Farewell To Bill Belew

 

Bill Belew, who headed the design team for Elvis Presley's stagewear and much of his personal wardrobe from 1969 to 1977, died of cardiac arrest yesterday after a prolonged illness. In lieu of flowers the family suggests that donations be made to any of a number of Bill's favorite charities per his wishes. A list of those charities and other details will be posted here as soon the family provides the information.

 

Bill Belew and his design team made an outstanding contribution to the definition of Elvis Presley's personal style on stage and off. Belew designed the now iconic black leather suit Elvis wore for the key components of his all important 1968 "comeback" television special, along with his other outfits for the show. The collaboration continued through the 1970s, including the famous jumpsuits Elvis wore on stage, most notably the American Eagle jumpsuit made for the global television concert event Elvis: Aloha from Hawaii, via Satellite.

 

"You could be daring as a designer and put anything on Elvis and he could make it work. And the simplest outfits that didn't seem particularly remarkable on the rack transformed into something spectacular when Elvis put them on. He was that beautiful and powerful a presence. As a wardrobe designer Bob Mackie had a perfect muse and a perfect canvas in Cher. I got to have that in Elvis." - Bill Belew

 

Bill Belew played a special role in Elvis history and was a beloved friend to all of us at Elvis Presley Enterprises. We will miss him.

 

Source : Elvis.com 8/1/2008

R.I.P. Bill, you will be sadly missed by us all. :(

For an interview with Bill B)

 

http://www.elvis.com.au/presley/interview_bill_belew.shtml

 

The same interview and added photos and information about the jumpsuits, click on ‘jumpsuits’ in the left hand menu ;)

 

http://www.rareelvispresley.com/

 

Sadly more people associated with Elvis have passed away this year :( Songwriters Earl Brown and Clyde Otis

 

Earl Brown has passed away:

 

Ken Sharp has told EIN: "Earl Brown, who wrote "If I Can Dream", has passed away. He was not only a great songwriter but one of the nicest and kindest people I've ever met. I spent time with him at his home in Sherman Oaks, California (the same home where he wrote "If I Can Dream") and had a great time. I knew he was not well but definitely did not expect this. Please say a prayer for him".

 

Walter Earl Brown, 1928-2008: Walter Earl Brown, known to his friends as Earl, passed away peacefully in his sleep at his home in Sherman Oaks, California on Thursday, Jan. 10, 2008 after a lengthy illness. Earl had celebrated his 79th birthday on Dec. 25, 2007 with friends. He will be sadly missed by his many friends and relatives across the country. Earl was born in Salt Lake City, UT on Christmas Day, 1928, to Walter L. and Hattie Earl Brown. Earl’s father, Walter played in a "swing" big band so as a child Earl traveled with his parents, living in several cities. Eventually moving to Logan to be close to his mother's family, Earl attended Woodruff Elementary school. During his years in Logan, Earl made lifelong friendships with Ralph Dunn, his cousin Gerry Earl, as well as many others. Earl had a prolific and illustrious career in show business as a singer, composer, vocal arranger, and writer of special material. His work in

television, films, revues, musical recordings and nightclubs began at an early age and continued until his passing. During the 40’s and 50’s Earl is remembered for having been the arranger and singer in the highly acclaimed vocal group The Skylarks.

 

He wrote a hit song for Elvis Presley in 1968 entitled If I Can Dream, which has been re-recorded by Barry Manilow and others and which was recently performed on American Idol by Celine Dion as a duet, with Elvis resurrected on stage as a holographic image. Earl wrote songs for Dianne Reeves, including the Grammy winning Who’s Minding The Store?,as well as for Frank Sinatra, Mama Cass, Michael Feinstein, and numerous others. For many years he was the vocal director on many hit variety shows including The Danny Kaye Show, The Dinah Shore Show, The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour, The Osmonds Brothers Show, The Andy Williams Show, The Carol Burnett Show and many other television programs and specials. Most recently Earl was the vocal arranger and writer of special material for The Palm Springs Follies for the last 13 seasons of the revue.

Earl is survived by cousin Don (Gloria) Earl, Smithfield, UT; cousins-in-law, M. Kae (Ellen Rae) Jeppesen, North Logan, UT; JoAn Earl, Fort Worth, TX, and their families; his "best friend" Ralph (Jackie) Dunn, Logan, UT. He was preceded in death by his parents, aunts, uncles, cousin Carol Jenkins Jeppesen, and his "favorite" cousin and buddy, Gerald E. Earl.

