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Elvis' #1 Pop Singles on Cashbox, USA: Heartbreak Hotel (1956) Don't Be Cruel (1956) Hound Dog (1956) Love Me Tender (1956) Too Much (1957) All Shook Up (1957) Teddy Bear (1957) Jailhouse Rock (1957) Don't (1958) Stuck On You (1960) It's Now Or Never (1960) Are You Lonesome Tonight? (1960) Surrender (1961) Good Luck Charm (1962) Return To Sender (1962) In The Ghetto (1969) Suspicious Minds (1969) Burning Love (1972) (The Cashbox chart is now defunct) Elvis Facts: Elvis was 5' 11" tall
Elvis' natural hair color was dark blond
Elvis' blood type was O Positive
Elvis' shoe size was 11D
One of Elvis'( maternal) ancestors, Morning White Dove (born 1800, died 1835), was a full-blooded Cherokee Indian
Elvis' uncle, Noah Presley, became Mayor of East Tupelo on January 7, 1936
The Presley family moved to Memphis on November 6, 1948
Elvis was issued a Social Security card in September 1950 with the # 409-52-2002
In 1954 some of the shows played by Elvis & The Blue Moon Boys were at the Overton Park Shell; the Bel-Air Club; Sleepy-Eyed John's Eagle's Nest Club and the Louisiana Hayride
Elvis' first manager was Scotty Moore, then Bob Neal, before signing with Colonel Tom Parker
The first DJ to play an Elvis record was Fred Cook (WREC), not Dewey Phillips (WHBQ). However, Dewey had the distinction of being the first DJ to play an Elvis record in its entirety
Elvis once dated famous stripper, Tempest Storm
Elvis was filmed from the waist up only during his 3rd and final appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show
In the 50s Elvis was friendly with rising stars, Natalie Wood, Robert Wagner and Ty (Bronco Lane) Hardin
Gladys Presley was 46 years old when she died, not 42, as many books suggest
The Roustabout album sold 450,000 copies on its initial release, 150,000 copies more than any of the preceding three soundtrack LPs. It was Elvis' last "soundtrack" album to reach #1 on the major album charts in the US
Elvis received $1m for filming Harum Scarum (aka Harum Holiday). The film grossed around $2m in the US
Elvis and Priscilla married on May 1, 1967
They were officially divorced on October 9, 1973
Elvis earns nearly $3.5m in 1968 and pays just over $1.4m in income tax
Elvis' return to live performing in Las Vegas on July 31, 1969 was in front of an "by invitation only" audience. Stars in attendance included Wayne Newton, Petula Clark, Shirley Bassey, Burt Bacharach and Angie Dickinson
On January 9, 1971, the national Junior Chamber of Commerce (Jaycees) announced Elvis as one of "The Top Ten Young Men of the Year". Elvis spoke at the official awards ceremony on January 16
"Elvis: Aloha From Hawai" made entertainment history on January 14, 1973, when it was beamed around the world by satellite. In the Philippines it drew 91% of the audience, in Hong Kong 70%. The viewing audience was estimated at more than 1 billion
For his 4 week Hilton Vegas season in August 1973 Elvis received $610,000 Sales of Elvis' 1973 album, Raised On Rock, were less than 200,000 units on its initial release
Elvis paid $2,959,000 in income tax in 1973
In December 1976 Elvis was sworn in as a special deputy sheriff of Shelby County (Memphis) by Sheriff Gene Barksdale
Elvis' final live concert was in Indianapolis on June 26, 1977 When Elvis died, he and his father Vernon, were embroiled in an FBI investigation called Operation Fountain Pen More than 1,500 books have been published about The King in more than 30 languages
At Dec 2005 Elvis' biggest selling album in the US is the budget priced, Elvis' Christmas Album, with accredited sales of 9 million units (fingers crossed it reaches 10 million to give Elvis his first "Diamond" award)
By early2006, Sony BMG's "collectors label", Follow That Dream, had released more than 50 Elvis CDs
During the 1980s, tour guides at Graceland stated that Elvis' biggest selling album (globally) was Moody Blue, with sales exceeding 14 million
While Sony BMG estimates Elvis' global sales exceed 1 billion, the company is unable to substantiate this figure. Accredited sales worldwide are estimated to be less than 400 million
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Welcome to EIN's "Elvis Book Month". Throughout August 2006 we will be highlighting the vast Elvis library comprised of non-fiction, fiction and specialist publications. We will:
Ger Rijff Booklist - updated today Elvis Book Fact #7: Particularly since the early 1990s, an increasing number of major Elvis books have been released in audio and/or digital formats. The titles include:
Where to buy out of print, rare Elvis books: As a rule of thumb Book Dealers put a premium on rare, out of print (OOP) books. However, the advent of the Internet has allowed us all to access thousands of items that previously were elusive. Three great places to find rare, out of print Elvis books are:
Each of these outlets offers NEW and USED items, often at a fraction of the normal or original retail cost. Books can be found starting at only 1 cent (plus p&p)! These outlets are also a great place to get recent titles at a discounted price. Some examples. Yesterday Amazon had the following rare and/or used titles available:
And don't forget to check the various country sites Amazon and ebay maintain. For example, if you are looking for a Japanese published Elvis title, Amazon Japan or eBay Japan may be your best bet rather than the main (USA based) Amazon and eBay sites. Another tip: Always cross-check prices. Even if you find a very cheap book on eBay, look at Amazon & B&N as you'll be surprised how many times you find the same book at a cheaper, buy now price. Mini Book Review - A PRESLEY SPEAKS, Vester Presley as told to Deda Bonura. Wimmer Brothers, (Memphis) USA, 1978, Soft cover, Illustrated, ISBN: 0918544114.
