Copyright LindaHoodSigmonTruth.com May, 2009 – 2014  All rights reserved.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 3, 2014

I want to apologize for being slower than usual beginning the new page for August.  As many of you know, we purchased a new computer well over a week ago and every day since then has been a battle of gigantic proportions trying to get everything on the new computer restored from the old one…as well as getting all of the applications, etc. up to speed.  I have been working every day on this project.  I still have more work to do before it will be back in full restoration (IF it ever is!!). 

I ask everyone’s patience as I struggle with this headache…worse than I ever thought it would be!!!  I will try to post some small new articles as time permits.  Please do keep checking back.

Also, once more I wish to make everyone aware that I simply do not have time to respond to all Emails nor any Facebook messages.  The only correspondence which I will be able to accommodate is that with very close personal friends.  This must be my standard mode from here on out.  I do apologize for this.  I have just been so overwhelmed with various correspondence, much of it containing detailed questions which would require detailed responses from me for which I simply do not have time.  Just about everything which I am at liberty to share about Elvis’s life before August 16, 1977 and his current life as Jesse is detailed among the 119 pages of my web site.  So, rather than attempt to take short cuts to the facts, I ask that everyone please take the time to peruse my entire web site which contains links to videos, many photo images to prove that Jesse is Elvis, many, many handwritten letters and video documentation that Jesse’s handwriting is that of Elvis Aron Presley, you will find DNA results proving that Jesse is Elvis, 15 songs recorded by Jesse in 2011 and released on a CD in 2012, and many other documents. 

As always, I extend my sincerest appreciation for each and every visitor to my site.  Everyone is always welcome here to enjoy the generosity of Elvis, who IS now Jesse, through the fruits of my labor.

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2014

Just want to let everyone know that Jesse phoned late yesterday afternoon.  We had a good visit.  He just called to see how I am doing.  He is fine and enjoying his summer.

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 7, 1014

As we all know, Elvis chose August 16 as his date to leave the image behind and become Jesse.  He wrote in his own letters that this was the “perfect date“.  This date was explained in his handwritten introduction to his book.  Below are his own words as written by him:

The thing which brought his mention of the “perfect day” to my mind was something I received in an Email today from a site to which I subscribe.  Below is the excerpt from this Email:

If you don’t feel like you’re on the right track just yet, here’s your chance… Tomorrow’s date is 8/8! The number 8 is one of the most powerful numbers of all, influencing your karma and success, generosity and rewards. And with this supportive energy multiplied x 2, you have a chance to set yourself up for success in every area of life.

As Jesse wrote “Anyone who studies Numerology will understand...“

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When Jesse and I spoke this past Tuesday, he said something which I have since decided that I should post on here for all to see.  He brought up the topic of the books which his former associates have written.  He said “I love those boys…but they sensationalized things to sell their books…”  I told him that he is a much bigger person than I because I could not forgive them.  He said he has forgiven them.  If they should read his words, I hope it will touch their hearts and help them to find some comfort in knowing that he does not hold it against them.

Wanda June Hill has told me that Elvis lived the teachings of Jesus so closely and that she had seen him forgive the same person repeatedly – many times.  I have witnessed that he is still very much the same way to this very day…as you can see in my prior paragraph on this topic.

Below is the Thought For The Day from the Edgar Cayce organization which I received today:

Think on This… . . . “Except ye become as little children, ye shall in no wise enter in.” Unless you can be just as forgiving, unless you can find it just as easy to forget slights and slurs and things that would make afraid those who would judge others. For with what measure ye mete, it is measured to thee again. Even as He, the Master gave, the faults ye find in others are reflected in thine own mirror of life. And as He gave, “Cast the beam out of thine eye that ye may see to take the mote from thy brother’s eye.”

Reading 3395-2

I must ask Jesse to pray for me that I may acquire this ability which obviously was put into his heart from the day he was born.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 8, 2014

Let’s all remember to wish Jesse a happy “birthday” this coming week leading up to August 16th.  37 years!!! 

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SENT TO JESSE THROUGH THIS POINT ON FRIDAY AUGUST 8, 2014

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SATURDAY, AUGUST 9, 2014

Just want to share that Jesse did phone me again last evening.  He was checking to see how I am doing.  My stress level has been overwhelming lately.  He and I worry about each other a lot.  He is fine and has been getting out and about some.

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I have given a lot of thought about the “shoulds” and “should nots” of posting the following article.  But since one of the purposes of my site is to defend the person who Elvis was prior to his “retirement” on August 16, 1977, I have decided to reveal just one of the huge obstacles with which he had to deal in order to be ELVIS for all of us.   So many misunderstood aspects of Elvis have been written about in the various books by his former friends and employees…aspects of which even those close to him were not aware…the real truth.  I am presenting the following to help my visitors understand just one of the many reasons that Elvis HAD to leave in order to take care of this huge health problem and to, literally, save his life.  After reading this, I believe that even the hardened skeptics will accept that he had only two choices…either keep being ELVIS or change his life and abandon that image in order to save his life.  My goal is to enlighten and instill the proper compassion for the brave decision which Elvis made on August 16, 1977.

