Elvis Aaron Presley 1956: The King of Rock 'n' Roll
Elvis Presley - The King of Rock 'n' Roll - Elvis Presley 1956 - Every concert, studio recording and important event in Elvis Presley's Life from January to December 1956.
For Elvis Presley, 1956 was a year like no other. In January, he was a regional sensation, but by year’s end he had become a national and international phenomenon. He made his first two albums for RCA (both milion selers), appeared on national television 11 times, signed a seven- year contract with Paramount Pictures, and stared in his first movie, Love Me Tender. Elvis' appearances on national television were pivotal events for America because his unconventional appearance and performing style caused nationwide controversy. Presley outraged adults, mesmerized the teenagers of the new youth generation, and soon became the leader of the cultural revolution sweeping across the country.
Elvis Presley
Week of shows. Jan. 1 - Jan. 4
1 January. St. Louis, MO. Kiel Auditorium
3 January. Boonesville, MS. Von Theatre
4 January. Jonesboro, AR. Community Center
7 January. The Louisiana Hayride. Municipal Auditorium, Shreveport, Louisiana (8pm)
January 10, Two days after his twenty-first birthday, Elvis has his first recording session for RCA, held at their studio in Nashville. Among the songs laid to tape during this session is 'Heartbreak Hotel'.
January 10 1956 RCA Studio's - Nashville, Tennessee
I Got A Woman G2WB 0208-08 Heartbreak Hotel G2WB 0209-07 Money Honey G2WB 0210-SP
January 11 1956 RCA Studio's - Nashville, Tennessee
I'm Counting On You G2WB 0211-17 I Was The One G2WB 0218-07
14 January. The Louisiana Hayride. Municipal Auditorium, Shreveport, Louisiana (8pm)
Hank Snow Package tour of Texas. Jan. 15 - Jan. 20
15 January. San Antonio, TX. Municipal Auditorium
16 January. Galveston, TX.
17 January. Beaumont, TX. City Auditorium
18 January. Austin, TX. Austin Coliseum
19 January. Wichita Falls, TX. Memorial Auditorium
20 January. Fort Worth, TX. North Side Coliseum
January 21, Bob Neal informs the Colonel that because of his new job he will have to 'bow out' of participation in the upcoming February tour.This marks the end of his official association with Elvis Presley. The Colonel is now in full control of all aspects of Elvis' career.
21 January. The Louisiana Hayride. Municipal Auditorium, Shreveport, Louisiana.
January 27, 'Heartbreak Hotel' b/w 'I Was the One' is released by RCA and sells over 300,000 copies in its first three weeks on the market. It is soon to go to number one on Billboard’s pop singles chart for eight weeks and hit number one on the country chart and number five on the R&B chart. It becomes the first Elvis single to sell over one million copies, thus earning Elvis his very first gold record award.
January 28, Elvis appears with Scotty, Bill, and D.J. on the Jackie Gleason-produced Stage Show, starring Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey on CBS. This is Elvis' first network television appearance. He appears five more nights on Stage Show over the weeks ahead and makes minor waves nationally. The last of these six appearances is March 24. Traveling and personal appearances continue during this time, including the Louisiana Hayride appearances for which he is still under contract. Fame and 'infamy' build.
The Dorsey Brothers Stage Show CBS Studio New York – 28.01.1956
Shake Rattle & Roll / Flip Flop & Fly
I Got A Woman
After making his first appearance on National TV on the Dorsey Brothers Stage Show, Elvis stayed in town after the show and at around 11 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 30, he and the band headed for the RCA Studio, 155 E. 24th St. They recorded for seven hours that day, then three hours on Jan. 31 and another several hours on Feb. 3.
These New York Sessions yielded 'Blue Suede Shoes' and seven other tunes: 'My Baby Left Me', 'One-Sided Love Affair', 'So Glad You're Mine', 'I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Cry Over You', 'Tutti Fruitti', 'Lawdy Miss Clawdy' and 'Shake, Rattle and Roll'.
'Blue Suede Shoes' was the only hit single in the bunch, but the sessions were crucial in Elvis history because they marked the point at which he started moving away from his raw, pure Sun sound to the more commercial and mainstream sound RCA envisioned for him. Read more about the New York Sessions.
January 30 1956 RCA Studio's - New York
Blue Suede Shoes G2WB 1230-10 My Baby Left Me G2WB 1231-09 One Sided Love Affair G2WB 1232-08 So Glad You're Mine G2WB 1233-10
January 31 1956 RCA Studio's - New York
I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Cry (Over You) G2WB 1254-18 Tutti Frutti G2WB 1255-10
February 1956, As 'Heartbreak Hotel' makes its climb up the charts on its way to number one, 'I Forgot to Remember to Forget' b/w 'Mystery Train', Elvis' fifth and last single to be released on the Sun label, hits number one on Billboard’s national country singles chart. His first number one hit on a national chart.
February 3, Elvis returns to New York for a second recording session at RCA's New York Studio, prior to his second appearance on the 'Dorsey Brothers Stage Show', the following day.
