On November 16, 2018, Elvis Presley was honored along with six other distinguished individuals with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by the President of the United States.
This prestigious award is the Nation’s highest civilian honor, which may be awarded by the President to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors, said the official White House press release.
At the annual Tupelo Elvis Festival on June 7, 2018, Elvis Presley’s 1956 Homecoming concert was celebrated with a special reenactment concert. Performing live at the Tupelo Fairgrounds was Elvis Tribute Artist, Cody Ray Slaughter, who recreated Presley’s original performance for a huge crowd of Elvis fans.
Music fans know about the historic meeting in 1965 between Elvis Presley and The Beatles. However, most mistakenly believe that was the only connection between the two biggest rock and roll acts of all time.
After that meeting (and even before), there were many positive ways that The Beatles and Elvis Presley connected personally and professionally, and at the very least, had empathy for each other. However, on the surface, it looked like The Beatles and Elvis couldn’t be farther apart.
In November 1961, Elvis Presley went on location for three weeks in Idyllwild, California to film Kid Galahad. Many filming locations are still recognizable from the movie including the Lodge where the bulk of the filming took place and the surrounding area.
Elvis Presley’s legendary “’68 Comeback Special,” directed and produced by Steve Binder, will hit the big screen this summer in celebration of its 50th anniversary. The two-day movie event will take place across the globe on August 16, with an encore screening on August 20.
Elvis Presley: The Searcher, a 3.5 hour documentary which premiered on HBO on April 14, does a great service in giving Elvis credibility for his natural talent and ambition in becoming the biggest entertainer of the 20th century, but it doesn’t go far enough.
For the past several years, TV Land has honored several icons of television by placing bronze statues in various locations around the U.S. In addition to statues recognizing Mary Tyler Moore and The Fonz is one for Elvis Presley recognizing his “Aloha from Hawaii” TV special, the first satellite TV concert which was broadcast on January 14, 1973.
The soundtrack to Elvis Presley: The Searcher, the upcoming HBO documentary, will be released on April 6.
Formats include a single CD or 2LP with 18 tracks, and a 3-CD deluxe edition box set which includes a 40-page book of photos and an expanded 55-track overview of Elvis’ career as heard in the film.
