Elvis & the Beatles

A GLOBAL FIRST AS GRACELAND AND THE BEATLES STORY COME TOGETHER FOR ‘ELVIS AND US’ EXHIBITION Graceland is coming to Liverpool for a unique UK exhibition that unites the world’s biggest musical icons. Major new exhibition opens in Liverpool, England on 5th October 2011 running for two years MEMPHIS, TN – Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. (EPE), the parent company of Graceland in Memphis, along with The Beatles Story in Liverpool, England, have announced a transatlantic partnership to develop an exclusive, jointly curated exhibition that will explore how The Fab Four were influenced by the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. The exhibition - entitled Elvis and Us – will include rare and exclusive artefacts from both the Beatles Story and Graceland archives, many of which have never before been exhibited publicly. The exhibition, Elvis and Us - which will open to the public October 5th, 2011, at The Beatles Story in Liverpool, England - will be a multimedia, interactive experience filled with music, video and artefacts of both Elvis and The Beatles. This unique first-of-its-kind exhibition will allow visitors to experience the power of both Elvis and The Beatles along with their explosive impact on music and popular culture. From hit albums that still top the charts to movies, books, and plays, both Elvis and The Beatles are celebrated around the world. Both even have Cirque du Soleil® shows in Las Vegas: Viva ELVIS™ at ARIA Resort and Casino and The Beatles’™ LOVE™ at The Mirage. One of the key elements explored in the Elvis and Us exhibition will be the evening Elvis and The Beatles met in person on August 27, 1965, at his home in Bel Air, California. Kevin Kern, Director of Public Relations for Elvis Presley, Enterprises, Inc. comments on this unique exhibit: “This is truly an exciting partnership between Graceland and The Beatles Story that will chronicle not only the iconic meeting between Elvis and The Beatles, but their individual stories as they exist in pop culture history.” Jerry Goldman, Managing Director of Beatles Story comments: “This is a huge cultural moment for music fans the world over. Beatles Story and Elvis Presley Enterprises have been working together for many months now to create a unique exhibition that will fully explore the relationship between The Beatles and Elvis. This will take in the influence Elvis had on the young Beatles right through to their fateful meeting in Bel Air in 1965. “Beatles Story are excited to be working with Elvis Presley Enterprises on this amazing project and both parties are at this very moment digging through the extensive archives to find unique and unseen artefacts that will explore the fascinating connections between the world’s two greatest music icons.” Leader of Liverpool City Council, Councillor Joe Anderson, said: “Elvis and Us is a huge coup for the city and Liverpool’s world-renowned musical heritage once again comes to the fore. “This unique and exclusive exhibition will focus on two legendary acts who have helped shape today’s music scene. And it’s even more special considering that this is the first exhibition Graceland has embarked on in the UK in over twenty years. “There can be no doubt that Liverpool is the only location this exhibition should be showcased and I’m sure thousands of music-lovers will come to the city to learn more about the legacy left by Elvis and The Beatles and get up close to some artefacts which have never been seen by the public before.” James Berresford, Chief Executive, VisitEngland comments: “We welcome the announcement of the new exhibition Elvis and Us to be hosted by the Beatles Story in Liverpool from September. England and especially Liverpool has an incredibly rich relationship with music, which is a great driver for tourism in this country. A recent survey valued music tourism at £1.4billion which proves how important celebrations of our musical heritage are to potential visitors both at home and overseas.” One of the centrepieces of the Elvis and Us exhibition will be the white Fender bass guitar played by Elvis and The Beatles at their meeting. A true piece of pop culture history it has never been on public display before. Other artefacts being brought to the UK for the first time include the Jailhouse Rock shirt worn by Elvis in the film of the same name, a 1st album acetate, telegrams from The Colonel and Elvis to Ed Sullivan, rare video footage from the earliest days of Elvis’s career and a ticket to the legendary ‘68 Comeback special. www.elvisandus.com www.facebook.com/elvisandus www.twitter.com/elvisandus Ends For further information on Elvis and Us and The Beatles Story please contact Reem Khokhar at reem@beatlesstory.com