Saturday, October 9, 2021

Being an Elvis Presley Fan circa January 1, 1977 to August 15, 1977

 Man, somedays it seems like it was yesterday and other days it seems like an eternity.

This is one of the harder posts I’ve made in all these decades.

We knew Elvis had gained weight and didn’t look his best. We saw constant photographs and there were times he wasn’t as swollen and yet more times he was so swollen it almost brought you to your knees.

It wasn’t cool to be an Elvis Presley fan in 1977 nor had it been for years. Yes, we bought all his records including the garage of re-issues. We still loved his music but longed for the days when he was in better health. But, through it all, he always had the gift from God of having a 4 1/2 octave range and he showed it off in concerts and on vinyl.

Elvis was still selling out stadiums across America as he had for 8 years. Remarkable. He should have been financially set for life but between Colonel Parker, never taking tax write-offs, and his spending habits that were not the case. But there were whispers that Elvis felt an obligation to his fans, to his employees, to Lisa Marie, to RCA, and with all this pressure he buckled down and went on tour. Time after time after time. How Elvis pulled this off is beyond my comprehension other than he was given gifts from God and he used them throughout his life and he was to leave to go on tour later the (sad) following day of August 16, 1977 the day Elvis Aron Presley died.

I specifically recall the last concert he performed in Louisville, Kentucky in 1977. He was very bloated and yet his infamous suit(s) help hide the weight along with ace bandages which were tightly wrapped around him so that he could fit into his (since 1976) altered suit. But from the time the Sweet Inspirations hit the stage to the sound of 2001 A Space Odyssey came the excitement was building and just when you thought you couldn’t stand it anymore, with the constant screaming there stood the remarkable man still young (looking back in hindsight only 3 years removed from his 30’s) with his infamous guitar and that…voice. There wasn’t before, during, or since Elvis Presley became an entertainer that anyone could touch his stage presence. This was before auto-tune. Before multi-million dollar stage gimmicks. Before lip-singing onstage. No backup dancers to draw your attention away from talented, yet boring, performers. Elvis just needed a stage and an audience and he rocked out.

I was going through some magazines from 1976 and 1977, before he died, along with other collectibles concerning Elvis and there was vitriol for sure but there was also respect, appreciation, and fans galore.

  • NOTE – I have to go now for this is too emotional. I will finish it in the upcoming future.

Monday, January 27, 2020

You asked for rare Elvis Presley Army photos. Well you got 'em Jack

Well, I tried over and over to upload multiple photos but it failed so here is our sister site with EXCEPTIONAL Elvis Army Photos:

https://elviscollector.info/army

And if you  have a chance please become a FREE Member of Elvis Collector Worldwide an Elvis Presley Fan Club

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/elviscollectorworldwide/

Take care and may God bless you and yours always



Monday, November 19, 2018

Elvis Presley and Billboard chart/album/single/genres

COURTESY of Billboard as of January 8 2015 (and January 8th was the date Elvis was born on in 1935)

                                 Funny clip of Elvis in 1972 backstage with giant scarf


Elvis Presley wasn't just the King of Rock & Roll. He remains Billboard chart royalty. On the anniversary of the Jan. 8, 1935 birthday of the late icon, who passed away on Aug. 16, 1977, here's a look back at five of his most impressive chart records.

- 108 Billboard Hot 100 hits, the most among rock artists in the chart's history. Among all acts, only the Glee cast (207) and Lil Wayne (123) have inked more charted hits. Presley's career, however, predates the Hot 100's 1958 inception; he charted more than 30 song entries on surveys that chronicled popular music beginning in 1956. Notably, Presley's 104th Hot 100 hit, "Way Down," originally peaked at No. 31 the weeks of Aug. 6 and 13, 1977. After dipping to No. 53, following Presley's death, the song roared 35-24-21-18, marking his last top 20 track.

- 80 top 40 Hot 100 hits, the most such showings in the tally's archives. Drake ranks second with 67, followed by Elton John (57). On the first Hot 100, dated Aug. 4, 1958, Presley ranked at No. 4 with "Hard Headed Woman" and at No. 34 with "Don't Ask Me Why," each featuring his longtime gospel backing band, the Jordanaires.

- 129 Billboard 200 charted albums, the highest total in the chart's 58-year history. (Frank Sinatra ranks second with 82 entries.) Ten of those sets reached No. 1, beginning with Elvis Presley, which ruled for 10 weeks in 1956. His most recent reign came courtesy of Elv1s: 30 #1 Hits in 2002 (nearly a half-century after his first No. 1).

- 67 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, the most time spent at the top for a solo act. Garth Brooks follows with 52 frames (or, an entire year) in charge, one week ahead of Michael Jackson (51). Presley's longest reign? The Blue Hawaii soundtrack totaled 20 weeks at No. 1, beginning in December 1961.

- Presley became the first rock artist to make two trips to the Hot 100 summit, as "Stuck on You" began a four-week command April 30, 1960. That song, recorded shortly after Presley's discharge from the Army, followed "A Big Hunk O' Love," which led the Aug. 15, 1959, chart. Presley last perched atop the Hot 100 with "Suspicious Minds" the week of Nov. 1, 1969. (In another sign of how much Presley and Billboard charts have been linked, that date doubles as Billboard's birthday; the magazine first published the week of Nov. 1, 1894 - This date of 1894 has to be an error as Billboard did not become a magazine until 1956).


Monday, February 19, 2018

Prayers & support for Lisa Marie Presley & her family/loved ones.

