1954
Red Robinson, at age 17, began his radio career at CJOR-Vancouver, British Columbia and became the first Canadian disc jockey to regularly play rock ‘n’ roll music on the air.
I met him a couple of times, at one impersonator show, I told him I was a DJ at Simon Fraser University. He told me I was too young to like 50s music. The shocked showed on my face and he felt so bad that he took me over to his table and introduced me to Sam Orbison, Roy's brother. This was a few months after Roy had died.
see also:
http://www.elvis-history-blog.com/red-robinson.html
1955
Billboard began its Top 100 chart, with “Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing” by the Four Aces as the first #1 record listed. It was not until 1959 that the magazine resolved all its pop charts into one.
Elvis Presley was voted Most Promising Country And Western Artist in the annual U.S. DJ Poll.
At 2.00 p.m. Elvis and other Hayride artists appeared at the opening of a new mill at Carthage Milling Company, Texas.
Later that day Elvis performed at the Louisiana Hayride, Municipal Auditorium, Shreveport.
https://scottymoore.net/shreveport.html
1956
Elvis rented a Cadillac from Hertz for $139.
1960
Bill Black, former bass player for Elvis Presley, hit #11 in the U.S. with his version of “Don’t Be Cruel.”
Wild in the Country movie production
1961
Kid Galahad movie production
1962
The Beatles appeared at the Star Club, Hamburg, Germany, sharing the bill with Little Richard.
It Happened at the World’s Fair production
1964
Tickle Me production
1966
Easy Come, Easy Go production
1967
Stay Away Joe Production
1968
Change of Habit production
1970
Elvis performed at the Coliseum, Seattle, Washington.
CONCERT DATE: November 12, 1970 Seattle, WA.
Elvis Still Has It
by Stephanie Miller
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
November 13, 1970
The houselights darkened. The flashbulbs started popping. Squeals started to swell, and on swaggered Elvis Presley to the Coliseum stage last night wearing slinky white bell-bottoms and white buck shoes, western fringe hanging down his laced up shirt and a Kelly green sash dangling from the swinging hips that made him famous.
He put on a mere 40 minutes show for the more 15,000 fans, but it was a heckuva show. He kept the swoons to a minimum, letting the songs to roll off one after the other, and held the crowd in his ever lovin grasp throughout.
He still has the sultry, down in the throat quality that made "Love Me Tender, Love Me Do, his heart-breaking trademark.
Stalking from one end of the stage to the other, he conducted the band, the lead guitar and the octet of vocalists that introduced the show through 15 years of songs.
"You Don't Have To Say You Love Me," "Please Caroline," "Go Johnny Go," and "Ain't It Funny" - he rolled them off with the ease of a pro. And he never lost contact with the audience. "You've all seen me, now I want to look at you," he drawled as he asked that the houselights be turned up a moment.
If the teens started to squeal, he cracked a joke mid-medley about how Glen Campbell would sing the song, or pointed to some fellow walking down the aisle.
He kept it real, in spite of his magnetic presence.
He didn't take himself seriously, and that's just what the crowd, which took in teens to totterers liked about him. Introducing himself as Johnny Cash, he launched into an imitation of the bumps and grinds Tom jones enjoys.
He's got humor
And he still has the Elvis charisma. He threw his head around during "Heartbreak Hotel" until his coalblack hair covered his forehead.
And he threw his green neck scarf to a blonde in the front row.
But it didn't get out of hand. He came to sing, and sing he did. He gave a new flavor to the greats from the 50's - "You Ain't Nothing But a Hounddog," "Blue Suede Shoes," - and sang with appealing richness the gospel tune which won him a Grammy in '56 - "How Great Thou Art."
That was his serious tune, and when he was dissatisfied with the entrance by his back-up singers - "The Sweet Inspirations" black female quartet and "The Imperials," male quartet - he started the song again.
