Elvis Stamp

If there must be an Elvis stamp, let it feature that bone of contention: his pelvis. AL HIX, Hollywood

WASHINGTON -- With lawmakers singing the blues about the looming "fiscal cliff," why not a resolution to show their support for designating Jan. 8 as Elvis Presley Day? Ten members of Congress have signed onto the resolution to show they have a big hunk o' love for the King of rock 'n' roll. Presley, born Jan. 8, 1935, in Tupelo, Miss., died at age 42 on Aug. 16, 1977, at Graceland in Memphis, Tenn. He "remains one of the most famous American entertainers of all time whose influence on music and whose cultural impact continues today," according to the resolution.

Any true rock 'n' roll collector has at least a couple of rolls of the Elvis stamp safely tucked away by now. But what about the Elvis stamp watch ? Or our favorite: the Elvis stamp pillow that turns into a teddy bear? They're among the more than 50 items available by mail from a Columbus, Ohio, company that has become a clearinghouse of sorts for Elvis stamp souvenir items. We're talking about the Wasserman Co., the nation's third largest supplier of postal employee uniforms.

When this album was released as a four-record vinyl set in 1971, RCA offered fans a bonus: a piece of Elvis' actual clothing. The problem in putting out the CD edition 25 years later is that RCA apparently ran out of his old shirts, jackets and pants. So the label has come up with a substitute lure: a first day of issue Elvis stamp on a limited-edition RCA envelope that is graced with a photo of Elvis and the words, "The Greatest Record Artist of All Time 1935-1977."

For more than two decades, artist Rex Davenport has sent the U.S. Postal Service dozens of his designs and drawings--including one of Elvis Presley in 1977 and, more recently, another of slain musician Selena--in the hope of having one immortalized as a stamp. After 23 years of amassing both a portfolio of drawings and a room full of framed rejection letters, Davenport may finally have the problem licked.

Any true rock 'n' roll collector has at least a couple of rolls of the Elvis stamp safely tucked away by now. But what about the Elvis stamp watch ? Or our favorite: the Elvis stamp pillow that turns into a teddy bear? They're among the more than 50 items available by mail from a Columbus, Ohio, company that has become a clearinghouse of sorts for Elvis stamp souvenir items. We're talking about the Wasserman Co., the nation's third largest supplier of postal employee uniforms.

Kendra Williams is one of those people who loves the young and the old Elvis. She has remained a stoically loyal fan through the TV movies and news shows that have portrayed her idol's final years as troubled and unhappy. The 43-year-old Anaheim woman even stayed stone-faced through the "wacky" tabloid headlines about Elvis sightings and alien incarnations. On Friday, she was having the last laugh. "People used to make fun of him.

Elvis Invasion: Meanwhile, a total of 58 (count 'em: 58!) Elvis impersonators will be dispatched to Las Vegas on Friday by KIIS-FM's Rick Dees and Southwest Airlines. The look-alikes will perform at the Golden Nugget for cash and prizes. Project Elvis is Dees' way of celebrating the release of the new Elvis stamp and also Presley's 58th birthday. . . . Speaking of Dees, later this month he will be off to Cannes to broadcast live from the MIDEM music conference, Jan. 25-27.

You've heard of seeing Elvis after his death? The Elvis stamp has been spotted before its birth. The 29-cent commemorative stamps weren't supposed to be available until Friday. But Ruth Peoples noticed an Elvis stamp and a Dec. 30 postmark on a letter that came last week for her son. It seemed a little odd, since she'd just read a newspaper article that said the stamps weren't yet available. So she called the post office.

Fifteen years after his death, Elvis Presley has another No. 1 hit. Only days after a mass mailing of some 800,000 brochures to people who voted in the "young Elvis/bloated Elvis" popularity contest last April, telephone orders began pouring in for a 29-cent stamp that is well on its way to becoming the best-selling piece of gummed paper in U.S. history. And now, although the Elvis stamp will not be available until Jan.

I DON'T CARE HOW MANY MALLS YOU'VE BEEN SPOTTED AT, YOU AIN'T NOTHIN' BUT A FASHION TREND: First there was the Elvis stamp contest--the young, studly Elvis versus the bloated, old king of rock 'n' roll. If you forgot to notify the postal authorities of your choice, it's not too late. You can still cast a vote, thanks to Ralph Marlin & Co., the tie firm known for the world's ugliest neckwear.

Americans overwhelmingly chose the young Elvis Presley for a new postage stamp, rejecting the lounge lizard look from his later years. But it was no heartbreak hotel for the 277,723 people who lost in voting for Elvis in his high-collared, jeweled jumpsuit and cape. The King was getting a stamp. "I keep pinching myself. It's hard to believe it's really happening," said Pat Geiger, who began fighting for a Presley stamp in 1983. Geiger voted for the older Elvis.