Oct 31 - Hero like a Young Elvis

Flipped thru this book as well and my eye caught a description of the young hunk love interest being described as looking like a 50's era Elvis Presley.

Oct. 31 - Fan club button

Flipped thru the various new Bruce books at Borders. In this one, he's shown wearing the Elvis fan club button in many, many shots.

Oct. 29 - Multiple mentions in the new U2 book

I'm picking my way thru the U2 by U2 book, and so far there have been photos and mentions via the Sun Studios sessions during the Rattle and Hum days. Also a mention of David Bowie being the "Elvis of the UK."

Oct. 29 - On one of the HBO channels in the early morning

Fell asleep watching god knows what and woke up at one point hearing Elvis singing -- King Creole was on. Had to turn the TV off because it kept pulling me out of sleep...

Oct 25 - Nevermind...

I forgot -- I did collect the report from yesterday -- a British on-line story:
Kurt Cobain topples Elvis as top dead earner
By Lech Mintowt-Czyz


Kurt Cobain is now the world's top-earning dead celebrity after beating Elvis Presley into second place.



The estate of the former Nirvana frontman, who committed suicide in 1994, brought in an estimated £26 million last year, beating The King by over £4 million, according to a study by Forbes magazine.

Elvis, who has topped the rankings for the last four years, was toppled after Cobain's wife sold a quarter of her stake in the singer's back catalogue.

Courtney Love, who claimed two years ago that over £20 million had gone missing from the trust fund set up after Cobain's death, sold the interest after claiming that managing his estate had become "overwhelming".

Love, who has a daughter Frances Bean by the star, was the sole heir to Cobain's fortune when he died aged 27 at his home from a self-inflicted gun wound.

Almost all of the money earned by Cobain's estate is thought to have come through the deal with record industry veteran Larry Mestel.

It is now thought that pieces by Cobain, who achieved global success at the forefront of the grunge movement with songs including Come As You Are and Smells Like Teen Spirit, will be re-released in a move which could see him retain a position in the top 10 next year.

Elvis had dominated the dead rich list ever since his song A Little Less Conversation was remixed before being used in an advert by Adidas in the run-up to the 2002 World Cup finals.

The figures, compiled by Forbes covering the period from October 2005 to October 2006, show he earned just over £22 million 29 years after his death at his Graceland mansion in Memphis, Tennessee.

Third on the list is Charles Schulz, the creator of the Peanuts cartoon strip, who earned £18.4 million, followed by John Lennon in fourth (£12.6 million) and Albert Einstein in fifth (£10.5 million). Einstein bequeathed his estate, as well as the use of his image, to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Andy Warhol is sixth in the chart with earnings of £10 million helped by the film Factory Girl, which features Guy Pearce as the artist.

Ray Charles (£5.3 million) and Johnny Cash (£4.2 million) also make appearances in the top ten after recent biopic films of their lives.

The author JRR Tolkien, Beatle George Harrison and reggae star Bob Marley are just outside the top 10.

A spokesman at Forbes said: "A nail in the casket is hardly the end for some stars. Instead, their work, as well as their iconic images, continues to appeal to fans who remember them, and to those born long after they died."

Oct. 26 - Cobain is Everywhere

I skipped yesterday, when it was in the LA Times. The story is carried everywhere. Here's EW.com's blog about it.
I see (rich) dead people
Congratulations, Kurt Cobain (pictured)! Thanks to your widow's decision to sell your songs to a commercial publishing agency for $50 million, you've ascended to the number-one spot on Forbes' Top-Earning Dead Celebrities list! That's right, you crazy grungeball -- it's only been 12 years since your tragic suicide, but you're already making more than Elvis, John Lennon, and Marilyn Monroe!

(applause)

Speech! Speech!

(A ghostly blue light fills the room, followed immediately by the smell of sweaty wool and mothballs, with a lingering hint of burrito. The opening notes of "In the Pines" can be heard emanating quietly from a guitar that may or may not be played by Leadbelly. Who, it should be noted, is not on the list.)

COBAIN: Uhm, thanks. I guess this is supposed to be an honor, but mostly I just feel like I sold out again. I mean, CSI: Miami? Really, Courtney? That's what you're going with?

(sigh)

Nevermind.

Now if you'll excuse me, my stomach hurts.

(The light fades, and with it we hear the clattering of a drum kit being destroyed.)

Oct. 24 - Dead Guy Upset!

