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Morris Township, New Jersey

Morris Township is a township in Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 22,974, an increase of 668 (+3.0%) from the 2010 census count of 22,306,  which in turn reflected an increase of 510 (+2.3%) from the 21,796 counted in the 2000 census. The township was named for Lewis Morris, colonial governor of New Jersey.

Located along the Morris and Essex Lines, the township is a wealthy bedroom community, with many residents traveling to work in nearby New York City on NJ Transit which provides commuters with direct access to New York Penn Station and to Hoboken Terminal.

The township is the "doughnut" around Morristown and completely surrounds it, with at least five times the area, though near Morris Plains the width of Morris Township is less than a mile. For 115 years, Morristown was part of Morris Township. The initial separation of Morristown from Morris Township occurred on April 6, 1865. A confusing state of affairs followed for nearly thirty years. On February 18, 1895, the separation was officiated.

Morris Township is home to the Morris County Golf Club and the Morris Museum, which is the second largest museum in New Jersey and has been in operation since 1913. The township is also home to the Morristown National Historical Park which in 1933 became the country's first National Historical Park.

Incorporation
Morris Township was originally formed as of March 25, 1740. The township was named for Lewis Morris, colonial governor of New Jersey.

Portions of the township were taken on December 24, 1740, to form Roxbury Township and on March 29, 1749, to form Mendham Township. Morris Township was incorporated as a township by the Township Act of 1798 by the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798, as part of the state's initial group of 104 townships.

Portions of the township were later taken to create Chatham Township (February 12, 1806), Morristown (April 6, 1865, fully independent in 1895) and Passaic Township (on March 23, 1866, now Long Hill Township).

On September 22, 1860, the Jerseyman reported:"The total population of Morris Township is 6,024, being an increase of 1,032 since 1850 and of 348 since 1855. Number of families 1,147; Dwellings 1,124; Farms 256; Churches 11, viz., 3 Presbyterian, 3 Methodist, 2 Episcopalian, 1 Baptist, 1 Roman Catholic, 1 African. Deaths during the year 67. Raised last year 9,191 bushels of Wheat, 5,649 of Rye, 64,808 of Oats, 118,245 of Corn, 7,262 tons of Hay and 8,730 lbs. of Tobacco; and 92,366 lbs. of Butter were made. There are in the Township 1,642 Horses, 36 Mules, 1500 Cows, 200 Oxen, 1100 Young Cattle, 1262 Sheep and 1600 Swine."

Washington Valley Historic District
Many historic properties are in the encompassing Washington Valley Historic District. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in November 1992. Notable sites located in Washington Valley include the Washington Valley Schoolhouse and the John Smith House. Parts of the district are within neighboring Mendham Township.

Convent Station
The community of Convent Station is named after the Convent Station railroad station that was constructed there during the 1870s to serve the 200 acre complex of the Academy of Saint Elizabeth, a Catholic school operating under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson.

Notable neighborhoods include Bradwahl, Cromwell Hills, and the Normandy Park Historic District. The Morris Township Municipal Building and the Morris Township Police Headquarters are located in Convent Station. The community is home to the Morris County Golf Club and the Morris Museum.

Sidney Reso kidnapping
In 1992, Arthur Seale and his wife kidnapped Exxon executive Sidney Reso, a township resident, from his home. The Seales' sought a ransom of $18.5 million, but Reso died in captivity. The case received nationwide attention.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 15.81 square miles (40.96 km2), including 15.68 square miles (40.62 km2) of land and 0.13 square miles (0.34 km2) of water (0.83%).

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Convent Station, Gillespie Hill, Loantaka Terrace, Normandy Heights, Normandy Park and Washington Valley.

Morris Township completely surrounds Morristown, making it part of 21 pairs of "doughnut towns" in the state, where one municipality entirely surrounds another. The township borders the Morris County municipalities of Denville, Parsippany–Troy Hills Township, Morris Plains and Hanover Township to the north, Harding Township to the south, Mendham Township and Randolph to the west and Florham Park and Madison to the east.

2020 census
The 2020 United States census counted 22,974 people, 8,172 households, and 6,111 families in Morris Township. The population density was 1,465.2 per square mile (565.6/km$2$). There were 8,498 housing units at an average density of 542.0 per square mile (209.2/km$2$). The racial makeup was 76.82% (17,648) white, 4.64% (1,066) black or African-American, 0.21% (49) Native American or Alaska Native, 5.98% (1,373) Asian, 0.04% (10) Pacific Islander, 3.63% (833) from other races, and 8.68% (1,995) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race was 8.0% (1,793) of the population.

Of the 8,172 households, 28.2% had children under the age of 18; 64.4% were married couples living together; 22.0% had a female householder with no husband present. Of all households, 21.4% were comprised of individuals and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.6 and the average family size was 3.0.

19.0% of the population was under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 19.4% from 25 to 44, 31.9% from 45 to 64, and 19.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46.4 years. For every 100 females, the population had 93.4 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 91.2 males.

The 2016-2020 5-year American Community Survey estimates show that the median household income was $160,611 (with a margin of error of +/- $15,788) and the median family income was $191,722 (+/- $15,040). Males had a median income of $90,208 (+/- $20,972) versus $60,833 (+/- $8,436) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $70,712 (+/- $6,520). Approximately, 2.3% of families and 5.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.6% of those under the age of 18 and 5.3% of those ages 65 or over.

2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 22,306 people, 8,128 households, and 5,771 families in the township. The population density was 1,428.3 per square mile (551.5/km2). There were 8,502 housing units at an average density of 544.4 per square mile (210.2/km2). The racial makeup was 85.28% (19,022) White, 5.65% (1,261) Black or African American, 0.10% (23) Native American, 5.12% (1,141) Asian, 0.03% (6) Pacific Islander, 1.99% (444) from other races, and 1.83% (409) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.55% (1,683) of the population.

Of the 8,128 households, 31.0% had children under the age of 18; 61.3% were married couples living together; 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present and 29.0% were non-families. Of all households, 23.9% were made up of individuals and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.08.

22.6% of the population were under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 23.7% from 25 to 44, 29.9% from 45 to 64, and 17.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.3 years. For every 100 females, the population had 97.0 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 94.4 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $132,191 (with a margin of error of +/− $7,204) and the median family income was $154,265 (+/− $8,489). Males had a median income of $108,448 (+/− $5,932) versus $64,753 (+/− $12,368) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $65,335 (+/− $4,396). About 1.0% of families and 3.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.0% of those under age 18 and 10.3% of those age 65 or over.

The township has been one of the state's highest-income communities. Based on data from the 2006-2010 American Community Survey, Morris Township had a per capita income of $65,335 (ranked 36th in the state), compared to per capita income in Morris County of $47,342 and statewide of $34,858.

2000 census
As of the 2000 United States census there were 21,796 people, 8,116 households, and 5,949 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,383.0 PD/sqmi. There were 8,298 housing units at an average density of 526.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the township was 88.63% White, 5.46% African American, 0.15% Native American, 3.90% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.91% from other races, and 0.95% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.81% of the population.

There were 8,116 households, out of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.6% were married couples living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.7% were non-families. 21.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the township the population was spread out, with 22.7% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 27.9% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 64.9 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $101,902, and the median income for a family was $116,866. Males had a median income of $80,946 versus $50,864 for females. The per capita income for the township was $54,782. About 2.1% of families and 3.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.9% of those under age 18 and 5.1% of those age 65 or over.

Morris Museum
Actively running since 1913, the Morris Museum is the second largest museum in New Jersey at 75,524 square feet (7,016.4 m2). The museum is fully accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.

Morris County Golf Club
Founded in 1894, the Morris County Golf Club was unique at the time in that it was established and operated by women including Nina Howland. The club hosted the United States Women's Amateur Golf Championship in 1896, which was won by Beatrix Hoyt, making it the first national title to be contested in the state.

Although the club was established in 1894 the current course was designed in 1916 by architect Seth Raynor. The current clubhouse was built in 1919.

Some notable figures in the sport have been associated with the Club, including Harry Vardon, Ted Ray, Bobby Jones, Chick Evans and Walter Kozak.

Fosterfields
Since 1972, Fosterfields Living Historical Farm has been a state protected living history park and museum covering more than 200 acres in Morris Township. A 1915 farmhouse and 1854 Revere mansion owned by the families of Caroline Rose Foster are preserved. Activities such as educational programs, historical reenactments, storytellers, and public concerts are open to the general public throughout the year.

Economy
Honeywell used to have its headquarters in Morris Township.

Companies with offices and facilities in Morris Township include the Louis Berger Group and The Seeing Eye, a guide dog school.

Local government
Morris Township is governed under the Township form of New Jersey municipal government, one of 141 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form, the second-most commonly used form of government in the state. The Township Committee is comprised of five members, who are elected directly by the voters at-large in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year as part of the November general election in a three-year cycle. The Mayor and Deputy Mayor are selected by the Township Committee from among its members at a reorganization meeting held in the first week of January each year.

, members of the Morris Township Committee are Mayor Mark Gyorfy (D, term on committee ends December 31, 2024; term as mayor ends 2023), Deputy Mayor Bud Ravitz (D, term on committee ends 2023; term as deputy mayor ends 2023), Deputy Mayor for Public Outreach Cathy Wilson (D, term on committee and as deputy mayor ends 2023), Jeff Grayzel (D, 2025) and Donna J. Guariglia (D, 2024; elected to serve an unexpired term).

In August 2022, the township committee appointed Donna Guariglia to fill the seat expiring in December 2024 that had been held by Tara Olivo-Moore until she resigned from office to move out of state. Guariglia served on an interim basis until the November 2022 general election, when she was chosen by voters to serve the remainder of the term of office.

