For more than half a century, if you wanted ornamental ironwork done for your home in Memphis, you paid a visit to Joseph C. Culligan ... He was apparently quite a character. Born in Ireland in 1889, he served an apprenticeship with blacksmiths and foundries in Liverpool, England, before emigrating to the U.S. in 1915. He moved to Memphis, so I understand, because his sister was already living here, and by the 1920s had established Culligan Iron Works , a thriving business that survived until
See Minnie Mae Hood Presley, above, serving biscuits to her son Vernon and her grandson Elvis? ... Well, Minnie Mae's niece, Alice, was the grandmother of Alabama-based actress, advertising executive, and book author Edie Hand ... Got that? ... Starting tomorrow, Hand, Joe Meador, and Ronnie McDowell, co-authors of ... The Genuine Elvis: Photos and Untold Stories about the King , will be signing copies of their new book all over town ... Flyer: What was it like, as a relative of Elvis, to
Since Elvis left the building for good in August 1977, tribute artist, painter, and songwriter Ronnie McDowell , a native of Fountain Head, Tennessee, has served up his version of the King's voice in 12 movies and one Twilight Zone episode. This month, McDowell adds a new credit to his resume: The Genuine Elvis: Photos and Untold Stories about the King , a book he co-authored with Edie Hand and Joe Meador ... I caught up with McDowell yesterday, as he packed his bags for a series of
Twenty of the best Elvis acts in the land, finalists in the contest that Elvis Presley Enterprises established three years ago, will compete in the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest on Wednesday and Thursday at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts. It has become one of the biggest attractions of Elvis tribute week and helps guarantee Memphis will be bursting at the seams with jumpsuits as Graceland pays homage to Elvis on the 32nd anniversary of his death ...
River City Artists, a local collective of emerging talent under the direction of noted watercolorist Fred Rawlinson, has weighed in on the topic of Elvis art with "Our Town II: Eyes on Graceland," a group show at Memphis Botanic Garden in the Visitors Center Gallery. Running through Aug. 31, the exhibit consists of 70 works by 15 artists who were given rare access to the grounds of Graceland in arriving at their depictions. Such access is given infrequently, says Kevin Kern, director of public
It may seem strange that the American Accordionists Association has chosen Memphis for its annual convention this year. Memphis isn't known for its accordion virtuosi. Come to think of it, has the accordion ever made headway into rock and roll? Well, yes. Even Elvis played one. At noon Friday, 100 or so accordion players will make the pilgrimage to Graceland bearing squeezeboxes. They plan a mass accordion choir of "Love Me Tender" and "Blue Serenade." ...
by Susan Ellis ... [image-1] "Accordions make you laugh. They make you happy. It makes you smile to say 'accordion,'" explains Frank Busso of the instrument's appeal. Busso, who's been playing since he was 7, is vice president of the American Accordionists' Association, which is bringing its annual festival to Memphis July 15th-19th. One of the highlights of the festival will be when the 100 or so members of the association's all-ages Massed Band take over Graceland to perform "Love Me Tender"
Managers of Elvis Presley's Graceland are looking for peoplewith personal stories to tell about the king of rock 'n' roll --people like John "Bull" Bramlett who played touch football withPresley in the 1950s ...