POP/ROCK - July 11, 1990

The King Back in the U.S.S.R.: Elvis lives on in the Soviet Union with a new Elvis fan club. Graceland officials say they have been notified of the formation of the All-Union Assn. of Rock ‘n’ Roll Fans in Moscow. Although Elvis, who died Aug. 16, 1977, is not in the name of the club, club president Kostya Shniriov explained that the concentration of the club is on Elvis. “We plan to celebrate Elvis’ birthday with a special concert on Jan. 8, 1991,” Shniriov wrote. “We are negotiating with the authorities to open a club entirely devoted to rock ‘n’ roll, to be called Memphis.” Shniriov said the members want to exchange information with American fans and someday visit Memphis. But for now, she’s asking that all correspondence be sent to reporter Eric Walberg at the English-language Moscow News, “as our English is not great.”