These New York Sessions yielded 'Lawdy Miss Clawdy' and 'Shake, Rattle and Roll'.
February 3 1956 RCA Studio's - New York
Lawdy Miss Clawdy G2WB 1293-10 Shake, Rattle And Roll G2WB 1294-12 Shake, Rattle And Roll (Backup Vocal Overdub) G2WB 1294
February 4, Elvis makes his second Stage Show appearance performing 'Baby Let’s Play House' and 'Tutti Frutti'. After the show at the Dorsey brothers invitation, Elvis goes to Roseland, a popular dance club in midtown Manhattan.
The Dorsey Brothers Stage Show CBS Studio New York – 04.02.1956
Baby Let’s Play House
Tutti Frutti
Tour of Virginias and Carolinas. Feb. 5 - Feb. 10
5 February. Richmond, VA. Mosque Theater
6 February. Greensboro, NC. National Theater
7 February. High Point NC. Center Theater
8 February. Raleigh, NC. Ambassador Theater
9 February. Spartanburg, SC. Carolina Theater
10 February. Charlotte, NC. Carolina Theater (4 shows)
The Dorsey Brothers Stage Show CBS Studio New York – 11.02.1956
Blue Suede Shoes
Heartbreak Hotel
12 February. Norfolk, VA. Montecello Auditorium
13 February. Newport News. VA. Paramount Theater
14 February. Wilson, NC. Charles L. Coon High School Auditorium
15 February. Burlington, NC. Walt Williams High School
16 February. Winston-Salem NC. Carolina Theater
The Dorsey Brothers Stage Show CBS Studio New York – 18.02.1956
Tutti Frutti
I Was The One
Tour of Florida and Georgia. Feb. 19 - Feb. 26
19 February. Tampa, FL. Ft. Homer Hesterly Armony (3 shows)
20 February. West Palm Beach, FL. Palms Theater (4 shows)
21 February. Sarasota, FL. Florida Theater (4 shows)
22 February. Waycross, GA. City Auditorium (3 shows)
23 February. Jacksonville, FL. Gator Bowl
Elvis collapses in the parking lot after the first show on February 23 and is taken to hospital, where the doctor diagnoses exhaustion and tells him to slow down.
24 February. Jacksonville, FL. Gator Bowl
25 February. The Louisiana Hayride. Municipal Auditorium, Shreveport, Louisiana (8pm)
Elvis performs 'Heartbreak Hotel' for the first time on the Hayride.
26 February. Pensacola, FL. Municipal Auditorium (3 shows - 2,5 and 8 pm)
Johnny Cash / Elvis Presley Poster
March 3, Before flying to Shreveport with cousin, Gene Smith, Elvis writes a check for $500 toward the purchase of a house for himself and his parents at 1034 Audubon Drive, a well-to-do suburban neighborhood east of downtown Memphis.
3 March. The Louisiana Hayride. Municipal Auditorium, Shreveport, Louisiana (8pm)
March 10, Elvis performs with Johnny Cash and other on the Louisiana Hayride. Municipal Auditorium, Shreveport, Louisiana
March 13, RCA releases Elvis Presley, Elvis' first album. The album soon goes to number one on Billboard’s pop album chart for ten weeks. It is the first Elvis album to reach over $1 million in sales, thus earning Elvis his first gold album award.
East Coast Tour . Mar. 14 - Mar. 23
14 March. Atlanta, GA. Fox Theatre (3 shows)
15 March. Atlanta, GA. Fox Theatre (3 shows)
18 March. Charleston, SC. County Hall
The Dorsey Brothers Stage Show CBS Studio New York – 17.03.1956
Blue Suede Shoes
Elvis Presley - The Dorsey Brothers Stage Show - March 17, 1956
March 20, While Elvis is on tour, his parents move into the new house at 1034 Audubon Drive.
Elvis purchased 1034 Audubon Drive with royalties earned from 'Heartbreak Hotel'. This was a time of innocence, gracious southern living and the dawn of pop culture, as we know it today. During his 13 month stay at Audubon, Elvis became a multiple hit recording artist with RCA, movie star, teen idol, breadwinner for his immediate family (who resided with Elvis), heartbreaker, showstopper, award winner and ultimately homeowner with numerous additions and customizations to the property as designated by Elvis, which remain to this day.
21 March. Lexington, NC. YMCA Gymnasium
22 March. Richmond, VA. Mosque Theater
23 March. Washington DC. SS Mt. Vernon Riverboat
Heartbreak HotelRCA realized they had nothing in their photo file on Elvis. They needed to get a few publicity shots. RCA offered the job to Alfred Wertheimer who 'jumped at the chance'. It was just a one-day assignment at the rehearsal and telecast of Elvis' fifth Dorsey Brothers Stage Show in New York. RCA wanted photos for release to newspapers: head shots; Elvis at the microphone; Elvis with fans; or, best of all, Elvis with celebrities. Al Wertheimer took the required photographs, but he didn’t stop there. By the time he parted company with Elvis that night, Wertheimer had snapped over 400 photos of Elvis, nearly all of which caught casual off-stage moments. Wertheimer was able to shoot before, during and after the Dorsey show rehearsal, as well as back stage before the live telecast. The Dorsey Brothers Stage Show CBS Studio New York – 24.03.1956
Money Honey
Heartbreak Hotel
March 25, Elvis flies from New York to Los Angeles for his Hollywood screen test.
