MEMPHIS, Tenn. | The 1968 television show known as Elvis Presley’s comeback special is experiencing its own rebirth and revitalization.
Producer Steve Binder, who worked with Presley to create the show that enabled the singer to return to prominence, says he never expected the “Singer Presents…Elvis” special to endure. But endure it has, with NBC planning a tribute to the special in February. The network has said the “Elvis All-Star Tribute” will be hosted by Blake Shelton and will feature well-known performers re-creating songs and staging of the original program.
The all-star tribute has also seen the release of a box set that includes a Blu-ray edition of the show and a book by Binder on its creation.
The show helped update Presley’s image and began regularly to play to sold-out crowds in Las Vegas.
Relaxed at some points, energetic during others — and always inspired — a still-handsome Presley comes off as strong and soulful. He appears genuine: He sweats, his black hair gets messed up.
The finale features an emotional Presley singing “If I Can Dream,” an emotional piece written for the show that served as a response to the tumult of 1968, when the Vietnam War served as the backdrop for the assassinations of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy.
Presley’s career would slow down. He divorced his wife, Priscilla, and began abusing prescription drugs. He died of a heart attack on Aug. 16, 1977, in Memphis.
Still, his popularity has remained high. Graceland, the tourist attraction built around his former Memphis home, draws 500,000 visitors a year. HBO recently released a documentary, “Elvis Presley: The Searcher.” And his image and voice are regularly used in films, TV shows and commercials.
Much has been said about the importance of the ’68 Comeback Special to Presley’s career. In a 2008 Los Angeles Times article, writer Robert Lloyd calls it a “moment of change.”
“He regains his voice,” Lloyd writes.
