I am fortunate to call Phil Arnold a friend. A man I admire. A man I respect. An essential asset to Elvis Presley fans around the world.
Recently he posted on his blog that his site, that I HIGHLY RECOMMEND, will be changing in the immediate future. I am saddened to learn of this as I have enjoyed his site for as long as he has had it.
I wish Phil; great happiness, joy, satisfaction knowing he has been an invaluable guide for Elvis Presley fans worldwide, and success in all of his personal and professional endeavors.
THANK YOU Phil for all you have done, are doing, and will do.
Best to you and your family.
Merry Christmas Phil and may the other 364 days of the year be ones of fulfillment in every aspect.
Take care and may God bless you and yours…always.
Jeff Schrembs
PS: Please feel free to click on the link(s) below and please let others know via social media as after all we don’t sell anything as our goal is to provide a great website for Elvis Presley fans around the world.
Their relationship is legendary and yet they were two people with different life experiences. Different dreams. And yet their bond surpassed wealth, fame, and riches.
Elvis tried to jump into Gladys’ burial plot, on top of her casket, while crying uncontrollably saying “I’ve lost everything”. I’ll give it all up to be with you. I can’t go on without you Satin-in (his nickname for her since childhood). My God please bring her back.
When Elvis decided to record Momma liked the roses he was torn between, even these years after her passing, being incredibly sad and recording a remembrance song not only for him but for all others who lost their mothers. Though it was an emotional recording you can hear the love and respect he had and the words torn from his very soul.
Elvis sent flowers to her grave on a weekly basis. He visited her grave as much as possible and every time he knelt and cried. A heartbreaking cry. He confided, on one occasion as he rarely shared his loss, that what sustained him was his belief in God/Jesus and that there was an afterlife where he believed Gladys was. In a new body never to hurt again. Never to cry again. And always looking out for Elvis and being there with him.
Priscilla recalled that one time she went, without Elvis knowing, into the attic at Graceland and there were all of Gladys clothes neatly hung or folded. Her personal things. She could smell Gladys perfume. She saw how short in height she was. She went through her jewelry and fawned at the most expensive pieces knowing that she was embarrassed when she received them as she said “son you don’t need to spend so much on me” and “the best present you can give me is your time. that means more to me”. But Elvis had, since childhood, promised to provide for her. To buy her a house. To buy her a nice new car knowing she couldn’t drive and didn’t own a drivers license. To ensure she never again had to work backbreaking labor as she had most of her life.
In August of 1958, while Elvis was in the US Army, Gladys became very sick. Elvis immediately put in an emergency leave request. It was denied. He appealed in perform. He was denied. It was only after he threatened to go AWOL was his leave approved.
When Elvis made it to Gladys hospital room she perked up. Her color seemed to come back. Her voice was audible. Elvis never stopped holding her hand, kissing her, running his fingers through her hair, telling her how much he loved her, and refusing to leave her side.
There came a time after the doctor said it was fine and Vernon asked for the 50th time, that Elvis left the hospital room and went back to Graceland. Sadly, Gladys died before he could make it back to the hospital. To say he was devastated was an understatement.
Gladys died on August 14, 1958, at the age of 46 but Elvis was always told she was 4 years younger thus dying at age 42. Sadly, Elvis would die on the same month – the age he thought she was being 42 – and even the same week (i.e. August 16, 1977).
If you have your mother cherish her. Tell her you love her. Make amends with her. Spend time with her. As Elvis once said during an emotional exchange “if you don’t love your mother with all your heart it’s against God and human nature. Your mother should be the greatest love and you should let her know it every day. You should take care of her and provide for her. She gave you something you can never repay…life”.
Man, man, man. With Office 365 opting to discontinue to host websites, after over a decade with them, it has caused a plethora of issues. Plainly stated it has driven me, and my third-party hosting developers crazy. What we thought would take a month has taken six months thus far. With so many rare photographs, videos, documents, etc. along with original articles we have put an emphasis on C A U T I O N. Accordingly, it is our plan to have http://www.ElvisCollector.info back up before January 1, 2019. And yes we own the name http://www.ElvisCollector.info.
One of the “positive activities’ I have partaken of, these past 8 years of tears and sorrow, is sharing some of my knowledge online about Elvis Presley onstage and off. No monetization. No popups. No ads. Just Elvis Elvis bo Belvis.
We will ALWAYS have a presence on WordPress.com which we are so appreciative of. What a great site/organization. We HIGHLY recommend everyone utilize WordPress.com if not just to find interesting websites.
Before we go here is a cool Elvis Presley moving. gif.
