“Elvis Birthday Pops” concert

The Memphis Symphony Orchestra is presenting its annual “Elvis Birthday Pops” concert on Saturday, January 9, 2010, drawing fans from around the world to join in the celebration of the King of Rock and Roll’s 75th birthday.

The 8 p.m. concert will be a musical tribute to Elvis, featuring guest artist Terry Mike Jeffrey and the TMJ Band, as well as special guests James Burton (lead guitar), Glen D. Hardin (piano) and Ronnie Tutt (drums) formerly of Elvis’s TCB (Takin’ Care of Business) Band.

Guest conductor Steven Reineke, music director of the New York Pops, will guide the Memphis Symphony through a repertoire of Elvis songs during this birthday celebration concert at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Memphis. The selections will include “See See Rider”, “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling”, “Can’t Help Falling In Love” , “In the Ghetto”, “Big Boss Man” and “American Trilogy”, among others.

According to concert organizers, Elvis fans from Great Britain, Germany, France, Holland, Norway and Japan will be in attendance.

“This year’s program will not only include songs never performed by me and the MSO in concert, but also songs that Elvis himself never performed in concert,” Jeffrey said.

“I have arranged a new medley of tunes from Elvis’s movies just for this concert, but the band and I are keeping the details a surprise.”

Jeffrey, a native of Paducah, Kentucky is a singer, Emmy-nominated songwriter, actor, entertainer, musical director, arranger and multi-instrumentalist. He was musical director and star of “Elvis – An American Musical” that enjoyed a Broadway run in the 1980s.

The TCB Band was a group of professional musicians who formed the core rhythm section of Elvis Presley’s band from August 1969 until his death in 1977. They first appeared live with Presley for his first performance at the Hotel International in Las Vegas, NV on July 31, 1969.

Concert sponsors are NexAir, Marriott Memphis Downtown, ArtsMemphis and The Marston Group, PLC.

Since 1952 the Memphis Symphony Orchestra has created meaningful experiences through music in the Mid-South. Today more than 400 musicians, staff and volunteers in the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, the Memphis Symphony Chorus and the Memphis Symphony League operate education programs, organize community engagement events and presents concerts.

TICKETS: $28, $36, $60, $78, $90 and $150 V.I.P.

To order tickets by phone with Visa, American Express or MasterCard, call the Memphis Symphony Orchestra Box Office at 901-537-2525, visit the MSO office at 585 South Mendenhall Road, Memphis, TN 38117 (9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on concert Saturdays) or visit the website at www.memphissymphony.org. Student and group discounts are available. Except for the Fridays on the Town Series, all concerts are open to Arts Access patrons enabling those with food stamp, TennCare or Church Health Center cards to secure remaining tickets free 15 minutes prior to the concert. All prices, artists, and programs are subject to change.