Below is an article written by a Dr., with outstanding credentials, who did become fully aware of the health issue which plagued Elvis all of his life.  This Dr. writes and speaks with great knowledge, understanding and compassion for Elvis.  Elvis lived with the anxiety, pain, and the “cloud of knowing” what the worst possible outcome would be every single day while being ELVIS for the world.

Elvis was and continues to be a hero for the entire world.  Jesse is my hero who I love so dearly.  I ask that Jesse forgive me for now revealing the truth about his health issue.  People need to know these facts in order to begin to understand why Elvis chose to leave us.

Biography

Dr. Daniel Brookoff received his medical degree as well as his doctor of philosophy degree from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. He also completed his residency in medicine and a fellowship in medical oncology at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Brookoff has held faculty positions at both the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Tennessee medical schools, and is currently the medical director of the Center for Medical Pain Management at Presbyterian, St. Luke’s Medical Center in Denver, Colorado. In addition, Dr. Brookoff is the founding associate director of the Methodist Comprehensive Pain Clinic in Memphis.

Dr. Brookoff has authored numerous papers and textbook chapters on pain management, most recently “Chronic Pain as a Disease: the Pathophysiology of Disordered Pain” for the textbook Expert Guide to Pain Management, published by the American College of Physicians in 2005.

footnote:  I am told that Dr. Brookoff has since passed away.

“In order to comfort many of my patients with chronic pain, for years I have told them the story of Job from the Bible. These days not only do I tell my patients the story of Job, I also tell them the story of Elvis.

Elvis was born in 1935. He was a twin, his twin died at birth. Elvis had problems right from the start and it turned out he had a form of Hirschsprung’s disease, and Hirschsprung’s disease is a disease of the colon that really kept him from having normal bowel movements and things that he really didn’t want to talk about. There are a lot of people with Hirschsprung’s disease that survive into adulthood, and later on in adulthood they start to develop severe bowel problems, and that’s exactly what happened to Elvis. He started seeking treatment because he didn’t know what he had. In the 60s he was seeing a variety of doctors, some of them in California, some of them in Las Vegas. They were giving him all kinds of treatments, and one of the treatments that he got were anti-inflammatory steroids for the colitis he was developing. So people who survive into adulthood with Hirschsprung’s disease will stretch out their bowel, will develop twists in their bowel, and develop a symptom like colitis. And this is what was plaguing Elvis when he met Dr. George Nicopolis. And it’s kind of interesting because if you asked people what happened, they said that Dr. Nicopolis caused Elvis to be addicted and that’s what he died of, and that is absolutely not true. And it just kind of mirrors a lot of what we go through either as pain patients, or as doctors taking care of pain patients, that it’s hard enough taking care of the physical suffering that the stigma and humiliation really are not deserved, and they become an enormous burden.

The first time Elvis met Dr. Nick was in February of 1967. Elvis had suffered an attack of vertigo and had fallen in the bathroom and broken his rib. He came to see Dr. Nicopolis and one of the interesting things is from then on they developed this relationship that was kind of a father-son relationship. A lot of pain physicians develop very close relationships with their pain patients, and often that’s the most important part of our treatment is having somebody they can trust and somebody who believes in them.

Elvis actually got better under Dr. Nick’s care. When Elvis met Dr. Nick in 1967, he wasn’t touring. He hadn’t played a concert since 1958, which is when he went into the military service. He started playing concerts again in 1969. Despite that, he started to suffer worse and worse bowel problems. Because of a problem with the Hirschsprung’s disease, which is a neurologic problem with your bowel, he developed a very distended and stretched out colon, and at one point developed something called a volvulus, which is real crisis where his colon actually twisted and he started bleeding and was nearly dead. And it was kind of interesting, I’ve seen the medical notes for that. What you do with somebody who has a volvulus is you take them to the hospital. Elvis went to the doctor’s office and saw Dr. Nick and a gastroenterologist and they said, we need to take you to the hospital. Elvis was just absolutely terrified that they were going to do a colostomy on him, which is probably what they would have done, and to be Elvis Presley and to have a colostomy, I could see being kind of intolerable. When Elvis refused, the gastroenterologist said, “well we can stick a scope, you know, a rigid scope, in your colon and, because your colon is twisted, and if we twist it the right way, you’ll be okay, and if we twist it the wrong way, it’ll be catastrophic”. Elvis told him to go ahead and do that, because his identity as Elvis was so important to him.

I remember looking at the medical chart for that visit and it’s kind of sweat-stained and the note for that’s really long. Usually when you write a note for a procedure it’s a page or two. That note is 16 pages. And luckily they twisted the right way. So he made it through that crisis. It’s kind of interesting, everybody makes their judgment of Elvis, who was a good person, loved his mom, a good Southern Baptist who didn’t drink alcohol, much less abuse drugs. And they made all these kind of presuppositions about him. And really what he was trying to do was, to get treatment and still stay Elvis and maintain his real iconic image, and it’s kind of interesting because his image continues to grow.