 

(News, Source: Ken Sharp)

 

 

Clyde Otis Died

 

Clyde Otis, a former taxi driver who turned songwriter, producer and A&R executive died aged 83 on January 8, 2008. His first hit record was Nat King Cole’s "That's All There Is To That" in 1956 and after joining Mercury records, he collaborated with Brook Benton on hits such as "The Boll Weevil Song", "Endlessly", "So Many Ways", "What a Difference a Day Makes" and so many more including classic rock 'n' roll songs. Elvis recorded such hits as "Ain’t That Loving You Baby" and "Doncha Think Its Time".

 

Source: Elvis UK On-line / Updated: Jan 16, 2008

When Ken Sharp interviewed Earl Brown for the book 'Writing For The King' his story about composing 'If I Can Dream' revealed the generous soul of a wonderful man.

 

Earl Brown: "They wanted to close the show with a song of peace and hope and brotherhood - a message song. I talked to them about songs like "You'll Never Walk Alone." But Colonel Parker wanted to own the publishing on the song.. . . But I thought that if I'm gonna write a song, I'm gonna write it myself. I remember thinking that they probably wouldn't use it anyway. "A Change Is Gonna Come" by Sam Cooke was the kind of song I wanted to write. And I thought that if Elvis doesn't record it, I'll give it to Aretha Franklin. So one night my my place in Sherman Oaks, California, I wrote the song in my living room looking out the window at the garden with the sun coming in and thinking how much I mean it, how much I felt. This was not a hack job. I really believed in the song so much. "If I Can Dream" came quickly, words and music. I didn't even sit at the piano, it just came to me. First of all, lyrically, (recite lyrics) "While I can think, while I can talk, while I can stand, while I can walk, while I can dream, please let my dream come true, let it come true right now." It just enfolded. I didn't think about form. It was a very inspired and pure song.

 

I took it in the next morning and Billy Goldenberg played the piano while I sang it for Bob Finkel, the producer and Steve Binder, the director. They loved it. From the other room I heard Colonel Parker say, "That ain't Elvis' kind of song." From behind me I heard, "I'd like to try it, man." I didn't know that Elvis was standing in the doorway and had heard it. The next thing I know I find myself at Western Recorders and Elvis is recording it and the three Blossoms, Darlene Love and the other girls have tears running down their faces. Darlene Love said to me, "He reallv loves the song. He really believes in the song and means every word of it."

The Colonel was very much against the song. He was used to the Blue Hawaii kind of songs that Elvis was singing in the movies. The Colonel was a very cold man and he never spoke to me ever again. He barely spoke to me before that because I was the enemy.

I still have my original handwritten lyrics for "If I Can Dream." Up in the left corner Elvis wrote, "My boy, my boy. This could be the one!" because he hadn't had a hit in nine years and it was.

 

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y48/elvis1959/IfICanDream45.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y48/elvis1959/myboyificanxx.jpg

 

Later when Elvis was playing in Las Vegas at the International Hotel I went into his dressing room. The police were trying to keep all the fans out. I popped in to say hello and tell him how I grateful I was for him recording "If I Can Dream." He was great and hugged me. I deemed it a real honor."

 

(News, Source;EIN/Ken Sharp)

 

RIP Earl :( If I Can Dream is one of the most beautiful songs ever written and Elvis' performance of it was magnificent. You could believe that he meant every word he sang :wub:

 

Elvis In Concert Director/Producer Dwight Hemion has Died

 

Dwight Hemion, who directed the 1977 CBS Special Elvis in Concert has died aged 81. In his prolific career, he garnered 47 Emmy nominations in his career and won 18. He is best-known for producing specials with such legends as Julie Andrews, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Frank Sinatra, and Barbra Streisand.

Dwight Hemion created a legacy of television specials, with an exhaustive list of shows featuring Frank Sinatra, Neil Diamond, Pavarotti, Sammy Davis Jr., John Wayne, Barbara Streisand, Ann Margret and Elvis Presley.

Elvis In Concert was filmed just six weeks before the singer’s death and although the show was original broadcast on television, it has never been officially released on video or DVD.

 

By: Elvis Australia - Feb 2, 2008