Overton Park Shell in Memphis

 

Here’s some history of the Shell on Scotty Moore’s great website B)

 

http://scottymoore.net/overton.html

 

 

This was posted way back in January ;)

 

Overton Shell Renovations

 

Renovations are in full force at the Overton Shell. The Mortimer Levitt Foundation is funding the project along with the city of Memphis. The project cost is 1 million dollars and is expected to be done by the spring of this year. The Levitt Foundation will then provide an additional 1.75 million to operate the Shell for 5 years. It will be renamed The Levitt Pavilion For The Performing Arts at Overton Park. The new Pavilion will have 50 free concerts a year featuring local talent and special guests.

 

The new Shell will have handicapped bathrooms and a special seating area for the handicapped as well. The benches have been removed and there will be no seats replacing them. Rather, people can bring lawn chairs or blankets for shows. The fencing around the Shell has been removed and donated to a local shelter.

 

On each side of the stage will be a 6 foot screen with 24 bit surround sound. The Shell itself will be painted completely gold, the rainbow removed and across the top will read, Levitt Pavilion At Overton Park. The Shell opened in 1936 and closed in 2004. It will reopen just months from now.

 

Source: Elvis Unlimited / Updated: Jan 3, 2008

 

Looks like we may have to wait just a little while longer, but it certainly looks spectacular and it will be fantastic to see it being used again

 

This is what it looked like when I was there in October 2005 ;)

 

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y48/elvis1959/scan0001-8.jpg

 

And here is what it should soon be looking like :cheer:

 

The Overton Park Shell 2009

 

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y48/elvis1959/overton_shell_2009_impression.jpg

 

This may very well be the way the ‘New Overton Park Shell’ will look like, when it’s finished in 2009. The architectural firm working on the renovated design made this image and shared it with other fans through Scotty Moore’s website. It was here – at the Shell – where Elvis gave his very first live performance, on July 30th 1954. The renovation costs about 1 million dollar & includes – among others – huge video walls.

 

Source: ElvisMatters / Updated: Apr 18, 2008

 

This looks absolutely fantastic and bang up to date for the 21st century B)

 

That really looks amazing Carole, it will be fantastic once it is finished.

The Shell in full progress

 

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

 

7 days a week, workers try to catch up with the renovation schedule of the new Overton Park Shell. It was here, at this historic location near Poplar Avenue, where Elvis made his live debut on July 30th, 1954, singing That’s All Right Mama (in a show headlined by Slim Whitman). As you can see on the picture, the concrete (video)walls are alreeds in place. It’s expected that the actual video screens will be added on, in less than two months time. The back of the concrete walls, will feature portraits of Memphis’s musical heroes. Much to our delight, Elvis's portrait is still there. If all goes as planned, the entire wall will be covered with painted portraits.

 

Published: may 8th 2008 09:35 AM.

Source: ElvisMatters / Published by: ElvisMatters - Peter Verbruggen

 

Great to see that work has started on the Shell! It's so good to see that an Elvis venue has been saved :cheer:

It's starting to take off now, looking pretty good :yahoo:

Now known as the Levitt Shell at Overton Park will kick off it's inaugural five week season begining September 4th with special guest, Amy LaVere. The 5 week season will continue every Thursday through Sunday. There will be two shows on Saturday including a concert for kids. This will continue until October 5th. The second season will begin in May of 2009. Again lasting a 5 week span.

 

"I don't think anybody was able to put together a clean enough package to get the city to sign on the dotted line for a lease," says Chip Pankey, executive director of Friends of the Levitt Shell and the man responsible for the operation of the new facility. "Save Our Shell was an incredible organization, but they couldn't get the major funding."

 

"Memphis, for me, was a cold call," says Hirsch. "But when I saw that Shell, my heart skipped a beat. It was perfect for what we do. We knew we had to be part of it. ... We saw the Shell as a beauty that had been ignored. It needed a lot of love, and we wanted to provide that love." said Elizabeth Levitt Hirsch, the foundation's vice president.

 

"We want to be a community venue as opposed to a tourist venue," says Pankey.

 

"We've had to navigate that issue of Memphis music. We're not here just to promote Stax or Elvis -- though that's a part of our legacy and history. But really we want to focus on contemporary music and the diversity of that music.In a given 50-concert season, 25 of our acts will be local, another 25 will be national," says Pankey.

 

It's great to see the Shell will continue on and not be torn down as are many historically important Elvis sites.

 

source : www.elvisunlimited.com / www.epgold.com

 

Great news! It will be fantastic for acts to appear at the Shell again :cheer:

Overton Park Shell construction site

 

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

 

ElvisMatters member Mark Devos just returned from his trip to Memphis and mailed us these recent pictures of the construction site round the Overton Park Shell. It was on this stage that Elvis held his first concert. The Shells destiny was unclear for several years, at some time, the city planned to demolish the building. The necessary funds are now found to put the site back in its full glory.

 

Published: July 17th 2008 11:15 AM.

Source: Mark Devos / Published by: ElvisMatters - David Hamal .

 

Looking good :cheer:

It sure is looking goos, will be great when it is finished, looking forward to seeing that.