24th October 1960, Monday

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Graeme
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24th October 1960, Monday

Post by Graeme » Mon Dec 21, 2015 8:13 pm

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Alan
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Re: 24th October 1960, Monday

Post by Alan » Mon Dec 14, 2020 11:09 am

Careless Love by Peter Guralnick wrote:      Not long into his three-and-one-half-week stay, he heard from the Tau Kappa Epilson fraternity at Arkansas State College that they would like to induct him as a member. The letter came from chapter president Rick Husky, who had dreamt up the idea as a stunt, following in the wake of the bonanza of publicity their house had gotten when movie actor Ronal Reagan, passing through town in his role as corporate spokesman for General Electric, genially agreed to pose for pictures with the officers of the local chapter of his college fraternity. Husky, in the midst of a recruiting drive, saw Elvis Presley as a way of making TKE the most successful house on campus and concocted a heartfealt memo about how we'd like to initiate him in the fraternity and give him an award as man of the year. Two days later there's a telegram slipped under my door from Elvis' secretary, Pat Boyd, saying that Elvis would be at Graceland at eight o'clock on Tuesday night. 'He'd love to see you and accept his award.'"
      There was no award. There had been no thought of doing anything more than putting out the publicity announcement as a news item - but Husky, a resourceful young man majoring in journalism, wasn't going to allow that to stop him. He devised some appropriate wording, sketched out a design, and went to the local sporting goods store to have a trophy made up. They told him it would take at least two weeks, but when he explained his dilema, they somehow came up with a plaque in time for the Tuesday appointment.
      "We took an adult advisor to the fraternity, myself, and two other guys. We were cleared through the gate and went up; it was like a postcard - you just drove up and there's this gorgeous building, like the White House, with a black Rolls-Royce parked outside. Joe Esposito opened the door and said, 'Elvis will be down in a minute,' and we go into the music room and look around. by now I'm getting totally nervous, but then Elvis came down and was absolutely terrific. He was just so genuine and sincere. And so we just sincerely initiated him into the fraternity. He put his hand on the skull and swore and oath; we gave him the secret word, and I pinned him. He was really great.
      In a way they were embarrassed by the very ingenuousness of his response. He told them how he had always wanted to go to college but couldn't afford it; he asked about the Arkansas State football team and said he hoped maybe he could attend some games. "My great love is football," he told them. "I always wanted to play, but I couldn't because I had to work." He reminisced about dances he had played in Jonesboro and other small Arkansas towns just a few short years ago. Wealth was in the eye of the beholder, he declared, proudly showing off his Rolls-Royce. "You know, when I first get home with the car I was pretty proud of it," he said. "The first day I arrived, I left it parked outside, alongside my Cadillac limosine. The maid came in, and the first thing she said was, 'Mr. Elvis, I heard you got yourself a new car. I'd sure like to see it.' I told her it was parked right outside and she said, 'Well, I just came from outside, and all I saw out there was some big, long white Cadillac and some old black car,'" When they were leaving, he told them, "This is one of the nicest awards that I've ever recieved. The plaque is certainly beautiful, and you can be sure that it will occupy a place of honor in my home."
      


Husky would later go on to produce a 1990 tv series 'Elvis' for ABC in cooperation with the Presley Estate, Priscilla Presley and former Elvis friend Jerry Schilling as co-producer.

'After his death, I had a contract with Universal Pictures to write a feature film based upon Elvis' life', Husky said. 'The movie never went forward, however, I never forgot the stories Elvis told me, including one about his first new Cadillac catching fire and burning up on the side of the road when he and Scotty Moore and Bill Black were on their way from one Arkansas town to the next for their next show. He told me they hurriedly got their instruments out of the burning Cadillac and that he sat by the side of the road and cried as the Cadillac went up in flames. That first Cadillac had been such a symbol to him that he'd finally made it and it was an emotional moment for him. Clearly, he had no idea that he'd go beyond playing one-nighters and having his first hit record, to being the biggest super-star in the world'.