Federal, state, and county representation
Morris Township is located in the 11th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 25th state legislative district.

Politics
As of October 2017, there were a total of 17,566 registered voters in Morris Township, of which 5,458 (31.1%) were registered as Democrats, 5,694 (32.4%) were registered as Republicans and 6,353 (36.2%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 61 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens.

In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 51.4% of the vote (6,133 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 47.6% (5,679 votes), and other candidates with 0.9% (113 votes), among the 11,990 ballots cast by the township's 16,497 registered voters (65 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 72.7%. In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 50.9% of the vote (6,509 cast), ahead of Republican John McCain with 47.9% (6,129 votes) and other candidates with 0.6% (81 votes), among the 12,797 ballots cast by the township's 16,201 registered voters, for a turnout of 79.0%. In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 51.9% of the vote (6,488 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat John Kerry with 47.1% (5,884 votes) and other candidates with 0.5% (88 votes), among the 12,503 ballots cast by the township's 16,466 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 75.9.

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 66.7% of the vote (5,033 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 31.5% (2,380 votes), and other candidates with 1.8% (135 votes), among the 7,674 ballots cast by the township's 16,239 registered voters (126 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 47.3%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 55.1% of the vote (5,059 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 36.0% (3,309 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 7.9% (730 votes) and other candidates with 0.3% (30 votes), among the 9,185 ballots cast by the township's 15,846 registered voters, yielding a 58.0% turnout.

Education
Students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade attend the schools of the Morris School District, which also serves public school students from the communities of Morristown (K–12) and Morris Plains (9–12). As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of 10 schools, had an enrollment of 5,216 students and 441.4 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.8:1. Schools in the district (with 2018–19 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics ) are Lafayette Learning Center (102 students; in grade Pre-K), Alexander Hamilton School (293; 3–5), Hillcrest School (288; K–2), Thomas Jefferson School (314; 3–5), Normandy Park School (302; K–5), Sussex Avenue School (301; 3–5), Alfred Vail School (297; K–2), Woodland School (289; K–2), Frelinghuysen Middle School (1,081; 6–8) and Morristown High School (1,860; 9–12). The nine elected seats on the board of education are allocated based on the population of the constituent municipalities, with five seats assigned to Morris Township.

The Academy of St. Elizabeth is a Catholic school for girls that admitted its first students in 1860, located in the Convent Station area, and operated independently of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson. The school has an enrollment of 230 students and is the oldest school for girls in New Jersey.

The Saint Elizabeth University is a private Roman Catholic, four-year, liberal arts college for women, located in Convent Station. The college was founded in 1899 by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth of New Jersey.

The Rabbinical College of America, one of the largest Chabad Lubavitch Chasidic yeshivas in the world is located in Morristown. The Rabbinical College of America has a baal teshuva yeshiva for students of diverse Jewish backgrounds, named Yeshiva Tiferes Bachurim. The New Jersey Regional Headquarters for the worldwide Chabad Lubavitch movement is located on the campus.

Roads and highways
, the township had a total of 126.51 mi of roadways, of which 106.11 mi were maintained by the municipality, 13.96 mi by Morris County and 6.44 mi by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

A few major roads pass through the community including Route 124, Route 24, CR 510, U.S. Route 202, and Interstate 287.

Public transportation
Convent Station is a NJ Transit rail station located on the grounds of the College of Saint Elizabeth. Service is available on the Morristown Line to Newark Broad Street Station, Secaucus Junction, Penn Station New York and Hoboken Terminal.

NJ Transit offers local bus service on the 871, 872, 873, 875, 878 and 880 routes, replacing service that had been offered on the MCM1, MCM2, MCM3, MCM4, MCM8 and MCM10 routes until 2010, when subsidies to the local provider were eliminated as part of budget cuts.

The Morris County Traction Company began trolley service in downtown Dover in July 1904, and expanded over the years until the system was completed in 1914 all the way to Newark, via Morristown and Summit, including service in Morris Township. The trolleys were replaced with buses in 1928.

Notable people
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Morris Township include:

 * Ben Bailey (born 1970), comedian and host of Cash Cab
 * Warren Bobrow (born c. 1961), mixologist, chef, and writer known as the "Cocktail Whisperer"
 * Michael Patrick Carroll (born 1958), represents the 25th Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly
 * Robert Del Tufo (1933–2016), Attorney General of New Jersey from 1990 to 1993
 * Caroline Rose Foster (1877–1979), farmer and founder of Fosterfields Living Historical Farm
 * Connor Lade (born 1989), professional soccer player
 * Charley Molnar (born 1961), football coach
 * Dan Quinn (born 1970), football coach
 * Joseph Warren Revere (1812–1880), court-martialed Union brigadier general during the American Civil War, and grandson of Paul Revere
 * Stephen B. Wiley (1929–2015), politician who served in the New Jersey Senate from 1974 to 1978, where he represented the 23rd Legislative District

title: Morris Township, New Jersey


text:
Morris Plains, New Jersey

Morris Plains is a borough in Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 6,153, an increase of 621 (+11.2%) from the 2010 census count of 5,532,  which in turn reflected an increase of 296 (+5.7%) from the 5,236 counted in the 2000 census.

Morris Plains was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 15, 1926, from portions of Hanover Township, based on the results of a referendum held on April 15, 1926. The borough's name comes from Lewis Morris, colonial governor of New Jersey.

Morris Plains serves as a bedroom community, with many residents traveling to work in New York City. The Morristown Line of NJ Transit provides commuters with direct access to New York Penn Station and to Hoboken Terminal.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 2.59 square miles (6.71 km2), including 2.55 square miles (6.61 km2) of land and 0.04 square miles (0.09 km2) of water (1.35%).

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Littleton.

The borough borders the Morris County municipalities of Hanover Township, Morris Township and Parsippany-Troy Hills.

Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Morris Plains has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 5,532 people, 2,131 households, and 1,485 families in the borough. The population density was 2,163.5 per square mile (835.3/km2). There were 2,197 housing units at an average density of 859.2 per square mile (331.7/km2). The racial makeup was 89.44% (4,948) White, 2.73% (151) Black or African American, 0.09% (5) Native American, 4.97% (275) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 1.07% (59) from other races, and 1.70% (94) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.68% (314) of the population.

Of the 2,131 households, 32.3% had children under the age of 18; 61.3% were married couples living together; 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present and 30.3% were non-families. Of all households, 24.9% were made up of individuals and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.12.

24.8% of the population were under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 25.4% from 25 to 44, 28.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.1 years. For every 100 females, the population had 93.5 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 89.4 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $103,688 (with a margin of error of +/− $12,744) and the median family income was $127,614 (+/− $20,257). Males had a median income of $91,908 (+/− $21,398) versus $67,232 (+/− $24,331) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $45,165 (+/− $10,332). About 0.4% of families and 9.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 0.6% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census
As of the 2000 United States census there were 5,236 people, 1,955 households, and 1,477 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,018.7 PD/sqmi. There were 1,994 housing units at an average density of 768.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the borough was 92.91% White, 1.34% African American, 0.06% Native American, 4.32% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 0.40% from other races, and 0.88% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.69% of the population.

There were 1,955 households, out of which 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.0% were married couples living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.4% were non-families. 19.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.05.

In the borough the population was spread out, with 23.5% under the age of 18, 4.4% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 26.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The average age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.6 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $84,806, and the median income for a family was $98,333. Males had a median income of $75,040 versus $44,554 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $36,553. About 1.5% of families and 2.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.0% of those under age 18 and 2.4% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
The borough has been a major base of operations for Pfizer, previously the headquarters for Warner-Lambert. Pfizer has sponsored the Health and Medical Science Academy at Morristown High School and an annual 5k race around Morris Plains. In 2012, a 63 acre property owned by Pfizer on the west side of Route 53 was acquired by M&M Realty Partners, which plans to redevelop the site for a mixed use development that would include 500 housing units and 100000 sqft for retail use.

In 2015, Honeywell moved into a 475000 sqft headquarters on a 40 acres campus, after relocating from AlliedSignal headquarters in Morristown.

Local government
Morris Plains is governed under the borough form of New Jersey municipal government, which is used in 218 municipalities (of the 564) statewide, making it the most common form of government in New Jersey. The governing body is comprised of the mayor and the borough council, with all positions elected at-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. The mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The borough council includes six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle. The borough form of government used by Morris Plains is a "weak mayor / strong council" government in which council members act as the legislative body with the mayor presiding at meetings and voting only in the event of a tie. The mayor can veto ordinances subject to an override by a two-thirds majority vote of the council. The mayor makes committee and liaison assignments for council members, and most appointments are made by the mayor with the advice and consent of the council.

, the mayor of Morris Plains is Democrat Jason C. Karr, whose term of office ends December 31, 2026. Members of the Borough Council are Council President Joan Goddard (D, 2025), Art J. Bruhn Jr. (R, 2023), Salvatore F. "Sal" Cortese (R, 2023), Catherine E. "Cathie" Kelly (R, 2024), Nancy Verga (D, 2025) and Dennis M. Wagner (R, 2024).

The Morris Plains Municipal Court judge is Michael A. Carlucci.

Police Department
The Morris Plains Police Department has 17 sworn officers. The command structure has a chief, two lieutenants, five sergeants, nine patrolmen and six civilians. They are dispatched through the Morris County Communication Center who dispatches for the police, fire and first aid departments. The police department handled over 29,000 calls for the year 2010.

