THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 16, 1995 TAG: 9504140132
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 08 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Bill Reed
LENGTH: Medium: 71 lines
Dig out that git-fiddle. Dust off those blue suede shoes. Limber up those hips.
Get ready to pay homage to the King on the first weekend in June.
Yes, folks, that's the weekend the city has set aside at the Oceanfront to celebrate Elvis.
The Viva Elvis weekend, June 1 to 4, will feature skydiving Elvises, an Elvis look-alike contest, an Elvis parade with the First Colonial High School band members wearing Elvis masks, Elvis impersonators, Elvis karaoke and Elvis movies like ``Jail House Rock'' and ``Viva Las Vegas.''
An African-American Elvis, a Mexican Elvis and a Canadian Elvis will show up, and Elvis cookbooks will be sold to Oceanfront festival-goers. One of the cookbook items, by the way, tells you how to make fried peanut butter sandwiches. Mmmm, Mmmm!
It's all part of a 10-month calendar of events scheduled by Cellar Door, an entertainment company, and it's aimed at bringing more tourists to Virginia Beach for longer stays.
Or, as Cellar Door president Bill Reid (no kin, honest) explains it, ``We have two goals: one to put heads in beds and, two, to entertain locals.''
This one event should fit that bill nicely.
While Baby Boomers, Generation X'ers and the World War II era survivors may not dig Elvis, there are plenty of '50s and early '60s types who do.
They'll be around to perpetuate Elvismania into the next century - maybe even beyond. You can bet your CD players on that.
After all, the King was rock 'n' roll in his time. Still is. He set the mold; made tight pants, sideburns and pink Cadillacs cool; made you wanna shout, tap those feet and go a little crazy.
And those movies he made - wheeouiee! Were they baaad or what?
Had he remained alive - and word is he might be - he would be 60 this year. Chances are he'd still be grinding that pelvis, twanging that geetar and belting out those rhythmic melodies in that smooth, sexy baritone voice.
Just in case all those Elvis sightings we've heard and read about are true - the ones at the Kmart, Burger King, Kentucky Fried Chicken outlets, the Greyhound Bus station or the local trash dumpster - Reid is prepared to make an offer Elvis couldn't possibly refuse.
Should the King appear at the Oceanfront festival, Reid has a $1 million check ready for him. It is made out to the real Elvis Aaron Presley and is backed by Lloyds of London, one of the world's largest insurers. Lloyds has insured the hands of Elton John and the legs and bodies of countless American entertainers, movie stars and athletes, Reid explained.
All Elvis has to do is show up, Reid told bemused City Council members last Tuesday, and he will be given the check - with the stipulation that the proceeds be given to Elvis' favorite charity.
How will he know it's the real Elvis? Reid assured the council that fingerprints would be checked, maybe even a blood sample taken to verify the identity.
Cellar Door, with Reid at the helm, plans to run the city oceanfront events program for the next two years, after nosing out Virginia Beach Events Unlimited for the $1 million city contract. This year, Reid and company propose events for 17 of the next 32 weekends, including the North American Fireworks Competition, which will be held June 9 to 11, rather than the Memorial Day weekend in late May.
The Elvis weekend, however, has to be the highlight of the season. Viva Elvis. Long live the King. ILLUSTRATION: AP file photo
Elvis impersonators of every shape, color and nationality will be on
hand for The Viva Elvis weekend, June 1 to 4, at the Oceanfront.
by CNB