Lisa Marie, will gather for a cake-cutting birthday ceremony to kick-off a four-day schedule of tours and events, January 7-10; the "Elvis Presley Fashion King" exhibition of the singer's costumes opens March 1; the annual Elvis Week happens August 10-16 at Elvis's former home, over a week with a lineup of concerts and social events dedicated to the King of Rock 'n' Roll.
www.elvis.com
Grammy Museum
Los Angeles, California
Elvis at 21, a Smithsonian traveling exhibition of photojournalist Alfred Wertheimer's photos of Elvis from 1956, the pivotal year of his meteoric success. The show debuts January 8 through March 28.
www.grammymuseum.org
Viva Elvis
Las Vegas, Nevada
The entertainment extravaganza, Cirque du Soleil, presents the stage show Viva ELVIS - a musical tribute to the life and sounds of Elvis Presley through dance, acrobatics and music. The show at ARIA Resort & Casino highlights significant moments in his career.
www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/viva-elvis
Newseum
Washington, DC
The portrayal of Elvis through the news media will be exhibited at this museum, opening March 12. The show includes rare objects from the Graceland vaults, personal and professional mementos, scrapbooks and letters. It demonstrates the impact the icon had on pop culture, pushing the boundaries of mainstream taste, free expression and generational shifts during the 1950s and 1960s. www.newseum.org
'Elvis Presley In Concert' tour
Various European locations
A major stage production reunites some of Elvis's original band members live on stage with a state-of-the-art video-projected Elvis. Elvis Presley in Concert tours Europe as this concert experience stops in Ireland, France, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and England. Elvis concert performances are integrated with a 16-piece orchestra and band mates performing live with Elvis on video. Opening in Sheffield, England on February 19 and at O2 in London on February 28, continuing through March.
www.elvis.com/concert/overview
The Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Tour
Various US cities
A multi-city US tour starts in January featuring four 'Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist' finalists (previously known as impersonators) who cover four eras of Elvis's career - the 1950s, movie years, the 1960s, and concert years. Starts in Ames, Iowa on January 15 and continues to 25 US cities.
www.ultimateelvistour.com
Elvis Radio
The only "All Elvis, All the Time" radio channel on Sirius XM celebrates the January 8 birthday by presenting the world premiere of the Follow That Dream live concert CD release, New Haven '76 and other special birthday editions of "Elvis Birthday Memories."
www.sirius.com/elvisradio
Turner Classic Movies
The US cable channel TCM celebrates the anniversary of the Presley's birth with an all-day marathon of classic Presley movies with guest appearances by Priscilla Presley and Elvis's best friend Jerry Schilling. Starting at 6 am ET, the movies include Kissin' Cousins (1965), Roustabout (1965), Girl Happy (1965), Blue Hawaii (1961), Viva Las Vegas (1964) and Jailhouse Rock (1957). Also, concert performance films Elvis on Tour (1972) and Elvis: That's the Way It Is - Special Edition (2001). www.tcm.com
Elvis Cruise
Jacksonville, Florida
Carnival's Fascination Fun Ship features performances by Elvis's band mates and tribute artists with Elvis-themed entertainment during the 2010 Elvis Cruise from Jacksonville, Florida to Nassau, Bahamas, November 4-8. Cabins are on sale at theelviscruise.com.
ELVIS 75: Good Rockin' Tonight
The four-CD deluxe box set was released December 8, 2009 including a collection of 100 digitally restored songs, hit singles, live performances, and rare tracks in chronological order. On January 5, RCA/Legacy releases a 26-track single-CD, titled ELVIS 75, features 25 selections from the box set, including 'Heartbreak Hotel', 'All Shook Up', 'Love Me Tender', 'Suspicious Minds', 'Burning Love', 'Jailhouse Rock' and many more.
Box set released December 8.
New Elvis Books
Baby, Let's Play House: Elvis Presley and the Women Who Loved Him, by Alanna Nash from It Books explores the romantic relationships and friendships with females in Presley's enigmatic life including actresses Ann-Margret, Raquel Welch, Cybill Shepherd and singers Cher, Petula Clark, and Karen Carpenter. Despite his sexual charisma, this story reveals an intimate portrait through interviews about the love that eluded the King of Rock 'n' Roll.
Elvis: My Best Man - Radio Days, Rock 'n' Roll Nights, and My Lifelong Friendship with Elvis Presley by George Klein with Chuck Crisafulli from Crown Books. Among the hundreds of books already written, these tales from Elvis's confident and friend since age 13, provides anecdotes that offer an inside story behind the scenes. Both books are released January 5.
The year-long 75th anniversary birthday celebration of Elvis Presley will also offer a variety of newly licensed merchandise. Mattel Toys commemorates the milestone with an Elvis Presley Jailhouse Rock Doll. Also, a special Zippo lighter will be part of the collectible Elvis 75 lighters from the official retailer of Elvis merchandise and memorabilia.
www.shopelvis.com
RC
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