Elvis in Hawaii [Paperback]

Jerry Hopkins (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 24, 2002 | ISBN-10: 1573061425 | ISBN-13: 978-1573061421

In Elvis in Hawaii, former Hawaii resident and celebrity biographer Jerry Hopkins tells the story of the King of Rock and Roll’s twenty-year love affair with the Hawaiian Islands and its people. Over 100 photos, many previously unpublished, document Elvis’s ties to Hawaii, the site of two of his most important concerts, the setting for three of his films and up to a few months before he died, a favorite vacation spot. A must for Elvis fans and anyone interested in 1950s, ‘60s, and ‘70s Hawaii, this revealing portrait offers new perspectives on the life and career of a legendary performer.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jerry Hopkins has published more than 1,000 magazine articles and 27 books, including three international best-sellers.

Best known for his books and stories about popular music, in the past eight years as a Bangkok resident he developed a strong reputation writing about food and travel, appearing in numerous airline magazines and in such diverse publications as Condé Nast Traveler, GQ, Islands, Bizarre, Far Eastern Economic Review, Wine Spectator, Asian Wall Street Journal, Maxim, and The Village Voice.

His biography of rock singer Jim Morrison, No One Here Gets Out Alive, was a No. 1 bestseller (New York Times) in 1980, went back to No. 2 in 1991, selling more than 2 million copies,

and was a primary source for Oliver Stone’s film The Doors. Other biographical subjects include Elvis Presley (Elvis: A Biography, published in 1971, and Elvis: The Final Years in 1980; total sold 3.5 million copies), Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie, Raquel Welch, and Yoko Ono, earning him the title "dean of the pop biographers." The Morrison and Hendrix books were updated for re-release in 1995 and 1996.

His other books consider a wide range of subjects---music history, the environment, humor, journalism, food, behavior modification, and Polynesian culture among them, the latter including

a prize-winning (illustrated) history of the hula.These books were published in 23 countries and 14 languages, bestsellers in many of them. Strange Foods: Bush Meat, Bats & Butterflies, An Epicurean Adventure Around the World, was published in 1999 by Periplus Editions (Singapore) and in 2000 by Komet (Germany) and a history of the Hmong hilltribe is scheduled for later this year, along with a third book about The King, "Elvis in Hawaii."

For 20 years Hopkins was on the Rolling Stone masthead as a correspondent in London and Los Angeles and as a contributing editor. He also has worked as a feature writer, reporter, and music critic for daily and weekly newspapers and as a writer-producer in television for Mike Wallace, Steve Allen, and Mort Sahl, as well as for ABC Television and Universal Studios.

He is a member of the Writers Guild of America, the Author’s Guild, the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Bess Press (September 24, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1573061425
• ISBN-13: 978-1573061421
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,200,405 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Dreams come true in Blue Hawaii, December 12, 2002

By 

"elvisinhawaii" (Haarlem, The Netherlands) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Elvis in Hawaii (Paperback)

All Elvis fans will recognize this title as a line from the song Blue Hawaii sung by Elvis in the movie with the same title.
However it's not only that it's also what Jerry Hopkins new book is all about; Telling the story of Elvis, following his dreams and having fun in paradise surroundings. Elvis visited the Hawaiian Islands many times, sometimes for business when filming on location or for one of the six live performances on the islands but also for a (well-deserved) vacation.

Jerry takes the reader on a stroll through the 50's, 60's and 70's as we follow Elvis from his first visit to the Islands in 1957 till his last visit 20 years later. Besides the obvious close-up look at the 3 "Hawaiian movies" ( Blue Hawaii / Girls Girls Girls / Paradise Hawaiian Style) the reader also gets to "hear" such funny stories as how the first concert in Hawaii (1957) was finalized (Colonel Tom Parker is supposed to have made a deal with an Australian promoter by winning a "game of dice" !!) and the story about a hilarious concert promotion by an Elvis impersonator
(No, this time there was no involvement by The Colonel). Not only do we get to know more about Elvis' activities in Hawaii, we also get to learn a bit more about Hawaii' natives with an Elvis connection, such as Karate teacher Ed Parker and James Shigeta (co-star in Paradise Hawaiian Style).

However, to me the highlight of this book must be the sections where we get to hear the stories of people who where actually there at the time.
People like country comedian Minnie Pearl, Velma Fisher (passenger on the SS Matsonia that sailed Elvis to Hawaii on his first trip in 1957), Tom Moffatt (Hawaiian D.J.) and Marty Pasetta (producer of the Aloha from Hawaii special). All have an interesting story to tell about their time with Elvis.

To me this book is a welcome addition to Jerry' previous two Elvis-biographies (Elvis: A Biography & Elvis: The Final Years). The book also features about 100 photos of which some are rare or never seen before. Quality of the photos varies from fair to very clear but the majority of them are interesting to see.

This leaves us with one big question: "Why did Elvis love Hawaii so much ?" I think the answer to this question can be found all-over in this book but is best described by Tom Moffatt when he says: "In Hawaii he could relax and wander more freely ...... people here respect his privacy"
Guess that alone was enough for Elvis to make Hawaii his paradise...............

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars With over 100 black-and-white and color photographs, June 19, 2003

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Elvis in Hawaii (Paperback)

Elvis In Hawai'i is a unique look at the life of the legendary rock singer Elvis Presley, focusing especially on his love of the Hawai'ian islands and the people who lived there. Elvis' fondness of his favorite vacation spot is brought to life with over 100 black-and-white and color photographs, some never before published, and an upbeat yet adroitly narrated text by Jerry Hopkins. Elvis In Hawai'i is especially recommended reading for the legions of fans and admirers of "The King" of rock 'n roll.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A lavish keepsake..., April 14, 2003

By 

"squishy66" (Los Angeles, california USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Elvis in Hawaii (Paperback)

Elvis had an affinity for Hawaii: he made three films there, did six concerts (including the historic 'Aloha' satallelite broadcast, and had many longtime friends. This loving assemblage of pictures and anecdotes, by one of Presley's first biographers, is full of the kind of critical judgment and eye for local detail that is often lost in fan-oriented books of this sort. There's pictures of him being casual with local people, accepting local awards, hanging out at the local radio station, and having a good time all around. Profusely illustrated with photos from private collections as well as official documents, this is a lovely keepsake.