Happy 75th birthday, Elvis Presley

Elvis Fans All Shook Up For Key Anniversary

Rockers in the US are looking forward to a day of celebrations with the annual Rock and Roll Day falling on what would have been Elvis Presley's 75th birthday.

The king of rock'n'roll was born in Tupelo, Mississippi, to Vernon and Gladys Presley in 1935; he had a twin brother, Jessie Gaaron, who was stillborn.

Elvis went on to become the best-selling solo artist of all time, with worldwide sales of around one billion records.

His premature death in 1977 at the age of just 42 left fans distraught, with so many thousands flocking to pay their respects outside his Gracelands home in Memphis that President Carter took the decision to call in the National Guard.

Gracelands is to play host to today's anniversary party, with Elvis' daughter Lisa Marie and her mother, Priscilla - Elvis' former wife - attending a birthday cake-cutting ceremony at which Memphis officials are due to announce Elvis Presley Day.

More than 300 fans from the UK are in Memphis for the celebrations but, says Todd Slaughter of the Elvis Presley Fan Club of Great Britain, they are facing one or two problems.

"They've got the same weather out there as we have here," he told Sky News Online.

"So we're not sure what's going on.

"The plan was to go to Gracelands and from there to Tupelo but that's been cancelled because of the bad weather.

"What'll they do if all else fails? Have a drink I expect - they're British after all!"

Todd, who runs the fan club, has been taking fans to see Elvis since 1972.

"I thought all that would finish when he died but it's still going strong. We take anything up to 1,000 people out. They're ordinary fans - mums, dads, children and they're just straightforward people who love Elvis."

Todd himself met Elvis on three times, the first when he was with fellow Elvis fan, Radio Luxembourg DJ Tony Prince.

"Nothing prepared me for meeting him.

"The amazing thing was you didn't realise he was there. You'd be in the room and he wasn't there and then suddenly he was, but there was no fanfare, no build up...he was just there, he just appeared.

"He wasn't a public speaker - some stars get their kicks from all the attention wherever they are, but he wasn't like that. He was very shy.

"I would think the stage was where he got his release, when he was performing."

source: yahoo

Riley just Twittered that she was in Memphis. I'm guessing it's for her Grandfathers birthday!
This is what she wrote:

"freezing to death in Memphis..should have brought a bigger coat"

Turns out that she was there, indeed, Bailey
I found this new video. It's about who and how designed Elvis' 75th birthday cake for today's celebrations

Here's a video of the event
You see a few shots of Riley and Ben
Lisa Marie was joking about how cold it was and so were a few of the fans who attended

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Here's the link for thoese who can't see the video: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

I apologise if this is too personal, because I know we have a strict private FaceBook pictures policy, but I found this comment that Ben wrote on his FaceBook in relation to his Granddad's birthday. He wrote:

"Memphis for a week."

and then:

"just awkwardly cut a cake on national tv"

Lol, I thought that was cute!

it's soo cute. I bet they decided to go at it right there and then. They probably felt the fans would have loved it more if the grandkids cut the cake

The house in Tupelo where Elvis was born 75 years ago and lived there for many years..

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The Presleys' local church in Tupelo
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wow that is gorgeous! (the windows) .........rileys so silly hehe

Richard Hawley Interview (The musician that has worked with Lisa on her new album).

Today (8 January) would have been Elvis Presley’s 75th birthday.

The American icon had a string of international smashes from the mid '50s to the mid '70s, popularizing rock 'n' roll with hits including Jailhouse Rock, Shake, Rattle and Roll and his remake of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller's song Hound Dog, to name just three.

One of the biggest-selling performers in history, his influence as a performer and continued fame since his passing in 1977, is unparalleled.

6 Music caught up with a present day musician who still draws inspiration from Elvis, Sheffield's Richard Hawley.

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b]What does Elvis Presley means to you?[/b]

"I just think Elvis changed things forever irrevocably and for the better I think."

If he was still alive today, what kind of music do you think he might be making?

"I would hope at 75 years old that he would be slung between two tall trees, with a hammock and a gin and tonic, or a pint or something like that in his hands, humming away. I love his music. I never knew the man but there was always a fragile humanity about him that he conveyed."

When did you first discover his music?

"I was a six or seven year old boy and I heard That’s All Right, Mama and Mystery Train and I just thought, 'There is the answer to the universe’s questions' for me. It was just three blokes in a little room playing.

"Musically I think he got a on earth of a lot right. There were a lot of people around him that probably prevented that progressing. His ‘70s stuff, when he worked with Chips Moman, the producer, was the nearest thing he ever got back to working with Sam Phillips [the first producer to record Elvis] when he did Suspicious Minds and all those tracks."

You’ve worked with Lisa Marie Presley, his daughter. How was it working with her, because she has one on earth of a legacy to carry?

"I think she carries it well, very well, but I’m only interested in hearing her voice. It was great, we enjoyed each other’s company. I was very nervous at first obviously because I’d worked with some amazing singers like Nancy Sinatra and people like that.

"We ended up at an open mic night at a pub near where she was staying when she was in England. There was me and Lisa stood at the bar with her husband, A guy came up to me and said, 'You look very much like Richard Hawley'. He went, 'Listen, get up and do a song please'. You’re stood next to Lisa and she just looks like her dad and they didn’t say anything. She was laughing her head off. She thought it was pretty funny, and I got up and did a couple of Elvis numbers. It was quite twisted, but it was a good laugh."

Will you be writing with her again?

"Yeah," he laughed. "But I wouldn’t be a gentleman if I let you know."


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I'm glad Riley, Ben, Lisa and Priscilla was there. Thank you for the vid Bailey

Not sure if this has been posted yet, but I'll do it incase it hasn't
It's just another video with a few seconds of Riley and Ben