Elvis lebt! Die Sichtungen

Elvis lebt! Zumindest sein Geist!

Davon ist Elvis Fan und Imitator Ron Biedron aus Evergeen Park, Illinois, überzeugt. Und für nur 1.600 Dollar kann jeder den Beweis kaufen. Ein Foto, das Biedron 1979 aufgenommen hatte. Biedron hielt bei einem Road Trip durch den Süden Amerikas in Memphis und besuchte Graceland, die Elvis-Villa. Dort fotografierte er die Backstein-Villa, u.a. auch die Frontfassade mit dem großen Eingang und den Säulen. 1986 entdeckte er auf dem Foto etwas Seltsames. In dem Fenster gleich neben der Tür ist ein weißes Objekt zu sehen, das einem Menschen ähnelt. "Ich dachte ´Das ist sehr merkwürdig. Ein Bild auf dem Fenster. Es scheint holografische Qualitäten zu besitzen.´" Ist es vielleicht der Geist von Elvis Presley, der im August 1977 in seinem Badezimmer starb? Vielleicht, kann man bei Ebay lesen, wo das Foto mit allen Rechten verkauft wird. Anfangsgebot 1.600 Dollar. Das Negativ existiert nicht mehr. Die Auktion begann am 3. Januar, läuft 10 Tage und endet damit erst nach dem 70. Geburtstag von Elvis. "Es ist der richtige Zeitpunkt", sagt Biedron. "Er versucht uns seine Gegenwart zu demonstrieren und man sieht das auf dem Foto." Natürlich hofft der Verkäufer, dass der Verkaufspreis noch in die Höhe schießen wird. Schließlich ging ein angebissener Käsetoast neulich für 28.000 Dollar weg und der Geist eines Opas für über 50.000 Dollar. "Wenn man genau hinschaut, dann sieht man Flügel auf dem Foto." Ein Sprecher der Elvis-Familie sagt, das Haus sei immer bewohnt gewesen und es könne sich um einen der damals lebenden Bewohner handeln.

...Ein Foto, das Biedron 1979 aufgenommen hatte. Biedron hielt bei einem Road Trip durch den Süden Amerikas in Memphis und besuchte Graceland, die Elvis-Villa. Dort fotografierte er die Backstein-Villa, u.a. auch die Frontfassade mit dem großen Eingang und den Säulen. 1986 entdeckte er auf dem Foto etwas Seltsames. In dem Fenster gleich neben der Tür ist ein weißes Objekt zu sehen, das einem Menschen ähnelt. "Ich dachte ´Das ist sehr merkwürdig. Ein Bild auf dem Fenster. Es scheint holografische Qualitäten zu besitzen.´" Ist es vielleicht der Geist von Elvis Presley, der im August 1977 in seinem Badezimmer starb? Vielleicht, kann man bei Ebay lesen, wo das Foto mit allen Rechten verkauft wird. Anfangsgebot 1.600 Dollar. Das Negativ existiert nicht mehr. Die Auktion begann am 3. Januar, läuft 10 Tage und endet damit erst nach dem 70. Geburtstag von Elvis. "Es ist der richtige Zeitpunkt", sagt Biedron. "Er versucht uns seine Gegenwart zu demonstrieren und man sieht das auf dem Foto."
..."Wenn man genau hinschaut, dann sieht man Flügel auf dem Foto." Ein Sprecher der Elvis-Familie sagt, das Haus sei immer bewohnt gewesen und es könne sich um einen der damals lebenden Bewohner handeln.

Nette kleine Geschichte. Aber wie so manche andere nette kleine Geschichte unhaltbar und an den Haaren herbei gezogen, wie es scheint. Da hält jemand aber andere für noch dümmer als sich selbst. Genau sowas meinte ich gestern: Statt mit einem Sherlock Holmes-Gespür ernsthaft etwas zu untersuchen, was fragwürdig erscheint, wird so eine unsinnige Geschichte aufgetischt, und schon kippt die ganze Thematik in den Bereich des Irrationalen, der Hirngespinste.
Dieser Mystery-Foto-Firlefanz ist der reinste Kinder-Quatsch ohne Michael, denn so etwas ist vollkommen sinnlos, weil es nichts beweist. So werden alle Fans mal wieder unfreiwillig in einen großen Topf geworfen, versehen mit dem Etikett: "Bis zum Rand gefüllt mit Elvis-Deppen, die in einer Traumwelt leben".