Prayers for Lisa Marie Presley, her children, and her family/loved ones.

Recently it has been (sadly) reported on and on about the details of Lisa Marie’s divorce proceedings. Having young children, and some over 18, divorce/custody issues are NEVER “fun”. It takes tolls each minute of each hour of each day. Lisa Marie Presley has to be strong for her children as their mother and her decisions will affect each of them throughout their lives.
I hope others will pray for Lisa Marie Presley and her family as well as for our fellow man. This world needs more forgiving, love, empathy, etc. for each of us carries the weights of our decisions. Our actions. And our choices even when there is only one “choice”. We are so “busy” and inundated with bad news/evil far and away, we don’t convey our thanks/love to one another or to our maker which everything flows from.

*** this article was written by Jeff Schrembs 2018 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ***
I added this, after thought and prayer, true story for context and the hope it will lead to more understanding. More support. More prayers. etc.
t nine years old, after staying with her father over summer break, on August 16, 1977, couldn’t sleep. Her father came into her bedroom, where Lisa was tossing and turning on her white oval shaped bed and consoled her – kissed her forehead – and said goodnight. Hours later Lisa Marie learned of her father’s death through the wailing of her grandfather Vernon, the cooks, members of the Memphis Mafia, etc. it was chaos. Little 9-year-old Lisa Marie picked up the red phone in Gracelands kitchen by the 4 closed circuit cameras (black and white) and put her finger into the first hole (of the telephone number) and repeated this 9 times. Linda Thompson, who had been Elvis’ girlfriend from 1972 (approx) until 1976, answered and heard Lisa Marie say “my daddy’s dead…my daddy’s’ dead”. Linda asked to speak to an adult and confirmed this nightmare was real. Grown men, with various black belts in the martial arts, wept and fell to their knees crying. Vernon was inconsolable and he was frail due to his age and deteriorating medical issues. He went in and out of being alert. Little Lisa Marie tried to comfort her grandfather as she was surrounded by men and women she knew and scores of others she did not. She was told her mother, and Linda Thompson was flying into Memphis. Lisa asked if her father would be back from the ambulance ride. Over the next year, she would see her grandfather Vernon die. She attended his funeral a little more mature and (sadly) knowing the feelings/emotions/loss of her father’s death. Lisa Marie was traumatized x 10000. Her mother, Priscilla, now became the executor of Elvis’ estate as Vernon had died and everything went to Lisa but she was a minor so until she was 18 Priscilla would oversee everything. When her 18th birthday came she wasn’t ready so she let her mother run things until Lisa was 21. At 21 she still wasn’t able so it was extended until Lisa was 25 years old. Immediately upon her father’s death, there were stories written, tv shows about, newspapers full of, etc. the attacks (by so many through decades upon decades ) of hearing so many accused her father of being a drug addict. That he tried to kill himself. That he was really still alive. Lisa Marie is a talented, smart, and loving mother to her children. She never asked for this. Does anyone know how much time it takes to get over your fathers death? Your grandfathers death? Keep in mind this was a very close family. I wish Lisa Marie, and her family, happiness – success – good health – stability – long life, etc. and that this divorce, and the monetary aspects, gets resolved very soon. Jeff Schrembs (google me if want to check my knowledge about these matters) PS – as a footnote Colonel Parker, through court proceedings, was found to have cheated Elvis out of millions upon millions of dollars. That Colonel Parker had not registered Elvis, the music companies Elvis owned, properly which was estimated (in 1980) to have been worth million dollars (in back pay) and about a million each year (for ongoing record sales/media endeavors Elvis did). Between this and the fact that Elvis was, for years at the HIGHEST Federal Tax Brackets as high as NINETY PERCENT, Lisa Marie would/should have received all these monies and a monetary stream increasing each year thereafter.
When one, as this has been my experiences, falls in love and then commits followed by being married before men/witnesses/God it is a beautiful thing. To have children born out of this love is a blessing. Hence, it is horrendous to have to go through divorce proceedings not only for the “adults” but also for the minor children. No amount of money will heal the (temporary and permanent) scars on ones’ emotional state, mental state, physical state, parental state, and even the monetary state regardless of one’s last name (which in this case is beloved but brings forth far too much scrutiny, chatter, gossip, etc. so facts and context matters but always secondary to what is right and the respect and appreciation we each should have for all of our fellow men).
Lastly, I don’t ask (with all sincerity and humility) others to pray, support, show compassion about. not feed into hurtful statements, etc about Lisa Marie Presley because of her name but…in spite of it.

Take care and may God bless you always. Jeff Schrembs    -    www.ElvisCollector.info

Saturday, December 9, 2017

Join the 100% free Elvis Presley Fan Club

Elvis Collector Worldwide Offical Fan Club LOGO.jpg
Our Elvis Presley Fan Club Forum, ElvisCollectorWorldwide.freeforums.org, has been changed to https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/elviscollectorworldwide.

We THANK www.tapatalk.com for their exceptional works and look forward to building a mutually beneficial relationship.

We invite you to please become a member, 100% free, and share your; memories, photos, videos, opinions, etc. with other Elvis Presley fans.

Though we have been in "beta mode", working to make this a seamless social media outlet, you can still enjoy the site. Also, becoming a member affords you all the benefits bestowed by Graceland (as we are an official Elvis Presley Fan Club).

Thank you for visiting. Take care and may God bless you.
www.ElvisCollector.info