Feature Column
Exclusive to the Rockabilly Hall of Fame
Column #42 - published February 5, 2001
ELVIS: Never Forgotten
Another January 8, another birthday gone by, a new millenium, the Internet, computers, a million new artists, 300 TV channels on cable, and the software program Pro-Tools can make any dog sound as good as Caruso, but yet there is one constant, one thing which never changes: there never was, nor will there ever be again anybody quite like Elvis Presley.
He, more than anybody, represented the American Dream.
He was the embodiment of Americanism.
Born dirt poor in Tupelo, Mississippi, he rose to the top with his rebellious ways, yet, unlike today's phony "rebels", he never stopped being a gentleman, he never stopped being a "Mensch".
My Elvis mouse pad: computers come and computers go, but Elvis is FOREVER!!!
Not only did he put down the most soulful and sensual music ever recorded, encompassing many American styles, but he set the standard for cool cat fashions, wearing the sharpest threads ever seen. Compare his cool trim American looks to today's sloppy boring disheveled outfits, and you'll know what I mean!!
At great risk to his career and personal safety he fought against segregation and racial bigotry when it was not fashionable to do so, but he did so because it was the right thing to do. Likewise he never sided with the 1960s/Hippie types who burned the American flag and rooted for the Communists to win in Southeast Asia. Well the Communists did win, and immediately proceeded to exterminate around two million Cambodians, and furthermore hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese were imprisoned, tortured, or forced to escape the Communist Gulag.
I am but one example of the positive influence Elvis had over this world, and thus I decided to praise my son Jeremy for his Bar Mitzvah at Temple Ner Tamid here in Las Vegas, and at the same time to pay tribute to the Hillbilly Cat.
Here is my speech from January 27, 2001:
Elvis bubblegum packets
"Jeremy's middle name is Aaron, the same as Elvis Presley's middle name.
Indeed Jeremy was born on the same day as Elvis Presley. Not only was Elvis the King of Rock'n'Roll, but he also was always eager to help others: Elvis had an Orthodox Rabbi for neighbour who needed a non- Jew to do basic chores during the Shabbath.
So he asked Elvis, who was around Jeremy's age at the time, for help. Presley gladly accepted to help the Rabbi and his family on the Shabbath.
But when it came time for the Rabbi to pay Elvis, the young Presley refused to accept any money even though he was dirt poor back then. Elvis felt it was a great honor for him to help out the Jewish People, and would not take any compensation whatsoever.
This went on for many Shabbaths.
Presley always refused to take money.
To this day the Rabbi's family remembers fondly how kind and generous Elvis Presley was.
This is the same kind of generosity and good heart Jeremy has shown us throughout his childhood, a loving and caring attitude he assuredly will carry on into manhood.
On the day of his Bar Mitzvah I present Jeremy with this Tallit."
Jeremy Aaron Weiser's Bar Mitzvah: Ronny, David, Jeremy, Benny, Laurie
From my Column #12 I take a final quote on Elvis' good heart from Gordon Stoker of the Jordanaires:
"He'd still be with us if the Colonel had taken care of him. He was the nicest guy in the world. He was too nice a guy for his own good. Very friendly, he allowed people to push him, which he never should have done. It's just sad the way people did him.
This guy died basically broke, and there was no reason for that at all. He was the friendliest guy in the world; don't believe all the lies they're printing in those books!!! We knew him real well!"
God bless you, Elvis Presley, King Of Rock'n'Roll!!!
Elvis tie
Always Rollin' The Rollin' Rock,
Rockin' Ronny Weiser
The Rockabilly Rebel Westerner From Las Vegas, The Wild Wild West!
E-Mail Ronny at Rollin' Rock
THE ARCHIVES OF
RONNY'S ROCKABILLY HALL OF FAME COLUMNS
© 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000
Col. #41 for 01/01 - MACK STEVENS + HIGH PLAINS DRIFTERS + POISON OKIES
Col. #40 for 12/00 - WHATEVER HAPPENED TO COUNTRY MUSIC?
Col. #39 for 11/00 - KATS LIKE US
Col. #38 for 10/00 - JERRY LEE LEWIS IS 65<
Col. #37 for 09/00 - THE STARLIGHT DRIFTERS
Col. #36 for 08/00 - ALVIS WAYNE AT ROLLIN' ROCK
Col. #35 for 07/00 - HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA 2000
Col. #34 for 06/00 - THE CHOP TOPS AT ROLLIN' ROCK!!
Col. #33 for 05/00 - VIVA LAS VEGAS 2000 PIX!
Col. #32 for 04/00 - DRAGSTRIP77: TEARIN' IT UP!
Col. #30 & #31 for 02/00 & 03/00 - VIVA LAS VEGAS 2000!
Col. #29 for 01/00 - ROCKIN' 2000!
Col. #28 for 12/99 - JOHNNY AND THE BLADES AT ROLLIN' ROCK!
Col. #27 for 11/99 - AN UPDATED IMPROVED SOUND?
Col. #26 for 10/99 - TIME TO RECLAIM "THE ROCK"
Col. #26 for 10/99 - TIME TO RECLAIM "THE ROCK"
Col. #25 for 9/99 - YOUNG ROCK AT ROLLIN' ROCK
Col. #24 for 8/99 - COMETS RECORD AT ROLLIN' ROCK
Col. #23 for 7/99 - HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!
Col. #22 for 6/99 - FINLAND IS A ROCKABILLY LAND!
Col. #21 for 5/99 - THEY ARE NOT FORGOTTEN
Col. #20 for 4/99 - ROCKABILLY REBEL: A SHORT HISTORY
Col. #19 for 3/99 - PINBALL MILLIONAIRE
Col. #18 for 1/99 & 2/99 - VIVA LAS VEGAS 1999
Col. #17 - 12/98 - INTERNATIONAL ROCKABILLY REBELS MEET & GREET
Col. #16 - 11/98 - GROOVEY JOE POOVEY: Reminiscing
Col. #15 - 10/98 - CHARLIE FEATHERS
Col. #14 - 9/98 - NARVEL FELTS AT ROLLIN' ROCK!
Col. #13 - 8/98 - IT'S WESTERN WEAR!
Col. #12 - 7/98 - THE JORDANAIRES
Col. #11 - 6/98 - ROCKABILLY HOF - 15,000 HITS!!
Col. #10 - 5/98 - MAC STEVENS RECORDS AT ROLLIN' ROCK
Col. # 9 - 4/98 - VIVA LAS VEGAS
Col. # 8 - 3/98 - KAY WHEELER
Col. # 7 - 2/98 - 10 ROLLIN' ROCK CDs
Col. # 6 - 1/98 - SAM COOKE
Col. # 5 - 12/97 - LAS VEGAS IS A 1950's TOWN
Col. # 4 - 11/97 - GOD BLESS TEXAS
Col. # 3 - 10/97 - FATS DOMINO
Col. # 2 - 9/97 - RAB DISCUSSION GROUP
Col. # 1 - 8/97 - 25 YEARS OF ROLLIN' ROCK RECORDS