Morris Plains Fire Department
The Morris Plains Fire Association was established on April 28, 1907, after the Weise Hotel Fire of 1906.

Federal, state and county representation
Morris Plains is located in the 11th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 26th state legislative district.

Politics
As of March 2011, there were a total of 3,935 registered voters in Morris Plains, of which 853 (21.7%) were registered as Democrats, 1,695 (43.1%) were registered as Republicans and 1,381 (35.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 6 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens.

In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 53.3% of the vote (1,659 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 45.9% (1,429 votes), and other candidates with 0.9% (27 votes), among the 3,142 ballots cast by the borough's 4,140 registered voters (27 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 75.9%. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 52.3% of the vote (1,725 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 45.8% (1,511 votes) and other candidates with 0.8% (27 votes), among the 3,297 ballots cast by the borough's 3,994 registered voters, for a turnout of 82.5%. In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 55.9% of the vote (1,783 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat John Kerry with 42.8% (1,365 votes) and other candidates with 0.8% (31 votes), among the 3,191 ballots cast by the borough's 3,921 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 81.4.

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 70.8% of the vote (1,399 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 27.9% (551 votes), and other candidates with 1.4% (27 votes), among the 2,025 ballots cast by the borough's 4,122 registered voters (48 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 49.1%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 58.6% of the vote (1,337 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 31.5% (719 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 8.4% (191 votes) and other candidates with 0.4% (10 votes), among the 2,283 ballots cast by the borough's 3,898 registered voters, yielding a 58.6% turnout.

Education
The Morris Plains Schools educate public school students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of two schools, had an enrollment of 578 students and 61.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 9.5:1. Schools in the district (with 2018–19 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics ) are Mountain Way School with 200 students in grades Pre-K–2 and Morris Plains Borough School with 369 students in grades 3–8.

Students in public school for ninth through twelfth grades attend Morristown High School, as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Morris School District which also serves the communities of Morristown and Morris Township (for grades K–12). As of the 2018–19 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 1,860 students and 133.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 14.0:1.

St. Virgil Academy, founded in 1910, was a Catholic school serving students in preschool through eighth grade (including Pre-K–3 and Pre-K–4) that operated under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson. The school was closed at the end of the 2015–2016 school year in the wake of declining enrollment and the rising costs of covering the school's deficits.

Roads and highways
, the borough had a total of 28.66 mi of roadways, of which 24.15 mi were maintained by the municipality, 1.81 mi by Morris County and 2.70 mi by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

U.S. Route 202, New Jersey Route 10 and New Jersey Route 53 are the main highways serving Morris Plains. Interstate 80 and Interstate 287 are both accessible in neighboring Parsippany-Troy Hills Township.

Public transportation
NJ Transit provides service at the Morris Plains station on the Morristown Line to Newark Broad Street Station, Secaucus Junction, New York Penn Station and Hoboken Terminal. The one-story red brick station house, constructed in 1915 in Renaissance Revival style, was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 22, 1984.

NJ Transit provides local bus service on the 872, 875 and 880 routes, replacing service that had been offered on the MCM2, MCM3 and MCM10 routes until 2010, when subsidies to the local provider were eliminated as part of budget cuts.

TV and movies

 * In The Sopranos episode "Made in America", Phil Leotardo is shot to death at a Morris Plains Raceway gas station, located on route 10, before being run over.

Notable people
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Morris Plains include:

 * Darron Collins (born 1970), human ecologist and academic administrator specializing in ethnobotany, who became president of the College of the Atlantic in 2011
 * Michael Dogbe (born 1996), defensive end for the Arizona Cardinals
 * William Perry Fogg (1826–1909), author and adventurer
 * Robert Martin (born 1947), State Senator since 1993 who represents the 26th Legislative District
 * Richard Aldrich McCurdy (1835–1916), attorney, business executive and banker who was president of the Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York from 1885 to 1906
 * Charley Molnar (born 1961), former head football coach at the University of Massachusetts Amherst
 * Edward Mosberg (1926-2022), Polish-American Holocaust survivor, educator and philanthropist
 * Carol Murphy (born 1932), member of the New Jersey General Assembly from 1992 to 2000
 * Suzanne Scott (born 1965/66), CEO of Fox News
 * Gustav Stickley (1858–1942), furniture manufacturer, design leader, publisher and the chief proselytizer for the American Craftsman style
 * Louis A. Thebaud (1859–1939), businessman, sportsman and philanthropist in the Gilded Age
 * Jay Webber (born 1972), Assemblyman who has represented the 26th Legislative District since 2008 and had served as Chairman of the New Jersey Republican State Committee
 * Elizabeth Weed (born 1940), feminist scholar, editor and university administrator who was the cofounder of the Pembroke Center for Teaching and Research on Women
 * Ben Weinman (born 1975), of the band The Dillinger Escape Plan
 * Arthur Whitney (1871–1942), politician who served in both houses of the New Jersey Legislature and was the Republican nominee for Governor of New Jersey in 1925
 * Paul Zimmerman (born 1932), football sportswriter for Sports Illustrated

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Morris Plains, New Jersey


text:
Heartbreak Hotel

"Heartbreak Hotel" is a song recorded by American singer Elvis Presley. It was released as a single on January 27, 1956, Presley's first on his new record label RCA Victor. It was written by Mae Boren Axton and Tommy Durden, with credit being given also to Presley. A newspaper article about the suicide of a lonely man who jumped from a hotel window inspired the song. Axton presented the song to Presley in November 1955 at a country music convention in Nashville. Presley recorded it on January 10, 1956, in a session with his band, the Blue Moon Boys, the guitarist Chet Atkins and the pianist Floyd Cramer. "Heartbreak Hotel" comprises an eight-bar blues progression, with heavy reverberation throughout the track, to imitate the character of Presley's Sun recordings.

The single topped the Billboard Top 100 for seven weeks, Cashbox's Pop singles chart for six weeks, and the Country and Western chart for seventeen weeks as well as reaching No. 3 on the R&B chart, becoming Presley's first million-seller, and one of the best-selling singles of 1956. "Heartbreak Hotel" achieved unheard of feats as it reached the top 5 of Country and Western, Pop, and Rhythm 'n' Blues charts simultaneously. It was eventually certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. Presley had first performed "Heartbreak Hotel" during a live show in December 1955 during a tour of the Louisiana Hayride; it gained popularity after his appearance on Stage Show in March 1956. It became a staple of Presley's repertoire in live appearances, last performed by him on May 29, 1977, at the Civic Center in Baltimore.

In 1995, "Heartbreak Hotel" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, and in 2004 Rolling Stone magazine named it one of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time". That year it was also included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's "500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll". A rock and roll standard, "Heartbreak Hotel" has been covered by several rock and pop acts, including Willie Nelson and Leon Russell, who recorded a duet version that topped the Country charts in 1979. RCA reissued "Heartbreak Hotel" on CD in 2006 on its 50th anniversary featuring the 1956 black and white EP cover.

Background and writing
The song was written in 1955, by Mae Boren Axton, a high school teacher with a background in musical promotion, and Jacksonville, Florida-based singer–songwriter Tommy Durden. The lyrics were based on a report supposedly in The Miami Herald about a man who had destroyed all his identity papers and jumped to his death from a hotel window, leaving a suicide note with the single line, "I walk a lonely street". Songfacts.com says they were unable to locate the Miami Herald story. They labeled it an urban legend. In 2016, an article in Rolling Stone magazine suggested that the story in reality originated from a report about a painter and criminal, Alvin Krolik, whose marriage had failed and who wrote a unpublished autobiography including the line "This is the story of a person who walked a lonely street." Krolik's story was published in news media, and received further publicity after he was shot and killed in an attempted robbery in El Paso, Texas. On August 25, 1955, the El Paso Times reported Krolik's death under the headline "Story Of Person Who Walked Lonely Street". Krolik's death is not a suicide, so he can' have inspired the song to Tommy Durden

Axton and Durden give different accounts of how the song was written. Durden's account is that he had already written the song and performed it with his band the Swing Billys before he presented it to Axton. Axton's account is that Durden had written only a few lines of the song and asked her to help him finish it. She says that the report of the suicide "stunned" her, and she told Durden, "Everybody in the world has someone who cares. Let's put a Heartbreak Hotel at the end of this lonely street". They were interrupted by the arrival of Glenn Reeves, a local performer who had previously worked with Axton. The duo asked Reeves to help with the song, but after hearing the title he remarked that it was "the silliest thing I've ever heard", and left them to finish it themselves. The song was written within an hour, and Durden recorded it onto Axton's tape recorder. Reeves returned, and after hearing the song he was asked to provide a voice demo for Axton in the style of Elvis Presley. Reeves obliged, but once again turned down the offer of a writing credit for his input.

Axton approached the popular singing duo the Wilburn Brothers, and offered them the chance to record "Heartbreak Hotel". However, Doyle and Teddy Wilburn declined, describing the song as "strange and almost morbid". Axton, however, agreed to a publishing deal with Buddy Killen, a young Nashville bass player, who had recently set up his own publishing company called Tree Publishing. With a publishing deal in place, Axton arranged through Presley's manager Colonel Tom Parker to present the song to Presley at the annual Country Music Disc Jockey Convention in Nashville, Tennessee, where he was to be named the most promising male country star of 1955. Axton had been hired earlier in the year to publicise the Hank Snow Jamboree concerts at the Gator Bowl Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, which included Presley in the line up. During one concert Axton observed the reaction of the audience to Presley's performance, in which a crowd of screaming fans chased him back to his dressing room and ripped his clothes off to take as souvenirs. Axton followed Presley's career closely after this incident, and met him at a July 28 concert in Jacksonville, this time interviewing him for the local media. According to author Albert Goldman, Axton made writing Presley's first big hit one of her ambitions.

