If you’re heading to Kauai this month (lucky you) be sure to check out the special Elvis Presley tribute, Kauai Loves Elvis scheduled for Friday, January 18, from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Kauai Marriott Resort on Kalapaki Beach. Tickets are on sale now for $65 ($85 for stage front VIP tickets).
The evening will feature a performance by ace Elvis Presley tribute artist Tim Welch, a popular Elvis Presley tribute artist who is based in Las Vegas and has performed around the world. Welch will do a 90-minute show with fan-favorite songs spanning Elvis Presley’s career. Included in the price is a buffet dinner with prime rib followed by a silent auction that includes Elvis Presley memorabilia and other special experiences and activities. Part of the proceeds raised will go to Kaua‘i United Way.
“This event promises to be spectacular and the money raised will be used to support our 29 participating agencies, all right here on Kaua‘i, that address a broad array of social service needs in our community,” noted Scott Giarman, executive director for Kaua‘i United Way. “The endearing ties between Elvis Presley and Kaua‘i will continue to live on through the programs and people that benefit from all this goodwill.”
The Kauai Visitors Bureau (www.ask.com/Kauai+Visitors+Bureau) is organizing Kaua‘i Loves Elvis!, with support provided by the County of Kaua‘i and Kaua‘i Chamber of Commerce. KVB executive director Sue Kanoho commented, “We’re helping to support one of our island’s great charitable organizations in Kaua‘i United Way, and honoring the 40th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s famous Aloha from Hawai‘i concert with a wonderful celebration for residents and visitors to enjoy.”
It was 40 years ago this month when Elvis Presley staged his most famous concert performance – Aloha from Hawai‘i – on January 14, 1973. The concert was broadcast live via satellite to TV viewers in more than 40 countries. Dressed in his trademark white jump suit, the “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll” put on a dazzling performance that is still remembered today by fans in Hawai‘i and around the world.
Elvis Presley loved Hawai‘i and visited the islands many times over a 20-year period starting in 1957 when he performed three concerts on O‘ahu, including one for soldiers and their families at Schofield Barracks. In March 1961, he performed a benefit concert at Pearl Harbor’s Bloch Arena that raised more than $64,000 to help build the USS Arizona Memorial.
Elvis Presley filmed three movies in Hawai‘i during the 1960s include “Blue Hawaii “(1961); “Girls, Girls, Girls” (1962); and “Paradise, Hawaiian Style” (1965). “Blue Hawaii” is considered his biggest commercial success and cemented a special relationship between Elvis and Kaua‘i that continues today. The movie’s approximate final 20 minutes were filmed on Kaua‘i at or near Coco Palms Resort, culminating in the famous lagoon wedding scene in which Elvis and his fiancé are carried to the chapel in a double-hulled canoe filled with beautiful tropical flowers.
Ticket Outlets:
- Kaua‘i Visitors Bureau – (808) 245-3971 or kauai@hvcb.org
- The Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas – (808) 827-8808
- Scotty’s Music, Kaläheo – (808) 332-0090
- Kauai Marriott Resort on Kalapaki Beach – (808) 246-5099
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