Elvis Presley to be declared honorary citizen of Budapest
Publicity photo for Jailhouse Rock (1957).
Budapest’s mayor Istvan Tarlos says Elvis Presley will be declared a posthumous honorary citizen of Budapest. A city landmark will be named after “The King,” as well.
Presley is being celebrated for his support of Hungary during the Anti-Soviet revolution that occurred in October of 1956.
The legendary singer and actor appeared on the U.S. television variety program The Ed Sullivan Show where he sang the gospel song “Peace in the Valley” as a tribute.
At Presley’s request, host Ed Sullivan asked viewers to send donations to Hungarians, which amounted to 26 million Swiss francs in 1957, according to Tarlos, who admitted he did not own a single Elvis Presley CD.
The city’s website (Budapest Portal.hu) has set-up an open voting system (Hungarian only) where visitors can choose one of 12 possible locations to be named after Presley, including street crossings, a small square and a site at the foot of Margaret Bridge. Voting ends March 15 .
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Category: Oddities
About the Author (Author Profile)
Suzanne Urpecz, creator and editor of The Hungarian Girl. Click on my About page for more info.
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