Rumors had been circulating in the press for several weeks that Presley, who had begun his career at Sun Records, was ready to move to RCA Victor to help launch him nationally. Axton played the demo to him in his room at the Andrew Jackson Hotel on November 10, 1955. Upon hearing the demo, Presley exclaimed "Hot dog, Mae, play that again!", and listened to it ten times, memorizing the song. After signing with RCA on November 21, 1955, Presley accepted Axton's offer of a third of the royalties if he made the song his first single on his new label. Presley performed the song for the first time in Swifton, Arkansas, on December 9, 1955, and declared to the audience that it would be his first hit.

Recording
"Heartbreak Hotel" was the second song Presley recorded at RCA Victor, following "I Got a Woman", during his debut session at 1525 McGavock Street in Nashville on January 10, 1956. Presley arrived at the studio with the song ready to record without seeking RCA's approval, and although producer Steve Sholes was not sure that it would be a success, he recorded "Heartbreak Hotel" believing that Presley knew what he was doing. Recording at RCA Victor was a different experience for Presley and his band, who were used to a more relaxed atmosphere at Sun Studio. Guitar player Scotty Moore later commented, "It was a larger studio than Sun's and more regimented - they called everything by a tape number. We would sit around at Sun, eat hamburgers and then somebody would say, 'Let's try something.'"

Almost immediately Sholes discovered a problem while recording Presley. RCA Victor had always insisted their performers stay still as they sang so the microphone would pick up the vocals; even the slightest tilt of the head would result in missing sound. Sholes had told Presley to stand on a painted X on the floor, telling him "Whatever you do, don't move". During the recording of "I Got a Woman", Sholes noticed that Presley's voice and guitar were not always being picked up by the microphone. Presley explained to Sholes that he had to "jump around to sing it right. It's something that just happens—just a part of the way I sing". Sholes arranged for the whole studio to be re-miked so that Presley's voice and guitar could be picked up from anywhere in the studio, and recording continued.

As well as the Blue Moon Boys, his regular backing band of Moore, the bassist Bill Black and the drummer D.J. Fontana, Presley was joined by two established RCA Victor musicians: Chet Atkins (who also helped Sholes produce the session) on guitar and Floyd Cramer on piano. Following a suggestion from Presley, Sholes used a hallway at the studio to get an unusual echo for the single. Sholes was attempting to recapture the Sun Records sound, but he was unaware that Sun founder Sam Phillips had used two tape recorders and a slight time delay to create it on previous Presley recordings. When Phillips first heard "Heartbreak Hotel", he remarked that it was a "morbid mess". Most others at RCA agreed, declaring "Heartbreak Hotel" a terrible choice of song, especially after hearing that the finished recording sounded nothing like Presley's Sun recordings. Internal memos from the time show that every one of RCA's executive corps disliked it so much that one of them insisted "We certainly can't release that one".

In an interview, Durden conceded that he did not recognize his song after Presley had made the changes to it in the studio, including the tempo, phrasing, lyrics, and overall sound. In subsequent recordings, these major modifications to the existing material became a normal procedure for Presley who took over the role of producer, although Sholes was still credited. Phillips said Sholes "was not a producer. Steve was just at every session."

Release and reception
"Heartbreak Hotel" was released as a single on January 27, 1956, with B-side "I Was the One", a song that was also recorded during Presley's RCA Victor debut sessions. Billboard magazine praised it as "a strong blues item wrapped up in his usual powerful style and a great beat". However, "Heartbreak Hotel" was less-than-warmly received by the British music press. The New Musical Express wrote that, "If you appreciate good singing, I don't suppose you'll manage to hear this disc all through." BBC, which held a monopoly on broadcasting in Britain at the time, didn't consider it fit for general entertainment and placed it on its "restricted play" list.

Presley made his national television debut on January 28, appearing on CBS' Stage Show, starring Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey. As Stage Show's ratings had been slipping, producer Jack Philbin agreed to have Presley on because he was relatively cheap at $1,250 (about $14,116 in 2023); after looking at a photograph of the singer, Philbin exclaimed, "He's a guitar-playing Marlon Brando!" Despite the single having been released only a day before to coincide with Presley's national television debut, the Dorsey brothers did not allow Presley to perform it on their show because it didn't work well in rehearsals. For his second appearance, on February 4, Presley was again aware that he could not perform "Heartbreak Hotel". However, at his third appearance on Stage Show a week later, Sholes pressured CBS to give consent. Subsequently, Presley and his band performed "Heartbreak Hotel" with borrowed instruments (their own were being driven to Florida in preparation for a tour) with the backing of the Dorsey Brothers' orchestra.

On February 22, the song entered the Billboard pop chart at number 68, and the Country and Western chart at number nine. Within two months, "Heartbreak Hotel" reached number one on both charts. It also made top five on the R&B chart, the first Presley single to chart there. This resulted in "Heartbreak Hotel" becoming only the second single in history to reach all three Billboard charts, after Carl Perkins' "Blue Suede Shoes". The song spent a total of twenty-seven weeks in the top 100. By April, "Heartbreak Hotel" became a million-seller, earning Presley his first RIAA-certified gold record, and going on to be the biggest-selling single of 1956. "Heartbreak Hotel/I Was the One" was certified Platinum on March 27, 1992, and 2× Platinum on July 15, 1999, by the RIAA.

The song also became Presley's first charting single in the United Kingdom. It made its debut on the UK Singles Chart in May 1956; it peaked at number two the next month and stayed on the charts for 22 weeks. In November 2022, it was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for sales and streams exceeding 200,000 units.

Personnel

 * Elvis Presley – lead vocals, acoustic guitar
 * Scotty Moore – electric guitar
 * Chet Atkins – acoustic guitar
 * Bill Black – double bass
 * D. J. Fontana – drums
 * Floyd Cramer – piano
 * Steve Sholes – producer, A&R
 * Bob Farris – engineer

Legacy
Presley performed the song during most of his live shows between 1956 and 1977, and for the last time on May 29, 1977, at the Civic Center in Baltimore, Maryland. The song has been released on almost every Presley compilation album since 1956, and alternative takes have surfaced on several compilation albums. "Heartbreak Hotel" was awarded by the Broadcast Music Incorporated in its Country music Awards. It was re-released in 1971 for the UK market, where it charted at number 10. In 1979, following Presley's death, author Robert Matthew-Walker wrote: "Heartbreak Hotel became one of the legendary rock performances. For many people it is Elvis Presley, and it continues to excite and fascinate listeners. Heartbreak Hotel is a classic performance, yet when it is analyzed it appears so simple that one cannot recall a time when one did not know it." In 1995, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, and was re-released in 1996 to coincide with the 40th anniversary of its recording.

In a 1975 interview, John Lennon recalled his friend Don Beatty's introducing him to Presley's music. Lennon said that his family rarely had the radio on, unlike other members of the Beatles who grew up under its influence. Beatty showed Lennon a picture of Presley that appeared along with the charts on the New Musical Express, and Lennon later heard "Heartbreak Hotel" on Radio Luxembourg. Lennon has said:

"When I first heard 'Heartbreak Hotel', I could hardly make out what was being said. It was just the experience of hearing it and having my hair stand on end. We'd never heard American voices singing like that. They always sang like Sinatra or enunciate very well. Suddenly, there's this hillbilly hiccuping on tape echo and all this bluesy stuff going on. And we didn't know what Elvis was singing about ... It took us a long time to work what was going on. To us, it just sounded as a noise that was great"

George Harrison described "Heartbreak Hotel" as a "rock n roll epiphany" when in 1956, at age 13, he overheard it while riding his bike at a neighbor's house. Some have said that "Heartbreak Hotel" turned that well-mannered schoolboy into a guitar-crazed truant who would audition for John Lennon's Quarrymen the following year.

The Rolling Stones' guitarist Keith Richards wrote in his 2010 autobiography that "Heartbreak Hotel" had a huge effect on him. Beyond Presley's singing itself, it was the total effect of his sound and his silence that so totally affected Richards:

"Then, 'Since my baby left me'—it was just the sound ... That was the first rock and roll I heard. It was a totally different way of delivering a song, a totally different sound, stripped down, no bullshit, no violins and ladies' choruses and schmaltz, totally different. It was bare right to the roots that you had a feeling were there but hadn't yet heard. I've got to take my hat off to Elvis. The silence is your canvas, that's your frame, that's what you work on; don't try and deafen it out. That's what 'Heartbreak Hotel' did to me. It was the first time I'd heard something so stark."

Led Zeppelin's lead singer Robert Plant stated that the song "changed his life." He recalled hearing it for the first time when he was 8 years old:

"It was so animal, so sexual, the first musical arousal I ever had. You could see a twitch in everybody my age. All we knew about the guy was that he was cool, handsome and looked wild."

Critic Robert Cantwell wrote in his unpublished memoir Twigs of Folly:

"The opening strains of 'Heartbreak Hotel', which catapulted Presley's regional popularity into national hysteria, opened a fissure in the massive mile-thick wall of post-war regimentation, standardization, bureaucratization, and commercialization in American society and let come rushing through the rift a cataract from the immense waters of sheer, human pain and frustration that have been building up for ten decades behind it."

The song was mentioned in the chorus of Patty Loveless's 1988 single "Blue Side of Town".