He's a musician, too, in spite of the gimmicks of letting his voice trail off into nowhere and garbling the words for the sake of swagger. His voice has matured measurably since the days when he pulled microphones nearly out from the cords. It's still sexy but it's also mellow and trained.
And that's nice to know, that he's relying on his voice for drawing power. his comeback is attracting all ages, from 15 year-olds who have never heard "Heartbreak hotel" to 30 year-olds who have.
The advance entertainers - the singers and the comedian, Sammy shore, who are accompanying him on both his six-city tour and his stint in Las Vegas - did much to heighten the atmosphere.
When the squealers in the crowd scrambled to the stage as soon as Elvis sang his last note, the PA system announced he had left the building.
That green scarf he threw them was a teaser.
1971
Elvis performed at the Hofheinz Pavilion, Houston, Texas.
1972
Elvis boarding his chartered jet in Oakland, CA on his way to San Bernardino, CA on November 12, 1972.
https://www.elvispresleyphotos.com/1972 ... er-12.html
Elvis performed at the Swing Auditorium, San Bernardino, California at 5.00 p.m.
It's Just Elvis Presley Next Door
by Robert Hilburn
Los Angeles Times
November 14, 1972
After being unable to see Elvis Presley anywhere in concert for more than 10 years, the idea of seeing the biggest single recording / concert attraction of our time at 5pm. on a Sunday afternoon in San Bernardino - of all 11 places - was too incredulous an event to miss.
Can you imagine, for instance, Brian Epstein bringing the Beatles to Fresno at the height of their career? It is, I suppose, part of Col. Tom Parker's unpredictable genius that allows for such surprises. Maybe Parker just wanted some of his Palm Springs friends a chance to see Elvis close to home. More likely, it is part of a well-designed plan to keep Presley in front of the public without retracting his steps.
Though Presley has been touring extensively for two years, he rarely plays the same hall more than once. He may go back to the same area, but it is usually to a different arena. In 1970, for instance, Presley appeared at the Inglewood Forum, while this time he is playing the Swing Auditorium (Sunday and Monday) and the Long Beach Arena (tonight and Wednesday night). All shows are sold out.
New Each Time
Thus, each stop on a Presley tour carries that special bit of excitement and enthusiasm that comes from playing a new hall. There is a feeling of something special about each concert, a feeling that reflects itself in both the hall employes and the audience. And that tinge of excitement was in the air Sunday.
Though the Swing Auditorium has a long history of rock concerts (from Joe Cocker to Rod Stewart), the building, because of its fairgrounds setting and exhibition hall design, has a definite county fair atmosphere to it, an atmosphere that was reinforced Sunday by the family nature of the audience. Unlike the average rock concert, the smoke in the air Sunday was from regular cigarets.
Rather than the class of 1967 that you might find in predominance at a Rolling Stones concert, the crowd Sunday probably centered around the class of 1957. There was, from the clean, pressed clothing to the carefully combed hair, a middle America feel about the audience, the kind of country music audience that may well have first greeted Elvis some 18 years ago (gulp) at Memphis' Overton Park.
The Sincerest of Tones
It was an eager, excited audience (most of the dozen or so people I asked said they were seeing Presley for the first time) that listened politely as Al Dvorin, an amble associate of Parker, went through a long pre-show announcement that included, in the sincerest of tones, some lines that, despite all the "great, appreciative audiences" that have seen Presley, he understands, honestly now, the San Bernardino audiences are the best anywhere.
The respectful applause that followed was not so much an indication the audience believed the flattery, but that anyone who were an "Elvis Show Member" badge on his lapel was all right with them. Before the applause died down, Dvorin began a rapid-fire sales pitch that squeezed into 60 seconds plugs for (1) the new "Elvis on Tour" film, (2) the live Madison Square Garden album, (3) the "Burning Love" single and (4) the new "Separate Ways" single. Before leaving the stage he also reminded the audience that photos and buttons were available at seven souvenir stands around the auditorium
If someone tried a similar sales pitch at the average rock concert, he'd be booted of the stage. Indeed, the Rolling Stones had a guy tell the audience about posters at one of the early stops on their recent U.S. tour. There was sucha chorus of boos, however, they discontinued the announcements.
