Tag Archives: Elvis Presley

For Veterans Day: Private Presley

Presley didn’t stay a “private”, he was promoted to Sergeant in January, 1960. I just liked the alliteration of “Private Presley”. Sept. 23, 1958: Interview with Elvis Presley in the library of the U.S.S. Randall just before sailing to Europe … Continue reading

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“Given as much to the gutter as to the gods” — Nick Tosches

“He was born alone. He would die alone. These truths, he, like every punk, took to heart. But in him they framed another truth, another solitary, stubborn stone in the eye of nothing. There was something, a knowing, in him … Continue reading

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Happy Birthday, Wanda Jackson, the Rockabilly Queen

A pioneer. One of the few women in that original “class”. Rockabilly was a boys’ game. She changed that game. She looked around in 1954/55, and thought, “Hey. All these songs are written by boys. Dear me. What should I … Continue reading

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Today, the Sheila Variations is old enough to drink.

The above pic of me – taken by Michael – graced the top of my original blog, when I set it up 21 years ago today. I never should have put my picture up – it led to a lot … Continue reading

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“That cat was royalty, man.” — Mick Jagger on Eddie Cochran

It’s his birthday today. Eddie Cochran’s songs still get play everywhere, all the time, on the radio no less! 1950s hits still in rotation. Elvis’ 1950s hits aren’t still in rotation. The only ones you hear on the radio for … Continue reading

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Podcast: Watch With Jen: Let’s talk about Elvis!

Well, THIS was a blast. Jen Johans had me onto her excellent podcast again to talk about 5 Elvis movies of my choosing! I picked: King Creole, Flaming Star, Girl Happy, Live a Little Love a Little and The Trouble … Continue reading

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Groundhog Day was one of the greatest scripts ever written. It didn’t even get nominated for an Academy Award.” — Bill Murray

Yup. (It’s Murray’s birthday today.) I have often said that it’s interesting to consider what films made today might be considered classics to future generations. Something like Casablanca was not a “prestige picture”, it was not filmed with a ponderous … Continue reading

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“I’m trying to get people to see that we are our brother’s keeper. Red, white, black, brown or yellow, rich or poor, we all have the blues.” — B.B. King

WHAT a performance. And WHAT an audience. The mood – the back and forth – the communication going on – not just from up on the stage, but coming back at him from the crowd – is what live performance … Continue reading

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Happy Birthday, Otis Redding

Seen on Beale Street: Watch Otis Redding’s live 1967 performance of “Try a Little Tenderness.” In this performance, what always strikes me is where it starts … and then where it GOES. And the journey he takes in between. That … Continue reading

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August 2023 Viewing Diary

Oppenheimer (2023; d. Christopher Nolan) In general, I am not a Nolan fan (the only one of his I liked was Dunkirk), and I went into this hesitantly because I read an interview with him where he said the whole … Continue reading

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