Blake Shelton And NBC To Host An ‘Elvis All-Star Tribute’ Two-Hour Special

To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Elvis Presley ’68 Comeback Special — which re-ignited passion for the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll after he had fallen out of favor following the British Invasion (which was led by The Beatles) — NBC has announced the Elvis All-Star Tribute, which will air on Feb. 19, 2019, and be hosted by The Voice‘s Blake Shelton.

The network describes the two-hour special as follows: “We all know Elvis Presley as the ‘King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, but it was his ’68 comeback special on NBC that truly secured his reign. In that one thrilling special, donning iconic black leather and performing some of his most unforgettable hits, Elvis reclaimed his glory and put himself back at the top of the charts. Coming soon to NBC, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of that epic evening, an all-star group of music’s superstars will pay tribute, recreating the spectacle — even the staging — of that legendary night of song. In addition to the musical performances, we’ll see rare Elvis footage, outtakes, and interviews from those involved in the ’68 comeback special, including Director Steve Binder. Whether you’re a lifelong fan or just getting to know Elvis, this is an event not to be missed.”

On December 3rd, 1968 NBC aired Singer Presents…Elvis, now known as the '68 Comeback Special. Today we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of this iconic TV performance that marked Elvis' return to the stage & reminded everyone why he was known as The King of Rock 'n' Roll pic.twitter.com/L613kvHCU0

— Elvis Presley (@ElvisPresley) December 3, 2018

Additionally, look for interviews with the people who knew Elvis best, including ex-wife Priscilla Presley; and rare footage of Elvis at work and at play. In that 1968 special, Elvis amazed the television audience and those attending the show live in the studio. All-Star Tribute producer Ken Ehrlich tells Variety, “I’ve always wanted to do a tribute to these shows, and the 50th Anniversary marks the perfect occasion. We’ve really tried to be as authentic as we could to that original look.”

50 years ago, Elvis Presley's Comeback Special aired on @nbc . And on February 17, I'll be hosting a special #ElvisAllStarTribute on the same network to honor The King! See y'all there. pic.twitter.com/EK1DWITnkw

— Blake Shelton (@blakeshelton) December 3, 2018

To Deadline he adds, “I can remember sitting in front of my television set and watching the Elvis special. I already knew that I could never do what he did as an artist, but seeing that show had a great deal to do with my dreams of having a career in television production. To this day, I’ve been grateful to Elvis and producer/director Steve Binder for inspiring me to be able to revisit that event 50 years later and pay our own homage to what an iconic moment that was in both music and television.”