Zu diesem Thema:

The Elvis Is Alive Underground

Es handelt sich um eine mysteriöse, geheime Unterwelt der "wahren" Gläubigen. Es gab zeitweise sogar eine Presley Komission.

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Hard hitting Gary Enders dispels the myth that Elvis is "physically" alive
You've heard the claim that Elvis didn't die on August 16, 1977. Far fetched?

Metaphorically there is no doubt Elvis Presley survives today, but to most people the suggestion that Elvis didn't "physically" die in 1977 is at best, fanciful, at worst delusional.

Yet it is theme in the Elvis world that refuses to go away.

In the 1980s, largely due to the work of Gail Brewer-Giorgio and her Orion inspired conspiracy, it was an overt theme in the mass media.

Today it is a covert theme, bubbling away below the surface in the mysterious, secretive world of the "true believers", the Elvis underground. An underground network that is full of intrigue, suspense, nastiness, paranoia and "out of this world" theories. A myriad of issues, some simplistic, some confusing, have been put forward in support of the theory that Elvis needed to escape, figuratively, not literally, from his oppressive existence in 1977.

Do the arguments of the believers have credibility? Do they withstand scrutiny? In my opinion, the arguments and evidence put forward do not withstand "reasonable" scrutiny.

To prove Elvis Aaron Presley did not physically pass away on August 16, 1977, a position needs to be "evidence based". And simply put, no evidence has been presented that warrants serious consideration. EIN's interview earlier this year with Phil Aitcheson, Executive Liaison with the self-determined Presley Commission is a vivid example of unsubstantiated claims, rhetoric and blinkered belief that insidiously inhabits the collectively fanatical mind of the Elvis Is Alive underground movement. EIN's questions were direct.

Aitcheson's answers were vague, indirect and without qualitative substance. In a moment, examples to prove my point.

It is important to firstly put Aitcheson's position in context. The Presley Commission released a report in 1995, the outcome of a number of years of investigation into the issue. It is therefore reasonable to expect substantive answers (ie. provision of "hard" evidence) from the Commission's Executive Liaison.

The Case: For and Against The Wax Dummy, Pug Nose & Sideburns: according to Aitcheson the Commission became aware that a wax figure "was purchased by a prominent member of the (Presley) family, and was to be used for some bizzare purpose".

Problem #1: Aitcheson makes this bold claim without any corroborating evidence (name, where dummy was bought from etc). I could say “I was abducted by aliens”, but in the absence of hard evidence what would any rational minded person think of my claim? As for the concern about the "pug nose" on the body, people need to remember that an autopsy had been performed and most of Elvis' internal organs, including his brain, had been removed, and were not replaced! A cadaver rarely resembles its original state when sewn back up again. This would also "reasonably" explain the sideburns that were allegedly (and quite possibly) "glued on". Not surprisingly, the true believers never state or consider these facts.

Mary Smiley: Aitcheson states that: "Mrs. Smiley is a self-appointed spokesperson for viewpoints that are not in agreement with The Commission, as a general rule. The Commission does not maintain contact with her, and has closed the file. She had attempted contact with The Commission on a number of occasions".

Problem #2: Two issues here: (1) Who appointed The Presley Commission? Answer: it was as "self-appointed" as Mrs Smiley! The Commission seemingly believes that its impressive title lends it credibility.

(2) Aitcheson claims it has closed the book on Mrs Smiley. This is clearly untrue if one visits the various underground messageboards.

The Poolhouse Photo: EIN asked two fairly direct questions about the person in the the photo.

