Well, no, I don't think these folks were closely related to good old Elvis, but I'm sure they didn't mind if anyone got a little confused about it. Presley's Mountain Music Jubilee show was one of dozens of mom'n'pop country music mini-oprys that dotted the landscape in the 1970s and '80s. Founded in 1967 by Bessie Mae Presley and husband Lloyd Presley (along with several business partners) the Jubilee was one of Branson, Missouri's pioneering country venues, along with Silver Dollar City, which had opened years earlier in 1960. The Presley theater grew to a 2000-seat venue, and remains in operation over five decades later... Like many of the Ozark oprys, the Presley's put out an undetermined number of souvenir albums over the years, including the ones below...
Presleys' Mountain Music Jubilee "The Best Of Presleys' Mountain Music Jubilee" (1973-?) (LP)
(Produced by Gary Presley & Lloyd Presley)
This album looks to be of early '70s vintage, with covers of hits such as "Snowbird," "Golden Rings" and yet one more version of "Proud Mary." This appears to be the same material that's on the album below (which has the same title, though with a new catalog number... A repressing, I guess? Anyway, the later edition gives the names of the soloists on the inner label, in a cast that included Howard Farmer, Diana Houseman, Jim Luttrell, Jeannie Mapes, Steve Mapes, Lloyd Presley, Steve Presley, the Presley Trio, Treva Shobe (on "Orange Blossom Special") and of course, their hillbilly clown, Herkimer. I believe the Mapes duo were also part of the Baldknobbers troupe
Presleys' Mountain Music Jubilee "The Best Of Presleys' Mountain Music Jubilee" (197--?).(LP)
Presleys' Mountain Music Jubilee "On Happy Day" (197--?) (LP)
Presleys' Mountain Music Jubilee "Presleys' Mountain Music Jubilee" (1976) (LP)
Presleys' Mountain Music Jubilee "Rise Again" (197--?) (LP)
Presleys' Mountain Music Jubilee "On Stage" (1981-?).(LP)
(Produced by Bessie Presley, Gary Presley, Lloyd Presley, Pat Presley & Steve Presley)
Another one where I'm guessing at the date... This time, it's a cover of "Nine To Five" that produces some breadcrumbs for us to follow: the movie came out at the very end of 1980, while the Dolly Parton single topped the charts in early '81... Other country covers include "Old Flame," "White Lightning," and other oldies like "Slewfoot," "Heartbreak Hotel," "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" and "Wipeout." A little something for everyone, as always. No release date, alas, or any info about who was in the band. Darn! Who was that goofy-lookin' kid playing the pedal steel? Or the one with an electric bass that's bigger than he is?
Presleys' Mountain Music Jubilee "Presley's Favorites" (1983-?) (LP)
This one appears to have come out around 1983-84, as it includes a cover of the 1983 Huey Lewis & The News hit, "The Heart Of Rock And Roll," along with bluegrass and pop-country hits galore, such as "Battle Of New Orleans," "El Paso," "Snowbird," "Tie A Yellow Ribbon," and Hoagy Carmichael's "Stardust," which Willie Nelson had revived in 1978.