He started to develop terrible constipation and something called overflow diarrhea. So he had trouble moving his bowels and at the same time some of the liquid stool would overflow. There was an incident at a concert in Baltimore where he actually had what we call an accident, and that terrified him. And you can imagine Elvis having a bowel accident would be terrifying. Because of his accident, Elvis became very, very concerned about his bowels and started taking medicines that actually caused the blockages and the constipation to get worse. He took a medication called Lomotil^®, and he insisted that medication be given to him at his own discretion. All his other medications, as it turns out, were very carefully controlled. So it wasn’t like he was going out on the street buying drugs or asking for drugs. He was actually taking very little medication, but he did take a lot of Lomotil^®. Lomotil^® has two drugs in it. Lomotil^® was developed in the 50s when they were trying to look for a pain-relieving narcotic and it’s a drug called diphenoxylate. Diphenoxylate didn’t relieve any pain, it caused constipation. But when it came out on the market, regulators were really concerned that you just can’t let a narcotic out on the market even though it doesn’t get absorbed. So they did something called the poison pill theory of formulation. So Lomotil^® has two drugs in it. It has diphenoxylate and it has belladonna, an atropine-like drug. The thought being that people who took low doses of it would never feel the belladonna, whereas people who tried to abuse it, which are very, very few, would get belladonna side effects.

Elvis took this drug and took it in large amounts because he was absolutely horrified about having a bowel accident. And like I said, you just think of him living with that kind of terror and still going out there and performing for people and going to Vegas and doing concerts, and the poor fellow was terrified. If you look at the mode of death, he didn’t die like a drug addict dies, because on his last day he was having problems getting his days and nights mixed up so he did sleep in kind of late. But then he ate breakfast and did several things during the day. He played racquetball, which is not something a lot of my drug-addicted patients do, and then he had friends come over and what did they do, they played gospel music into the night, which is something he really loved doing.

Then Elvis tried to do the hardest thing that he had to do every day, because he tried to have a bowel movement. And it looks like Elvis had not had a bowel movement for several weeks before the time of his death. And one of the ways we know that is he’d had a barium enema, in those days we did that instead of colonoscopies, where they put barium in his bowel. And we know that if you don’t get the barium out of your bowel pretty quickly, it turns solid, like cement. And he’d had a barium enema more than eight weeks previously and had never gotten the barium out of his bowel. So he had a very stretched out bowel with a lot of barium. And hadn’t had a bowel movement in at least two weeks, is on the toilet trying hard to have a bowel movement. And unfortunately he had taken a lot of Lomotil^® right before that. The diphenoxylate in Lomotil^® was stopping him from having a bowel movement. The belladonna in Lomotil^® caused him to have an arrhythmia when he bore down. So as he bore down real hard to kind of push things out of his bowel, his heart slowed down and he had an arrhythmia called ventricular tachycardia which killed him. And he died on the toilet, which again, I take care of a lot of drug addicts and that’s not how they die. They either die with a needle in their arm or they die in bed. He died on the toilet and he was taken to the hospital, and by the time he got to Baptist Hospital he’d passed on.

footnote:  Dr. Brookoff’s summation of the way Elvis “died” is, of course, erroneous and was based upon the facts which the Dr. knew about the condition with which Elvis was living.  I would like to add that I KNOW that Elvis did not die and that he IS JESSE NOW.  It is my belief that the reasons Dr. Nick encouraged Vernon to have the autopsy done and that the results be sealed for 50 years are (1)  Having an autopsy done solidified the fact that there was a body and that Elvis really did die.  (2) Having the autopsy findings sealed for 50 years would keep the findings about the body, which was autopsied, from being made public because the man, whose body was autopsied, died of other causes unrelated to Elvis’ own health conditions.  These are only my own opinions and conclusions which I have reached.  I have not spoken with Jesse about my beliefs.

And it’s just kind of interesting because he died at a young age. He was trying to be Elvis through his whole life and if you’re Elvis Presley, that’s what you’ve got to do. It’s interesting, that’s what his doctor did for him was he kept him Elvis an extra 10 years. He would have probably passed on sooner without Dr. Nicopolis’s care. And Dr. Nicopolis kept his secrets.

Treating chronic pain is one of the most pro-life things we can do as physicians. And if we’re being pro-life, we’re doing the right thing, we’re restoring people to their lives. So I just thought it was interesting to share with you the story of Elvis and his doctor. Like I said, Dr. Nick has told me that Elvis was his best friend and his worst patient. He was hard to deal with because he kept wanting to be Elvis Presley. But in his case, that was legitimate. And because of Dr. Nick’s care, Elvis probably lived 10 years longer than he would have, despite a really terrible genetic illness.

