ELVIS: ONE OF THE GREATEST RECORDS NEVER SOLD THE STAY AWAY, JOE LP

CONTACTS:             Karin Kwiatkowski, Producer

Abby Kwiatkowski, Producer/Director

Production Phone: 928-593-9383

(Social media contacts listed below)

ELVIS:

ONE OF THE GREATEST RECORDS NEVER SOLD

THE STAY AWAY, JOE LP

What if there was an Elvis record that was broadcast only once, then locked away never to be heard again anywhere in the world, and never made available to the public?

What if nearly everyone involved in the project has passed away, leaving more questions than answers?

What if this authentic RCA Victor LP seemingly vanished and wasn’t catalogued until 1999, and even then was inadequately catalogued?

The story begins in October 1967 when Elvis started filming Stay Away, Joe, a Hollywood film shot on location in Sedona and Cottonwood, Arizona. While not a stand-out in Elvis’ film career, it generated a unique footnote in his musical career — a footnote all but forgotten in the coming tsunami of achievements by the King of Rock and Roll. Those eclipsing achievements included:

·       After 12 years of filmmaking, Elvis’ electrifying appearance in black leather in the 1968 NBC-TV Special  reclaimed his place as the King, and revived him musically.

·       In July 1969, Elvis began performing in Las Vegas where he set attendance records and made the live album: On Stage February, 1970.

·       In 1970, Elvis starred in the documentary, Elvis, That's the Way It Is. This critically acclaimed film gave most of the world their first glimpse of Elvis performing in his signature jumpsuits.

·       In January 1973, Elvis gave a televised concert from Honolulu, with all proceeds going to charity. Known as Elvis: Aloha from Hawaii Via Satellite, it was seen in 40 countries and captured more viewers than the first moon landing in 1969. The concert album reached reach No. 1 on all the national LP charts.

·       Elvis was the first performer to sell more than one billion records worldwide! He also had 165 charted hits in the U.S. alone. He is the only performer inducted into five Halls of Fame: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Country Music Hall of Fame, Hit Parade Hall of Fame, International Rock-a-Billy Hall of Fame, and Gospel Music Hall of Fame.

 

But back to 1967 in northern Arizona and the reason for the Stay Away, Joe LP.

Its  purpose was two-fold: First, as a 30-minute thank you from Elvis and the Colonel (Tom Parker, his manager) to the people in Cottonwood and Sedona for their kindnesses during the filming of Stay Away, Joe, and, since it aired on a Sunday morning, to introduce listeners to Elvis' two Grammy Award winning albums of gospel music.

According to “Mr. Music,” Jerry Osborne, a renowned expert on all things pertaining to Elvis: “Unbelievable though it seems, this 12-inch album was made for a one-time broadcast by only one radio station—KVIO in Cottonwood, Arizona, a tiny community southwest of Sedona. Ensuring the show ran exclusively on this station is the mention by the host during the show itself of the call letters: K-V-I-O. This fact alone negates the need for more than one copy being distributed.”

Even though a later compilation of songs from the film was commercially released, there was never an actual Stay Away, Joe soundtrack album. The LP broadcast by KVIO did not contain any of the songs from the film, but has since become known as the Stay Away, Joe LP.

In this documentary film, join the cross-country search for the Stay Away, Joe LP and more of the story behind its creation.

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Social media links:

Know a history buff, a rare record aficionado or die-hard Elvis fan? Do you--or someone you know--have photos, home movies or audio of Elvis during his time in Arizona while filming Stay Away, Joe?
Send them our way!
You can help us with this production by spreading the word to friends, family, co-workers and neighbors. We’ve created the social media links below to share your Elvis-in-Arizona stories:
We want to hear from you!

Share your stories on Facebook at:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Elvis-in-Cottonwood/889029447789916

Email us at ElvisPresleyDocumentary@gmail.com.

Or go to Google+ at Elvis Documentary https://plus.google.com/117366919882150502677/posts.

On Twitter, you can find us at @ElvisPresleyDoc.

We're on Instagram at Elvisdocumentary.

IndieGoGo Crowd Funding Campaign (to help pay for clearances, rights and permission to use Elvis’ music, film clips and images): https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/elvis-one-of-the-greatest-albums-never-sold/x/75929#home

And here is the link to Karen Leff's historical account. Karen is owner of Cottonwood Hotel: http://www.cottonwoodhotel.com/elvispresley.html. 

Water Literacy for Kindergarteners in Cottonwood, Ariz.

Who is Ms. H20? Who is the Queen of Poo? Who helps kindergarteners put their arms around a million gallon reservoir? How does the City of Cottonwood partner with Cottonwood Oak Creek School District, teachers, parents, the CAT bus, and volunteer Linda Heidenreich? Who are our community's Water Ambassadors for Water Conservation? Find out on the Water Literacy for Kindergarteners episode of Inside Cottonwood. Verdevalleytv.com, the Verde Valley TV - City of Cottonwood Government Access Channel, a partnership with Yavapai Broadcasting. ‪

#‎insidecottonwood


 

This is Cottonwood!

Check out THIS IS COTTONWOOD! Love our great city!

This is Cottonwood Playlist: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tvaYGpasLg&list=PLhnVv1Kn7FNGnHjoTRj-9dtANolWixfiC

Individual links:

This is Cottonwood!

http://youtu.be/4tvaYGpasLg

William Eaton talks about the Catalyst Grant

http://youtu.be/sg1NzVvcRQg

William Eaton talks about the Cottonwood Culture Challenge

http://youtu.be/5U-kRmA1fTc

Meg Williams Jamison talks about the Catalyst Grant

http://youtu.be/QcbVjsPpcFI 

Jesse Dowling's Ride for Wife Bike MS Event - at R.I.O.T. in Old Town

My Friend, Dorothy E. Meckfessel, Lived an Extraordinary Life!

