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Archive for the ‘Evis Biography’ Category

During the final years of his life, Rock ‘n’ roll legend Elvis Presley was battling obesity that affected his live performances. Richard Bevan said in “The Biography Channel” that as Elvis’ weight increased, his shows suffered. At times he would babble incoherently on stage and rip his pants due to obesity. At a sold-out concert, Elvis told a bemused audience that he had ripped his jumpsuit and would have to find a replacement before resuming the show. He died of a heart attack at 42.

Two-time Academy Award winning actor Marlon Brando also suffered from obesity that attracted more attention than his Hollywood career. Anecdotage.com said his weight ballooned during the production of “One-Eyed Jacks” that his costume had to be made with an elastic material. Still, his massive weight split 18 pairs of pants.

Here’s an odd one: Dr. Stuart Berger, author of many diet and health books, apparently didn’t follow his own advice. At his death at age 40, he weighed 365 pounds!

Still from Anecdotage.com: Charlie’s Angels’ star Drew Barrymore was dining in a classy restaurant when a woman approached her and said, “If you were a little fatter, you’d look just like Drew Barrymore!” From that time on, she knew she had a weight problem.

Cheers star Kirstie Alley made fun of her obesity with her TV series “Fat Actress” that showed how society deals with overweight people. Prior to that, she drank 14 grape sodas every day and felt depressed and convinced she was a loser. Fortunately, she realized that her problems also made good material for a new TV series. Since then, she has lost weight and is looking better than ever.

Not all fat people, however, end up living happily like Kirstie. Carol Yager who died at the age of 34 weighing 1,200 pounds, wasn’t able to stand or walk because of her weight. She was frequently hospitalized due to many health problems brought about by her obesity and she often required the assistance of 15 to 20 firefighters to lift her to the ambulance.

Jon Brower Minnoch was 200 pounds lighter than Yager who suffered from obesity since he was a child. An endocrinologist estimated that over 900 pounds of his body mass was retained fluid. When admitted to the hospital, Minnoch was placed on two beds placed together and it took 13 people to change his linen. He died at age 42.

These people show that obesity is a problem that can affect anyone regardless of age, sex, or social status. And the problem is growing. At last count, there are over 64 million adult Americans who are obese and thousands of deaths have been associated with this condition.

“The world has become a fat place. The World Health Organization has declared obesity as the third of the great epidemics facing the world in the new millennium, along with HIV and tuberculosis. On a world scale, food is the addiction,” according to Dr. George Alexander Felding, associate professor of surgery at New York University School of Medicine.

“Until recently, the medical profession has failed obese people. Many doctors still believe obesity is simply a matter of will power. As long ago as the 1970s, studies showed that doctors felt fat people deserved everything they got. Others showed perceptions of fat people as being weak and less intelligent than thin people. Many studies have confirmed that fat people fare less well in interviews than equally qualified thin people; that they are promoted less frequently; and, are less likely to be made leaders,” added Felding.

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1956,November 16, Elvis’s first movie, Love Me Tender, was released. (Clint Reno)

The movie seemed to be a failure, but a box office success; Elvis was the main attraction and the demand so great that Twentieth Century-Fox had to distribute almost double their usual prints of a first run movie.

The critics quickly dismissing the movie and marked it as a B grade melodrama.

But what the critics didn’t see was the fact that Love Me Tender is a classic love story.

But for as long as Elvis lived he would be bothered by the poor quality of the scripts and songs.

1957,July 9, Elvis released his second movie, Loving You, (Deke Rivers) this movie dealt with the theme of troubled youth.

Elvis’s hair was naturally light brown but dyed it a darker shade, later he would keep it as he preferred, the color blue-black.

1957, October, Jailhouse Rock, was released. (Vince Everett)

It is considered by many to be Elvis’s best movie Elvis enjoyed the vigorous Rock-and-Roll score, as he threw himself into the main role.

Elvis himself choreographed the title number. And to this day remains a Rock and Roll classic.

1958, June 4, While Elvis training in the Army at Fort Hood, Texas King Creole was released by Paramount. (Danny Fisher)

King Creole is remembered as one of Elvis Presley’s best movies, and is probably the only one that was ever taken seriously by the critics, the good reviews of the movie filled Elvis with deep satisfaction and accomplishment, which would stay with him right up until his mothers sudden death.

1960, October, G.I.BLUES, (Tulsa McLean) was Elvis’s first movie after two years in the Army, then Flaming star, (Pacer Burton) and Wild In The Country (Glenn Tyler) were made the following year, (1961)

The three movies were a financial success, but a dramatic failure.

1961, November 14, the film Blue Hawaii was released, (Chad Gates)

It was a huge success: one of Elvis’s biggest money makers, records continued to sell, an album made from the songs in Blue Hawaii was the fastest-selling album of the year.

The film reached the five-million-dollar mark.

1962, January 18, Elvis signed a five-year multimillion-dollar contract with producer Hal Wallis, the movie Follow That Dream was filmed in Florida. (Toby Kwimper)

1962, July, Kid Galahad (Walter Gulick) the film was another one of Elvis’s movies that did not do as well at the box office.