President Bill Clinton performed the song on saxophone during his appearance on The Arsenio Hall Show on June 3, 1992. In 2004, it was ranked number 45 on Rolling Stone's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time", the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame included it in its unranked list 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll and in 2005, Uncut magazine ranked the first performance of "Heartbreak Hotel" in 1956 by Presley as the second greatest and most important cultural event of the rock and roll era. Paul McCartney, who participated in Uncut's poll stated, "It's the way [Presley] sings it as if he is singing from the depths of hell. His phrasing, use of echo, it's all so beautiful. Musically, it's perfect."

Heartbreak Hotel, a film based on a mythical incident involving the kidnapping of Presley, was released theatrically in 1988. It starred David Keith as Elvis Presley and was directed by Chris Columbus. In 1999, Elvis Presley Enterprises purchased a Wilson World Hotel branch and after several renovations, opened it and named the hotel after the song, located across the street from Presley's home, Graceland, in Memphis, Tennessee.

In the CBS miniseries Elvis, a two-part, four hour television movie that explores Elvis Presley's life, a scene depicts Presley (played by Jonathan Rhys Meyers) wanting to record "Heartbreak Hotel" when he first arrives at RCA. The song is later used when he is performing at The Dorsey Brothers Stage Show, with Meyers lip-synching.

In 2015, "Heartbreak Hotel" was named as The #2 Song of the Rock Era in the book The Top 500 Songs of the Rock Era: 1955–2015.

In his solo song "Piledriver Waltz", written for the EP Submarine, Alex Turner of the Arctic Monkeys, references going for breakfast at "The Heartbreak Hotel."

Early cover types
Radio humorist Stan Freberg parodied "Heartbreak Hotel" immediately after its release, because the vocals on the original record featured a heavy use of reverb. In the cover, the lead singer repeatedly asks for "more echo on [his] voice." When Presley recorded "Hound Dog" a few months later, he had taken over the role of producer, using what he learned at Sun Records (although Sholes was still credited) and decided not to use echo.

Connie Francis recorded the song for her 1959 album Rock 'n' Roll Million Sellers; this album also features "Don't Be Cruel". Country singer Johnny Cash parodied the song in 1959 on the television show Town Hall Party, imitating Presley's characteristic crib and hip movements. Before the performance Cash explained that it was "an impersonation of a rock and roll singer impersonating Elvis, is what this really is".

Beatles historian Mark Lewisohn noted that, at first as the Quarrymen then later as the Beatles, the group performed "Heartbreak Hotel" live from 1957 until 1961 (in Liverpool then later in Hamburg and elsewhere). It is unclear whether the lead vocal was by John Lennon or Paul McCartney or both. A recorded version has not been forthcoming. However, McCartney (using Bill Black's upright bass) did a version for a documentary Elvis – Viva Las Vegas, which also appears on DVD.

Later renditions
Part of the original personnel of the 1956 recording released their own versions, Chet Atkins recorded it for the 1963 album The Guitar Genius, and also, Presley's lead guitarist Scotty Moore recorded the song for his 1964 album The Guitar that Changed the world. Willie Nelson and Leon Russell had a number one cover version in 1979 on the country charts, it was Russell's only number one hit on the charts.

Paul McCartney later also made another cover of the song in Chaos and Creation at Abbey Road, performing it with Bill Black's bass. Others who have covered the song include Ann-Margret, who would later co-star with Presley in the 1964 motion picture Viva Las Vegas, The Cadets, Delaney Bramlett, Justin Timberlake, Cher, Roger Miller, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, John Cale, Merle Haggard, Tom Jones, Dax Riggs, Roger McGuinn, Suzi Quatro, Van Halen, Jimi Hendrix, Neil Diamond, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Guns N' Roses, Tones on Tail, and Queen + Adam Lambert. In Canada, a version by "The Scoundrelz" reached #60 in 1966, and another by "Frijid Pink" reached #38 in 1971.

In the 1992 film Honeymoon in Vegas, Billy Joel made a version of "Heartbreak Hotel" and "All Shook Up", while the same year in True Romance, actor Val Kilmer performed an a cappella version. Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman covered the song in a medley with Prince's "Kiss", for the 2006 Warner Bros. film Happy Feet. The song was also featured in Alvin and the Chipmunks' 1990 television special Rockin' Through the Decades, as part of the fifties medley and its soundtrack and again for the 2007 video game Alvin and the Chipmunks.

title: Heartbreak Hotel


text: File:Jailhouse.JPG

title: File:Jailhouse.JPG


text:
Jailhouse Rock (film)

Jailhouse Rock is a 1957 American musical drama film directed by Richard Thorpe and starring Elvis Presley, Judy Tyler, Mickey Shaughnessy, Vaughn Taylor and Jennifer Holden. Adapted by Guy Trosper from a story written by Nedrick Young, the film tells the story of Vince Everett (Presley), a convict who learns the guitar while in prison and later becomes a star following his release.

The film's iconic soundtrack was written by songwriters Mike Stoller and Jerry Leiber. The dance sequence to the film's title song is often cited as "Presley's greatest moment on screen."

Jailhouse Rock premiered in Memphis, Tennessee on October 17, 1957, and was released nationwide on November 8, 1957. It peaked at #3 on the Variety box-office chart and finished #14 for the year, grossing $4 million. The film initially earned mixed reviews, with much of the negative targeted at Presley. In 2004, the film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress, who deemed it "culturally, aesthetically or historically significant."

Plot
Construction worker Vince Everett accidentally kills a drunken man in a brawl and is sentenced to 10–14 months in the state penitentiary. His cellmate, washed-up country singer Hunk Houghton, incarcerated for bank robbery, teaches Vince some guitar chords. Hunk then convinces Vince to participate in an inmate show that is broadcast on nationwide television. After his appearance, Vince receives fan letters, but the jealous Hunk prevents their delivery.

Hunk convinces Vince to sign a pact to become equal partners in his act when they are both free. Later, during an inmate riot in the mess hall, a guard shoves Vince, who retaliates by striking him. As punishment, the warden orders Vince to be lashed with a whip. Vince later learns that Hunk attempted to bribe the guards to forego the punishment but did not have enough money.

Upon Vince's release 14 months later, the warden gives him his withheld fan mail. Hunk promises Vince a singing job at a nightclub owned by a friend. There, Vince meets Peggy Van Alden, a promoter for pop singer Mickey Alba. Vince is surprised when the club owner denies him a job as a singer but offers him a job as a bar boy. To prove himself to the owner, Vince takes the stage to sing when the house band takes a break. However, a customer laughs throughout the performance. Enraged, Vince smashes his guitar and leaves the club. Peggy then persuades him to record a demo so that he can listen to himself sing. Vince records a song, and Peggy takes the tape to Geneva Records. The manager seems unimpressed, but reluctantly agrees to play the tape for his boss in New York. The next day, Peggy informs Vince that the song has been sold. She then takes him to a party at her parents' home, but Vince leaves after offending a guest whom he mistakenly believes is belittling him. Angry, Peggy confronts Vince, who kisses her. Later, the two discover that Geneva Records gave the song to Mickey Alba. Alba recorded and released the song, thereby stealing it. Infuriated, Vince storms into the label's office and attacks the manager.

To avoid a similar misfortune, Vince convinces Peggy to form their own label, which they name Laurel Records, and hire attorney Mr. Shores to oversee the business. Vince then records another song and begins pitching it. The song is universally rejected until Peggy convinces a friend, disc jockey Teddy Talbot, to air it. Then, it becomes a hit. Vince asks Peggy out to celebrate but is disappointed to learn that she had already accepted a dinner date with Teddy.

Later, Vince makes arrangements for another television show. At a party, Hunk, who has been granted parole, persuades Vince to give him a part in the show in an effort to revive his own music career. However, Hunk's number ends up being cut because of his outdated music style. Vince later informs Hunk that the pact that they signed in prison is worthless. However, indebted to Hunk for having tried to bribe the guards, Vince offers him a job with his entourage.

Vince soon becomes a star. However, Peggy no longer speaks with Vince, as his success has made him arrogant. Vince signs a movie deal, and the studio head asks him to spend the day with his conceited costar Sherry Wilson for publicity purposes. Sherry then falls in love with Vince after shooting a kissing scene.

Mr. Shores later approaches Vince with an offer from Geneva Records to purchase Laurel Records and sign him to a rich contract. Peggy refuses to sell and is devastated when Vince wants to close the deal anyway. Enraged by Vince's egotism and treatment of Peggy, Hunk starts a fight and strikes Vince in the throat, endangering the latter's voice and singing ability. At the hospital, Vince forgives Hunk and realizes that he loves Peggy and that she loves him. Vince's doctor later informs him that his vocal cords are fully recovered, and in the living room, Vince tests his voice by singing to Peggy. Realizing that Vince's singing voice is intact and his worries are unfounded, the two put their arms around each other.