One of the interesting features of that was, that’s one of the secrets that never came out because Elvis was humiliated by his illness, which is really unfortunate. And your doctors are the ones who will keep your secrets when you pass on and everybody else is talking about you.”

Dr. Nick has suffered greatly and been misjudged in so many ways since Elvis left.   He has my utmost respect because he has kept Elvis’/Jesse’s secrets to this very day.

Wanda June Hill was the person who called my attention to the above article and I thank her so very much.  This health condition was the reason that it took so long for Wanda to accept the truth which I am telling.  She just did not see how Elvis could have faked his death and continued to live because of this issue.

So, I asked Jesse if he did have the surgery which the Drs. told him was his only hope of survival.  Jesse said that yes he did have the surgery after he left and that he has been fine since then.

You see, Elvis did not want his fans and the general public to know about this.  He felt that this surgery was not something that he could have done and continue to be ELVIS. 

This was far from being his only reason for leaving.  I will not go into detail about all the other crushing problems under which he was struggling.  I can only say that I don’t know how in the world he managed to keep going as long as he did.  He truly was “superman” to survive all that he had going on in his personal life.

It is no wonder that Jesse said “I felt like I was losing my mind.“

Interestingly, when I watched the video of Dr. Brookoff which accompanies the above article, I immediately recognized that he is the same Dr. who was interviewed during a news report in 1997 regarding some of Elvis’ health conditions.  Dr. Brookoff did speak so very highly of Elvis for “going out there and being Elvis for you.  That’s pretty special.”  regarding some other very painful health issues with which Elvis was dealing.  I was watching this news report when it aired and I taped it (as I was doing back then for anything about Elvis).  I have had the video of this news report on my YouTube channel for many years.  Below is the link to my video.  I DO take great offense at what Tom Brokaw said as he obviously was extremely ignorant about Elvis.  But the rest of the report is interesting.  I even had Hinton place this Dr’s words in Jesse’s book.

ELVIS IS ALIVE. NBC August 16,1997 news report about Elvis’ health problems in 1977.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 14, 2014

Below is the link to a site from which you may watch the live stream of the candlelight vigil on Friday night.  Also, you may watch videos of several of the events which have already taken place this week.

http://www.graceland.com/connect/graceland_live.aspx?elvis=

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I just stumbled upon an interesting web site which I have not fully perused yet…but I find it to be intriguing and thought others would also.  Again, I cannot say if the material on this site is all factual or not.  But, after looking at the author’s information about himself and how the site originated by him…I do think it warrants a look over to see. 

I present this here in full confidence that there will be nothing revealing about Elvis personally but will serve to show the lengths to which people will go to profit from his name…both before and after he is “gone”.   One such case is that of the Alden mother who sued the estate because of a promise made by Elvis which was not in any way bound by any formal contract.  Behavior such as this tells  a lot about the character of those types of people. 

http://www.preslaw.info/alden-v-presley-1982.html

Here is the link to the site:  

http://www.preslaw.info/

This site was originally created back in 2006 as PresLaw.net and was part of a project I needed to complete as a requirement for a Cyberlaw class during my years of study with Concord Law School.

When Elvis Presley died on August 16, 1977, he left not only an incredible musical legacy, he also left a future of litigation, covering topics from Intellectual Property to Civil Procedure. This site is dedicated to the Elvis-related legal cases, governmental papers, news stories and articles that have unfolded since the death of Elvis Aaron Presley as well as some legal issues and various official documents arising during his lifetime.

PresLaw.info was developed to make available information on the many Elvis-related lawsuits in a single location. In doing so, we hope that it will be of interest to Elvis’ fans, to members of the legal profession, and to those undertaking the study of law … and if you are a lawyer or law student AND an Elvis fan, all the better!  Before exploring the site, please review our Terms and Conditions.

Ian Feavearyear J.D. is a graduate of Concord Law School and proud recipient of the Jack R. Goetz Award (June 2005), presented to the valedictorian of the J.D. graduating class. It is named in honor of founding Dean of Concord Law School, Jack R. Goetz.

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 15, 2014

I wish to take a little time to pay tribute to the beloved actor and comedian, Robin Williams, who the world lost this week.  He was a joy and a delight to the world for so many years.  By all accounts, he was a very warm and caring person with a big heart for everyone he met.  I listened to some of the tributes being given by those who were fortunate to have been his friends and to have known him personally.  The acts of friendliness and kindness, which he always presented to every person he met, touched my heart and I loved that he seems to have been a lot like Elvis in the way he treated others.  So, lets send many prayers and thoughts for his family.  I saw that his daughter closed her Twitter account because she was receiving so many harassing messages from people since the death of her Dad.  We live in a very cold and uncaring society and it is heartbreaking.  Good manners are out the window now.  So is the milk of human kindness, evidently.