I wanted to take the time to say THANK YOU to Elvis Presley fans worldwide, the friends/loved ones’ of Elvis who are still around, the family/friends of those who have (sadly) passed away but were an integral part of Elvis’ life story, Lisa Marie, Linda Thompson, Priscilla, Jack Soden, all of the hardworking staff at Graceland, and to those I have been blessed to know as a direct result of being an Elvis fan including but not limited to; BIlly Jo Smith and family, Alanna Nash, Sandie Kaye Stevens, Sandi Pichon, Kathy Westmoreland, etc. To anyone I failed to list please accept my apologies.
In less than a week will be the “anniversary” of the (sadly) passing of Elvis who passed away on August 16, 1977 at the age of 42. I still can’t believe that I have lived on this earth not only as long as Elvis did but T H I R T E E N years…older. My heart and prayers go out to so many who on August 16, 1977 lost their father. Their friend. Their relative. Their co-worker. Their son. Their nephew. I know that time does not heal all wounds but please know how thankful I am to you and yours and may God grant you good health and success on this “anniversary” and the other 364 days of each year.
We are the last generation that lived during Elvis’ wondrous career and (sadly) far too many of us pass away each year and I encourage Elvis Presley fans everywhere to seek out these individuals. To say thank you. To support their professional endeavors Elvis related or not.
To be a great man doesn’t mean you can sing. It does mean you have fame. Fortune. Or you have powerful connections. I do N O T use the word “great” loosely nor should it be randomly bestowed to someone because they can hit a baseball. Throw a football. Score points in a basketball game. You get my point In this instance, with the 41st “anniversary” of Elvis Presley dying soon upon on 8/16/1977, I am talking about the man named Elvis Presley who knew; wealth, success, bitter poverty, love, devotion, to be thrown out of housing with his beloved mother and father, moving away from friends/relatives/neighbors in Tupelo Mississippi to the big city…Memphis (Tennessee), being made fun of, friendship, the beauty in this world from the lowly blossom to the regal of the heavens, the power of the church/God/Jesus, working hard, being a father, losing the life of his greatest love at the peak of his career being Gladys Love (Smith) Presley on August 14, 1958, the adverse whispers of those who looked down upon with disdain to those whose only “crime” was the lack of monetary means, the power of prayers, and how hard it was to see his mother cry yet try to be brave while her husband (Elvis’ father Vernon Elvis Presley) was in prison *** note – Vernon took responsibility – he served his time – he apologized – he made monetary amends to the victim – he was forever sorry – he asked forgiveness many times void of words but with a look that a man gives his wife when he knows she seems him as…lesser, and most of all never was involved in any dishonorable behavior to the law or anyone else AND one last footnote is that Gladys was successful in getting Vernon released from prison early as she was able to garner enough signatures along with the fact that Vernon was married with a minor son and both desperately needed him home with his family and any income he could generate. ***
Elvis, even from childhood, loved to give. Give of his time, his efforts, and his possessions. When he was the most successful entertained in the world, and in my opinion always will be, he visited hospitals. Met with the patients. Prayed with the family. Gave money without being asked and was genuinely humble and asked if they would please accept this gesture. Elvis also was active in major charitable endeavors such as the March of Dimes, St. Judes, etc. Though he never did “commercials”, other than one that has been lost to time and it was for a local donuts shop if I remember correctly, he proudly entertained the sick and their family and took photographs with the sick holding large poster board with the words “please give, or support the March of Dimes, or lets eradicate polio, etc.”. To the injured/sick and the public Elvis bravely smiled and praised the caregivers while giving the sick words of love. Of support. Of them being unique and worthy. But there are countless times that after leaving the hospital(s), or families homes, etc. Elvis would opt not to drive, as he had when arriving, as the tears flowed and he cried. He cried from the heart. He mourned. He asked GodJesus to help them. He was inconsolable. Many times this reaction/emotion would be repeated for days after. Weeks after. Months after. Years after. And to those who were closest to Elvis knew not to say anything as Elvis tried to wrap his mind around the questions of life such as; why Lord are these innocents maimed/sick/disabled, why have you blessed me with success, will anyone remember me when I’m gone, have I done anything to warrant the kingdom of God/Jesus, is this a dream and I’ll wake up and be dirt poor again, etc. Elvis felt. Let me repeat this. Elvis felt. He was attuned to the helpless. The needy. Those needing a shoulder to lean on. Those who were going through life changing events. Elvis felt. Elvis felt. He felt for those in his view, in his house, in his city, in other towns, in the United States, in the world, etc. Elvis felt for men, women, and children regardless of their color. Their social standing. Elvis loved his fellow man unconditionally. Elvis knew of his faults. His failures. His temper. His insecurities. Elvis felt and he was not a great man because of his fame and fortune for he was a great man for he did all he could for others. He performed, while being very ill, for 8 years straight so as not to let a fan/audience member down. He was rock and roll but his love of Gospel music was his anchor. Elvis was a great man for he bravely and honorably used the talents God/Jesus gave him. He worked hard to improve on his talents. On August 16, 1977 the world lost a great man. His name was Elvis Aron (Aaron) Presley the son of Gladys Love (Smith) Presley and Vernon Elvis Presley and he was forty-two years old.