March 26, Elvis has a screen test for Paramount Studios in Hollywood. He lip synchs 'Blue Suede Shoes' and he performs a scene from the as yet unmade film, The Rainmaker, a film he does not end up being in.
Elvis' screen test will last three days. Elvis performs two scenes from 'The Rainmaker' and is scheduled to start shooting in June with Burt Lancaster and Katherine Hepburn in the starring roles.
Of his dramatic performance screenwriter Allen Weiss later wrote that Elvis came across 'Like the lead in a high school play'. However with the music added as Elvis lip-synchs and gyrates to his recording of 'Blue Suede Shoes', the transformation was incredible ... electricity bounced off the walls of the sound stage, [it was] like an earthquake in progress, only without the implicit threat'.
The Louisiana Hayride
31 March. The Louisiana Hayride. Municipal Auditorium, Shreveport, Louisiana.
This is Elvis' last appearance on a regularly scheduled Hayride show.
April 1, Elvis, Gene Smith and the band fly from Sheveport to San Diego for Elvis' next television appearance was on the Milton Berle Show on April 3 (from the deck of the aircraft carrier, the USS Hancock) in San Diego California. The Milton Berle Show – U.S.S. Hancock San Diego, California - 03.04.1956
Heartbreak Hotel
Blue Suede Shoes
Dialogue
Blue Suede Shoes
Still in in San Diego, Elvis performs concerts on April 4 and 5. Latter (September) the San Diego Police Chief announces that if Elvis Ever returns to his city and performs in the way that he did ... he will be jailed for disorderly conduct.
West Coast. Apr. 4- Apr. 5
4-5 April. San Diego. CA. Arena
Elvis Miami - August 4, 1956
Tour of Colorado, Texas and New Mexico. Apr. 8 - Apr. 13
8 April. Denver. CO. Coliseum
9 April. Wichita Falls, TX. Municipal Auditorium
April 10, 1956, just one week after appearing on the Milton Berle show broadcast from the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Hancock in San Diego, Elvis, Scotty, Bill and DJ performed once more at the Fair Park Coliseum. Elvis by this time had signed with RCA, had been on national television, 'Heartbreak Hotel' had gone gold and he had signed with Paramount Pictures to a seven year contract.
Buddy Holly with his first single weeks away from being released, opened the shows with Sonny Curtis on guitar, Jerry Allison on drums and Don Guess on bass. It was the first time that both Buddy and Sonny together opened for Elvis. Aside from Buddy's Fender Stratocaster, they used Bill Black's bass and DJ's drums. Sonny and Buddy traded off on using what appears to be Elvis' alternate Martin D18. (It will no doubt make Sir Paul McCartney, the owner of Bill's bass and publishing rights to Buddy's song catalog, happy to know that this bass was used in a performance with Buddy.)
His popularity necessitated two performances that evening, one at 8 and the other at 9:45, both to packed auditoriums which totaled over 10,000 people. Ken Kennamer in the Lubbock Avalanche Journal reported that Elvis 'appeared in Lubbock less than 18 months ago for $75, picked up $4000-plus in this return appearance'. He also wrote, 'In his dressing room between shows, Presley still couldn't get away from his following. The fans oblivious to the dressing and undressing members of the band, leaked through police at the doorway to get pictures, autographs or just to look. He signed autographs on pictures, notebooks, papers, legs, arms and foreheads'.
Of Elvis' performance the Journal reported, 'you heard very little of his voice Tuesday night. As soon as he would sing a few bars of a number, he was greeted by wails, screams and swooning acts that brought back memories of Frank Sinatra's hey-day'. 'Heartbreak Hotel,' 'I Got a Woman', and 'Blue Suede Shoes' literally brought down the house as did every gymnastic movement of his body. It was their final appearance at the Coliseum and in Lubbock.
10 April. Lubbock, TX. Fair Park Auditorium
11 April. El Paso, TX. Coliseum
12 April. Alburquerque, NM. Armony
13 April. Amarillo, TX. Municipal Auditorium
April 13, The charted flight (At a cost of $1000) that Elvis and the band take to Nashville for a one day recording session set up at the last minute by Steve Sholes is plagued by problems. First the pilot loses his way and has to land in El Dorado, Arkansas, to refuel. Then one of the engines cuts out because the plane has not been switched over to it's full tank. 'Man, I don't know if I'll ever fly again,' Elvis announces when he arrives in Nashville.
April 14 1956 RCA Studio's - Nashville, Tennessee
Whether because of the flight problems or simply because Elvis is fatigued from hid constant touring, the session does not go well. Just one song is recorded in three hours.
I Want You I Need You I Love You G2WB 0271-SP
Immediately after the session Elvis and the band take a bumpy ride to Memphis on the same charted plane. In the evening Elvis stops by Dewey Phillip's Red Hot and Blue radio show on the mezzanine floor of the Hotel Chisca.