Cast

 * Elvis Presley as Vince Everett, an ex-con who becomes a singing star. Producer Pandro S. Berman's wife convinced him to make a film with Presley in the leading role. Presley's manager, Colonel Thomas Parker, was only interested in the film's score and the rights to record sales and publishing royalties, and Presley was paid $250,000 and 50% of the film's royalties.
 * Judy Tyler as Peggy Van Alden, a music promoter who helps Vince build his career and becomes his lover. Tyler was previously known for her part as Princess Summerfall Winterspring on the television show Howdy Doody and as Suzy in the Broadway musical Pipe Dream (1955). Tyler took a three-month leave of absence from Howdy Doody to shoot the film. Tyler and her husband were killed in a car crash on July 3, just days after production was completed and before its premiere. Presley was so devastated that he refused to watch the film.
 * Mickey Shaughnessy as Hunk Houghton, Vince's cellmate and a former country singer. He teaches Vince the guitar and later becomes Vince's assistant. Shaughnessy was known as Leva in From Here to Eternity (1953). He was also a comedian, and Variety reported that Shaughnessy had performed a 45-minute routine deriding Presley sometime before the film was made. Elaine Dundy, author of the book Elvis and Gladys (1985), considered his selection an "odd choice" and the result of Berman's lack of involvement with casting.
 * Vaughn Taylor as Mr. Shores, an attorney whom Vince and Peggy hire to manage Vince's financial affairs.
 * William Forrest as the studio head (uncredited)
 * Jennifer Holden as starlet Sherry Wilson. The film was Holden's debut; after auditioning for the role at MGM in May 1956, she was selected immediately. She studied drama with Lillian Roth and had previously appeared on stage.
 * Dean Jones as disc jockey Teddy Talbot. Jones was formerly a blues singer, and he was coached for the role by disc jockeys Ira Cooke and Dewey Phillips. Jones went on to star in a string of Walt Disney films.
 * Anne Neyland as Laury Jackson
 * "Jailhouse Rock" cowriter Mike Stoller (of the Leiber and Stoller songwriting partnership) and Presley's regular band during that period—Scotty Moore, Bill Black and D. J. Fontana—appear as Vince's band throughout the film, though uncredited.

Production
Jailhouse Rock was Presley's third film and his first for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios, filmed in Culver City, California. The film was originally titled The Hard Way and was changed to Jailhouse Kid before MGM finally settled on Jailhouse Rock. The film was not listed with the studio's planned releases for the year because it was based on a story by Nedrick Young, a blacklisted writer. During production, producer Pandro Berman was more focused on another of his productions, the 1958 film The Brothers Karamazov. He allowed studio head Benny Thau and William Morris Agency president Abe Lastfogel to select the cast. Richard Thorpe, who had a reputation for quickly finishing projects, was chosen to direct the film.

The first scene filmed was the title dance sequence to the song "Jailhouse Rock." Presley was not initially pleased with the direction of choreographer Alex Romero, so Romero asked Presley to try his own moves to for the final sequence. The scene has often been cited as Presley's greatest musical moment on screen. Filming began on May 13, 1957, with the newly created choreography.

Presley's characteristic hairstyle and sideburns were covered with a wig and makeup for the musical and jail scenes. During the performance, one of Presley's dental caps detached and became lodged in his lung, and he spent a night in the hospital before filming resumed the next day.

Thorpe, who usually filmed scenes in a single take, finished the film by June 17, 1957.

Soundtrack
Before production began, rock-and-roll songwriting partners Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller were commissioned to create the film's soundtrack, but they did not send any material to MGM for months. In April 1957, the studio summoned the writers to New York and Jean Aberbach, director of the Hill & Range music publishing company, confronted them demanding to see the songs. When told that there was no material, Aberbach locked the songwriters in their hotel room and would not allow them to leave until they had written songs. Four hours later, Leiber and Stoller had written "I Want to Be Free", "Treat Me Nice", "(You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care", and "Jailhouse Rock."

Presley recorded the finished songs at Radio Recorders in Hollywood on April 30 and May 3, 1957, with an additional session at the MGM soundstage in Hollywood on May 9 for "Don't Leave Me Now." Leiber and Stoller were invited to the recording session of April 30, where they met Presley, who convinced MGM to cast Stoller as the band's pianist in the film. During filming, Presley mimed the words for film's musical numbers, and the music was later added to the finished scenes.

The following songs in the film were performed by Presley unless otherwise noted:

 * "One More Day" (Sid Tepper, Roy C. Bennett) – performed by Mickey Shaughnessy
 * "Young and Beautiful" (Abner Silver, Aaron Schroeder)
 * "I Want to Be Free" (Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller)
 * "Don't Leave Me Now" (Aaron Schroeder, Ben Weisman)
 * "Treat Me Nice" (Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller)
 * "Jailhouse Rock" (Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller) – dance routine choreographed by Elvis Presley
 * "(You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care" (Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller) - Presley also played electric bass

Release
Jailhouse Rock premiered on October 17, 1957, at Loews State Theater in Memphis. Female lead Judy Tyler had been killed in an automobile accident soon before the film's release, and a devastated Presley did not attend the premiere. The film opened nationally on November 8.

Box office
The film peaked at #3 on the Variety box-office chart and reached #14 for the year.

According to MGM records, the film earned $3.2 million in the U.S. and Canada and $1,075,000 elsewhere during its initial theatrical run, resulting in a profit of $1,051,000.

In 1957, Presley was ranked the fourth-leading box-office commodity in the film industry. According to Variety, by 1969, Jailhouse Rock's gross income in the U.S. and Canada was comparable to that of The Wizard of Oz (1939).

Critical reception
Jailhouse Rock earned favorable reviews, with a Metacritic score of 68 out of 100, based on reviews from 12 critics. Some felt it scandalous when released because it portrayed Vince Everett as an antiheroic character, presented a convict as a hero, used the word "hell" as a profanity and included a scene with Presley in bed with Tyler. The Parent-Teacher Association described the film as "a hackneyed, blown-up tale with cheap human values." The New York Times criticized Guy Trosper for writing a screenplay in which the secondary characters were "forced to hang on to the hero's flying mane and ego for the entire picture." Cue magazine called the film "[an] unpleasant, mediocre and tasteless drama."

Some publications criticized Presley. Time panned his onstage personality, while The Miami News compared the film with horror pictures and wrote, "Only Elvis Presley and his 'Jailhouse Rock' can keep pace with the movie debut of this 'personality,' the records show. In estimating the lasting appeal of their grotesque performer." Jazz magazine Down Beat wrote that Presley's acting was "amateurish and bland." British magazine The Spectator described Presley's evolution from his "silly" performance in Loving You to "dangerously near being repulsive."

Other reviewers responded positively to the film. Louise Boyca of The Schenectady Gazette wrote that "it's dear Elvis that gets the soft focus camera and the arty photography." Boyca remarked upon the low production costs of the film, and said that Presley was "in top singing and personality form." The Gadsden Times said, "Elvis Presley not only proves himself as a dramatic actor ... but also reveals his versatility by dancing on the screen for the first time. The movie ... also contains Elvis' unique style of singing." Look favored the film, describing how one audience "registered, loud and often, its approval of what may accurately be described as the star's first big dramatic singing role."

Author Thomas Doherty wrote in his 2002 book Teenagers and Teenpics: The Juvenalization of American Movies in the 1950s: "In Jailhouse Rock, the treatment of rock 'n' roll music, both as narrative content and as cinematic performance is knowing and respectful ... The elaborate choreography for the title tune, the long takes and uninterrupted screen time given to the other numbers, and the musical pacing—the rock 'n' roll builds in quality and intensity—all show an indigenous appreciation of Presley's rock 'n' Roll." Critic Hal Erickson of AllRovi wrote that the film "is a perfect balance of song and story from beginning to end." Mark Deming, also of AllRovi, wrote that Jailhouse Rock was "one of [Presley's] few vehicles which really caught his raw, sexy energy and sneering charisma on film."

The review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes lists the film with an overall 67% "Fresh" approval rating based on 42 reviews.

Accolades
In 1991, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller were awarded with an ASCAP Award for Most-Performed Feature Film Standards for the song "Jailhouse Rock". In 2004, Jailhouse Rock was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry, as it was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." The film is famous for the dance sequence (also choreographed by Presley) in which Presley sings the title track while on stage, cavorting with other inmates through a set resembling a block of jail cells. The sequence is widely acknowledged as the most memorable musical scene in Presley's 30 narrative films, and is credited by some music historians as the prototype for the modern music video. Jailhouse Rock ranked 495th on Empire's 2008 list of the 500 greatest films of all time.

The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists:
 * 2004: AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs:
 * "Jailhouse Rock" – #21
 * 2006: AFI's Greatest Movie Musicals – Nominated

title: Jailhouse Rock (film)


text: File:Are You Lonesome Tonight? (Elvis Presley single - cover art).jpg


text:
Dokken

Dokken is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1978. It split up in 1989 and reformed four years later. The band has had several hit singles which charted on the Billboard Hot 100, such as "Alone Again", "In My Dreams", and "Burning Like a Flame", and has sold more than 10 million albums worldwide. The live album Beast from the East was nominated for the inaugural Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance in 1989.

The classic Dokken line-up consisted of founder Don Dokken on vocals, George Lynch on lead guitar, Mick Brown on drums and Jeff Pilson, who replaced the Ratt-bound Juan Croucier in 1983, on bass; this line-up remained stable from 1983 to 1989, and again from 1993 to 1998, and briefly reunited in 2016. After several personnel changes on guitar, Dokken's attorney Jon Levin stepped in to fill the role in 2004. In 2001, Barry Sparks replaced Pilson on bass. In 2009, Sean McNabb (formerly with Great White and Quiet Riot) replaced him, and was then replaced by Chris McCarvill in 2015. As of Mick Brown's retirement from the band in July 2019, Don Dokken is the only remaining original band member. Brown's vacancy was filled by BJ Zampa of House of Lords fame.

Early years (1976–1983)
Don Dokken's first band formed in 1976, named Airborn. He played shows at clubs in the Los Angeles area, including the Starwood on Sunset Strip. Airborn included Bobby Blotzer on drums and Juan Croucier on bass, but Blotzer and Croucier left the band in 1978 to form FireFoxx. Don Dokken was unable to keep the Airborn name because another band named Airborne had already acquired a record deal. Bringing in Greg Pecka on drums and Steven R. Barry on bass, Dokken recorded a 7" single, "Hard Rock Woman" b/w "Broken Heart", released in 1979 under the band name Dokken, produced by Drake Levin, best known as the guitarist for Paul Revere & the Raiders.