1962, November 2, Girls! Girls! Girls! was released. (Ross Carpenter) produced by Hal Wallis, the film included the sound track “Return To Sender.”

1963, April, Elvis’s first movie for the year was, “It Happened at the World’s Fair” (Mike Edwards) it was filmed in Seattle.

Elvis’s next movie for the same year was Fun In Acapulco (Mike Windgren) the critics would dismiss his movie as lightweight fluff, never recognizing the depth he brought to each of his roles.

1964, March, Kissin’ Cousins, was released (Josh Morgan / Jodie Tatum)

A movie in which Elvis played two parts, giving his fan’s double value for money.

1964, April, the movie Viva Las Vegas (Lucky Jackson) was one of his best musicals and grossed nearly Six-Million Dollars

1964, November, Roustabout (Charlie Rogers) was put with other lightweight Elvis Presley movies.

1965, In this year Elvis released three movies Girl Happy (Rusty Wells), Tickle Me (Lonnie Beale), and Harum Scarum (Johnny Tyronne), most of his movies were musicals, and these three no exception.

1966, the movie Frankie and Johnny (Johnny) was released, and then Paradise Hawaiian Style (Rick Richards)

1966, Elvis’s next two movies: Spinout (Mick McCoy) and 1967, Easy Come, Easy Go (Ted Jackson), both are typical of his movies.

During Elvis’s years in Hollywood, the actor- Elvis Presley, films were never given the recognition they deserved.

1967, Double Trouble (Guy Lambert) and Clambake (Scott Heyward / ‘Tom Wilson’) were released.

1968, Stay Away, Joe (Joe Lightcloud) was released in March, the next two movies, Speedway (Steve Grayson) was released in June and Live a Little, Love a Little (Greg Nolan) was released in October.

1969, in March, Charro (Jess Wade) was released, and although Elvis continued to make more movies, he was ready to move in a new direction.

1969, Elvis went on to make two more movies, The Trouble with Girls (Walter Hale) released in May, and Change of Habit (Dr John Carpenter) came out in October, which would be Elvis Presley’s last movie.

1972, ELVIS ON TOUR, ended the age of Elvis Presley movies, and left Hollywood be hind him.

Elvis Presley’s movies grossed over $180 Million Dollars, more Millions were made when Colonel Tom Parker started the merchandising of Elvis’s products, and the Colonel controlled the rights.

A group of writers from Asean on a reporting excursion of Pluralism and Religious Freedom in US took a visit to Elvis Presley’s Graceland. The tour emphasized the influence of Elvis’ religious beliefs on his early singing career. When he was in his teenage years, he had worn bright, loud clothes and sported long sideburns. The king of rock and roll was born on January 8, 1935 in Tupelo, Mississippi, and died on August 18, 1977.

During the tour on Graceland, one had constantly reminded that Elvis started by singing every Sunday in church. In 1951, some years before he became a rock ’n’ roll sensation, he attended youth organization at the “First Assembly of God” (a church in Memphis’ McLemore Avenue) “He came in late,” said Blackwood, Stamps (one of the popular Blackwood Brother Quartet).  Stamps, the only 2nd baritone in the 63-year history of the Southern gospel’s renowned quartet, became the best friend of Elvis when they were sixteen and high-school mates in Memphis.

“When he comes in class, everyone would stare at Elvis because he dressed a bit different. His hair was different too. Elvis had long side-burns, and he wore second-hand clothes, loud and bright, white shoes, and a red coat,” Blackwood recalled.

Elvis’ family lived in a simple wooden shack located at the poorest area of Tupelo. His father Vernon later moved them to Memphis. Despite the poverty they were experiencing, Gladys, his mother ensured that Elvis would not turn to crime for them to survive. In 1958 when he was on leave from the US Army, he was strolling on his beloved Graceland home. He had bought the isolated house of Memphis to run away from public attention.

Elvis’ decision to create a record at Sun Studios in Memphis for his mother’s birthday was a turning point in his life and it popularized rock ’n’ roll forever. He paved the way for other performers to sing and present the Afro-American music. As one went through Elvis’ beloved Graceland home, the audiotape tour restated that gospel music was Elvis favorite music.

The old folks at Memphis remembered the early days when the legendry singer strummed his guitar to the blues with the Afro-American singers. Blues song was borne out of hardship and slavery. This music became a form of therapy in the midst of painful experience. The king of rock ‘n’ roll sought relief by singing these blues music as it expressed pain and love from the human heart.

The Graceland tour as well exposed that Elvis warmed-up for his recording sessions with gospel music, and when not, he was always at his home playing his favorite hymns on piano.

During his lifetime, he completed 3 gospel albums: “Hand in Mine” during the 1960, “How Great Thou Art” in 1967 which won the Grammy award for the best sacred performance and “He Touched Me” in 1971. These albums, along with many inspirational tracks of his live performances, are enclosed in the two CD set called the “Amazing Grace.” The collection had not only given spotlight to the remarkable talents of Elvis, but as well served as an opening to the various styles of Southern gospel.

Since then, Elvis was not just a rock ‘n’ roll star; he was also the most versatile song and dance artiste.