Saturday 15, Elvis, the band and Gene Smith fly - by commercial carrier this time - to San Antonio, Texas.
Tour of Texas. Apr. 15 - Apr. 21
15 April. San Antonio, TX. Municipal Auditorium
16 April. Corpus Christi, TX. Memorial Auditorium
17 April. Waco, TX. Heart O' Texas Coliseum
18 April. Tulsa, OK. Fairgrounds Pavillion
19 April. Oklahoma City, OK. Municipal Auditorium
20 April. Fort Worth, TX. North Side Convention Center
21 April. Houston , TX. City Auditorium (2 shows)
First Live Performances In Las Vegas Apr. 23 - May 6
23 April-6 May. Las Vegas, NV. New Frontier Hotel
Elvis Presley New Frontier Hotel
In April, Colonel Parker booked Elvis, Scotty, Bill and D.J. for a two week engagement at the New Frontier Hotel beginning on April 23rd. The flyer for the Hotel advertised Freddy Martin and his orchestra, who were scheduled to do a stage show version of the Broadway musical Oklahoma! Also on the bill were comedian Shecky Greene and as an added attraction, the Atomic Powered Singer, Elvis Presley. Since Nevada was the home of Atomic powered testing, Parker thought the name would be catchy. What Parker hadn't figured on was how an older, more sedate nightclub crowd would react to Elvis.
Compared to the usual hysteria, Elvis has lukewarm acceptance for his two-week engagement at the New Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas. He is not exactly what the adult audience of Vegas gamblers relates to very well.
Bill Willard, a reviewer for the Las Vegas Sun newspaper, panned the performance writing, 'For the teen-agers, the long, tall Memphis lad is a whiz; for the average Vegas spender or showgoer, a bore. His musical sound with a combo of three is uncouth, matching to a great extent the lyric content of his nonsensical songs'. D.J. Fontana said, 'I don't think the people there were ready for Elvis. He was mostly for teenagers, kids. We worked with Freddie Martin's orchestra and here we were three little pieces making all that noise. We tried everything we knew. Usually Elvis could get them on his side. It didn't work that time. The Colonel did a show for teenagers on Saturday, and it was just jam-packed, with everyone screaming and hollering'.
Read more and view photos of Elvis, Scotty, Bill & D.J. at the New Frontier Hotel
April 25, Negotiations with Hal Wallis are finalized and Elvis signs a seven-year movie contract with Hal Wallis and Paramount Pictures.
Elvis Presley LPM-1254
May 5, Elvis' first LP, Elvis Presley reaches #1 on Billboard's album chart, where it remains for ten weeks out of it's forty-eight weeks on the chart.
Tour of Midwest. May 13 - May 27
13 May. St Paul, MN. Auditorium (mat)
13 May. Minneapolis, MN. City Auditorium (eve)
From this point on, virtually all of Elvis' personal appearances are variety shows produced by the Colonel, on which no other performer who might be considered a rival appears. The Colonel insists on this format as guarantee that Elvis will stand alone and as a way of presenting Elvis as a mainstream performer, not just another 'rock 'n' roller'. These acts are supplied by Chicago talent agent Al Dvorin, who helps set up the following date in LaCrosse and remains with the show off and on for the next twenty-one years.
Reports from the La Crosse performance cause the editor of the local newspaper to complain to FBI director J. Edgar Hoover that from what he has heard Elvis' act consists of 'sexual gratification on stage'.
May 15, More than 7,000 people jammed Ellis Auditorium , to stomp, shudder, shriek and sigh as a young Elvis Presley writhed his way through a rock and roll repertoire. Presley was the blockbuster of Bob Neal's Cotton Picking Jamboree, a feature of Cotton Carnival opening night.
16 May. Little Rock, AR. Robinson Auditorium (2 shows)
17 May. Springfield, MO. Shrine Mosque
18 May. Wichita, KS. Wichita Forum (2 shows)
19 May. Lincoln, NE. University Of Nebraska Coliseum
20 May. Omaha, NE. Civic Auditorium Arena (two shows)
21 May. Topeka, KS. Municipal Auditorium
22 May. Des Moines. IA. Veteran's Memorial Auditorium
23 May. Sioux City, IA. Municipal Auditorium
24 May. Kansas City, MO. Municipal Auditorium
25 May. Detroit, MI. Fox Theater
26 May. Columbus, OH. Veteran Memorial Auditorium (two shows9
27 May. Dayton, OH. University Of Dayton FieldHouse
June 1, Elvis makes a surprise visit to the Overton Park Shell in Memphis where old friends Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins and new Sun artists Roy Orbison and Warren Smith are performing.
Elvis and Carl Perkins sign autographs Overton Park Shell - June 1, 1956
Elvis' second appearance on the Milton Berle Show was on June 5 at the NBC Studio's in Hollywood, California. Elvis' performance of 'Hound Dog' on this show drove the audience wild, and had the press and some of the viewers appalled. It is one of his most controversial performances. It was also Elvis at his best. Besides 'Hound Dog', Elvis also sang 'I Want You, I Need You, I Love You'.
