ETA Radio Update and Bulletin Page

E. J. Cooper, a well-known Willie Nelson tribute artist, passed away on Sunday, October 10, 2004 after a bout with cancer. A country singer in his own right, he bore a remarkable resemblance both visually and vocally to Willie Nelson, and eventually he started a new career as a tribute artist in the early '90's. He will be missed.

A PUBLIC MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR E.J. COOPER WILL BE HELD ON THURSDAY OCTOBER 14, 2004 AT THE OSHAWA FUNERAL SERVICES, 847 KING STREET WEST, OSHAWA, ONTARIO - PHONE: 905-721-1234 IT WILL BE OPEN TO ALL HIS FRIENDS WHO WISH TO PAY THEIR LAST RESPECTS..

BENEFIT SHOW FOR THE RICHARD DAVIS FAMILY
(thanks to John Wilkinson for forwarding this information)

Richard Davis, one of Elvis' good friends, and a member of Elvis' entourage, passed away recently. His wife and three young children survive him. There will be a benefit show for Richard Davis' family January 6, 2005 at the Horseshoe Casino in Tunica Mississippi. The lineup of entertainment includes Ronnie McDowell, Scotty Moore, T.G. Sheppard, Boots Randolph, Brenda Lee, Jimmy Velvet..to name a few. The show is being organized by Patsy Andersen. Details: Horseshoe Casino.
http://scottymoore.net/richarddavis.htm

NEXTSHOW ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS:

NextShow Entertainment announces a pay per view Las Vegas "Elvis" concert event to be broadcast over the internet in September.

The event will feature rock and roll pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis as a special guest, along with ETA Kraig Parker and the legendary Jordanaires paying tribute to Elvis in concert. Also featured in a second segment will be a round table discussion by the original "TCB Gang" who knew and worked with Elvis from the beginning to the end..this segment will be hosted and narrated by Charlie Pride.

Subscription discounts available.
www.nextshowentertainment.com

Email:
michaeljenkins@nextshowentertainment.com

As a 3-Time Cancer Survivor over the last 18 years, Spencer Shiffman holds an annual golf tournament not only to raise not only necessary funds for Children's Cancer Research, but to help create public awareness of how devastating this dreaded disease is! With the help of long time friend ETA Paige Poole (performing the 68 Comeback Special), this year's successful event held on Monday, August 2nd, 2004 at El Caballero Country Club in Tarzana, California, raised over $100,000.00 for the National Childhood Cancer Foundation! Congratulations Spencer, you are truly an inspiration to all! A special mention that two of Spencer's guests that evening who came especially to see Paige perform, were Steve Binder, the Producer/Director of the '68 Comeback Special and Jaime Rogers, the Choreographer (see photo). They complimented Paige's authentic re-creation of the 68 Special and were touched by the amount of work and time Spencer put into organizing this event.

ETA’S TELEVISED ON “TEST THE NATION” IN THE UK
The program Test the Nation was televised in the UK recently...40 Elvis acts appeared, including Jim Santana, Ray Wood, Eddie Vee, Liberty Mounten, Phil King, and many more. The show is

It was voted one of the best Test the Nation shows ever and we did appear before more than l5 million TV viewers, which for one BBC channel is a record in the UK nowadays.

Excerpted from submission by Eddie Vee. www.eddie-vee.com

CBS SEEKING ELVIS FOR UPCOMING MINISERIES

(Reprinted from CBS.COM)

OPEN CASTING CALL

WANTED: THE NEXT "KING OF ROCK 'N' ROLL"
TO STAR AS ELVIS PRESLEY
in the upcoming miniseries, ELVIS

CBS will hold an open casting call in Los Angeles, seeking an actor to play Elvis Presley in the upcoming miniseries, ELVIS. Participants will be judged on singing ability, charisma and resemblance to Elvis. Those interested in auditioning should look 18-33 years old. Participants must bring their headshots and resumes and be prepared to sing 10 bars of any Elvis song.