From Oh No They Didn't website: NEW YORK (Reuters) -- Rock 'n' roll legend Elvis Presley ceded his crown to Nirvana lead singer Kurt Cobain on Forbes.com's list as the top-earning dead celebrity.

The list, published on Tuesday, said grunge rocker Cobain earned $50 million between October 2005 and October 2006. Presley wound up in the No. 2 slot with $42 million, down from last year's $45 million.

Forbes.com bases its dollar amounts on licensing deals for using the deceased celebrities' work or image in advertising or elsewhere.

This was Cobain's first time on the list in its six years of publication. Presley has ruled the roost since its inception, said Forbes.com staff writer Lacey Rose.

Cobain's coup was due to his widow, actress and singer Courtney Love, who sold a 25-percent stake in the Seattle grunge group's song catalog to New York music publishing company PrimeWave.

Ranked after Presley is "Peanuts" cartoon strip creator Charles Schulz at $35 million.

Rounding out the top five were Beatle John Lennon at $24 million and groundbreaking physicist Albert Einstein at $20 million, whose estate profited from such licensing deals as the popular "Baby Einstein" educational videos.

Other celebrities on the list include Theodore Geisel, better known as children's book author Dr. Seuss; rhythm & blues pioneer Ray Charles, silver screen legend Marilyn Monroe and reggae superstar Bob Marley.

Past top earners include songwriter Irving Berlin and actor Marlon Brando.

Oct 23 - Dylan again

The Variety review of his San Diego concert referenced his "Elvis-esque leg shakes."

Oct 22 - Xmas = Elvis Pretty Much Every Time

Looking for old Xmas albums on Amazon, came across this... Am not buying...
Various Artists / Holiday Sounds Of The Season 2002
Year: 2002
Track Title
1. Jingle Bells -- Diana Krall
2. Christmas Song -- Dave Matthews Band
3. Christmas Time Is Here -- Toni Braxton
4. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer/Frosty the Snowman -- Kenny G
5. Wonderful Christmastime -- Paul McCartney & Wings
6. Angels Running -- Cher
7. Angels We Have Heard on High -- Michael McDonald
8. Carol of the Bells -- The Calling
9. I Believe in Father Christmas -- Vertical Horizon
10. Here Comes Santa Claus -- Elvis Presley With The Jordanaires
11. Because It's Christmas -- Barry Manilow
12. The Christmas Song -- Christina Aguilera

Oct. 21 - Megastore

While wandering around the Virgin Megastore, saw full page size cards in rack near the cashiers -- one had the Andy Warhol double Elvis color, the other was the black and white Jail House Rock close up.

Oct 21 - Fat Elvis Impersonator Extra

Watching VH1 Classic, there was a two-hour block about TOTP -- and one of the hours had a guy in a bad Elvis outfit standing next to a host as he spoke, and the host said something like "Fat Elvis is in the house."

Oct. 20 - Review of Jonestown doc

In which Jim Jones was referred to as having Elvis cool.

Oct. 20 - Old review of Intensive Care

Since Robbie has a new album out, there are links to the old one. And in one review, it said "On Advertising Space, he can't depict Elvis's twilight years without making a priapic cameo appearance, lusting after Lisa Marie."

Oct. 19 - Can't remember exact reference

But I know there was one in this month's issue... Perhaps as I work my way thru I'll come across it again.

P.S. I'm just learning this tagging concept of the new blogspot, but it seems like a good, helpful improvement.

Oct. 19 - Honda Commercial

Watching a commercial before something else on-line, discovered "hunka hunka burning love" is now the theme song to a Honda CR-V.

Oct 17 - Dress like Elvis reference

Attended a meeting in which someone made reference to dressing up like Elvis for Halloween.

Oct. 16 - Hot List

There's a young photo of Elvis accompanying the book review for Elvis 21 Years Old book in the latest Rolling Stone.

Oct. 15 - People Ref.

One of the new young hot actors profiled -- Channing someone -- said he had his "Elvis moment."

Oct. 15 - All Over Vanity Fair

Not this old VF, but the new one on the stands now. I think EP was mentioned at least 4 times, mostly in relation to the country music parts.

Oct. 17 - Waylon

From Hilburn in the LAT: Waylon Jennings was a protégé of Buddy Holly, a roommate of Johnny Cash, a musical partner of Willie Nelson and a favorite of Bob Dylan — and a new, four-disc retrospective from RCA/Legacy Records shows why all those talents were drawn to him.

