Elvis Jumpsuit

Published on October 27, 2009 in Elvis Jumpsuit. 0 Comments

Elvis impersonators playing their Elvis Tribute performances almost always adopt the Elvis Presley jumpsuit as their stage costume. It is the iconic stage costume still instantly associated with Elvis around the world long after he passed on in 1977.

In fact the jumpsuit was preferred on stage by Elvis only late in his career. After his comeback television concert in 1968, he regularly performed in Las Vegas until his death in 1977. It was his Las Vegas years 1969-1977 that were his jumpsuit wearing years.

When Elvis began to perform in Las Vegas it was also the time of the 1960s Rat Pack, including Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr., among others. Their singing style as crooners contrasted sharply with the King of Rock style of Elvis. He wanted to mark this difference with a distinctive stage costume quite different from the tuxedo that they preferred to wear on stage.

Elvis Jumpsuit

Elvis Jumpsuit

He turned to Bill Belew, the designer who developed the leather outfit he wore for his 1968 comeback show.

Below was inspired initially by the interest Elvis had in karate, and his first costume concept resembled a karate martial arts suit. This quickly evolved into a one piece jumpsuit made in wool gabardine, with a Napoleonic collar, deep cut neck line, pointed sleeve cuffs and flared legs. This basic concept remained the basis for the jumpsuits that followed.

For the Aloha Hawaii concerts a cape was introduced, which was soon shortened to waist length because the longer version proved cumbersome on stage, and prone to grabbing by fans. These concerts also added a distinctly American look, with a wide belt with a large belt buckle and an American eagle design on the chest. Metal and rhinestone studding became a feature.

By 1974 the cape was phased out and the emphasis turned to elaborate embroidery work, in which the talented Gene Douchette played a leading role. The jumpsuit costumes became works of art, with the cost said to have reached as much as $10,000 per costume. The similarity of the later jumpsuits to the elaborate costumes worn by Spanish matadors has been noticed by some observers.

A wide range of designs were made, with diverse themes. There followed versions with beading, fringes, wings and other additions. Decorative designs were inspired by an eagle, flower, butterfly, rainbow, peacock, prehistoric bird, king of spades, target, owl and more, and the suits came in a spectrum of bright colors. Some 56 remain in the Elvis Jumpsuits Exhibit collection at Graceland in Memphis, and others are in private ownership.

Elvis As A Business Enterprise

Published on February 8, 2010 in Elvis Presley Biography. 0 Comments

Elvis lives on in his daughter.

On August 16, 1977, after Elvis Presley's death, his will stated that Vernon Presley, his father, was the trustee and executor of his personal and business affairs that weren't associated with his career. His other beneficiaries included Minnie Mae Presley, his grandmother and his daughter, Lisa Marie Presley. It also stated that Vernon could provide the other family members some funding if he found it needed. It was totally up to his discretion.

Vernon died in 1969 and Minnie Mae died the year after. Therefore, Elvis's only child Lisa Marie was the lone heir to the entire Elvis Enterprise. Elvis's will also stated that Lisa Marie's inheritance would be held until her twenty-fifth birthday which was February 1, 1993.

Vernon's successors were Joseph Hanks (Elvis's accountant), Priscilla Beaulieu Presley (Elvis's ex-wife and Lisa's legal guardian) and the National Bank of Commerce in Memphis. When Lisa turned 25, the trust dissolved and she was allowed to the Elvis Presley Trust which continues to manage the estate successfully. The National Bank and Priscilla both remain as co-trustees.

Lisa takes after her father
After five years, Lisa's role grew. She also became more involved in the management of the Elvis Presley trust and Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. or EPE. This is the business entity of the entire Elvis Presley trust. She was the Chairman of the Board till February of 2005. She sold the major interest of the company.

Had it not been for Elvis experiencing cash flow problems before his untimely death, Graceland could have been one of the greatest fortunes throughout entertainment history. The estate wasn't broke but there was a problem in the cash flow. Maintaining Graceland and its taxes cost over half a million dollars. It was only practical that Priscilla and the other executors have Graceland open for public viewing. On June 7, 1982, the palace of The King opened for public tours.

EPE had gotten hold of the shopping center across from the mansion. After Elvis's death, the former suburban strip and shopping center turned into Elvis souvenir shops that sold items which weren't licensed by the Estate. By getting management of the property, EPE overhauled it and turned it to the Graceland plaza.

Tourist site
Graceland opens its doors for over 600,000 tourists every year. It is also one of the most visited homes in America. Graceland was among the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.

