newsmakers

newsmakers

Museum, collector dispute Elvis’ guitar

SOIUX FALLS, S.D.

An acoustic guitar Elvis Presley smashed during his final tour has sparked a custody fight between a South Dakota museum and a collector who insists he’s the rightful owner.

Now a federal judge must sort out whether blues guitarist Robert A. Johnson even technically owned the broken instrument last year when he donated it to the National Music Museum along with one of Bob Dylan’s harmonicas and a guitar made for Johnny Cash.

The National Music Museum insists in a lawsuit that it is the legal owner of the guitar the rock-and-roll king played during his 1977 tour. He gave it to a fan in St. Petersburg, Florida, after he broke it when a strap and string snapped.

Collector Larry Moss says Johnson sold him the guitar earlier.

Jeff Bridges offers a look at ‘The Giver’

SAN DIEGO

Jeff Bridges gave Comic-Con a look at his latest film.

The Academy Award-winning actor, producer, director and musician was on hand Wednesday with some of his fellow cast members from “The Giver,” the upcoming adaptation of the popular young-adult novel by Lois Lowry.

An extended trailer shown Thursday at the pop-culture convention began with black-and-white footage chronicling the dystopian setting of the book. Comic-Con continues through Sunday at the San Diego Convention Center.

“It proved to be difficult, I think because it was quite controversial,” Bridges told the crowd in reference to his struggle to make the film.

Lowry, 77, noted that the book, which originally was released in 1993, caused a stir because there are scenes where a baby is killed and a young boy bathes an elderly woman, the latter of which won’t be in the movie when it’s released Aug. 11.

Mellencamp son keeps bond after arrest

BLOOMINGTON, Ind.

A lawyer for rock star John Mellencamp’s oldest son says her client will receive alcohol treatment and stay out of trouble after an underage drinking arrest.

Monroe Circuit Judge Marc Kellams decided not to revoke the $5,000 jail bond for a pending battery charge against 20-year-old Hud Mellencamp after receiving the assurances Thursday from attorney Jennifer Lukemeyer.

The Herald-Times reports Lukemeyer said Hud Mellencamp’s parents have him on a “tight leash” after his July 10 arrest for misdemeanor illegal alcohol consumption.

Model Elaine Irwin appeared with her son in court. John Mellencamp, her ex-husband, lives near Bloomington.

Hud Mellencamp and his younger brother, Speck, face felony battery charges from 2013 for purportedly punching and kicking a 19-year-old man who they believed had hit Speck Mellencamp.

Fox won’t air retry of failed Knievel jump

TWIN FALLS, Idaho

Fox Broadcasting officials say they will not televise two daredevils’ efforts to jump southern Idaho’s Snake River Canyon where Evel Knievel failed 40 years ago.

A spokeswoman told The Times-News on Wednesday that the television network opted out because of budget concerns because there wasn’t enough production time.

Texas motorcycle daredevil “Big Ed” Beckley and Hollywood stuntman Eddie Braun say they will push forward with the jumps and seek out other media partners.

Forty years ago, Knievel also failed to secure a television broadcast contract. The famous stuntman’s jump ended after his parachute malfunctioned and deployed shortly after takeoff.

Braun’s jump still is scheduled for Sept. 7, while Beckley says his jump will take place sometime in late September or October.

Associated Press