I'll even throw in another famous name for good measure: Elvis Presley.He's who Jennings reminded me of the first time I saw him in the '60s in concert in Long Beach. The charismatic West Texas native performed only a half-dozen songs, but one, if memory serves, was a version of Gordon Lightfoot's "(That's What You Get) For Lovin' Me" in a voice so scorching and sensual it felt as if it could have burned a hole in the speakers.

At that moment, it was easy to picture Jennings as what Presley could have become if he had given up the wiggle and concentrated on progressive country music in the '60s rather than spend all those years making hapless movies.

The new boxed set, "Nashville Rebel," is an ambitious retrospective — nearly 100 tracks and a 144-page illustrated booklet — and the highlights are as dynamic as his Long Beach show.


And in that same article, about Tony Bennett: Bennett's ties to soulful elements in those days didn't capture the media's attention the way the Ray's did, but a youngster in Memphis, Tenn., in the early '50s surely noticed. Twenty years later, in fact, Presley recorded his version of "Rags to Riches."

Oct. 13 - Def Leopard

They were on Jonsey's Jukebox today (promoting their appearance at the Hollywood Bowl), and I came in late but heard them and Steve talking about some song that one of the guys said sounded like "Gene or Elvis" and then clarified they meant Gene Pitney.

Oct. 13 - NaNoWriMo

In a section about uploading photos to the site, the description said, "Or you could upload a picture of a tortilla chip that looks like Elvis, although we'd rather you didn't."

October 11 - Connect the dots

I was searching Google Images for The Kid Stays in the Picture Movie Poster, and this image was one of the first 20 results. Glad to see it, but why?

Oct. 10 - Xmas Time is Here

Bette Midler has a new holiday CD called "Cool Yule" and in the liner notes she mentions Elvis. Also, at the Target Xmas music display (up in early October!) there's an Elvis Xmas Cd with a sticker saying "as seen on TV." I haven't seen it on TV, but of course I don't watch a lot of commercial TV.

Oct. 10 - Cover Discovery

Checking out the new CD releases, see the Parrothead guy has a new one -- but he covers "Elvis Presley Blues!"

October 9 - Xmas news

I was searching Google for upcoming Christmas albums and found this quote from some new age guy:

In 1984, after selling 500,000 Fresh Aire albums, I wrote my first Christmas album. I was told by retailers that I shouldn't do one because it would be perceived that I was out of ideas. Everybody's notion of Christmas music at the time was the $2.99 albums out there. It was all the same: some artist singing a Christmas carol. But I said, what if you did Christmas music with a little class, using classical music? Now, 23 million copies later, the No. 2 Christmas artist behind us is Elvis Presley, with 16 million.

October 9 - History of a studio

I was looking up the street address for my local public broadcasting station, and on a "tour KCET" site they gave the history of the studio that used to be at that location. Included was a photo of Elvis and the information:
The last movie the studio released was 1965's "Tickle Me," starring "The King" himself, Elvis Presley

October 7 - Muzak for the Masses

Guess what was playing in the parking lot of the fancy Target/Best Buy structure?

Also, the Elvis #1 CDs was at eye level on one of the racks of recommended music at Target.

Oct. 3 - Ween mention

I made note that something related to a Ween song played on indie 103.1 in the morning was EP related, but now I can't remember what it was! Oh well.

Oct 3 - First Mention

Hillburn reviewing a Jazz collection of CDS:
Almost all important rock pioneers, from Elvis Presley to Bob Dylan, have spoken about the excitement they felt as teens tuning in to R&B stations and hearing music filled with a passion and character rarely found on mainstream pop radio. This set lets you put yourself in those artists' place and imagine what it was like to hear that music for the first time — and marvel at how exciting so much of it still sounds.

October 3 - LA Times 2nd mention

A collection of about 90 photos that once adorned the walls of Michael Ovitz's now-defunct Artists Management Group will be auctioned in New York this month at Phillips de Pury & Co.'s fall photography sale.

The collection includes a 1963 photograph of Bob Dylan by Richard Avedon; a series of photographs of Elvis Presley's Graceland by William Eggleston, published in an edition of 31 copies in 1984; Irving Penn's "Rock Groups, San Francisco" (1967); and Barry Winograd's "Muhammad Ali — Oscar Bonavena Press Conference, New York" (1970).

October 2 - Same ad, different mag

That same TCM ad about Jail House Rocks in People too.