The show was filmed in and around Memphis and told the story of Elvis' early days recording and performing.

'The series was well-reviewed but we had a bad time slot and only ran 13 episodes', Husky said. 'The idea of the series was to pay tribute to Elvis when he was young and starting out, and I think we succeeded in dramatizing how the legend began'.
      


      
https://sundial.csun.edu/74016/uncatego ... s-presley/
      
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Bob Howe (left) a professor of radio at Arkansas State College and TKE president Rick Husky pose with Elvis Presley after presenting him with “Man of the Year” award at Graceland. Courtesy of Elvis Presley Enterprises
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Rick Husky pins a TKE pledge pin on Elvis Presley. Courtesy of Elvis Presley Enterprises
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It all began with a dream of initiating someone famous as an honorary member of the Tau Kappa Epsilon (TKE) Fraternity at Arkansas State College in the fall of 1960. Chapter president Rick Husky came up with the idea of presenting Elvis Presley with an award. Due to Elvis’ generous charitable contributions, Husky thought of the idea to present a “Man of the Year Award.”

Elvis had just returned to Graceland in the fall of 1960 from Germany after being discharged from the army. Husky contacted Elvis’ secretary after coming across her name in a fan magazine. Little did he know, the rock icon would accept the award by inviting Husky and his fraternity brothers to Graceland to present the award and initiate him. The funny thing is, they didn’t even have an award to present to Elvis because Husky had done this initially for the publicity. Husky and his fraternity brothers pulled through in the end with a polished brass plaque.

When asked about why he thought Elvis accepted the invitation to become a brother, CSUN TKE president Cameron Aziz said, “Arkansas State was honoring Frater (fraternal brother) Elvis Presley with the Man of the Year Award for his contribution to charity. TKE has a long history of charity work and Frater Elvis aligned well with our ideals.”

CSUN students not in TKE, like Ubaldo Guzman weren’t aware of Elvis’ ties to the fraternity.

“It doesn’t surprise me that he was in a fraternity. Elvis was so famous during his time and such an iconic figure. I’m sure that the fraternity benefited from having Elvis in the fraternity because I think it opened opportunities for the fraternity to expand and get more pledges,” Guzman said.

Alicia Dean, a representative with Elvis Presley Enterprises, spoke with the Daily Sundial about the day Elvis’ fraternity brothers arrived at Graceland to present the “Man of the Year” award. She went on to say the one thing she learned about Elvis that she did not already know.

Daily Sundial- Although Elvis did not attend college, I’m curious as to why he accepted the invitation to become a TKE brother?

Alicia Dean- He felt it was an honor and something he never had the chance to do.

DS- Any stories that you can recall?

AD- They met at Graceland and the ceremony took place in the music room. Afterwards he showed them his new Rolls Royce he had just purchased.
      
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DS- How did Elvis balance the business and art aspect of being an entertainer?

AD- He remained true to himself and what he believed in. He appreciated what other artists were doing. He really was a fan of good music.

DS- Did Elvis have a preferred location where he liked to record?

AD- Not really he recorded when and where ever he was needed.

DS- There’s often an incredible energy that takes place when artists record in a studio. I’m curious as to how you think Elvis took this energy and translated it out into his live performances?

AD- Elvis gave it his all no matter if he was in the recording studio, on stage or even just jamming with friends around a piano. It was just in his nature.

DS- Over the years you have had conversations with many individuals who worked close with Elvis. What is one thing you learned about Elvis that you did not already know?

AD- That he was just as normal as anyone else. He loved his friends, family and fans and treated them all with great respect. He was always looking out for others and willing to give at any moment. It wasn’t about being Elvis, it was about being true to his beliefs and to himself.
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Re: 24th October 1960, Monday

Post by Private Presley » Sat Oct 23, 2021 3:08 am

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Re: 24th October 1960, Monday

Post by Private Presley » Sat Oct 23, 2021 3:10 am

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