Elvis Book Fact #6: There have been more than 20 comic books published about Elvis. These include the three part comic novel, "Elvis Shrugged" and the seven-part series, "The Elvis Presley Experience". The rarest Elvis comic book is an underground release with the title "Elvis and Priscilla F--king". Surprisingly, despite its controversial title, its images are not particularly pornographic.
German & French book releases: In Germany, Bosworth Music GmbH will release the German edition of Careless Love by Peter Guralnick (paperback, ISBN 3865431070). Release date is set for August. In February this year they also released the German edition of Last Train to Memphis. Also in August, Bosworth Music GmbH will re-release Elvis - Story und Songs Kompakt (paperback, 160 pages, ISBN 3865432301).
Elvis Book Fact #5: There are more than 200 foreign language books with Elvis in their title. Books about Elvis have been published in more than 20 languages.
Mini Book Review - CHILD BRIDE: THE UNTOLD STORY OF PRISCILLA BEAULIEU PRESLEY, Suzanne Finstad Harmony Books, USA, 1997, Hardback, 387 pages, Illustrated, ISBN: 0517705850. Century/Random House, UK/Australia/New Zealand/South Africa, 1997, Hardback, 387 pages, Illustrated, ISBN: 0712677747. Random House Value Publishing, Incorparated, USA, 1997, Hardback, 320 pages, Illustrated(?), ISBN: 0517705850. Berkeley Boulevard Books, USA, 1998, Softcover, 464 pages, Illustrated, ISBN: 07183100750. Berkley Publishing Group, USA, 1998, Softcover, 464 pages, Illustrated, ISBN: 0425165442. Three Rivers Press, USA, 2006, Softcover, 480 pages, Illustrated, ISBN: 0307336956. Synopsis: Truly sensational expose of the head of Elvis Presley Enterprises. Characterized as Priscilla’s ‘life of lies’ this book paints a far from flattering picture of a scheming woman who has created a false image of herself and spun a web of deceit. Was Priscilla a virgin when she met Elvis?: what did her parents really think about her dating and later living with Elvis - these and other themes in Elvis folklore are given a new twist:
Of particular interest are a detailed account of Elvis’s sexual persona, Lisa Marie Presley’s attempts at becoming a rock star and several rare photos. The author also injects some humor:
As always, the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle.
Elvis Book Fact #4 - Privately Published Elvis Books: Elvis is arguably the #1 icon for privately published Elvis books. From fan club booklets to quality photobooks nearly 500 titles have been produced by individuals and organisations operating within the Elvis fan club network and outside mainstream bookstores.
The book was published in June 2004 to critical acclaim and has sold most of its initial 3000 print run. Victoria University Press publisher Fergus Barrowman said it received a letter from a British law firm, acting on behalf of Burroughs’ estate, several weeks after the book was published. It wanted a New Zealand website to stop advertising the book. The publishers had since received several letters from lawyers for the estate, based in Tarzana, California.
Availability: "Tarzan Presley" is not listed on Amazon or B&N and no copies of the book have appeared on ebay in the past year.
The hard-to-believe books worth reading (#1):
Regardless, this book detailing an alleged affair of the heart was the first, and best, of an infrequent series to be published over the ensuing two decades. Others would be the factual "Elvis & Kathy" (Kathy Westmoreland: 1987), the neo-factual "Don't Ask Forever My Love Affair With Elvis" (Joyce Bova: 1994); "The King, McQueen and the Love Machine" (Barbara Leigh: 2001); and Tears Of A Shadow (Patchouli: 2004). "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" possessed a vital spark and eventual tragedy not as apparent in these other memoirs, although Kathy Westmoreland came close with her interesting, but uneven, reflection on her relationship with The King. At the height of the illegitimate children story around 10 different people had come forward claiming to be Elvis' offspring. The story gained wide tabloid interest for nearly a year before giving way to a more psychologically resonant and long lasting story, namely that Elvis didn't die on 16 August 1977. The bibliographic resource, Elvis In Print: The Definitive Reference and Price Guide, says of "Are You Lonesome Tonight?":
Elvis Book Fact #3 - Elvis book sales today: Since the early 1990s sales of Elvis books generally have been in decline. A glut of titles following his death was initially generally well met with even minor titles selling briskly, but over time the continuing high numbers of books being published about Elvis could not sustain substantial sales figures.