I have a special place in my heart for Robin Williams for the person that he was and also because he starred in one of the Orion movies which did have very strong Elvis clues in it.  That movie is CADILLAC MAN.  There are a number of “Elvis flavored” scenes and lines in this comedy. Years ago, I presented a clip on my YouTube channel.  I have included the most significant of these clues onto my video clip.  Below is the link to my YouTube video.  I think you will enjoy this brief film of Robin Williams with the Elvis clues.  For anyone who has not seen this movie, I do highly recommend it. 

ELVIS IS ALIVE. Elvis’s post-1977 connection to Orion Pictures – CADILLAC MAN

http://youtu.be/XB-x4KoadMA httpv://youtu.be/XB-x4KoadMA

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Once more, below is a link from which you may watch the Candlelight Vigil tonight. 

Candlelight Vigil 2014

Event starts Fri Aug, 15 2014 9:00 PM EST

http://www.graceland.com/connect/graceland_live.aspx

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SENT TO JESSE THROUGH THIS POINT ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 15, 2014

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MONDAY, AUGUST 18, 2014

Just a note to apologize for not posting for the past few days.  I am still bogged down in getting all of the components to go with our new computer located and installed.  I will be back very soon.  Thank each of you for your understanding and patience.

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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20, 2014

A good friend, Mariangela created this beautiful video of Jesse’s song “Are You Lonesome Tonight”.  I thank her so much.  If I have shared this on here before…please forgive my over-worked and over-rushed memory today. 

httpv://youtu.be/Ep-PkUFwqE8?list=UUfu529G_60Xl7gRFNI10tyw

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Below is the link to a site on which you may view many of the Alfred Wertheimer photos of Elvis taken in 1956.  You will see many on this site which have never been seen before.  I just enjoyed looking over the photos very much.  Also Below is an article about the photos.

http://www.rockpaperphoto.com/elvis-presley-collection

August 20, 2014 /MM-PressAdvantage/ —

New York, NY — New, never-before-seen images of the King of Rock and Roll have just been released by Rock Paper Photo to mark the anniversary of his death. Elvis Presley died on August 16th, 1977.

“The impact he had was enormous,” said Mark Halpern, co-founder and CEO of Rock Paper Photo. “Even 37 years after his death, he is one of the most idolized men of all time. These behind-the-scenes photographs of the young Elvis reveal private moments that are beautiful and very intimate.”

The photos were taken by acclaimed photographer Alfred Wertheimer between 1956 and 1959. Some were included in his book, entitled “Alfred Wertheimer: Elvis and the Birth of Rock and Roll.” The 400-page book is a collector’s item with only 1,706 signed, numbered copies produced. Some of the new photos were outtakes from his Presley shoots that appeared in the book.

Wertheimer first met Presley in 1956 when the singer was 21 and had just released his first single with RCA, “Heartbreak Hotel.” Wertheimer was a freelance photographer assigned to cover the then-little-known performer’s appearance on Tommy Dorsey and Jimmy Dorsey’s Stage Show. He shot many rolls of film, including a large number of offstage photos documenting the young singer’s unguarded moments. Shortly after that meeting, Presley’s fame skyrocketed. Wertheimer continued to photograph him over the next few years. “His early access to Elvis is part of what makes these new photos so extraordinary,” said Halpern. “They’re also of course technically accomplished and a window into Wertheimer’s own early career. He was only a few years older than Elvis, still in his 20s when these were taken.”

Rock Paper Photo already carries a sizable collection of Elvis Presley images, Halpern said, but wanted to add more. “We worked closely with Wertheimer to unearth these long-forgotten stills because we wanted something special to commemorate the anniversary of The King’s death.”

The photos can be viewed on Rock Paper Photo’s website. High quality art prints are available for purchase in various sizes and materials. “Both serious collectors and Elvis fans will appreciate these,” Halpern said.

About Rock Paper Photo

Rock Paper Photo displays and sells high quality art prints with iconic images of musicians, stage and screen stars, sports personalities, and art and fashion leaders. The photographs represent work from many renowned photographers. Rock Paper Photo’s curated galleries can be viewed on their website, where individual images can also be purchased in several different formats.

Contact

Ed Baum 220 W. 42nd Street 24th FL New York, NY 10036 ed@rockpaperphoto.com 855-777-7467

This article may be viewed at: 

http://www.free-press-release-center.info/pr00000000000000280635_never-before-seen-elvis-presley-images-released.html

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The following is a good article from the Wall Street Journal regarding a large new package set of  two DVDs and eight CD’s  covering Elvis when he was just returning to the stage in his concert tours as was documented in the movie “Elvis:  That’s the Way It Is”.  This article also includes some more exciting news…this week the restored “Elvis: That’s the Way It Is” will be shown nationally in movie theaters.

It all sounds wonderful!!