Problem #3: Aitcheson's answers are indirect, and he leaves the reader hanging in the air with "More importantly there was a reason he was there..." In the context of what the interview was about this is an incredible statement for Aitcheson to make. Rather than adding to our knowledge of the issues it further muddies our understanding, although of course this is a favorite tactic of conspiracy believers.

There is another theory about the man in the photo: that it is either Elvis' cousin or Al Strada.

David Darlock: EIN cites David Darlock's appearance on Geraldo, a nationwide TV program in the US, during which Darlock admitted being the voice behind Sivle Nora. For the record, on the Geraldo show, Darlock stated that in 1981 he was paid $250.00 by the (Steve Chanzes/Steve Crown) organisation, Eternally Elvis. Aitcheson attempts to nullify this incident by suggesting Darlock later denied his involvement, but again Aitcheson provides no specifics of date, time, where etc.

Problem #4: The Geraldo incident is verifiable (and in fact well documented), Aitcheson's statement is not! DNA (the "Silver Bullet"): DNA could be the one factor that scientifically and legally proves the conspiracy case. In response to EIN's question about "hard DNA evidence", all Aitcheson can respond with is the importance of conducting verifiable and sound research. I totally agree, but Mr. Aitcheson, what and where is the Commission's verifiable and sound research?

Problem #5: The Commission has talked about alleged DNA evidence since the late 1990s but continually fails to put anything resembling "hard evidence" on the public record. As of 2003, and after two decades of research, the Silver Bullet continues to elude everyone. Jon Burrows: it is claimed within hours of Elvis' alleged death someone by the name of "Jon Burrows" bought a ticket to Buenos Aires. Aitcheson's comments are a splendid example of his flimsy rhetoric: "It is my understanding that the report of this incident was mentioned in Gail’s book, ‘The Elvis Files’, and represents a possible sighting. The Commission is aware of the matter, and currently has some literary reference to it on file in the Commission archives."

Problem #6: despite The Presley Commission having "some literary reference to it on file", the alleged flight by the alleged Jon Burrows has never been substantiated. But it makes a neat "reinforcing" text in the conspirator's storyline. Spelling of Aaron: this "red herring" has been explained adequately many times and I won't go into the specifics except to say consider Elvis' great interest in the Bible and how that may have influenced things. Interested fans can read a detailed explanation about the Aaron/Aron spelling on the official Elvis site at: www.elvis.com

One other issue: in his interview, Aitcheson also said that Elvis Presley's alleged death in 1977 is largely flawed in its explanation by the media and others.

Problem # 7: By now I must sound like a worn out record.....Mr. Aitcheson please cease the generic rhetoric and give specifics!

So if Elvis is dead, what is really going on? The essential problem with the claims of The Presley Commission, Mary Smiley, Steve Chanzes, Major Bill Smith et al is that they are broadly based assertions devoid of "fact". They serve an important psychological driver in that the "real" evidence is known only to those in the inner sanctum.

It is a clear case of people subconsciously feeling a lack of power or influence in their lives, and satisfying that emptiness through what is effectively a mission in self-delusion. The Elvis underground is secretive, self-appointed and self-serving. It is a culture in which most of its discussions are devoid of substantive analytical debate.

The fact that in many of the discourses the believers assume the important role of protecting the interests of an allegedly still alive "Elvis" is instructive from a psychological perspective. Professors Denisoff and Plasketes wrote the book 'True Disbelievers: The Elvis Contagion' in the mid 1990s. Based substantially on information supplied by the infamous Mary Smiley it is a potently revealing, if skewed, look at the physical and psychological workings of the Elvis underground movement.

In True Disbelievers, the authors note the operation of the psychological condition, 'cognitive dissonance'. While the term is not well understood, cognitive dissonance is a powerful psychological factor that explains the behavior of conspiracy believers. Simply stated it says that when faced with information contrary to a strongly held belief, the person reacts through a combination of denial, devaluation of the opposing information, revision of the belief and the development of explanations, often new, that seem reasonable.

