Elvisly Yours Restaurants

Negotiations continue with a number of potential investors for a chain of "Elvisly Yours Restaurants" and this will be ongoing for many months for the first Restaurant in London. We have already had enquiries for the Restaurant in two major tourist locations in England, outside London. In addition we have had many enquiries about buying shares in the Restaurant Chain from fans and individual investors. However, we are not in a position to sell shares in the Restaurants at this stage. We are looking initially for investment partners who are already Restaurant operators around the world. It is very rewarding knowing there are many potential investors who realise the potential of our Project and maybe at some later stage when there are several Restaurants operating around the world we may consider floating the company to expand more rapidly but our main thrust is concentrated on opening the first Restaurant in London, others will follow with the success of the first Restaurant.  

We have had excellent PR coverage in Trade magazines and a recent feature appeared in the Caterer Magazine. This magazine is the most important and well read in the Catering Trade in Britain. One small mistake was Paul Lillie was described as the "Emerald Elvis", with apologies to Mark Leen. I had said that Paul Lillie and the Emerald Elvis jointly won the "Elvis" Contest to be the opening act at "Elvisly Yours Restaurant" but the magazine got their facts confused.

The partners featured in photo on the right (right to left): 
Ray Hole of Furneaux-Stewart,  Simon Gillott of Intoto Design, Adrian Bates of Bates Guest Partnership, me and Barry Hilton,      with legal representation by Richard Penfold of DLA (not in photo).

Elvis estate is a boon that needs area boost

One of the most successful and well-visited landmarks in the City of Memphis is the Elvis Presley estate and shops in the Whitehaven community. It draws over a half million tourists annually. Elvis's home draws these tourists from all parts of the world and gives them an opportunity to understand the Memphis experience. However, because of the great success it has achieved, more could and should be done to be more community friendly and make some capital improvements in the areas surrounding their historic attraction. Yes improvements have been made, but it seems only for the direct benefit of the estate. There's nothing innately negative regarding making self-enhancing improvements, but being a bit more philanthropic will help Whitehaven as well as the Elvis estate to be more successful perceptively and financially. For example, couldn't there be a half-price day for school-age students, or a $1 day for seniors citizens? One of the area vacant buildings could be used to assist some not-for profit, 501c3 organization to teach computer skills, mentor young boys or provide etiquette classes for young girls. Endeavors such as these will also work to endear the community to the Elvis estate. Many Whitehaven residents have never visited the estate and have no plans to, because they feel alienated and disconnected from their vision. An effort of inclusion, that will involve different sectors of the Whitehaven community, will provide windfall profits as well as positive people production. (News Opinion, Source: Whitehaven Appeal)

This article was taken from the excellent website "Elvis Information Net". For all the latest news and special pages for Bill Burk's "Elvis World" see www.elvisinfonet.com. It is very sad that EPE do nothing for their local community. I have not been to Graceland in ten years but I always remember how run down the area was around Graceland with shops and restaurants boarded up just a stone's throw from Graceland. It seems nothing has changed in those ten years, yet Graceland surely employs local people and for all the hundreds $millions made over the years Graceland should help Whitehaven, I know Elvis would have helped.

For those the Gods are about to destroy 
they first make mad
Our regular feature about the bizarre antics of EPE

We just go on and on wondering about the antics of EPE. Since they could not stop "Jailhouse Rock the Musical" they copied the idea and licensed their own Musical called "All Shook Up" that was in one or two cities in the States, then Chicago before it opens on Broadway. Apparently it is a Musical Comedy. The biggest joke is the billboard advertising the Musical features an "Elvis" character that looks like "Peroxide Blond, Unshaven, Hobo Man". If you are promoting a Show with Elvis songs aptly named, "All Shook Up" why not feature an Elvis character that looks like Elvis ? The theme poster for the Show is awful, a sort of wishy-washy 'Grease' rip-off. How can EPE licence a comedy? They have absolutely zero humour. 

I think this Musical Comedy will go the same way as EPE's Elvis Restaurant and reviews so far have been very under-whelming. The Elvis music may be great but the story is apparently weak and insipid. Does this artwork inspire anyone to part with their hard earned money and don't you just love the peroxide wimp riding as a "passenger" on the girl's bike ? When did you ever see Elvis ride passenger on a motor bike ? But this musical apparently is NOT about Elvis and only has his songs. Perhaps one division of EPE has not licensed the other division to use the name, image and likeness of Elvis so they have had to use a peroxide blond, George Michael look-a-like instead.

      Charles in foreground doing security

Charles Stone and Kraig Parker in UK for 
Elvis Shows

I had the pleasure of meeting Charles Stone and Kraig Parker when they were in Britain in early October. They had come over as special guests of the Elvis Festival in Porthcawl, Wales. Charles is the manager of Kraig and considers him one of the best ETAs in America and decided to manage him just two years ago. 