Performance is what drives the 2001 edit of ‘Elvis: That’s the Way It Is.’ Elvis Presley Enterprises Inc

Within the span of a few months in 1970, the short-lived film genre known as the “concert/documentary movie” reached its apogee with three releases that each marked a turning point in artistic evolution. “Let It Be” was the final major appearance of the Beatles; “Woodstock,” the first big blockbuster concert movie—boasting one classic rock band after another—amounted to the zenith of the form, still yet to be surpassed. But “Elvis: That’s the Way It Is” was something else entirely: It captured the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll at the very moment he was reclaiming his throne and beginning a new phase in his electrifying career, a remarkable third act that would eclipse everything he had previously done.

This new incarnation—Elvis Presley as a touring concert artist (following his emergence as a 1950s rock ‘n’ roll radical and his second act as a 1960s Hollywood hitmaker)—would find him returning to his roots as a live performer, encompassing a wider range of material as he appeared before ever-larger audiences. This renaissance was unfortunately brief; by the mid-1970s, Presley’s substance abuse and self-destructive tendencies would catch up with him. He would be a bloated mess in the final months of his short life, but in 1970, he was in peak physical condition and artistically at the top of his game.

Copious evidence of this is now offered in a new package from Sony Legacy, which features two DVDs in addition to eight compact discs; it includes all the audio from the run of concerts at the International Hotel in Las Vegas that were filmed for the project as well as a splendidly illustrated 80-page booklet. (The first CD is actually the original 1970 LP released in conjunction with the theatrical film and bearing the same title, even though it’s a collection of mostly studio tracks recorded in Nashville.)

The DVDs contain two very different versions of the 1970 feature: the original theatrical edit and the 2001 “restoration.” In 1970, director Denis Sanders, not satisfied with capturing Presley in performance on stage, felt the need to make a true documentary. While the copious rehearsal footage is often fascinating, other behind-the-scenes moments are far less so. The 1970 edit presents too much interview footage with Elvis fans, most of whom were too young to have experienced Presley during his 1950s breakthrough—as if to prove that his audience extended beyond his original rock ‘n’ roll following. The 2001 edit is a vast improvement, offering more footage of Elvis in action and omitting nearly all of the tedious fan interviews.

It’s his performance that drives “Elvis: That’s the Way It Is.” At the start of his career, Presley was widely perceived as a divisive figure in American culture. No entertainer did more, even inadvertently, to create the generation gap. RCA Records marketed his songs specifically to teenagers—and if the music annoyed their parents, so much the better. Yet in the final and, in many ways, the most rewarding phase of Presley’s career, the singer entered into what seems, in retrospective, like a musical crusade to bring people together. In this, his major asset was his versatility as a performer, which empowered him to be an old-school entertainer in the tradition of Frank Sinatra (as opposed to a singer-songwriter, who was limited to doing his own compositions). Presley sang any song in any genre that suited him.

After roughly a half hour of behind-the-scenes footage (and watching celebrities like Sammy Davis Jr., Cary Grant, George Hamilton and even Xavier Cugat and Charo filing in), the concert starts with a medley of two early Elvis blues numbers, “That’s All Right” and “Mystery Train.” Like Sinatra alternating between classic Cole Porter and something more contemporary or written expressly for him, Presley hops from genre to genre, imbuing it all with his majestic voice and dynamic personality.

From basic 12-bar Delta-style blues, he moves to the Gospel-infused soul music of Ray Charles’s “I Got a Woman.” Before the evening is through, he also sings the contemporary country classic “I Can’t Stop Loving You” and Simon & Garfunkel’s folk-rock spiritual “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” In addition, the Dusty Springfield hit “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me,” which was originally recorded by co-composer Pino Donaggio as “Io che non vivo (senza te),” reflects Presley’s fascination with Italian music. And two Beatles songs also turn up in the rehearsals and the concert, “Something” and “Get Back.” All of which is in addition to the many Elvis signatures that he reprises, both old (“Hound Dog,” “Heartbreak Hotel”) and new (“Suspicious Minds,” “In the Ghetto”). A few years later he would attempt to bring all of America together with his “American Trilogy,” which juxtaposed a song from the North, the South and an African-American spiritual.

The 1970 concert is essentially one climax after another, not only because the editors assembled the footage from six different shows, but because Presley himself—in what has become his trademark white jumpsuit—is in amazingly dynamic form and at the height of his formidable powers. One of the heart-stoppers is the great Brill Building anthem “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling”; thanks to the King’s unstoppable energy, sheer chops and overwhelming passion (not to mention effortlessly hip kung-fu moves), he makes everyone else who ever sang the song, including the Righteous Brothers, seem like mere pretenders. And yet, as searingly dramatic as Presley is, he doesn’t lose his sense of humor; when he gets to the line “Baby, I’d get down on my knees for you,” he shouts the aside “if this suit wasn’t too tight!”

Even the 10-disc box doesn’t amount to the whole story: Warner Bros. released a two-disc Blu-ray set of the film, again with the 1970 and 2001 edits, but with a different selection of outtakes and extra footage. (Even more footage from the individual concerts was issued on a 3-DVD bootleg a few years ago.)

