A date has been set for the public unveiling of a life-size bronze statue of Elvis Presley, appearing in the famous beaded and studded costume he wore in a historic 1973 concert from Hawai'i. It will be installed at the Blaisdell Center at 10 a.m. July 26.

The statue — weighing between 1,000 and 1,200 pounds — will be 6 feet 2, Presley's height. His connection with Hawai'i will be detailed in an accompanying plaque.

TV Land, a cable channel devoted to classic TV programming, is behind the statue's installation. It's 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.

The widely-viewed program, "Elvis: Aloha From Hawaii," was the first musical event beamed around the globe by satellite, reaching viewers in 40 countries, with more than half the nation's television viewers watching in the U.S.

"With a great deal of affection, we're very excited to pay tribute to Elvis and that great event that was seen by 1.5 billion around the world," said Rob Pellizzi, TV Land senior vice president of marketing.

"The connection with Elvis always has been remarkable worldwide," said Pellizzi. "In the Philippines, 92 percent of viewers watched; 70 percent in Hong Kong."

As part of the Presley salute, TV Land will air a number of specials on Presley in August, "depicting his accomplishments and reflecting his connection to the TV generation," said Pellizzi. The Hawai'i concert will be in a mix that includes such Presley films as "Paradise, Hawaiian Style."

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

Reach Wayne Harada at wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com.