The Milton Berle Show – NBC Studio Hollywood, California - 05.06.1956
Hound Dog
Dialogue
I Want You, I Need You, I Love You
The next day, the press nicknamed him 'Elvis the Pelvis'. Many described his act by comparing it to a striptease. Jack Gould of The New York Times declared, 'Mr. Presley has no discernible singing ability,' while John Crosby of the New York Herald Tribune called Elvis 'unspeakably untalented and vulgar.' The criticism prompted parents, religious groups from the North and South, and the Parent-Teacher Association to condemn Elvis and rock 'n' roll music by associating both with juvenile delinquency.
About 10 days later, Berle called Colonel Parker to tell him that based on the 'hundreds of thousands of 'pan' letters' he had received following the show that 'you have a star on your hands.
- View a double-sided poster that was used by the Colonel to publicly thank Milton Berle for having Elvis perform on his national TV program while advertising Elvis' upcoming concerts in San Diego California.
6 June. San Diego, CA. San Diego Arena
7 June. Long Beach, CA. Municipal Auditorium
8 June. Los Angeles, CA. Shrine Auditorium
June 8, Elvis Presley dropped by The Commercial Appeal and found an offbeat note. He saw a story that a Canadian radio station was banning his records. 'A lot of people like it', was one of his comments.
Elvis Presley at The Commercial Appeal June 8, 1956
June 11, Elvis flies home to Memphis for the funeral of his cousin Lee Edward Smith, Gene and Junior's brother, who has drowned. Among the crowd of fans outside his Audubon Drive house, Elvis finds June Juanico, the girl he met just one year ago in Biloxi, Mississippi. He will spend much of the week showing her around Memphis.
Meanwhile, in Hollywood the negative publicity over the Milton Berle Show appearance causes Hal Wallis to express some concern to his partner, Joe Hazen. But, he concludes, he would still sign Presley, even if he were unknown, because of the fine quality of his screen test.
Elvis at home with June Juanico - Audubon Drive, Summer 1956
June 12, Elvis flies to Houston with June Juanico, whose ticket is issued in the name of Miss June Prichard in order to protect her from the security of the press. (Prichard may have been chosen because Elvis has tried to call her on October 26, 1955, from Prichard, Alabama, soon after they first met.) They are traveling to pick up the new convertible that he has ordered, a 1956 ivory-colored Cadillac Eldorado Biaritzz. Harry Kalcheim reports to the Colonel that there is a great deal of British interest in Elvis playing the Palladium in London.
June 13, Steve Allen announces that he has received strong pressure to cancel Elvis' July 1 appearance on his show. If he does appear, Allen says, Elvis Presley 'will not be allowed any of his offensive tactics'.
Wink Martindale & Elvis Presley
June 16, Elvis shows up on local TV host Wink Martindale's Dance Party to promote his July 4 charity show at Russwood Park in Memphis.
June 21, Elvis leaves for Atlanta, Georgia. Somewhere between the 16th and 21st Elvis is photographed with his three-wheel custom-built Messerschmitt. In Mid-August 1957, Elvis traded the car for a two-and-a-half hour shopping spree at Lansky Brothers clothing store on Beale Street in Memphis.
Tour of Georgia and The Carolinas. Jun. 22 - Jun. 28
22-24 June. Atlanta, GA. Paramount Theater (ten shows in three days)
The National Jesuit Magazine, in its June 23, 1956, issue, titled 'Beware Elvis Presley', quoted several newspapers around the country that found Presley troublesome. One described a performance in Wisconsin as a 'striptease with clothes on' (that was) not only suggestive, but downright obscene'.
25 June. Savannah, GA. Sports Arena
26 June. Charlotte, NC. Coliseu
27 June. Augusta, GA. Bell Auditorium
28 June. Charleston, SC. College Park Baseball Field
June 29, Elvis arrives in New York in the morning and goes immediately to rehearsals for the upcoming Steve Allen TV-show at a rehearsal in mid-town Manhattan.
Due to the controversy over Elvis' performance of 'Hound Dog' and to tone down Elvis' sexy performance, the early order of business was fitting him for the tuxedo he would wear while singing 'Hound Dog' to a basset hound named Sherman. Many Elvis fans never forgave Steve Allen for this bit, saying it was a deliberate attempt to humiliate Elvis and ridicule the rock 'n' roll music Allen made no secret of disliking. Allen disputed this. Almost 40 years later he insisted he meant no disrespect, that Elvis was in on the gag from the beginning and that Elvis thought it was hilarious. There's no record of Sherman's opinion, but based on how stoically he sat through the performance, he may be the calmest basset hound in history.
It is at this rehearsal that photographer Alfred Wertheimer, who photographed Elvis on the fifth Dorsey Show, hooks up with Elvis once again and begins a series of pictures that will eloquently chronicle the next week of his life.
That night, Elvis catch the Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac Railroad train to Richmond, Virginia, arriving the next morning. This is familiar ground to Elvis; earlier in the year he'd rocked the state capital's Mosque Theatre twice - February 5th and March 22nd. Elvis and his two cousins Junior and Gene Smith take a taxi ride to the Hotel Jefferson. Here he'll have time to rest and prepare for the two concerts scheduled for 5pm and 8pm.