A Dokken line-up consisting of Don, guitarist Greg Leon, drummer Gary Holland (both from the band Suite 19 which also once featured Mötley Crüe's Tommy Lee), and bassist Gary Link toured Germany in 1979 where the band met an up-and-coming producer by the name of Michael Wagener, also the live sound engineer for Accept, who would follow Don back to Los Angeles for a short vacation, a move that became permanent shortly thereafter. The '79 touring line-up quickly fell apart with Leon taking over Randy Rhoads' spot in Quiet Riot and Holland joining Dante Fox, later known as Great White. A Michael Wagener-produced Hamburg recording of the '79 line-up surfaced in 1989 under the title Back in the Streets, released by the German label Repertoire Records without the band's consent. Dokken toured Germany again in 1980, this time with Croucier back on bass.

In early 1981, Don Dokken returned to Germany trying to get a record deal with a new band in tow, guitarist George Lynch and drummer Mick Brown, who had been playing in a band called Xciter at the time, with Croucier remaining on bass. After recording demos with Wagener and with the help of Accept's manager, Gaby Hauke, a deal was secured with Carrere Records. Recorded between July and September 1981 at Studio Stommeln with Wagener and Dieter Dierks, Breaking the Chains was initially released under the name "Don Dokken" before it was changed to simply Dokken on subsequent pressings. While in Germany, Don would also demo songs with the Scorpions for their Blackout album as the band's vocalist Klaus Meine was forced to undergo surgery on his vocal cords and his return was uncertain for a time. Dokken did eventually perform backing vocals on the album. Meanwhile, Lynch, Brown and Croucier ended up working as studio musicians for German singer Udo Lindenberg on his 1982 album Keule, playing on four songs: "Urmensch (Prehistoric man)", "Ratten (Rats)" (both co-written by Lynch, Brown and Lindenberg), "Zwischen Rhein Und Aufruhr (Between the Rhine and the uproar)", and "Gesetz (Law)". Promotional activities for the European release of Breaking the Chains included a German TV appearance as Dokken performed a 40-minute live set on the Beat-Club as part of a Musikladen Extra which aired on January 4, 1982.

Back in the United States, Dokken were now managed by Cliff Bernstein who got the band signed to Elektra Records for a stateside release of Breaking The Chains, remixed for the American market. Dokken played a couple of shows with Warren DeMartini on guitar when George Lynch briefly left to rehearse with Ozzy Osbourne's band while on tour. The band did an arena tour in the U.S. with Lynch back on guitar supporting Blue Öyster Cult in 1983, but when the tour was over the band was left with little money and was nearly dropped from the label due to the album's lack of success.

While the band was very popular in Europe during this time they had not yet made commercial progress in the United States. Magazines such as Kerrang! publicized Dokken in the UK.

Commercial success (1983–1988)
Juan Croucier left Dokken in 1983 just prior to the release of the "Breaking the Chains" video to join Ratt alongside DeMartini. He was replaced by Jeff Pilson, who joined in time to film the video (without having played the song). The album Tooth and Nail was released on September 13, 1984. The album contained several hit songs including "Just Got Lucky", "Alone Again", and "Into the Fire", and sold over one million copies in the US alone, peaking at No. 49, while selling another estimated one million copies worldwide. On November 9, 1985, the band's third album Under Lock and Key was released. It also sold over one million copies with the singles "In My Dreams" (#24), "The Hunter" (#25) and "It's Not Love". During this time in the 1980s, Dokken opened for such bands as Judas Priest, AC/DC, Aerosmith, Dio and Kiss, among others. The 1986 documentary short Heavy Metal Parking Lot features fans of Dokken and Judas Priest tailgating before a concert in Maryland.

Following a successful tour with Scorpions, Dokken returned to the studio in December 1986 to record "Dream Warriors", a song for the movie soundtrack A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors. The track brought the band to the attention of many UK hard rock fans. The song was released as a single ("Dream Warriors" / "Back for the Attack") on February 10, 1987. After this release, the band took nearly 6 months off before recording Back for the Attack. The album was released on November 27, 1987, with the singles "Burning Like a Flame" (#20), "Heaven Sent" and "Prisoner" (#37) making the album the band's most successful release, reaching No. 13 on U.S. charts. It also included a remixed version of the single "Dream Warriors" (#22), and the accompanying music video featured band members interacting with the film's characters. Back for the Attack became Dokken's third record to reach platinum status.

After releasing Back for the Attack, the band toured as part of the Monsters of Rock Tour 1988 festival in the summer of 1988 along with Van Halen, Scorpions, Metallica, and Kingdom Come. Recordings from their April 1988 tour in Japan led to the release of live album Beast from the East on November 16, 1988, which went Gold in the United States and charted at No. 33. The album scored one studio single, titled "Walk Away" and a music video was made for it.

Split (1989–1993)
Dokken broke up in March 1989, due to creative and personal differences between Don Dokken and George Lynch as well as Don's desire to fire the rest of the band and hire new members before they signed their next record deal. Lynch and Brown then formed the band Lynch Mob and recorded two albums: Wicked Sensation in 1990 and Lynch Mob in 1992.

Don Dokken also recorded what has been regarded as a strong solo album, titled Up from the Ashes in 1990 which spawned two singles, very much in the vein of previous Dokken efforts.

Bassist Jeff Pilson, switching to lead vocals and guitar, formed Flesh & Blood in 1989 and recorded a 5-song demo. Further recordings under the name War & Peace surfaced as Time Capsule in 1993, by which time the group had already disbanded. Pilson joined the McAuley Schenker Group for their 1991 album, M.S.G.. Afterwards, Pilson signed on with Dio for the Strange Highways album, reuniting with former Flesh & Blood bandmate Vinny Appice.

Lynch's first solo effort, 1993's Sacred Groove, reunited him with Don Dokken for the writing of the track "We Don't Own This World." Don Dokken was also supposed to sing lead on the track, however at the last moment, Don was unable to attend the studio session and was replaced by Matthew and Gunnar Nelson. Jeff Pilson also collaborated with Lynch on the album, co-writing the lyrics to "Flesh and Blood" and playing bass on "We Don't Own This World".

Reformation (1993–1997)
After releasing Up from the Ashes in 1990 Don Dokken wrote another solo album in 1993. Titled Dysfunctional, the album was recorded and produced in Don's studio. However, when John Kalodner wanted to sign him for the album, he suggested that George Lynch be brought back into the band so that the album could be marketed as a Dokken album, and not another Don Dokken solo effort. Despite the fact that the tension between Lynch and Don Dokken was the cause of the band's 1989 split, the two agreed to put their problems behind them for the time being. The band re-united in 1994 along with Mick Brown and Jeff Pilson, with Lynch re-writing and re-recording the guitar solos on the album, which were originally conceived by Don. Dokken was signed with Columbia Records and the album managed to sell 300,000 copies despite the decline in popularity of similar bands during this time.

During the tour supporting Dysfunctional, old tensions between George and Don had resurfaced and the band began to split apart. During a Columbia promotion for the new album in which the band was scheduled to play live on 120 radio stations, Lynch unexpectedly left the studio and refused to re-enter. The record company was forced to air the rehearsal tape that had been recorded earlier and four days later the label dropped Dokken, presumably because of this and other similar incidents involving Lynch's behavior. One Live Night, a live acoustic album, was released in 1996 by a new label, CMC International, and was followed with Shadowlife in 1997. Don Dokken was dissatisfied with Shadowlife, an album in which Lynch took total control and even went as far as to replace the original Dokken logo on the album. Don alleges that Lynch intended to destroy the band with this album, reciting the following quote from him in an interview: "This is the perfect record. This is gonna be the end of Dokken, and that is what I wanted to accomplish."

Line up changes (1997–2008)

In late 1997, the band fired Lynch. Needing a guitarist, Dokken looked to Europe guitarist John Norum who had previously played on his 1990 solo album and was familiar with the band's catalog, to help him finish the tour. Lynch tried to re-join the group just days before the tour began, but was told that he was "out" by the rest of the group. A lawsuit followed in which Lynch sued the band for $1 million, but the band prevailed in the verdict. After the European tour, John Norum was unable to continue as he had previously committed to a solo record. The band then hired former Winger guitarist Reb Beach, and recorded in 1999 the aptly titled Erase the Slate. Dokken released another live album titled Live from the Sun in 2000 before the departure of Beach.

Beach, who wanted to work on some other projects and could not commit to Dokken long term, was replaced by John Norum, who was now in between projects and able to participate in the band's touring schedule. Bassist Jeff Pilson also left the band, replaced by Barry Sparks. In a 2004 interview, Don Dokken stated that Jeff left because "he wanted to do something different and didn't want to keep playing these songs over and over again." Of the original members, only Dokken and Mick Brown remained. This line-up released the album Long Way Home, but Norum suffered a hand injury during the band's early-2002 tour of Europe and had to be replaced by former Dark Lord guitarist Alex De Rosso. That same year, Dokken was featured in the Metal Edge Rock Fest tour along with Ratt, FireHouse, and other similar acts. In the spring of 2003, Dokken embarked on an extensive tour of the United States, opening for Scorpions and Whitesnake. After the tour, guitarist Alex De Rosso lost his visa and had to return to Italy, at which point Don Dokken called Jon Levin who formerly played guitar on Doro's Force Majeure, and also had previously met with the band and played a single show in 1998. Levin joined the band, and the line-up of Dokken, Brown, Levin, and Sparks would remain through 2008. Dokken released Hell to Pay in 2004, which was seen by critics as a modern approach to the band's style. The band continued extensive touring in 2005 and 2006. 2007 saw the release of both a live CD and a compilation DVD. The CD, titled From Conception: Live 1981, is a previously unreleased live recording from the band's early years which Don discovered in their master vault. The DVD release titled Unchain the Night was first released on VHS in 1986 and is a compilation of the band's music videos along with interviews and other footage. The band also performed at the hard rock and metal festival Rocklahoma in both 2007 and 2008.

