The Summer of Elvis 7/15/2007
Throw your blue suede shoes in your suitcase and and make your way to Memphis or get your computer all shook up for a summer that has become the largest celebration of Elvis in history.
From race cars to candy bars and in a multitude of new movies, music offerings, products and promotions, fans all over the world can experience Elvis like never before in history.
In July, TV Land and the city of Honolulu, Hawaii will honor Elvis during the 30th anniversary year with a life-sized bronze sculpture. This TV Land Landmark will commemorate the 1973 Aloha from Hawaii concert. The sculpture will grace The Neal S. Blaisdell Center, formerly The Honolulu International Center, site of the historic Aloha from Hawaii event. August will be Elvis Month on TV Land, which will feature numerous Elvis movies, specials and documentaries.
Reese’s Peanut Butter & Banana Creme Cups featuring Elvis Presley are available through December 2007 in standard, miniatures and “The King” sizes at grocery, drug and convenience stores nationwide. With the Reese’s Elvis “Live Like the King” promotion, Elvis fans can instantly win one of more than 10,000 prizes, including a trip to Graceland in Memphis, a scarf owned by Elvis Presley, Elvis sunglasses, Elvis license plates and more.
For the ultimate grand prize, the Reese’s brand has teamed up with Boyd Coddington of TLC’s “American Hot Rod” to create an authentic Elvis tribute car. The 1957 pink Cadillac has been custom built to look just like the Cadillac Elvis used to drive and upgraded to include all the features of a 2007 custom hot rod car. Three episodes of “American Hot Rod” on TLC will chronicle the transformation of the grand prize Cadillac.
There will also be a special Reese’s and Elvis-branded paint scheme on the Kevin Harvick No. 29 Chevrolet on July 29, 2007 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Warner Home Video and Paramount Home Entertainment are pooling their DVD sales and marketing resources to release a total of 24 Elvis films. The lead titles in the promotion are Deluxe Editions of Viva Las Vegas and Jailhouse Rock and 2 Disc Special Editions of Elvis: That’s the Way It Is and This is Elvis, making its DVD debut.
Graceland Harley-Davidson, located in the Graceland Plaza area, is celebrating Elvis with the creation of “Elvis Presley 30th Anniversary Bike Signature Collection.” The Harley-Davidson motorcycles emulate the 1957 Black Harley-Davidson FLH model that Elvis owned. Each motorcycle in the collection also comes with a painting by David Uhl and a sculpture by Jeff Decker. Each is numbered from one to 30 and paired with the corresponding motorcycle. Bike number 30 will be auctioned in Memphis during Elvis Week.
The first-ever Elvis Cruise takes off on August 30 – September 3. Guests will join Jerry Schilling, The Imperials, Ruby Wilson, The Jordanaires, The TCB Band, Joe Guercio and others for an Elvis experience at sea.
This year's annual Elvis Week is a nine-day gathering of friends and fans from around the world celebrating Elvis’ life and career.
From August 11-19, events in Memphis include The Official Elvis Week Kick-Off Event at The Memphis Redbirds and AutoZone Park, Elvis Expo 2007, The Elvis Insiders Conference, The Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest, Elvis Music & Movies on the front lawn of Graceland, The Candlelight Vigil, Elvis: The 30th Anniversary Concert, Elvis: Midnight in Vegas Concert, and more. A Video and PodCast describing these events can be found on ElvisWeek.com under the podcast tab.
The official Elvis Week kick-off on August 11 will be with the Memphis Redbirds and AutoZone Park in downtown Memphis. Elvis music and videos, live entertainment and a huge fireworks display set to Elvis music will be featured during the evening.
The 30th Anniversary Elvis Week celebration will cap a summer of events being held throughout the world, including 25 preliminary Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contests with over 1,000 contestants vying for a spot for the preliminary contests on August 12 and the finals on August 17. Both will be held at The Cannon Center in Memphis.
Several other new events have been added to this year’s Elvis Week to accommodate both the Elvis fans who have been coming to Memphis for years, as well as the growing numbers of new fans who have discovered Elvis more recently. Along with the traditional Candlelight Vigil on the evening of August 15 and the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest, one of the highlights of the week will be Elvis: The 30th Anniversary Concert starring the real Elvis Presley via video technology, accompanied live on stage by an orchestra and a large cast of his original concert musicians and back-up singers. The event will be staged at FedExForum in Memphis on August 16. Due to the high demand for tickets, an unprecedented midnight show, also starring the real Elvis via video and a cast of his original band mates, Elvis: Midnight In Vegas, That's the Way It Is, has been added.
Other first-time events scheduled for August 13 and 14 are the Elvis Music and Movies evenings on the front lawn of Graceland. This marks the first Elvis Week entertainment event inside the gates where thousands of Memphians and fans from around the world will enjoy live music and movies from their blankets and lawn chairs at Graceland. NASCAR's four-time Most Popular Driver and lifelong Elvis fan, Dale Earnhardt Jr., will rev up the 30th Anniversary Elvis Week event by hosting the first night of the Elvis Music & Movies series with Viva Las Vegas on the front lawn of Graceland on Monday, Aug. 13.
The second evening will feature The Imperials, former members of The Stamps Quartet and The Sweet Inspirations, all performing live in concert on the front lawn followed by the screening of Warner Bros.' new concert film release, Elvis: That's the Way It Is, Special Edition, which has also been restored and digitally remastered and features 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio.
Also new this year is the Elvis Expo 2007, a giant merchandise and memorabilia showroom, August 12 - 14 at the Cook Convention Center. It will contain more than 100 booths and 35,000 square feet of all things Elvis including the latest Elvis music, movies and merchandise. Throughout the three-day event there will be performances and autograph sessions with celebrities, authors, artists and photographers. Concurrently, the popular Elvis Insiders Conference, a two-day event also featuring authors, celebrities and others involved with Elvis, will take place at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts at the Convention Center. Although the Insiders event is sold out, attendees of the Elvis Expo 2007 will be part of the entire Insiders excitement via a live broadcast of the event into the Elvis Expo 2007 Showroom. Current special guests scheduled to be part of the conference and showroom are; Priscilla Presley, Mary Ann Mobley, and many others.
New merchandise will also hit store shelves during the summer of Elvis including products from Thomas Kincade, PEZ, Marie Osmond Dolls, Bradford, and the first-ever animatronic, life-size Elvis bust will be introduced by Wowee.
Elvis fans who can’t make it to Memphis can still join in the fun from anywhere in the world when they visit the special Elvis Week Web site. It will include a live webcam at Meditation Garden, a virtual wall, links to partner’s online Elvis Week fun and games and, during Elvis Week, will include lots of photos and videos from Elvis Week. You can even sign up for the Elvis Video PodCast.
You'll also find Elvis Week event tickets and more information on all the above events and promotions on the new Elvis Week Web site. Be sure and check back often as more details and news on the summer of Elvis becomes available.
Note: I'm actually going to the Midnight in Vegas concert, so I'm real excited! My first time in Memphis during Elvis Week, though I won't get to spend much time there.
The Midnight In Vegas concert sounds like it's going to be really great and I hope you have a fantastic time in Memphis and at the show!! 
I seriously doubt that! They'd fall apart! And I think it was Lisa that said somewhere recently that the whole PB and banana thing was overblown as she never saw him eat one. In recent years, I have fixed the "fried" version, and it was pretty darn good, esp. with a glass of milk! 