Read Phil Aitcheson's answers carefully. Throughout the interview his answers clearly reinforce the theory that cognitive dissonance is a powerful factor at work. Organisations such as The Presley Commission have no legal or official standing and will never be taken seriously as they always fail to articulate and table the "missing elements" that are the bedrock of their belief system. That is, hard, verifiable, irrefutable evidence that would have credence in a court of law.

Unfortunately, on the basis of the psychological needs of believers and a propensity not to challenge (analyze) rhetorical and colorful claims, The Presley Commission and Gatheringite movement will continue to function in its own little world.

Which leads me to the personality driven universe known as the "Elvis Underground", a narrative world of soap opera proportions. A colleague recently described the machinations found on Elvis underground messageboards as a "conspiratorial soap opera".

The ever changing discussion threads reflect rampant paranoia, related cover-ups and incredible tales. A quick consideration of some of the 'over-the-top' themes highlights the soap opera element:

Elvis had a "split-personality": the "good" twin, Elvis Aron; the "evil" twin, Jesse Garon
Elvis couldn't sing ("doubles" performed for him on stage and in the studio for more than 20 years!)
Elvis murdered a woman as a teenager (he was sleepwalking at the time)
Elvis accidentally killed a man while driving a truck in his late teens
Elvis assassinated JFK
Elvis was murdered by the mob
Elvis continues to act for the Government as an undercover agent
Elvis was mentally insane
Elvis suffered from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder)
Elvis was held "prisoner" at Graceland
Elvis died in 1997, not 1977
Notice the recurring themes: strong motifs of "death" and "mental disorder". Individually, any of the claims stretch credibility. Collectively, they suggest a warped world devoid of conscious understanding or cognizance of known realities.

Surprisingly, given what the believers have made out of Elvis' death date (8/16/1977 = 2001) and his Christian name (elvis/lives), they are yet to recognize the significance of the term "Elvis is King". (Hint: the USA's major post-war encounters.)

Conspiracy or coincidence? I'll let you make up your own mind.

Analysis of Messageboard Postings

Earlier this year I was asked to undertake a content analysis of postings on several Elvis "underground" messageboards. Content analysis is a quantitative research application that classifies textual material by reducing it to more relevant, manageable bits of data. It can allow the researcher to identify postings that, in all likelihood, were made by one person using different aliases. Some readers will be familiar with the use of content analysis in revealing the authors of infamous publications like "The Hitler Diaries".

My analysis specifically sought to identify similar patterns of spelling, grammar, punctuation, style and sentence/paragraph structure in messageboard postings.

I concluded that at least two prominent members (who shall remain nameless) of the Elvis underground community were posting under different aliases. There appeared to be a dual purpose to their strategy: support their own arguments (it always helps if others concur with your beliefs - the "safety in numbers" philosophy) and generate debate among believers (a good conspiracy needs to burn brightly).

Conclusion: The theories of The Presley Commission and others are largely conjecture and/or open to several alternative answers. Aitcheson states there are many issues: "that have singular answers, that ultimately satisfy the curiosity of the public interest. Our mission has been to try and sort it out".

After 20 years of the conspiracy, if Aitcheson and others were serious, they would substantiate their case with the "singular answers" and specific findings. But they don't, instead all we get is unsupported, politically inspired rhetoric.

Why don't the major protagonists simply "table" their evidence for fans and a court of law to evaluate? There are two interrelated answers:

(1) there is no "hard evidence", and

(2) if they did, their "house of cards" would quickly crumble and the psychological satisfaction they derive from the game they are playing would dissolve, with the return of that dreaded, sinking feeling that must be avoided at all costs: personal impotence.

Denial, rationalization, ignorance, the need for personal power - these are the operational constants of the Elvis underground. It is a fertile ground where imaginations run rife, a conspiracy lover's heaven. It should be treated as such.