Presley's show, from the material to the Instrumental backing, was similar in most ways to the ones he has been doing since his return to live performances in 1969. It was a mixture of Las Vegas and Memphis that drew the typical audience enthusiasm - from the shrieks to the continuous flashbulbs
Despite objections I have to some of the Presley material these days (i.e. overly dramatic arrangements of such songs as "What Now My Love" which he did Sunday, and "The Impossible DReam), his voice has the best balance of country, gospel and blues influences of anyone who has stepped to a microphone during the rock era. His manner, too, is admirably unpretentious, allowing him to re-create his early rock gyrations with just the right touch of humor.
It may have taken Presley 18 years to get to San Bernardino, but everyone seemed pleased when he finally made it. Even Parker and Dvorin. The souvenir stands did a brisk business.
1975
The Lisa Marie, the newest craft in Elvis Presley’s small air fleet, is at Memphis International Airport on November 12, 1975, getting final touches before being put to use for touring. The converted Convair 880, formerly used by Delta Air Lines, is named for the entertainer’s daughter. It was bought for $1 million and it took another $750,000 to fix it to his taste in Forth Worth, Texas. While not as elaborate as some reports have had it, the plane should be quite comfortable for the Memphian and his personal crew. It has a galley with stove, refrigerator and coffee maker, a private bedroom with queen-size bed, a dining room with eight chairs, two sitting rooms, two bathrooms with gold-plated fixtures and a shower in one, plus 29 seats for passengers. It requires a pilot, copilot, flight engineer and stewardess. Elvis also will keep the Lockheed Jetstar (smaller plane at left), a 9-seater, for touring purposes. On tours, he will need to lease a third plane for back-up groups, equipment and wardrobes. The small propeller plane is not part of his ‘air force.’
1977
The Elvis album “Les 40 Grands Plus Succes” (the French pressing of “40 Greatest”) hit #56 in the U.K.
2002
The documentary “Elvis, The King In Hollywood” was released.
2012
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... -York.html
Never-before-seen video shows Elvis's only gig in New York – shot by fan who sneaked into concert with a hidden camera and a tripod taped to his leg
Even when you’re the King, it’s easy to get nervous – especially when making your New York debut.
New footage has emerged of Elvis Presley playing at the Madison Square Garden in 1972, the only time the famed blues musician would perform in New York City.
He played only four sold-out shows at MSG, and as his stage manager revealed, Presley was nervous walking on the massive stage.
Never-before-seen: Previously-unknown Super 8mm film of Elvis Presley performing in his one and only New York City concert in 1972 has emerged
The new footage of the King is part of a new three-disc compilation entitled ‘Elvis Presley: Prince from another Planet.’
The previously unseen footage was shot by one of Presley’s young fans, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Joe Guercio, Presley’s stage manager, later explained that Elvis was nervous as he walked out on stage. The opening act, comedian Jackie Kahane, was booed off stage. ‘When Elvis began to walk out on stage, he was nervous,’ Guercio explained.
‘As he passed me, he gave me one of those million-dollar glances that said, “Let’s do it.” Then a shower of camera flashbulbs went off, the crowd loved him, and he was at ease.’
The footage was shot by fan Don Lance, who was only 24 at the time of the concert. The young man was one of 80,000 that attended Presley’s sold-out show.
He explained that his friend managed to get him and his friends fourth-row tickets.
His girlfriend managed to sneak in a video camera past security along with six rolls of film.
‘To steady the camera during the show,’ Lance explained, ‘I put it on a tripod I had brought in strapped to my leg.’
He continued: ‘Each time I went to film, friends on either side blocked security’s view.’
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... -York.html
Sony releases “Elvis Prince from another Planet”
2017
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-wiltshire-41953850
Elvis Presley's divorce papers sell for £20,000
Divorce papers signed by Elvis Presley and his ex-wife Priscilla have sold for £20,000 at auction.