After checking in, Elvis and his cousins go up to their rooms to relax and store away his concert clothes. In the early afternoon, Elvis changes clothes and goes downstairs for a quick snack. Waiting for him is a young lady he'd met while visiting Richmond back in March. All dressed up and excited, she joins Elvis in the coffee shop. At 4.30 pm, Elvis, his cousins and the Richmond Rose take a taxi ride to the Mosque Theatre. Not long now to Showtime.
On arrival at the theatre, Elvis is met by his drummer, D.J. Fontana. As fans scream 'We want Elvis!' outside, their hero is joined backstage by the Jordanaires. They relax by harmonizing on some gospel songs. They have to quit because Elvis can't hear his backing vocals because of the screaming of the fans. While the support acts try to entertain the packed theatre, Elvis has other things to worry about - such as heating up his Richmond babe...
Finally the big moment draws near. With only a few minutes to showtime, Elvis musicians tune up their instruments and prepare to rock and roll. The man everybody is waiting to see stands in the wings ready to bring the house down. 'Heartbreak Hotel', 'Money Honey'...One hit after another is greeted by screams from the devoted audience. The auditorium is exploding and Elvis enjoys every minute of it. The pandemonium continues for 25 minutes. Then the Memphis Flash gets ready for the grand finale... 'You ain't nuthin' but a houn' dawg...' The band plays loud behind him while Elvis pulls out all the stops to drive the fans to fever pitch. 'You ain't never caught a rabbit, you ain't no friend of mine.' Dropping to his knees with his hair falling over his sweaty brow, he repeats the last verse again and again before rolling over on the dusty stage with his arms outstretched. The fans reach out for him but he is untouchable.
Immediately after the show Elvis returns by train to New York.
July 1, Elvis apears on The Steve Allen Show.
The Steve Allen Show – Het Hudson Theatre New York - 01.07.1956
Dialogue
I Want You, I Need You, I Love You
Introduction
Hound Dog
Later on the same night Elvis stopped by Hy Gardner's live TV interview show, looking a lot like one of the performers he most admired, the late James Dean. 'I don't feel like I'm doing anything wrong,' he told Gardner. 'I don't see how any type of music would have any bad influence on people. How would rock ‘n' roll music make anyone rebel against their parents?'
Monday, July 2, 1956, Elvis left the Hilton Hotel for a 2 p.m. date at the RCA studio on E. 24th and over the next seven hours recorded 'Hound Dog' and 'Don't Be Cruel', which would be released five weeks later and become his most successful single, racking up 11 weeks at No. 1. He also recorded a nice ballad, 'Any Way You Want Me'. Colonel Parker tell RCA vice president Larry Kananga during the day that 'Hound Dog' may become such a big hit that RCA may have to change it's corporate symbol from the 'Victor Dog' to the 'Hound Dog'. Elvis would never enter a New York studio again.
This was the first session where Elvis made it clear he was the real producer of his records. He pounded everyone through 31 takes of 'Hound Dog' before he felt he had it the way he wanted it.
July 2 1956 RCA Studio's - New York
Hound Dog G2WB 5935-31 Don't Be Cruel G2WB 5936-28 Any Way You Want Me (That's How I Will Be) G2WB 5937-12
July 3,, In the morning, Elvis repaired to Penn Station to start a 27-hour train ride home to Memphis. At Penn Station he ran into fellow singer Gene Vincent, congratulating Vincent on the success of his Elvis-style hit 'Be-Bop-A-Lula'.
Elvis - Russwood Stadium - July 4, 1956
July 4, Upon arriving in memphis, Elvis disembarks at a small signal stop called White Station and walks home to Audubon Drive, arriving just as a new swimming pool is being filled. He spends the afternoon with his family and a Memphis girlfriend, Barbara Hearn.
Elvis performs a charity concert at Memphis' Russwood Park , in the evening, where he told the crowd, 'You know those people in New York are not going to change me none. I'm gonna show you what the real Elvis like tonight'.
4 July. Memphis, TN. Russwood Park
Following is an interview with Jim Steward in New Orleans. Elvis talks about the bad publicity after The Milton Berle Show . Talks about not having yet recorded 'Hound Dog' and meeting Gene Vincent.
July 5, Elvis begins the first real vacation that he has had since gaining national recognition.
Elvis at St. Joseph's Hospital in Memphis
July 5, 1956 Elvis visitied 12 year old Ellen Mincey at St. Joseph's Hospital in Memphis. She and her mother were injured in an auto acident the previous day, as they returned home from a picnic to get ready to attend Elvis' performance at Russwood Baseball Park.
July 9, Elvis shows up unexpectedly at June Juanico's house in Biloxi. Elvis' presence in Biloxi fuels escalating rumors that he is engaged to June. June Juanico is a girl Elvis met just one year ago in Biloxi, Mississippi. Elvis spends much of the next three weeks in Biloxi, moving initially into a villa at the Gulf Hills Dude Ranch resort , then into a private home nearby, after his car is scratched and covered with messages by fans in the Sun 'N' Sand parking lot.