Dr. Gary Enders (October 2003)

Quelle: <a href=' www.elvisinfonet.com/endersanswers.html ' target='_blank'> www.elvisinfonet.com/endersanswers.html

du hast Glück, dass in diesem forum nur Leute lesen, die auf der Arbeit eh nichts zu tun haben

Hab mal ein bisschen aufgeräumt, da die Beiträge nach <a href=' www.elvisclub.de/forum/index.php?act=ST&...1&st=15&#entry293897 ' target='_blank'>Harty nicht so richtig mit den von Johnny angeführte Thema (unsere Argumente, wenn jemand sowas sagt) zu tun hatten.

Hier sind die "Sichtungen" bzw. deren Diskussion darüber, ob se stimmen ... oder nich ... besser aufgehoben.

Ich finde diese Verschmelzung etwas irreführend, denn "Elvis-Sichtungen" setzen ja die Theorie vom vorgetäuschten Tod voraus. Eine Analyse dahingehend, was dafür oder dagegen spricht, dass Elvis 42jährig verstarb, ist ein ganz anderes Paar Schuhe...
Überlegungen in diese Richtung begrüße ich schon irgendwie, aber diese Geschichte mit den Sichtungen halte ich für Kinder-Quatsch mit oder ohne Michael.

Wieso wird Elvis immer nur bei einer Fastfood - Kette gesichtet?

Ich finde es ist mal Zeit eine Sichtung bei "Kentucky Fried Chicken" in Unlauf zu bringen. Die Südstaaten halten zusammen, auch was Werbung betrifft. Und schließlich ist der Gründer, Colonel Sanders sein Manager. Hat Elvis 1969 in Vegas auf der Bühne erzählt

Wieso wird Elvis immer nur bei einer Fastfood - Kette gesichtet?

Ich finde es ist mal Zeit eine Sichtung bei "Kentucky Fried Chicken" in Unlauf zu bringen. Die Südstaaten halten zusammen, auch was Werbung betrifft. Und schließlich ist der Gründer, Colonel Sanders sein Manager. Hat Elvis 1969 in Vegas auf der Bühne erzählt

Nichts für ungut, Mel, aber genau so etwas musste ja kommen, um diesem Thema die schon vermisste Unsachlichkeit überzustülpen...

Ein humorvoller Blick auf das Thema:

Der Text klappt nur auf Englisch, wegen der vielen Wortspiele mit Songnamen etc.

Elvis is alive – the truth

Over the years many rumours have circulated about the fact that Elvis faked his own death. It’s time for the truth to be revealed.

Those of us who were fans before his ‘demise’ are in the know and in fact were given prior notice that this would happen. I recall receiving an invitation to a gathering in Leicester in July ’77 and attended this meeting along with many other fans not only from the UK, but also all across Europe. We were addressed by a big name from the Elvis camp who informed us exactly what was going to happen, but we were sworn to secrecy on the condition that we would continue to receive Elvis product over the years and would even get the opportunity to spend time with him.

As to why he should want to fake his death. Many reasons have been given and the one about potential problems with the Mafia are closest to the truth. However, it was nothing to do with any financial deal or anything remotely like that. What actually happened is that the boys who can make you an offer you can’t refuse were very upset with Elvis for a number of reasons, these being:

On introducing It’s Now Or Never he would say Eye-talian instead of Italian. He would let Sherrill Nielsen sing O Sole Mio which was a complete travesty and a lack of respect. His Mafia was better known that the real thing and finally his popularity in Vegas had taken the spotlight away from a number of entertainers whose family name ended in a vowel. So something had to be done.

To make amends Elvis was offered a deal which would put things right. This was in November 1976. The contracts would hold good for 25 years or until Elvis passed away, whichever was the sooner.

The deal was that Elvis was offered a three picture deal, an album deal and a TV special, with the proceeds from all this activity going to the families of the entertainers in Vegas who were relegated to the lower ranks because of the King’s popularity.