The sole princess, Lisa Marie continues to retain absolute sole ownership of the mansion and its 13-acre grounds. She made the mansion and her father's property permanently available for tours. The money is used to fund all operations of the Elvis Presley Enterprise.

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Lisa Marie Presley

Published on February 5, 2010 in Elvis Presley Biography. 0 Comments

Lisa - The King's Sole Princess

If you ever wonder what it's like to be the kid of the King, you can only ask one person, Lisa Marie Presley. She was born on the 1st of February 1968 to the legendary Elvis Presley and Priscilla Presley, an actress.

Following the cliche of most daughters of rock stars, Lisa attended various boarding schools in Los Angeles, Ventura County, and Opai. She was expelled from one boarding school due to cocaine abuse. She was also a student at a Scientology school for a brief period of time.

Because she was Elvis's sole heir, Lisa Marie inherited his entire estate when she was only 30 years old. In August 2005, she placed 85 percent of the estate on the market and excluded Graceland and the property surrounding it.

She is close to Linda Thompson, Elvis's ex-girlfriend. She followed the advice of Thompson's then husband and record producer, David Foster. This association also led on to the adage of following her father's footsteps when Lisa launched her own rock star career.

To Whom It May Concern was her debut album. It was # 5 on the Billboard 200 charts and turned gold. She held concerts in the United Kingdom for the promotion of the album. Ironically, this is something Elvis never did.

Lisa Marie released a second album titled Now What in 2005 and it was 9th spot on the Billboard 200 charts. It also turned gold. The difference between To Whom It May Concern and Now What is that the latter has a Parental Advisory tag. Both albums are certified Platinum.

The Princess had a hard time looking for a Prince. On October 3, 1988, she married Danny Keough. Two children were born from the union: their daughter Danielle Riley (May 29, 1989) and their son Benjamin Storm (October 21, 1992). They divorced due to irreconcilable differences. They are still good friends.

The daughter of the King married the King of Pop Michael Jackson on May 26, 1994, away from prying eyes in the Dominican Republic. However, the pair divorced after only 21 months of marriage due to irreconcilable differences.

But the shortest marriage would be with actor Nicolas Cage. They married on August 10, 2002 and divorced three months later, also on grounds of irreconcilable differences.

Right now, Lisa Marie is happily married to Michael Lockwood, who is her music producer and her guitarist. It is surprizing to note that her first husband Keough was the best man.

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The Blues Phase of Elvis Presley

Published on February 2, 2010 in Elvis Presley Biography. 0 Comments

It's surprising to find out that the man who would be touted the king was once a worker at a machine shop. He merely wandered into the recording studio in Memphis on his lunch hour so he could record two songs for his mother's birthday present. That $3.98 investment became his ticket to stardom.

The first two songs he ever recorded where My Happiness and That's When Your Heartaches Begin. This is why earlier in his career, Elvis Presley was often associated to singing the blues. It is also interesting to note that the owner of Sun Records, Sam Phillips was looking for a Caucasian man who could sing what most of the African Americans were listening to at that time which was the R&B style.

But Philips was quite hard to impress. The young Elvis didn't get his vote when he recorded I'll Never Stand In Your Way and Careless Love. But Elvis wasn't the type to give up easily. He went back to the studio six months later, to sing `That's Alright Mama' because this was what Philips suggested. He had a band to back him up which consisted of Scotty Moore on the guitar and Bill Black on bass. This was when Phillips finally recognized the potential in Elvis Presley and decided to market him as the breakthrough star he was searching for.

Elvis signed on to Sun Records and eventually became part of the record company's Million Dollar Quartet alongside Jerry Lewis, Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins.

Elvis recorded five songs for the company and had reached out to Suns targeted audience by 1955. He was popular in the South. Col Tom Parker was his manager. Elvis's manager knew how to sell his client. Parker started a campaign which ignited Elvis's national exposure.

His first ever appearance was on the Dorsey Brothers Stage Show on CBS. Then on the Steve Allen Show, he performed Hound Dog. From that performance, he earned the nickname Elvis the Pelvis because of his gyrating hips. The family oriented Ed Sullivan was worried about this at first, but he changed his mind when the ratings showed that 52 million people tuned in which would have been one out of every three Americans.

Parker wanted to steer Elvis clear from the holds of the Sun Records Company in order for him to make his own negotiations. It eventually ended with RCA buying Elvis contract for $40,000. That was huge at the time.

Elvis wasn't yet 21 so it was his father, Vernon, who signed the contract. After that, Elvis didn't have to sing the blues.

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