Elvis Presley
Two good reads: Boston harmonica player Jerry Portnoy’s memoir is an unflinching look at life as a sideman musician; the other is a history that shows how, without the Black stars he heard in Memphis, there would have been no Elvis or rock ‘n roll as we know it.
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August Kleinzahler’s “A History of Western Music” will be a special treat for poetry readers who also appreciate music in all its forms and genres.
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The film beautifully captures a dreamy-nightmare aesthetic, suggesting that Priscilla’s life with Elvis was turbulent roller coaster of romantic highs and materialistic hollowness.
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For 2 hours and 39 minutes, I was happy to sell my soul to Lucifer
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Eugene Jarecki’s ramshackle, occasionally provocative, and frequently entertaining documentary on Elvis Presley gets some things wrong.
Read MoreRoosevElvis turns out to a sort of slaphappy homage to two American legends, a genial romp that sticks to stereotypes.
Read MoreElvis Presley and Richard Nixon connect in their joint emotional poverty in this funny, charming, yet somewhat fluffy film.
Read MoreAward-winning historian Joel Williamson would seem to have the credentials to illuminate Elvis as a distinctly Southern phenomenon.
Read MoreThe audience, mostly gray-haired seniors and aging baby boomers, walked out with smiles on their faces, as did I.
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Arts Remembrance: Visiting the Birthplace of the King
Our last Mississippi destination was a major reason for my trip South. I told Bob I wanted to see the boyhood home of Elvis Presley in the small town of Tupelo, the singer’s Bethlehem.
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