Elvis signed the deal as it seemed fairly reasonable. However, when he became aware of the finer details, he realised he had made a mistake. The terms of the contract which will shortly be revealed by EPE show that Elvis was committed to making the following movies: Kissin’ Cousins on Holiday in Paradise Hawaiian Style, Stay Away Joe Has Fun In Acapulco and Return To The Harem. The album was to contain jazz standards in the style of Robert Goulet and Elvis could not use JD to make aeroplane noises and Sherrill was not allowed within 25 miles of the studio, and to cap it all the TV special was to be a tribute to one of the most popular entertainers in Vegas, the working title being ‘The Life And Times Of Wayne Newton – The Musical’. Still Elvis was prepared to go through with it but what really put the cat amongst the pigeons was the fact that his female co-star in the movies was to be Tiny Tim.

So the decision was made to disappear. The drug stories, which were all fictitious, were put into place. Why you may ask did he choose to go the way he did in such an undignified and unglamorous way? Well, what could be more believable?

As we all know, Elvis was about to embark on a new tour on August 16th however, he chose this day at very short notice to ‘disappear’ as his jumpsuits hadn’t come back from the dry cleaners in time and he didn’t want to go on stage in his day clothes. So the plan was put into motion.

The good news is that Elvis continued to record after his disappearance. You may wonder why no one is allowed upstairs at Graceland. It’s because the whole of the top floor has been turned into a recording studio which Elvis constructed himself. He installed state of the art equipment which allowed him to record without any help from outsiders. He was able to lay down backing tracks, overdub the vocals and create the artwork for the album sleeves himself. However, as the work was so intense and time consuming, which included the packaging and distribution of the albums, he usually was able to produce only one or at best two albums a year. In the last twenty years the advent of CDs, CD rewriters, computers and digital cameras has made this work much easier and has allowed the King to be totally self sufficient.

The albums were sent to the original fan club members who supported him prior to his disappearance and who had taken the vow of silence. The first of these, Elvis In His Bedroom In Graceland vol 1 contained some classics such as You Won’t See Me, Catch Me If You Can, You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away and Behind Closed Doors.

Of course naming the albums has become a little bit of a problem and so they have tended to follow a particular theme. The albums most well received by the fans have been Elvis In His Bedroom In Graceland vol 17 and Elvis In His Bedroom In Graceland vol 32. Both of these have had a blues slant to them.

He does manage to get out in disguise and in fact has even travelled to England in the last 10 years on a number of occasions. During these trips Elvis has taken a liking to Indian food so much so that he dedicated his 1995 album to Indian Restaurant owners. This mind blowing CD contained tracks such as You Can’t Curry Love, Paperback Raita, Korma Chameleon, Popadom Preach, Let’s Have A Chapati, I’m Gonna Sit Right Down And Korai, Living Dhal, Just Tell Her Jim Said Aloo, A Phal Such As I and Send Me The Pulao That You Dream On amongst others.

He also manages to visit Vegas on a regular basis and if you thought that Elvis impersonator looked a little familiar when you got married…………

They say there are 65,000 Elvis impersonators out there. Actually there are 64,999. The other ONE is not an impersonator.

So where does all this leave us. All those doubters were right but hopefully will now understand why we could not let on. Does Elvis now want to make a return? Well, we’ll have to wait and see. My feeling is that he enjoys the anonymity the past 27 years have given him and at nearly 70 he probably doesn’t want to come back on a large scale…but then who knows.

An irgend einer Stelle hatte schon der User TCB3001 bemerkt, dass er (wenn er sich als Elvis-Fan zu erkennen gibt) oft gefragt werde, ob er glaube, dass Elvis noch leben würde. Auch mir passiert das hin und wieder, aber nicht so häufig.
Ich stelle dann aber fest, dass man mit neugierigen (Noch-)Nicht-Fans dieses Thema ernsthafter diskutieren kann als unter Fans. Weiß auch nicht, warum das so ist...

Ich stelle dann aber fest, dass man mit neugierigen (Noch-)Nicht-Fans dieses Thema ernsthafter diskutieren kann als unter Fans. Weiß auch nicht, warum das so ist...

Soll wohl heißen wir führen in diesem Forum keine ernsthaften Diskussionen !? *empört-guck* Besteht noch Hoffnung?