The public unveiling of a life-sized bronze statue of Elvis Presley at the Blaisdell Center is set to take place Thursday. The statue portrays Elvis in the famous beaded and studded costume he wore in his historic 1973 concert from Hawai'i.

Cable channel TV Land is behind the event.

The widely-viewed program, "Elvis: Aloha From Hawaii," was televised on NBC. It was the first musical event beamed around the globe by satellite, reaching viewers in 40 countries and more than half the viewing audience in the U.S.

The statue installation and unveiling are keyed to the 30th anniversary of Presley's death on Aug. 16, 1977, at age 42. The Honolulu concert — a TV "milestone" — is the reason Hawai'i was selected to remember the rock music icon.

Mayor Mufi Hannemann and entrepreneur Tom Moffatt are among Honolulu dignitaries who will participate in the statue unveiling. Larry W. Jones, TV Land president, also will be on hand.

The Blaisdell Center was called the Honolulu International Center when Presley performed there. The statue will face toward the street, with Presley's back to the arena, said Rob Pellizzi, senior vice president of marketing for TV Land, a cable channel devoted to classic and iconic TV programming.

Presley filmed three movies in the Islands, including his most popular film, "Blue Hawaii."

He also staged a 1961 performance at Bloch Arena, at Pearl Harbor, to raise funds to help build the Arizona Memorial.

As part of the Presley salute, TV Land will air specials on Presley in August. The Hawai'i concert will be in a mix that includes Presley films like "Paradise, Hawaiian Style."

The statue — weighing between 1,000 and 1,200 pounds —will be 6-foot-2, Presley's height, and will stand on a base measuring 30 by 30 inches. His connection with Hawai'i will be detailed in an accompanying plaque.

The Presley statue is sixth in a series that TV Land has deemed "landmark" people and shows, capturing places and moments of pop culture. Among other TV icons honored: Jackie Gleason, as Ralph Kramden on "The Honeymooners," at the Port Authority bus terminal in New York; and Mary Tyler Moore, as Mary Richards on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," at Nicollett Mall in Minneapolis.

Reach Wayne Harada at wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com.