Wednesday, November 10, 10 am to 4 pm

CBS Television City
Gate 6, Sound Stage 46
7800 Beverly Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90036

PARKING: There is NO PARKING ON THE CBS LOT. Parking is available at The Grove and on the street near the lot.

Participants will be seen on a first come, first served basis.

NO PHONE CALLS, PLEASE

ELVIS is a fact-based drama about the life of Elvis Presley, his music, his movies, his relationships and his impact on popular culture.
http://www.cbs.com/info/user_services/info_casting_call_elvis.shtml

Chicago Review Press has published a book from Ace Collins titled "Untold Gold: The Stories Behind Elvis's #1 Hits" on January 4, 2005. Here is the information from the publisher on this 272 pages book:
"The stories behind the luck, inspiration, and timing that brought hits like "Heartbreak Hotel," "Don't Be Cruel," "In the Ghetto," and "A Little Less Conversation" to life are told in this look at some of the world's most popular hits.
Fans will be given the inside story of how these and other of the best known rock songs were written, why they were recorded, and how they became hits. Along the way, they will meet and get to know the men and women who wrote songs for the "King," follow the route these songs took to Elvis, and understand how he reshaped the songs to fit his vision. The author spent countless hours interviewing songwriters, digging through dusty charts, and listening to demos in order to uncover the great stories he tells here. Each song in this book is a commentary on where the world was and what was making it tick, making these songs as much a glimpse into the life of America as into the life of Elvis. Source: Elvis Club Berlin via Charmaine.

Lady Luck Music Announces Dates of 2005 People’s Choice

LadyLuckMusic's 5th annual Invitational Montreal Peoples Choice “North” Contest will be held Feb 4th & 5th, 2005. The event is unique in that the audience votes by ballot for their favorite entertainer bypassing judges entirely and always having a fair result. It is also different because it is an invitational contest and not open to everybody. Accommodations are supplied. It is also held in two different venues on two different nights allowing two different winners by two sets of audiences. It is always a sellout, and of course like all LLM events the event is digitally recorded and videotaped for the show. If you are an ETA who would like to be considered for one of the 10 invitations, or would like info on attending, please write to us at elvis@ladyluckmusic.com and we'd be happy to let you know how to become a part of our exciting prestigious event. Details for LLM’s Peoples Choice 2005 “South” contest to be announced soon!

Visions of Elvis In the South - Greenville, SC:
1st - Rick Wade
2nd - Todd Martin
3rd - A Tie between Michael Viljac & Matthew Spalding
4th - Danny Dale

Portage Elvis Fantasy Fest:
1st - John Loos
Chris Wilson & Kavan tied for 2nd & 3rd

OVERTON PARK SHELL - UPDATE - October 19, 2004
Excerpted from Bill Burke's "Elvis World" newsletter.
Many thanks to Bill Burke for this update.

The Memphis City Council has extended the life of the Overton Park Shell by another two years. The Council noted the Shell is in terrible repair and needs a half-million dollars to get it back into good shape. Those trying to raise the half-million from Elvis fans and others have been given these two years to come up with the money ... OR ... the Shell will be torn down. Meanwhile, the Council has closed the Shell to all activities for these two years, beginning now.

Elvis made his first public performance at the Overton Park Shell on July 30, l954 just days after recording "That's All Right Mama" in Sun Studio. It was orignally known as the Memphis Open Air Theater and Memphians called it "the MOAT."When opened, air conditioning was practically unheard of, so the city wanted an outdoors theater where people could go and sit in the cool night breezes and listen to all types of music.

So - there you have it. Two years to raise $500,000 . . . or the Shell follows in the path of American Sound Studio, the house on Alabama, the house on Getwell, and many other Elvis landmarks in Memphis.

