The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum will present Celebrate the King, a slate of special programs in August honoring Elvis Presley. This year marks the 35th anniversary of the Country Music Hall of Fame member’s death.

Songs Fit for a King: Top Songwriters Remember Elvis will be hosted Aug. 11 in the museum’s Ford Theater. Jerry Chesnut (“T-R-O-U-B-L-E,” “It’s Midnight,” “Never Again”); Mac Davis (“In the Ghetto,” “Memories,” “A Little Less Conversation”); Dallas Frazier (“There Goes My Everything,” “True Love Travels on a Gravel Road,” “Wearin’ That Loved on Look”); and Billy Swan (“I Can Help”) will tell stories about their compositions.

August 18 will see Presley’s producer, Chips Moman sitting in for an interview. Moman produced Presley’s ’69 comeback hits including “Suspicious Minds,” “In the Ghetto” and “Kentucky Rain.”

Additionally, the museum will host free Hatch Show Print demonstrations, present two films, and offer a complimentary Elvis and Country Music visitor guide. A slap bass demonstration will also be available with admission. A complete list of Elvis-themed programs is below.

Presley’s ties to Nashville include recording over 200 songs at Nashville’s RCA Studio B. Presley, who died on August 16, 1977, was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986 and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1998.

The museum currently displays Presley’s 1960 “Solid Gold” Cadillac, his 1928 Kimball Gold Piano, and archival footage from The Ed Sullivan Show.

Sat., August 11             
1:00 p.m. Family Program: Make Letterpress Art with Hatch Show Print— SunTrust Community Room at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Free.
1:30 p.m. Songs Fit for a King: Top Songwriters Remember Elvis— Streamed live on countrymusichalloffame.org. Included with museum admission. Free to museum members. Limited seating. Program pass required.

Sun., August 12               
2:00 p.m. Film Screening: Elvis: That’s the Way It Is – Special Edition (2001)— Filmed in 1970, this concert documentary follows a number of Elvis Presley rehearsals and performances, primarily at the International Hotel in Las Vegas. For the 2001 special edition, the film was re-edited to remove interviews and add more performances. 96 minutes. Free.

Sat., August 18            
1:30 p.m. Interview: Chips Moman— In addition to production work from iconic musicians, Moman co-wrote “Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love),” “The Wurlitzer Prize (I Don’t Want to Get over You)” and “(Hey Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song,” and “Do Right Woman.” Streamed live on countrymusichalloffame.org. Included with museum admission. Free to members. Limited seating. Program pass required.

Sun., August 19               
1:00 p.m. Slap Bass Demonstration: Joe Fick— Fick performed or recorded with Sonny Burgess, James Burton, D.J. Fontana, Wanda Jackson, the Jordanaires and Boots Randolph. Fick portrayed Elvis’s bass player, Bill Black, in the 2006 Johnny Cash biopic, Walk the Line. Included with museum admission. Free to members. Limited seating. Program pass required.
2:00 p.m. Film Screening: Elvis ’56 (1987)— Tracing the rise of Presley in 1956, when the 21-year-old singer went from regional acclaim in the South to worldwide stardom. Narrated by Levon Helm. 60 minutes. Free.

• Absolute Publicity is honored to welcome Grammy Award winning country and bluegrass artist Ricky Skaggs to its artist roster. For Skaggs media inquiries, contact Don Murry Grubbs at 615-275-8380 or [email protected].  

• As part of an IBMA membership drive, all active members of the organization as of Sept. 27, 2012 will receive a chance to win an oceanview cabin for two on Mountain Song at Sea’s Bluegrass Cruise. The lineup includes The David Grisman Sextet, Del McCoury Band, Punch Brothers, Steep Canyon Rangers, Tim O’Brien and Bryan Sutton, Peter Rowan and more. The drawing will be held onstage during Fan Fest at IBMA’s World of Bluegrass in Nashville on Sept. 28-30, 2012. For more information, click here.

• The Roys’ new Rural Rhythm Records’ CD, New Day Dawning, world premiered on SiriusXM’s Bluegrass Junction Channel 61 last night (7/24). The disc, featuring lead single “Still Standing,” hits stores Aug. 28, but fans can pre-order a signed and discounted copy at www.theroysonline.com. The Roys’ upcoming tour includes a stop in Nashville Oct. 11 at The Station Inn.

• Moonstruck Management is proud to present an Anniversary Evening event celebrating Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out’s 20th Anniversary and Lonesome River Band’s 30th Anniversary on Sept. 26 at Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Nashville. Tickets at MoonstruckManagement.com.

Kenny’s Chesney’s “Come Over” has been certified Gold for sales in excess of 500,000. Reaching this milestone in just over nine weeks marks the fastest Gold single certification in Chesney’s career. The Brothers of the Sun Tour with Chesney and Tim McGraw made an emotional stop Saturday night (7/21) at Denver’s sold out Sports Authority Field at Mile High Stadium. Chesney addressed Friday’s tragedy in Aurora, saying, “Me and my road family are just like the rest of the nation, hurting with this city tonight. We love you, and we’re with you, and if you guys will let us, we want to let music start to heal this town just a little bit tonight.” Later in the show, he brought Denver Broncos coach John Fox and Peyton Manning onstage for “Boys of Fall.”

 

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Justin Moore performed a surprise acoustic set on July 18 in Troy, AL honoring local firefighter Curtiss Shaver who won Crown Royal’s “Your Hero’s Name Here” program.

Years ago, Shaver almost died during a farming accident, but the firefighters who saved him inspired his life calling. Though the accident claimed the lower part of his left leg, Shaver persevered and began a career as a firefighter and certified EMT with the goal of giving back to his community.

In an effort to bring a little piece of the famed track known as The Brickyard to Troy, AL, Crown Royal orchestrated a ceremony with BigMachineRecords.com to lay a replica “Yard of Bricks” in Troy’s downtown area.

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While on a radio tour in the northeast promoting her single “In Your Arms,” Curb Records artist Rachel Holder ran into old friend and former Cincinnati Reds’ great Pete Rose. They first met several years ago and have kept in touch. Holder sat with him during his autograph session in Cooperstown, NY during baseball’s Hall of Fame weekend, and also performed for the crowd.