I have no idea how hair, which is already dead on your head, can have DNA extracted from it. I would think that unless it was stored in some type of vacuum sealed, temperature controlled, etc. environment the hair would deteriorate. But I found this article interesting so here goes courtesy of the mirror.co.uk.
Shocking DNA results reveal Elvis Presley was always destined to die young
New medical findings suggest the iconic singer may NOT have died from overeating or over use of prescribed drugs
Elvis’ DNA suggests he suffered from a generic heart muscle disease (Image: ITV)
It is news that could leave Elvis Presley’s family and fans all shook up.
DNA from Elvis’ hair suggests he suffered from a genetic heart muscle disease, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
He appeared to suffer symptoms of the condition in his final years, including an irregular heartbeat, fatigue, fainting and high blood pressure.
The new findings suggest that regardless of his diet, the iconic singer was always destined to die young.
Dead Famous DNA gives a new insight into Elvis’ death extracting DNA to analyse his genome – the genetic blueprint of life.
1970: In late February, Presley performed six attendance-record–breaking shows at the Houston Astrodome(Image: Getty)
The results were obtained after buying Elvis’ hair from a friend of his barbers for $2000.
Presenter Mark Evans said: “Some of the results are remarkable – not least those of the DNA we believe came from Elvis.
“Elvis and his doctor have both been blamed over the years for his premature death. It was thought his overeating or overdosing on drugs had killed him.
“Whilst those addictions would have helped, this new evidence suggests Elvis may have had a flaw in his DNA and his early death was his genetic destiny.”
During three months of DNA testing, problems were found on chromosome 11 – a variant known to cause hypertophic cardiomyopathy – a heart muscle disease that usually occurs in men between 20 and 40.
We’re testing a new site:This content is coming soon
Chromosome 19 showed variant for obesity. Chromosome 17 found glaucoma and chromosome 1 found variant for migraine.
Mr Evans said he was “very very confident” the hair was genuine and he was dealing with Elvis’ DNA because of the provinence of the hair.
Asked if the find is significant, Dr Stephen Kingsmore, who did the analysis at the Centre for Paediatric Genomic Medicine in Kansas, said of the heart defect: “Its definitely a smoking gun.
“We could have advised him to modify his diet. He may have had a different life.”
The programme makers contacted daughter Lisa Marie Presley’s office but said it had not had a response.
1977: An overweight and declining Elvis no longer resembled the superstar that had shot to fame off the back of his good looks(Image: Rex)
Elvis died in his bathroom on August 16, 1977 aged 42 but the majority of details of his death were kept from the public.
At this time he was suffering from glaucoma, high blood pressure, liver damage, and an enlarged colon.
Today I get to share with you some of MY favorite Elvis tunes that have calmed me through my storms and believe me I’ve had some B I G storms.
Now, PLEASE do yourself a favor and listen to each of these songs in their entirety and perhaps you will join my sentiments (bada bing – did you see what I did there? Circling to the title of this post?). Courtesy of YouTube, and I am not commenting on the video aspect just the audio, Let’s go:
Until next time I hope you enjoy this blessing we call…life.
Elvis Presley was born 83 years ago today, January 8 1935, to Gladys Love (Smith) Presley and Vernon Elvis Presley.
Elvis Presley is, was, and forever will be the greatest entertainer who ever lived. Fortunately, Elvis left behind three decades of exceptional works in; music, tv appearances, movies, and live concerts.
I believe that God grants us all blessings, talents, etc. for each of his is made by the hand and grace of God. Elvis pursued his talent(s) which was both brave and honorable. He never imagined, being born and raised in the throes of bitter poverty, that he could make a living signing let alone achieve the highest accolades in his various endeavors. I hope that everyone would pursue their talents/gifts for it stirs the…soul.
We are the last generation, as I have been an Elvis Presley fan these six decades now, who lived during Elvis’ lifetime. There is no substitution for that. It can’t be recreated for the decades in which Elvis lived were in periods of times that were wholly unique as was Elvis.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Elvis.
And a heartfelt thank you to Billy Smith, Alanna Nash, Sandie Kaye Stevens, Jerry Schilling, Russ Howe, Sandi Pichon, Martine Prizzo, Kathy Westmoreland, Linda Thompson, Paul Lichter, Phil Arnold, etc. I highly recommend that you seek out, support, obtain, tells others about, etc. the vast variety of exceptional works pertaining to Elvis’ life onstage and off.