Brief reunion (2008–2010)

On May 13, 2008, Dokken released their first studio album in four years titled Lightning Strikes Again, which was met with critical acclaim along with increased commercial success and became the band's highest-charting album in 13 years, debuting at No. 133 in the United States. The album was a return to the band's signature sound and the songs follow the classic Dokken formula. Don Dokken told interviewers that Jon Levin was the bandmate who wanted the band to make an album with the classic sound in mind, and remarked that the process was difficult, saying: "I had to get back in that mindset. This is what the fans wanted, and if I stay focused on that I would give them a straight-ahead Dokken record." During the spring and summer of 2008 in order to promote the new Dokken album, Don Dokken and Jon Levin participated in dozens of interviews including Rockline, KNAC, The Classic Metal Show, as well as a series of podcasts available on the band's website.

During the summer of 2008, the band toured with Sebastian Bach and Poison. Sparks and Brown were not part of the summer 2008 touring line-up. Brown signed on to play with Ted Nugent for the summer before Dokken was offered the slot on the Poison tour, making him unable to tour in support of Lightning Strikes Again. Sparks was in Asia performing with a stadium act and was unable to tour with Dokken until he was able to get a visa for his wife. Chris McCarvill from House of Lords played bass. Jeff Martin of Racer X and Badlands played drums for the 2008 tour until he was fired by Don Dokken. Chris McCarvill's House of Lords bandmate B.J. Zampa filled in as drummer for the remainder of the tour.

Since then Dokken have toured extensively with Mick Brown back on drums (BJ Zampa filling in on drums when Brown is busy touring with Ted Nugent). Sean McNabb formerly of Quiet Riot and Great White has remained on bass, along with Jon Levin on guitar and Don Dokken on vocals. In 2010, the band opened for the Scorpions on select dates of their US tour. On March 1, 2010 Dokken digitally released Greatest Hits, a collection of re-recorded songs from their 1980s albums with two new tracks, to iTunes and Amazon.com. The physical album with additional tracks was released In Japan on King Records on April 21, 2010 and is available in the United States through Cleopatra Records.

On November 29, 2009 during an encore at a Dokken show at The House of Blues in Anaheim, George Lynch and Jeff Pilson joined Mick Brown and Don Dokken for two songs, the first time they were on stage together in 12 years.

In early 2010 Lynch announced a reunion of Dokken's "classic" line-up, though the announcement was followed by a retraction on February 24. In May 2010 Lynch and Don Dokken appeared together as guests on Season 5, Episode 7 of television show That Metal Show. In the episode they claimed that the main cause of their rift was a publicity stunt that they both eventually started to believe. Lynch added that Don also wanting to "take all the money and all the credit" did not help, with Don nodding during the statement. They both also mentioned that they would love to have a reunion with Don, Lynch, Pilson, and Brown, but that they are all too busy with other projects in 2010 (between Dokken's current lineup, Lynch Mob, Pilson's involvement with Foreigner). Dokken and Lynch Mob toured through the summer and fall of 2010.

On December 8, 2010, Lynch announced on his web site and in interviews earlier that a Dokken reunion will not be happening. Lynch stated: "We feel it's important to let folks know there will be no Dokken reunion in the foreseeable future, if ever. This is Don's decision, despite Jeff's and my best intentions and efforts over the past few years to make this happen in good faith. My apologies to VH1, Eddie Trunk, Steve Strange and all the fans who were pulling for this to happen."

Broken Bones (2011–2015)
Dokken planned to release a new studio album in the fall 2012, with recording planned to finish by February and release before the band went on tour in June. The album would be released worldwide on Frontiers Records, which announced the signing of Dokken on November 22, 2011. Don Dokken announced the title of the new album to be Broken Bones and said the release date should be sometime in November 2012. They brought in session drummer Jimmy DeGrasso as Mick Brown couldn't record due to scheduling conflicts which made this the first album he didn't appear on in Dokken, although Brown has stated in interviews that Don simply didn't want to pay to fly him in for the sessions. The album was released on September 25, 2012. In November 2014, Sean McNabb was replaced by one-time Ted Nugent bassist (and perennial lead singer of Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force) Mark Boals.

It was revealed in June 2015 that Dokken would be part of the Rockingham lineup at Nottingham's Rock City October 23–25. Dokken headlined on the Sunday, following Giuffria on stage. Other acts scheduled for that Sunday included Royal Hunt and Stan Bush.

Reunion shows with classic lineup and Heaven Comes Down (2016–present)
Don Dokken announced that he would be reuniting with George Lynch, Mick Brown and Jeff Pilson to perform several shows in Japan at the end of October 2016 and one US show at the end of September. In an interview with L.A. Weekly on March 6, 2017, Don Dokken said he is not planning any further appearances with Pilson and Lynch, stating that the Japan shows were "a one-time thing." Despite this, the classic Dokken lineup recorded their first song together in over 20 years "It's Just Another Day"; it can be found on the live album Return to the East Live (2016), which was released on April 20, 2018.

When speaking to AllThatShreds.com in July 2017, Jon Levin said that the band is planning to enter the studio in the fall after touring to begin work on the next studio album for a 2018 release, which he described is the "classic Dokken sound". Guitarist Ira Black filled in for Jon Levin on the latter half of the band's 2017 tour. In July 2019, it was announced that longtime drummer Mick Brown had officially retired from Dokken after 40 years in the band, as constant touring began to have negative effect on him and claiming he felt too old. His spot was later taken by BJ Zampa, also of House of Lords fame alongside bassist Chris McCarvill.

Dokken released an album called The Lost Songs: 1978-1981 on August 28, 2020 via Silver Lining Music.

An album collection package titled The Elektra Albums 1983-1987 was released on January 27, 2023, featuring the first four studio albums from the band's career and also at their creative peak. The twelfth studio album Heaven Comes Down was released on October 27, 2023. A music video of the first single titled "Fugitive" was released on August 8, 2023.

Guest appearances and cultural references
Members and former members of the band have appeared on various tribute albums.
 * George Lynch played guitar on the song "Anthem" on a tribute album to Rush.
 * George Lynch and Jeff Pilson have appeared on tribute albums to Iron Maiden.
 * Jeff Pilson appeared as the bassist for Steel Dragon in the film Rock Star (starring Mark Wahlberg and Jennifer Aniston) which was loosely based on the history of Judas Priest.
 * They also appeared in Dio's Hear 'n Aid in the 1980s, and were featured prominently in the music video.
 * In the mid-1980s Don Dokken sang lead vocals on the hit single for former Scorpions drummer Herman Rarebell's solo project Herman Ze German and Friends. The song is a power ballad titled "I'll Say Goodbye". Don also sang lead vocals on the songs "Hard Sensation" and "Destiny".
 * In 2009, Dokken appeared in a series of commercials for Symantec's Norton Internet Security 2010. The advertisements imagine a computer as a chicken and Dokken as a malicious computer virus. Each ad features a different outcome, based on whether or not the "Dokken Virus" was allowed into the system.
 * Dokken's song "Dream Warriors" appeared in the movie A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors.
 * A cover version of "Dream Warriors" is featured in Riverdale's episode "The Midnight Club".
 * In 2012, Aesop Rock released an album titled Skelethon, on which he has a song titled "Dokken Rules", only appearing on the Deluxe Edition.
 * On Munetaka Higuchi's (late drummer from Loudness) 1997 solo album, Dream Castle, Jeff Pilson played bass on the tracks, "What Cost War" (sung by Ronnie James Dio) and "Free World". Don Dokken sang lead vocals on "Tell Me True", a cover of an old Talas song. Talas' founding member, Billy Sheehan, played bass on this and several other tracks on the album.
 * Dokken's "Into the Fire" was used as the theme song for the first 2 seasons of professional wrestling show NWA Power, and was the namesake of the NWA's first exclusively produced pay-per-view event since becoming a singular wrestling promotion held on December 14, 2019.
 * The band is listed as an opening act for Motley Crue during a cutaway scene from the movie "The Dirt" (2019).
 * Jeff Pilson voiced Johnny Cage in Mortal Kombat (2011)

Band members
Current members
 * Don Dokken – lead vocals, rhythm guitar (1976 –1989, 1993–present)
 * Jon Levin – lead guitar, backing vocals (2003–present)
 * Chris McCarvill – bass, backing vocals (2015–present)
 * Bill "BJ" Zampa – drums (2019–present; touring 2008–2010)

Touring guests
 * George Lynch – lead guitar (1981–1982, 1983–1989, 1994–1997; reunions in 2016, 2020–present)

Studio albums

 * Breakin' the Chains (1981) (credited to Don Dokken)
 * Breaking the Chains (1983) (rerecording)
 * Tooth and Nail (1984)
 * Under Lock and Key (1985)
 * Back for the Attack (1987)
 * Dysfunctional (1995)
 * Shadowlife (1997)
 * Erase the Slate (1999)
 * Long Way Home (2002)
 * Hell to Pay (2004)
 * Lightning Strikes Again (2008)
 * Broken Bones (2012)
 * Heaven Comes Down (2023)

title: Dokken