The papers include details of the divorce after the couple, who married in 1967, started living apart in 1972.
As part of the settlement, Elvis signed over to Priscilla his 1971 Mercedes Benz, 1969 Cadillac Eldorado, Harley-Davidson motorbike and $100,000.
The papers were sold to a phone bidder from USA at the Henry Aldridge Auctioneers in Devizes.
Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge said the 12 papers were a "fabulous piece of show business history".
Mr Aldridge said: "These are exceptional examples of Elvis's signature, being both bold and large.
https://tvovermind.com/elvis-presley-us ... ever-will/
Elvis Presley Used to Spend $15,000 in a Way We Never Will
by Tom Foster Published Nov 10, 2017
You’ve heard about the rich and famous being eccentric right? Well with all respect to the king of rock and roll, sometimes they can come off as insanely stupid as well. He might have been one of the absolute best performers to ever grace a stage but he was also one of the biggest risk takers it would seem since he routinely spent $15,000 thousand dollars in a way that none of us would ever consider. Well, maybe some of us would at least once, but certainly not on a regular basis. The game that they called War was invented by Elvis and was played between himself and his entourage, the Memphis Mafia. Essentially they were the people that were supposed to be taking care of Elvis and looking after him since the superstar was notorious for spending money and being far too frivolous with his fortune. You can just guess what they decided to do however, as he was just about destitute by the time he passed. Of course when I say destitute it means he had less than a million dollars to his name, so it’s celebrity-destitute.
Anyway, what the king and his entourage decided to do when they would rent out the Rainbow Rollerdrome in Memphis was buy upwards of about $15,000 dollars of fireworks, don their flight suits, helmets, and gloves that Elvis had purchased, and begin hurling fireworks at one another. Elvis loved to play dangerously and there’s not a lot worse you can do than flinging potentially lethal fireworks at one another for no good reason than because it’s something fun to do.
Don’t adjust the screen and don’t bother wiping off your glasses, you read that right. Elvis and his entourage would throw fireworks at each other and laugh like loons when they went off. And more to the point they threw thousands of dollars worth of fireworks at each other as well. Think about what fireworks cost back in that day as opposed to now and you might realize that they probably had a few barrels or more worth of black powder between all the fireworks that they’d bought. As of today $15,000 might get you enough for a spectacular 4th of July or New Year’s Eve celebration, but to think of using that kind of money to stage a mock war inside a rollerskating rink is just beyond the point of insane.
I can’t help but think of whether or not the king and his people were asked to pay for the cleaning bill that would inevitably come, or the damages that would be incurred. There’s no question of it really, the bunch of them were throwing lit fireworks around a rollerskating rink, there were bound to be a few errant throws that went wild.
A lot of people would likely forgive the king for this by claiming that he’s not a bad person, he’s just eccentric, and more to the point he was rich and famous so a lot of people would turn a blind eye. I think as the owner of the rink I’d be making him sign a waiver making him and the entourage responsible for any damages and for cleanup. If they didn’t like it, then skate on down to the end of lonely street at the heartbreak hotel.
2018
Elvis Presley’s Graceland to host job fair Monday
wreg.com–7 hours ago
Elvis Presley’s Graceland will be hosting a hiring event Monday, November 12, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Vernon’s Smokehouse Restaurant.
2019
https://www.closerweekly.com/posts/cass ... s-presley/
Cassandra ‘Elvira’ Peterson Recalls ‘Sort of a Date’ With Elvis Presley
Cassandra Peterson — a.k.a. Elvira — recalls the time she went on ‘sort of a date’ with Elvis Presley and the advice he gave her — exclusive details here!
https://ultimateclassicrock.com/elvis-p ... -of-habit/
50 Years Ago: ‘Change of Habit’ Becomes Elvis Presley’s Last Film
Elvis Presley stopped making movies after 1969’s ‘Change of Habit.’
ultimateclassicrock.com