Theatrical concert movies were pretty much wiped out by MTV in the mid-1980s as kids were getting pop-music videos at home 24 hours a day. Yet special spectacles are now edging their way back into cinemas, and this week the restored “Elvis: That’s the Way It Is” will be shown nationally in movie theaters. Elvis may be singing about having lost something, but this remarkable film, like the singer himself, has only gained in stature over the past four decades.

Mr. Friedwald writes the weekly Jazz Scene column for the Journal.

The above article may be viewed at: 

http://online.wsj.com/articles/dvd-elvis-thats-the-way-it-is-1408573193

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 22, 2014

A friend, Nita, recently shared the following video to be sent to Jesse because she learned that Elvis liked it so much.  I have also liked this beautiful work of poetry for many years and,  at one time, sent it to graduates as they stepped into the “real world” of their new adult lives.  I myself need to be reminded of the admonitions and inspiration contained therein to be able to better and appropriately deal with those who challenge me.   I share it today with all of you.

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SENT TO JESSE THROUGH THIS POINT ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 22, 2014

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 22, 2014

Just want to let everyone know that Jesse tried to phone me very early yesterday morning but his phone disconnected before we could speak.  So, he did phone again tonight and we had a wonderful visit.  He is doing well.  He and I are both kind of dreading Fall because Winter will be right behind.   Jesse plans to be in good health next year when he turns 80 so he can remain active.  We look at entertainers who still perform well into their 80’s and I know if Elvis had not retired, he could still be doing fantastic performances.    So many of us love HIM, the man, and not just the image of ELVIS.  He said he was so glad that I did share (here on my site) the health issue which he was battling for so long and he loved hearing the Dr. speaking about him and his condition.  As he has told me a number of times “I’m only human“…but a most extraordinary human he is!!

As always, his call came at a time when I needed a lift and his calls certainly always do that for me. 

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SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 2014

I have known for quite a while now that Ginger Alden was writing and has now published her book.  I don’t like the things which I am hearing which are included in her “tell all” book.  First of all, she was only with Elvis for months, not years, therefore really doesn’t have enough legitimate  material for a book…maybe a magazine interview at best. 

Based on the facts which I know about Ginger and her time with Elvis, I am suggesting that we all boycott her book.  It should have never seen the light of day.  The only reason she got a publisher for her book so quickly is because she is well known as Elvis’ last girlfriend and the one who found his “body” on August 16, 1977.

Jesse has written that he picked the most naive person he knew to find the body and that she almost waited too long to do that.  One of the reasons that she almost waited too long is because once she did find the body, she took time to place a call to a reporter with whom she had been in contact and to whom she had been leaking tips about Elvis.  She did not identify herself to the reporter but he recognized her voice when she told him that something was going to be happening at Graceland very soon.  Then she proceeded to fix her hair and put on her makeup BEFORE she even called for help.  Then, after the body was taken away in an ambulance, Ginger placed another call to the same reporter, identifying herself in this call, and told him that Elvis was dead.  This was before the body was even officially pronounced dead.  This is all documented in Dr. George Nichopulos’ book titled THE KIND AND DR. NICK.   Dr. Nick spoke with the reporter who gave him this account of Ginger’s calls to him.  Dr. Nick said that it took her at least an hour to get herself fixed up to be seen BEFORE she called for someone to come to help “Elvis” who was still laying on the bathroom floor.

When she came down the stairs later, she was told by Elvis’s father to pack her things and leave and that she was no longer welcome in Graceland.  This account is given in the book by Nancy Rooks titled INSIDE GRACELAND.  If I am not mistaken, there are other things in this book which Elvis said about Ginger.  Again, I haven’t read this book for a while and would have to check to verify that he told Ms. Rooks other things regarding his relationship with Ginger. 

While she was “engaged” to Elvis, she was seeing another man to whom she was possibly engaged.  I have been told that she actually eventually married this man.

Elvis’ Uncle Vester said in an interview that no body liked Ginger and that she acted like she was better than them and was “snooty“. 

Then her mother filed a lawsuit claiming that “Elvis promised” to give her money.  I don’t recall all the details, but it can be found if one searches.  I believe one of the things which she claimed Elvis had promised was to cover her divorce costs.  I have not read about this in a while and I am saying this based on things which I have not reviewed in a long time.

Elvis had to get Linda Thompson out of his life in order to pull off the planned “death“.  Linda loved Elvis with all her heart and she took really good care of him and watched over him.  Elvis knew she had to go because she would have never been naive enough to be fooled by the body laying on the bathroom floor nor any of the other things which had to be put into place for the plan to work.  So, Elvis deliberately did things to drive Linda away. 

Elvis told Wanda June Hill that Ginger would do alright after he “died” because she would make money off of being his last girlfriend.

This info is just the tip of the iceberg regarding Ginger’s short lived time with Elvis.  She is mentioned in other books and often described as being less than stellar in her grasp of things. 

