World Premiere of Arkansas Rock ’N’ Roll Highway 67 Videos

LITTLE ROCK (June 30, 2011) In conjunction with the Clinton Center exhibits "Elvis" and "Elvis at 21, Photographs by Alfred Wertheimer," the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism today hosted the world premiere of new video podcasts featuring Arkansas’s Rock 'N' Roll Highway 67.

“When the Rock ‘N’ Roll Highway 67 Museum opened, we took the opportunity to record the stories of what happened along this famous route,” said department communications manager Dena Woerner. “Simply put, a new kind of music was born on Highway 67.”

A panel comprised of musicians Sonny Burgess, Kern Kennedy, Fred Douglas, Jim Aldridge, Bobby Crafford and Ace Cannon shared their personal experiences playing in the 1950s at clubs along Arkansas Highway 67 with rock legends like Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and others. These musicians are credited with pioneering the music genre of Rockabilly.

Woerner said it was a coincidence the Clinton Center is hosting two Elvis exhibits this summer along with a speaker series, “A Little More Conversation: Elvis Presley.” The photos on display were taken in the months before Elvis became a superstar. Some of the musicians featured in the videos were playing with Elvis at that time.

“The videos fit so well into the story the exhibits tell,” said Woerner. “The partnership with the Clinton Center allows us to expand this piece of the narrative.”

The videos premiered today can be seen at arkansas.com/podcast.

The Rock ‘N’ Roll Highway 67 Museum in Newport features vintage photos and memorabilia from former clubs like the Silver Moon and Porky's Roof Top.

“Elvis at 21: Photographs by Alfred Wertheimer" can be seen at the Clinton Presidential Center through August 21, 2011. These compelling 56 black-and-white images tell the behind-the-scenes story of a rising star. "Elvis at 21, Photographs by Alfred Wertheimer," an exhibition developed by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, Govinda Gallery, and the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery, is sponsored nationally by HISTORY(tm).

In a separate exhibition, the Clinton Center and Graceland present "Elvis," a collection of artwork, photographs and memorabilia. "Elvis" is a tribute to the man, his music and his movies. It’s available for viewing through September 11, 2011.