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PEOPLE & ARTS Monday 31 deceMber 2018

Presley's 'Comeback Special' still relevant, 50 years later

By ADRIAN SAINZ me." sinations of the Rev. Martin
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Elvis That meeting became a Luther King Jr. and Robert F.
Presley wanted an honest meaningful step in the cre- Kennedy.
answer. Steve Binder gave ation of the one-hour TV Presley returned to promi-
him one. show "Singer Presents...El- nence. He began perform-
Presley was meeting Binder vis," better known today as ing for sold-out crowds in
for the first time in Binder's the '68 Comeback Special. Las Vegas and produced
office in Los Angeles in Aired on Dec. 3, 1968, the "From Elvis in Memphis," an
1968. A music and televi- program was a rapturous album that included "Sus-
sion producer, Binder had return for the 33-year-old picious Minds" and "In the
been asked to put togeth- Presley, whose music had Ghetto."
er an NBC television special mostly stuck to soundtrack Presley's career would slow
featuring Presley, who had songs from his often pulpy, down. He divorced his wife,
become more of a movie saccharine films. It was Priscilla, and began abus-
actor than a rock 'n' roll sponsored by Singer, the ing prescription drugs. He
singer in the 1960s when sewing machine company. died of a heart attack on
the Beatles and the Rolling Relaxed at some points, Aug. 16, 1977, in Memphis.
Stones were dominating energetic during others Still, his popularity has re-
the rock world. — and always inspired — mained high. Graceland,
Presley and Binder talked a still-handsome Presley the tourist attraction built
for about an hour about sounds strong and soulful. around his former Mem-
music and established a He appears genuine: He phis home, draws 500,000
rapport, Binder recalls. Then sweats, his black hair gets visitors a year. HBO recently
Presley popped the ques- messed up. released a documentary,
tion: "What do you think of The finale features an emo- "Elvis Presley: The Searcher."
my career?" tional Presley singing "If I And his image and voice
"I was young and brash Can Dream," a moving are regularly used in films,
in those days," Binder told piece written for the show TV shows and commercials.
The Associated Press in a ley said: "Well finally, some- body's talking straight to that served as a response Much has been said about
In this Aug. 1969 file photo, Elvis Presley is shown at the Interna-
phone interview. "I said, 'I tional Hotel where he made his first public stage appearance in to the tumult of 1968, when the importance of the '68
think it's in the toilet.'" 9 years in Las Vegas. the Vietnam War served as Comeback Special to Pre-
According to Binder, Pres- Associated Press the backdrop for the assas- sley's career. q