 Dorothy E. Meckfessel, 1950 RN Graduation

Dorothy Edna Meckfessel of Cottonwood was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on Dec. 14, 1926 to Frederick and Pauline nee Schroeder Meckfessel. The name Meckfessel was derived from Meckvessel in the state of Mecklenberg in Germany, located in former Prussia. Dorothy passed away peacefully on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2014 with her friend of 22 years, Diane Joens, holding her hand. She attained the age of 87 years and one month. Caring friends in Cottonwood who also helped Dorothy along the way were Vickie Tillemans and Randy Keenan.  

Dorothy received a three-year registered nurse’s diploma from the Evangelical Deaconess Hospital School of Nursing in St. Louis, Missouri on Sept. 7, 1950. She was accepted and attended the University of Missouri Medical School in 1956, a feat unheard of for a female in the 1950s. Although she did not become a doctor, in 1957 she earned a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts from the University of Missouri, aided by all the pre-med and medical school classes she had completed. In 1964 Dorothy courageously traveled alone to India, volunteering for six months at the Frances Newton Hospital in Ferozepore, India. This interesting journey is described in her autobiography, The Fascinating Life of an Ordinary Person. In 1970 she returned to India via a sightseeing tour sponsored by Overseas Families and Friends and was richly blessed by the people of India. Dorothy was also the author of Your Via Dolorosa (Latin for “way of sorrow”) and Victory.

Dorothy’s career in nursing spanned more than 30 years. She served as a staff nurse at the East Deaconess Hospital in St. Louis; as a staff nurse and recovery room nurse at Ellis Fischel State Cancer Hospital in Columbia, Missouri; as an intensive care nurse at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona; as a surgical intensive care nurse at St. Vincent Hospital in Santa Fe, New Mexico; as a staff nurse on the surgical floor at Cox Medical Center in Springfield, Missouri; as a staff nurse on the surgical floor at Scott and White Hospital in Temple, Texas; and as a staff nurse on the surgical floor at Medical Plaza Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas. When she worked at St. Joseph’s in Phoenix, intensive care nursing was a new frontier and Dorothy was on the forefront.

From 1982 until retirement in 1989, she worked as a staff nurse in nursing homes in Phoenix, Sun City and Sedona. Dorothy had a special place in her heart for people living in nursing homes and was an advocate for excellent resident and medical care. When she attended an annual National Citizens’ Coalition for Nursing Home Reform in Arlington, Virginia, she met Martha Mohler, a knowledgeable and dedicated advocate for improving conditions in the nation’s nursing homes. Martha was Senior Policy Advisor for the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare in Washington, D.C. They remained good friends throughout the years.

The Verde Valley Senior Center Meals on Wheels program and Verde Valley Caregivers Coalition helped Dorothy remain independent in her beloved home at the Verde Valley Manor. Dorothy was especially appreciative of her health care providers, Dr. Devin Mikles, Dr. Kenneth Bescak and staff. Recent care provided by Hospice Compasses, Northern Arizona Hospice, Abrio and the Verde Valley Medical Center was also greatly appreciated. Dorothy enjoyed taking classes at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Yavapai College and made many friends there.  

Requesting no services, Dorothy instead planned an informal open house in her home where her written material will be available to anyone who is interested, and the song The Impossible Dream will be played. The open house will be held on Saturday, Feb. 8 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at 3400 East Godard Road, Apt. 75A. Parking is located at Godard Hall.

Dorothy was preceded in death by her parents and siblings Fred, Don and Harriet Meckfessel. She is survived by several nieces and nephews, most of whom live in Missouri and Kansas. Special cards of condolence may be sent to Dorothy’s lifelong friends, Bill and Mary Lou Scott of Florissant, MO; goddaughter Pamela and Steve Berra of Crestwood, MO; Nancy Czyzewski of Webster Groves, MO; Martha Mohler of Chevy Chase, MD; Dr. Devin Mikles of Sedona; Dr. Kenneth Bescak of Cottonwood, and Diane Joens of Cottonwood.

Memorials in Dorothy’s memory may be made to the Verde Valley Senior Center’s Meals on Wheels program. Meals on Wheels is a lifeline to seniors throughout the Verde Valley, helping them maintain their independence and enabling them to stay in their homes longer. This independence was very important to Dorothy. The mailing address of the Verde Valley Senior Center is P.O. Box 681, Cottonwood, AZ 86326. The Senior Center is located at 500 E. Cherry St. in Cottonwood. Memorial donations may also be made via paypal on their website: verdevalleyseniorcenter.org.

Always the educator, Dorothy donated her body to the University of Arizona College of Medicine. Friends were important to Dorothy, who never married. She wrote “My love will live on in the wonderful friends who supported and loved me.”

 

 Dorothy E. Meckfessel, 2013

 

Researched and written by Diane Joens

 

 

 

Mayor Diane Joens Honored as Citizen of the Year by Elks in 2013

 

 

Mayor Diane Joens Honored as Citizen of the Year by Elks in 2013

In 2013 the Jerome Elks Lodge #1361 in Clarkdale honored Ed Leuer, local Elks member and State Vice President, as Elk of the Year. Cottonwood Mayor Diane Joens was honored as the Elks' Citizen of the Year, while Rod Rosenbarger received the Officer of the Year award. Elks invest in communities through programs that help children grow up healthy and drug-free, by undertaking projects that address unmet needs, and by honoring the service and sacrifice of veterans.