If one can imagine being the greatest entertainer in the world at 21 years old, blessed and keeping his promises made to his mother when he was a child of buying her a big house and never having to worry about money, etc. 1957 was a year of success on every level, having created history in many entertainment fields such as; TV viewing numbers, record sales, and being in successful films everything (besides Elvis being away from Gladys for appearances/concert/movies) was going great in Elvis’ life onstage and off.
But, after Elvis and Gladys and Vernon (and a few other persons) had decorated the home – put up the christmas tree (it was silver and the most expensive one available) – and prepared for Christmas which was upcoming a knock came to the door. Elvis Presley was officially served with US Army draft notifications. As Elvis opened the envelope he turned to Gladys who had been sobbing feeling the weight of the world. How? Why? Why now? The photographs, and I have them all, of Elvis reading the draft notification paperwork shows a stunned Elvis holding a little dog under one arm reading the paperwork again and again. Elvis tries to smile to lighten Grady’s burdens but his head is spinning thinking “my career is over – all of this is over”. Waves of emotions showed on Elvis, Vernon’s, and Gladys faces and body language. Elvis departed to get himself together so he could assure Gladys, his beloved mother, that all would be fine.
Knowing that this would be the last Christmas, and New Years, spent at home for two years the family that was born into bitter poverty had always survived…together. But, that was to change and change soon.
Unlike other entertainers Elvis would NOT go into the military as a goodwill ambassador, or do concerts for US civilians to buy bonds to support the military as so many others had done, but that Elvis would (with few exceptions) go through his tenure in the Army as did his fellow inductees.
Word soon spread among the family members, and close friends, and all failed to alleviate Gladys’ soulful mourning. She was inconsolable. The understanding between Elvis and Gladys and Vernon pertaining to everyone else was that they were not to speak about Elvis’ leaving but try to make the holidays one of precious memories, laughter, and togetherness. As was the case his entire life Elvis did everything 24/7 to let his mother know he loved her above all else (excluding God/Jesus) and it would be all right. She was physically, emotionally, and mentally devastated and the tolls it would take on her would manifest themselves each and every moment of each and every hour of each day without end. No one knew how much their world was to change nor did they even contemplate the fact that this would not only be the last Christmas/New Years at home but the last that Elvis, Gladys, and Vernon would be together at all for Gladys would (sadly) pass away approximately eight months later on August 14, 1958 at the age of 46 (note: Elvis never knew she was 46 years old as throughout his life he was told she was 4 years younger than she really was so when she passed Elvis believed her to be 42 years old. August, the second week of August, 42 years of age would sadly not be the only significant dates in the lives of a Presley dying for Elvis would follow her on August 16, 1977 at the age of 42).
…to be continued
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2018 to everyone and may God bless you and yours…always.
To each and every Elvis Presley fan, casual viewer of this blog, Jack Soden, Lisa Marie, Linda Thompson, Alanna Nash, Sandie Kaye Stevens, Martine Prizzo (pardon if I misspelled the name but she is a good friend and knowledgeable about Elvis Presley and other great rock and roll artists as well as being one of my Facebook friends) Sandi Pichon, Billy Smith, Larry Geller, Russ Howe, Paul Lichter, etc I want to wish you and yours a blessed and Merry Christmas 2017.
God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. I believe this and I respect others who may have a different emotion, opinion, etc. But on this day, the 25th of December 2017, families come together and express their friendship and love for another and that is a beautiful thing indeed.
This life we have, and man I know the trials and tribulations that I have gone through from the first breath I took and (sadly) that my children have endured and are enduring, provides us with bountiful opportunities>
To those who are in prison/jail (excluding those of pure evil and have harmed others), and to their families and loved ones, I pray for you as your lives are deserving of respect and second chances. May you know that others are praying for you and wishing you success, good health, and happiness.
This time of year has always been the hardest for me (i.e. from mid September until January the 7th) as the worst things I have ever endured have happened on these dates. But, some of my children and their mother were born during this time period so even through the darkness their light comes through.
PS: Here are 7 cool Elvis photos. Enjoy and let others know about our sites/blogs via social media.
The first photo is of Elvis with Priscilla circa 1968.
The second is of Colonel Parker visiting Elvis while Elvis was in the US Army. The photo is circa 1959.
The third is Elvis’ beloved mother Gladys in the backyard circa 1957. Very rare.
The fourth is Elvis signing autographs. Notice his ring and bracelet. The man had style.
The fifth is a drawing I made in high school. It became a part of my portfolio, and acceptance, when I attended college at the Art Institute. My drawing is from a publicity photo of Elvis circa 1956.
The sixth is circa 1969 of Elvis with Priscilla and Tom Jones with Tom Jones wife.
The seventh is a personal note, with signature, of Elvis’ handwriting. The man was (wholly) unique as was his signature and his handwriting.
The Elvis Expert 