“Elvis and The Birth of Rock and Roll” at Taschen Beverly Hills and The Grammy Museum

Priscilla Presley enjoying the inscription to her from Alfred Wertheimer in her copy of his new book; Elvis and the Birth of Rock and Roll, with editor Chris Murray looking on. Copyright © Dalmiro Quiroga. All Rights Reserved.

There was a wonderful launch for Alfred Wertheimer’s extraordinary book published by Taschen, Elvis and the Birth of Rock and Roll, at the Taschen Beverly Hills store May 2nd, 2013. There was great excitement at the store when Priscilla Presley arrived to celebrate the publication with her friend Alfred Wertheimer. Astronaut Buzz Aldrin also attended and enjoyed a good chat with Wertheimer. It was surely a night to remember.

Astronaut and author Buzz Aldrin, part of first team to explore the moon, enjoying Wertheimer’s description of his photo of Elvis with Steve Allen in 1956. Copyright © Dalmiro Quiroga. All Rights Reserved.

The night before the Beverly Hills launch Wertheimer and Elvis and the Birth of Rock and Roll editor Chris Murray gave a presentation at the Grammy Museum’s Ahmet Ertegun Auditorium about Wertheimer’s new book. Grammy Museum director Bob Santelli moderated the talk. Santelli contributed an essay to Elvis and the Birth Rock and Roll. The Grammy Museum launched Elvis at 21: Photographs by Alfred Wertheimer in January of 2010, the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibitions Service’s tour of Wertheimer’s photographs that was co-organized by Govinda Gallery.