WHEN ELVIS PRESLEY STROLLED onto the stage for his last performance, there was something different about him. His face had swelled, and his gut was pregnant with obesity. His hair and signature sideburns overran his head and face, and his movements, karate kicks, and hip swivels, were no longer crisp or energetic. He could still sing--he never lost that--and he still had a charismatic stage presence, and he could still send fans into a frenzy. But for years leading up to his death, it seemed the brightness that once shone from this superstar came more from his sequin-adorned jumpsuits than from the man himself.
Today it seems Presley is worth more dead than alive. In the first three years after Presley's death, his estate earned more money than in his entire career. His Graceland mansion is second only to the White House as the most-visited home in the nation. And each year, Elvis books and commemorative merchandise are produced, new Elvis CDs are released, and Elvis documentaries and TV movies are aired.
Recent years prove January and August to be the "months of Elvis," when countless movies and television specials mark Presley's birthday and anniversary of death. But May is making the competition stiff. This month Sony BMG will release a new two-CD set commemorating the legendary singer. Complementing the set will be a new book from Crown Publishers. Both share the title: Elvis By The Presleys.
The CD set should be well received by Presley fans. It features a very playful rendition
of Too Much Monkey Business, several takes of Jailhouse Rock, revealing how the rock anthem developed, and private recordings by Presley. The book should be just as successful. It is chock full of anecdotes from friends and family, as well as rare photographs. A close up photo of a bullet riddled television captures just one of Presley's moods.
Then comes a two hour television special, also entitled Elvis By The Presleys, set to air on CBS on May 13. The special will feature never-before-seen footage of Presley's performances and family home movies, along with photographs from the Presley Estate archives. Interviews with Presley family members, including former wife Pricilla and daughter Lisa Marie, will also highlight the special.
Just when you thought the show was over, Presley is back for another encore. Enter Elvis, an upcoming CBS miniseries chronicling Presley's life and rise to stardom. The two-part, four hour miniseries will air on May 8 and 11. What makes this project so rare is that it has acquired the endorsement and cooperation of the Presley Estate; it also gained access to Presley's master recordings. It is the largest of the four Presley projects this month; Todd Morgan, Director of Media and Creative Development for Elvis Presley Enterprises, hopes Elvis "will be a ratings champ."
More than likely, Morgan's wish will come true. Twenty-eight years after his death, Presley is still a gold mine. But will this new installment to Everything Elvis present anything different from what we've seen so far? Val Kilmer, Harvey Keitel, and Don Johnson have already taken on the role of the famed rock'n'roller, and a pre-teen Kurt Russell appeared with Presley in It Happened at the World's Fair before taking on the role himself in a 1979 TV movie. Russell donned a jumpsuit again some twenty years later in 3,000 Miles to Graceland.
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