I won’t waste a dollar on this book and I do hope that others will not buy it. 

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My sweet friend, Dixie, shared the following video with me.  I am simply awestruck by this video.  The sound and visual qualities are superb and it is so very special.  I cannot thank Dixie enough for thinking to share this with me and I can’t wait for my visitors to see it too.  Spellbinding!

This Never Before Seen Footage Of Elvis Will Leave You Speechless. WOW!

Check out this incredible, recently surfaced video of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Elvis Presley. This never-before-seen footage of a 1977 concert shows Elvis’ personality and incredible talent. Watch as he unexpectedly chooses to sit at the piano for a live performance of “Unchained Melody”.

This song was originally written by the Righteous Brothers, and Elvis’ rendition found its way to the soundtrack of “Ghost”.As one of the final stops on his last tour before death, this recorded moment is priceless. I love his conversation with his assistant! Join the Charlotte, NC audience from 1977 and take pleasure in this incredible Elvis concert with fantastic sound quality! http://www.wimp.com/elvisfootage/ httpv://www.wimp.com/elvisfootage/

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I want to share something very special which gives some insight into what Elvis was going through privately and which only a very few close friends knew.  This excerpt was shared with me by:

From THE LETTER – circa 1974

I chose this excerpt from a letter written by Elvis around 1974 which was actually type written that he sent to several of his friends, including Wanda Hill. This date today, is remembered as the anniversary date ending the life of this soul as “Elvis Presley.” Recently, the world lost another great soul – Robin Williams. I felt that this particular excerpt from Elvis’ letter was especially appropriate in reminding us how fragile we all are…and yet how strong and eternal we truly are.

Excerpt from the letter Elvis sent to several of his friends . . .

“I hear stories that are heartbreaking and some of them give me the will and strength to go on with my life. I admit to being many times on the verge of leaving by my own hand. And there were times that I felt I could not ever be a whole person again, but through the knowledge and wisdom of those departed who come to me with these words of strength and wisdom I have conquered my weakness.

“I can sing, I can make people happy, I can help with the money I earn from doing that, and I can reach people who are unreachable. All because I happen to be sensitive to the seventh sense… I am grateful and indebted to my Lord every day that I live.

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SUNDAY, AUGUST 24, 2014

My dear friend, Lucilia, shared the following video with me on Facebook.  This is a very special treat as it dates back to 1957.  I do not recall ever seeing this commercial on TV way back then.  Of course, I can’t remember many things from way back then.  It is fun to see this vintage commercial for one of Elvis’ Christmas albums.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=502657969775675

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MONDAY, AUGUST 25, 2014

Below is a good interview with Joe Esposito from several years ago.  It is very sad that Joe has recently joined forces with Shirley Dieu in order to promote sales of her book at the expense of Elvis/Jesse…now saying that he has lied for the past 37 years.  This headline story was used to introduce people to Shirley’s book.  When I first heard that Joe said this, I stopped to ask myself “What’s in this for Joe“.  Then it dawned on me that the motive was to promote Shirley’s book.  Joe really has not told anything new but used the “been lying for 37 years” to grab people’s attention so they would begin listening to see what he was going to tell.  His big revelation is that he found Elvis lying in the bathroom rather than in bed and that he went back to Graceland and removed all of the medication from Elvis’ bathroom before the investigation of the death scene began.  We all have known for years that Elvis was found in the bathroom…NO news there.  Also, we all know that Elvis did have a number of serious and chronic health issues for which Dr. Nick was prescribing multiple medications.  I recall reading that Dr. Francisco’s assistant was amazed that there were NO drugs, not even over the counter medications, remaining in the bathroom.  So, this is nothing new other than, NOW Joe is taking credit for clearing the death scene.  Others have also been credited for doing the same thing.  So, Joe really is telling NOTHING new, but using his own public recognition to promote Shirley Dieu’s book.  Evidently, they are “a couple” again.  There are other reports about their current relationship  which I will not go into.  I had thought that I would like to read Shirley’s book.  However, now due to Joe’s involvement and their involvement with Elvis’ ex-wife, I will be passing on this book also.

http://youtu.be/jiU6YTKply0

httpv://youtu.be/jiU6YTKply0

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Just have to share this from Facebook:

 I hope those who have attacked me do see this.

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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 27, 2914

I have read quite enough of Ginger Alden’s book to know that it is another sensationalized make-a-quick-buck book.  As I wrote earlier, I won’t be buying her book but I have read excerpts of it in several reviews and it is not worth the paper it is printed on in my opinion. 

My dear friend, BlueRose, sent the following beautiful image with a quote from Elvis which certainly applies to the situation with the books written only to make money with no sense of respect nor loyalty to Elvis.

Elvis said:

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Below is a video which I came upon a few weeks ago and just haven’t had time to put together an article about it until now.

JASPER as ELVIS (Channel 2)

Published on Aug 3, 2014

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