Charles is like Al Dvorin, a leading person in Elvis' entourage, backstage producing Elvis' Shows for years but he never cashed in on his association after Elvis died. Charles was the Tour Producer for Elvis' Shows in the 1970's and was suddenly taken off a Frank Sinatra Tour to work for Elvis and the Colonel. Charles worked with Elvis until the last concert in June 1977. He was really the Colonel's right hand man on Tour and that meant being with the Colonel nearly all the time, especially in the Casino. He had to keep the Colonel company why he gambled away $millions. The Colonel gave Charles some chips to play along but even Charles would lose up to $1,5000.00 a night (in small chips) while one night the Colonel lost $1,500,000.00. Colonel Parker was like a father to Charles and he only has praise for him. All the stories you hear about the Colonel are from people who did not know him and the real story about the Colonel is yet to come out. He gave $millions to charity but no one really knows because the Colonel's philosophy was giving should come from the heart and not for seeking publicity. Charles hopes to eventually write the definitive book on Colonel Parker. Of course, Charles was a close friend of Al's and was with him shortly before Al was killed. He told me that it was a freak accident and all because Al took off his seat belt.

When someone reached the wrecked car and Al's friend and driver Ed Bonja, Ed asked where Al was and they found his body by the road 50 feet from where the vehicle finally ended up. Even though Al Dvorin had great dreams and plans in his life, especially related to Elvisly Yours Restaurants (he just loved the idea and all the designs), it seems that he was called to heaven to be with his beloved wife Bernice, Elvis, the Colonel and his many departed friends.

Kraig was at Hard Rock Cafe doing a free gig but Hard Rock Cafe had not contacted me to give me details of times. I just thought it was for the media and did not make an announcement through "Elvisly Yours" so fans did not know. Nevertheless, Kraig gave it his "all" as a true showman. You can see Kraig Parker perform regularly each week at the Hard Rock Cafe in Dallas, where he has a huge fan club and packs them in.

NEW ELVIS DOCUMENTARY
produced by Charles Stone

Charles recently hosted an Elvis Convention with Kraig Parker in Las Vegas and invited special guests including Al Dvorin who were all important figures in the career of Elvis Presley. A special documentary was produced with candid discussions about Elvis Presley from this unique group of people from the Elvis World. The documentary will appear soon on TV in America and then a special DVD will be distributed around the world. It will be one of the definitive documentaries on the life of Elvis Presley and we will give further information on our website and in Newsletters when it will air in the States and when the DVD will be released worldwide.

COMPETITION

Below is a photograph of some of the people involved in the making of the documentary. Send us a list of names, from left to right, of all the people in the photograph. On November 15th 2004 we will draw at random a person who has correctly named the group and they will win our 2005 Elvisly Yours calendar (or if American "Elvis in Canada"). 

Send entries to competition@elvisly-yours.com

   
UNUSUAL ELVIS TRIBUTE ARTISTS

		STAR BAREFOOT WALKER
		"Star", as he is known, is probably the most unusual Elvis tribute artist in the world. His tribute to Elvis is not renditions of Elvis' most popular songs but something much deeper and on another, "spiritual" plane. He has produced a series of CDs entitled "Touched by the King" that are tributes to Elvis Presley, based on an actual experience "Star" had in his studios regarding Elvis and Gladys Presley. The CD series is a combination of folk, blues, narration and even meditation. There are no "Elvis" songs but songs sung in an Elvis style and they reminded me very much of music I used to hear in folk clubs when I was a student. The greatest inspiration, probably, for Star is the spirit of the North American Indian, in particular, "Chief Joseph". Star has a tribute to the Chief who was forced off his lands by the 'white' man and who died 100 years ago. If you want some unusual Elvis CDs to add to your Elvis collection and at very reasonable prices check out Star's website:   www.cdbaby.com/all/spiritking                                For more information email his manager Mary Rose:   MaryRoseBS@aol.com.
Both Star and Mary are huge Elvis fans and they have suggested a special tribute to Elvis for the 70th birthday. To quote Mary from her last email : "Lastly, but by no means least, as part of my earthly 'Vision & Missions' I have envisioned us (Elvis fans) linking up by hands round the Rose Garden of Regents Park (just up the road from yourselves!) on Elvis' 'birthday', i.e. 8th Jan & passing 16th Aug and by doing so hopefully send some healing energy to Graceland too!!" If you would like to turn this nice idea into a reality contact Mary Rose and make it happen. I will probably be out of the country on January 8th but we will help in any way we can should enough fans show an interest in this idea for Elvis' 70th birthday on January 8th 2005, a Saturday.