The title takes its name from the billing given Elvis when he first appeared (rather disastrously) in Las Vegas that year.
New book - "Who Is the Greatest? Elvis or the Beatles?": Coinciding nicely with EIN's ongoing series of articles comparing Elvis and the Beatles, comes news of this new softcover 232 page book by Mike Stephens and Bill Slater. Due out in the USA on 28 August from the Dorset Group (ISBN: 0976802112). (News, Source: ElvisBookResearch) Read EIN's articles on Elvis vs the Beatles Elvis Book Fact #2 - The highest selling Elvis books: A number of books about Elvis have reached #1 on the best seller lists and/or sold in excess of 1 million copies. These include:
"Elvis What Happened?" (aka 'The Bodyguard Book') had the distinction of, at the time, being the biggest book order placed by the K-Mart chain in the USA, with more than 1 million copies ordered around August 1977. The "original" Elvis biography, "Elvis" by Jerry Hopkins (originally published in 1971 and reissued most recently in 2006) sold very well around the world but its total sales figures have not been published. Whether or not it has reached 1 million sales is a moot point.
Elvis Book Fact #1: - How many books have been published about Elvis?: The bibliographic resource, Elvis In Print: The Definitive Reference and Price Guide lists more than 2,000 books about Elvis being published between 1959 and 2007. This number includes:
The only other persons to rival the number of books published about Elvis are 'Jesus' and 'JFK'.
Other contributors include Priscilla Presley, Albert Goldman, Richard Middleton and Lester Bangs. W. P. Kinsella’s essay ‘Elvis Bound’ may offend some with its graphic detail of Elvis’s sexual escapades. Some of the essays (eg. Van K. Brock’s ‘Images of Elvis, the South and America’) appeared previously. Also features with a useful 35 page reference section. This release is one of the best of its kind. (Source: Elvis In Print: The Definitive Reference and Price Guide) Availability: Amazon & Barnes & Noble (Second Hand Dealers Network) Click to comment on EIN's "Elvis Book Month"
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Quote: "Elvis Presley is the supreme socio-cultural icon in the history of pop culture" (Dr. Gary Enders) Quote: "Elvis is the 'glue' which holds our society together....which subconciously gives our world meaning" (Anonymous) Quote: "Eventually everybody has to die, except Elvis" (humorist Dave Barry) Quote: "He is the "Big Bang", and the universe he detonated is still expanding, the pieces are still flying" (Greil Marcus, "Dead Elvis") Quote: "I think Elvis Presley will never be solved" (Nick Tosches) Quote: "He was the most popular man that ever walked on this planet since Christ himself was here" (Carl Perkins) Quote: "When I first heard Elvis' voice I just knew I wasn't going to work for anybody...hearing him for the first time was like busting out of jail" (Bob Dylan) Quote: "When we were kids growing up in Liverpool, all we ever wanted was to be Elvis Presley" (Sir Paul McCartney) Quote: "You can't say enough good things about Elvis. He was one of a kind" (Johnny Cash) Quote: "And don't think for one moment he's just a passing fancy....he's got enough of it to keep him on top for a long time" (R. Fred Arnold, Fury magazine, Aug 1957) Quote: "It isn't enough to say that Elvis is kind to his parents, sends money home, and is the same unspoiled kid he was before all the commotion began. That still isn't a free ticket to behave like a sex maniac in public" (Eddie Condon, Cosmopolitan) Elvis records reaching #2 & #3 on the Cashbox Pop Singles chart: #2: A Fool Such As I (1959) #2: A Big Hunk Of Love (1959) #3: Hard Headed Woman (1958) #3: One Night (1958) #3: (You're The Devil) In Disguise (1963) Elvis Facts: Tickets for Elvis' show on March 29, 1957 in St. Louis cost $2.00 to $2.50 While in Germany Elvis was hospitalised with tonsillitis in October 1959 Despite being an illegal immigrant, photographic evidence shows Colonel Tom Parker traveled to Canada with Elvis in 1957 Elvis strongly believed there weren't enough good songs in King Creole to justify releasing a soundtrack album. RCA initially agreed, releasing two very successful EPs from the movie. A soundtrack LP eventually followed During the 1960s Elvis had his own football team, Elvis Presley Enterprises, which played in the Memphis touch football league. In the 1962 final, EPE narrowly lost to Delta Automatic Transmission, 6-13 In Clambake, (Elvis) Scott Hayward's driving licence shows February 23, 1940...taking 5 years off Elvis' real age In the 1970s Elvis was offered $5m to stage a concert in front of the Pyramids in Egypt. When the Colonel declined the offer, Saudi billionaires raised the offer to $10m
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