CAROLINA OPRY CHRISTMAS SPECIAL - MYRTLE BEACH

The magic of the season comes alive at The Carolina Opry Christmas Special, the most colorful and eagerly awaited holiday show in the South. Now in its nineteenth season in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, the Christmas Special is a dazzling, funny, and heart-warming celebration of America's favorite time of year. Performances are scheduled from November 1 through January 1. Purchase tickets online at www.TheCarolinaOpry.com, or call (843) 913-4000
or (800) 843-6779.

submitted by: Read about Calvin Gilmore and Gilmore Entertainment
Gilmore Entertainment
Myrtle Beach, SC

ETA Ron Moore Inks Dinner Theatre Deal for March
At a press conference last Wednesday in Niagara Falls it was announced that RON MOORE who sings under the banner of, 'Songs In the Key of Elvis' will be performing up to five shows weekly at a new Las Vegas style 728 seat dinner theatre in Niagara Falls Ontario.
His shows will be starting in March and running for 'as long as the crowds continue to file in'. This will include a weekly Sunday brunch Gospel based show as well. More details are to follow later this week but Ron's Show entitled 'Viva Niagara' is certain to pack them in.
If you like Elvis' voice and you haven't heard Ron then you need to do yourself a favor and take in one of his concerts. As Ron's promo material says, 'You won't believe your ears!'
Glen Bonham, Battlefield Media

WINTER DANCE PARTY DVD WINS AWARD

The Winter Dance Party DVD (starring John Mueller at Buddy Holly, Ray Anthony as Ritchie Valens, JP Richardson Jr. as the Big Bopper, and the Winter Dance Party Band) has won the "best production" award and the "best video producer" award for 2004. It was judged by a panel of Disney production executives who said, "This is something we should see on HBO, Showtime, and A & E." The trophies are being handed out on November 22, 2004 at the Sunburst Convention in Orlando, Florida. You can now view a 6 minute demo of the Winter Dance Party show from the DVD link on the homepage of John Mueller's website at www.yourbuddyjohn.com (click on the DVD cover).
See Carol Hunter's LLM feature on the Winter Dance Party.
Details: www.entertainment-network.org.

Guitarist Lin Poulson, age 39, from Nashville, Tennesee, was tragically killed in a car accident just outside Nashville on November 2, 2004 . Just 10 days prior, Lin had traveled to Canada to perform as part of the band at ETA Travis LeDoyt's recent show in Woodbridge, Ontario. Sadly, that would be Lin's last performance. We wish to extend our sympathies to Lin's family, to his friend Travis LeDoyt, and to those who knew and worked with him. May he rest in peace. Further details: www.travisledoyt.com

Pictured here: ETA Jamie Aaron Kelley with his new Gold Edition Stern Pinball Machine. Only 500 Gold Editions were made. Priscilla Presley has #1 and Jamie Aaron Kelley has #2. Jamie is the speaking voice of Elvis for the game, and he also initiated a few changes to the game after seeing the prototype. Several of the lines used for the game are ones Jamie suggested. The TCB ring light on the back wall of the machine and the lions on the picture of Graceland were also Jamie's ideas.

The regular edition of the game sells for around $4,000 US and the Gold Edition is around $5-6,000 US. The late Al Dvorin's voice can be heard saying "Elvis has left the building" and Larry Kelley (Jamie's father) provided the announcer's voice for the Top Ten songs. Elvis Presley sings the songs! Most arcade locations either carry the pinball machine or can get it.

TONY ROI WINS AWARD IN BRANSON

ETA Tony Roi was recently voted Branson's "Best Performer" for 2004. For full details and list of other winners, see www.bransoncritic.com

(submitted by Doug & Lori Holland, editors, Branson Critic).

Collingwood Elvis Festival Gift Certificates will be available from December 1-23, 2004. They will guarantee preferred seating at any of the four arena shows, if redeemed before January l5, at which time tickets will go on sale to the general public. Shows range in price from $10 to $70.

The Collingwood Festival will be held July 20-24, 2005.

Details:
Collingwood Elvis Festival: 1-866-444-1162 or e-mail collelvis@on.aibn.com
Event Co-ordinator: Karen Cubitt 705-445-9463