Elvis taking a break from a grueling schedule in July 1956 - Gulf Hulls Dude Ranch in Biloxi, Mississippi
Friday night, July 27, Elvis did a typically unexpected thing when he turned up at the Blackwood Brothers Gospel Sing and sang two songs 'Jesus Filled My Every Need' and 'You'll Never Walk Alone' with the Statesmen Quartet'.
Elvis Presley and the Blackwood Brothers - Ellis Auditorium, Memphis - July 27, 1956
August 1956, Elvis begins shooting his first movie, Love Me Tender on loan-out from Paramount to Twentieth Century Fox. It is originally titled The Reno Brothers, but is re-titled before its release to capitalize on Elvis' sure-to-be-a-hit single from the soundtrack.
Tour of Florida. Aug. 3 - Aug. 12
August 3, Elvis arives in Miami for a few weeks of touring before heading to Los Angeles. Over two days, Elvis managed 7 shows at the Olympia Theater and as the year before in Florida he performed amidst scenes of rioting fans leaving one show with his pants completly torn.
Above - Bob Hoffer interviews Elvis in St. Petersburg Florida on August 7. Ed Sullivan's automobile accident is discussed and that Ed will not be available for Elvis' first appearance. And the recent single release of 'Hound Dog' / 'Don't Be Cruel' has sold over a million copies in two weeks, and he now has four Gold records including his debut album Elvis Presley.
August 10, When Elvis rolled into Jacksonville, Florida, on August 10, 1956, Judge Marion Gooding had prepared an arrest warrant for Presley charging him with impairing the morals of minors in the event that Elvis swiveled his hips.
Young people at the Murray Hill Methodist Church heard Elvis denounced in a sermon entitled, 'Hotrods, Reefers, and Rock and Roll'. Elsewhere in town, the Rev. Robert Gray, pastor of Trinity Baptist Church, offered up prayers for Presley's salvation after declaring that the singer had 'achieved a new low in spiritual degeneracy.'
Elvis appeared at the Florida Theatre in Jacksonville, FL. Juvenile Court Judge Marion Gooding warned Elvis in chambers after the first show that he must tone down his act. Elvis told reporters 'i can't figure out what I'm doing wrong'.
Elvis modifies his show nonetheless, wiggling his little finger suggestively with a gesture that replaces some of his less restrained body movements and at the same time still drives the audience wild.
12 August. New Orleans, LA. Municipal Auditorium (2 shows)
August 24 1956 20th Century Fox Stage 1 - Hollywood, CA
We're Gonna Move G2WB 7260-SP Love Me Tender G2WB 4767-02 Poor Boy ____-03
September 1 1956 Radio Recorders - Hollywood, California
Playing For Keeps G2WB 4920-SP Love Me G2WB 4921-09 How Do You Think I Feel G2WB 4923-07 How's The World Treating You G2WB 4924-07
September 2 1956 Radio Recorders - Hollywood, California
Paralyzed G2WB 4922-12 Paralyzed (Insert) ____-05 Paralyzed (Composite Master) G2WB 4922-SP When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again G2WB 4925-10 Long Tall Sally G2WB 4926-04 Old Shep G2WB 4927-01 Too Much G2WB 4928-12 Too Much (Insert) ____-02 Too Much (Composite Master) G2WB 4928-SP Anyplace Is Paradise G2WB 4929-22
September 3 1956 Radio Recorders - Hollywood, California
Ready Teddy G2WB 4930-12 First In Line G2WB 4931-27 Rip It Up G2WB 4932-19
September 4 1956 20th Century Fox Stage 1 - Hollywood, CA
Let Me (Track) ____-02 Poor Boy (Partial Verse Track) ____-03
September 5 1956 20th Century Fox Stage 1 - Hollywood, CA
Poor Boy (Partial Verse Vocal Overdub) ____-06 Poor Boy (Composite) G2WB 7259-SP Let Me (Vocal Overdub) G2WB 7261-SP
Following is silent footage of Elvis visiting with George Klein September 1956. In radio station booth.
Although at first Ed Sullivan said he would never want Elvis on his show, Sullivan changed his mind when The Steve Allen Show with Elvis as a guest had about twice as many viewers as Sullivan's show that night (they were competing for the same audience since they were in the same time slot). After negotiating with Elvis' manager, Ed Sullivan paid Elvis the huge sum of $50,000 for appearing on three of his shows: September 9, 1956, October 28, 1956, and then on January 6, 1957.
Elvis' first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show was a major success. Over 60 million people, both young and old, watched the show and many people believe it helped bridge the generation gap for Elvis' acceptance into the mainstream. Elvis performed, 'Don’t Be Cruel', 'Love Me Tender', Ready Teddy and 'Hound Dog'.
The Ed Sullivan Show – CBS Studio Hollywood, California - 09.09.1956
Don’t Be Cruel
Love Me Tender
Ready Teddy
Hound Dog
September 26, Elvis returned to Tupelo to perform two shows at the Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show.
Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show in Tupelo, Mississippi
Elvis Presley Day is proclaimed in Tupelo, Mississippi. Elvis' parents join him as he returns to the town of his birth as a big star. He performs two shows at the Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show, the same fair at which he had performed at age 10. This time there are a hundred National Guardsmen surrounding the stage to control the crowds of excited fans.
A fourteen year old Wynette Pugh (Tammy Wynette) watchs from the front row as Elvis performs. Some of the songs have been released (with sound) on the Tupelo's Own Elvis Presley DVD.
26 September - Tupelo, MS. Mississippi-Alabama Fairgrounds (2 shows)
October 1 1956 20th Century Fox Stage 1 - Hollywood, CA
Love Me Tender (End Title Version) SPA5 2875-NA
Tour of Texas. Oct. 11 - Oct. 14
11 October. Dallas, TX. Cotton Bowl
12 October. Waco, TX. Heart O' Texas Coliseum
13 October. Houston, TX. Sam Houston Coliseum (2 shows)
14 October. San Antonio, TX. Bexar Country Coliseum
Elvis returned to New York on October 25 in preparation for his second appearance on the Ed Sullivan's showon Oct. 28 (The first was in Hollywood, California) a date that coincided with the opening of his first movie, Love Me Tender. On this show Elvis performed, 'Don’t Be Cruel', 'Love Me Tender', 'Love Me' and 'Hound Dog'. Elvis also did a short press conference on the day of the actual show.
The Ed Sullivan Show – CBS Studio New York - 28.10.1956
Don't Be Cruel
Love Me Tender
Love Me
Hound Dog
Natalie Wood and Elvis Presley
Natalie Wood and Elvis Presley outside the Hotel Chisca Wednesday October 31, 1956. Elvis had returned earlier in the day from New York where he had made his second appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show Sunday (10/28) night. Miss Wood flew in from the West Coast to visit for a few days.
On Tuesday the 30th, Elvis took a train back to Memphis. This time he wasn't heading for a one-nighter at a high school, but joining actor Nick Adams to show Natalie Wood a night on the town.
November 16, Elvis’ first movie, Love Me Tender premieres at the Paramount Theater in New York City, opening nationwide in the days following. It becomes a smash hit, and the critics’ reviews aren't bad for his acting in this melodrama, which is set in the American South of the 1800's Civil War era.
December 4, The Million Dollar Quartet - The legendary session that was to be a Carl Perkins recording session but tuned into something much more when Elvis Presley walked through the door. Jerry Lee Lewis was already present as he is playing piano on the session, Johnny Cash was there to watch Carl record, which he did until mid-afternoon, when Elvis came in with his girlfriend. (Johnny says 'I was the first to arrive and the last to leave' - Read more )
At that point the session stopped and they all started laughing and cutting up together. Then Elvis sat down at the piano, and started singing gospel songs we all knew, then some Bill Monroe songs. Elvis wanted to hear songs Bill had written besides Blue Moon of Kentucky, and I knew the whole repertoire.
At some point they all went next door for coffee and cheeseburgers, and the now famous 'Million-Dollar Quartet' photo(s) was taken (Which appeared in the Memphis Commercial Appeal the next day). On seeing the photo Johnny Cash wondered 'what happened to Elvis' girlfriend. She'd been sitting on the piano when the photo was taken'.
Last Hayride Performance. Dec. 15
15 December. The Louisiana Hayride Hirsch Youth Center, Louisiana Fairgrounds, Shreveport, Louisiana
The now legendary fraise 'Elvis has left the building' was first made by Horace Logan December 15, 1956.
December 31, The front page of The Wall Street Journal reports that in the past few months Elvis merchandise has grossed $22 million in sales.
Elvis ends the pivotal year of his career, when regional popularity gave way to unprecedented national and international fame. The year of 1956 has seen the beginning of Elvis souvenir merchandising, the beginning of a successful movie career, huge record sales (five number one singles on the pop chart, two number one albums on the pop chart, and other hits), history-making television appearances, record-breaking personal appearances and more.
Elvis has become the primary symbol of the new youth culture in America. He has also become one of society's most controversial figures. His unique blending of white country and gospel music, black R&B and gospel, white pop music, his particular brand of charisma and talent, and the resulting success and controversy, have helped him greatly to begin, without premeditation, a cycle of change in music and pop culture and the mores of American society. Nothing will ever be the same for Elvis Presley or for the world.
Elvis Day By Day - By Ernst Jorgensen & Peter Guralnick is a complete account of public, private, rare, forgotten, and renowned moments, captured with such detail and immediacy they read like diary entries in a life--from first steps to the first time the young 'hillbilly cat' stepped on stage; from the creation of a revolutionary new sound to the last days of a universally known, tragically misunderstood music legend. No longer in print. Grab one if you find one.
Elvis A Life In Music - The Complete Recording Sessions Book (Ernst Jorgensen) is a superlative book combining beautiful illustrations and searching text. The author, responsible for BMG's modernisation of the Elvis Presley catalogue, has dug well beneath the surface to present the definitive story behind Elvis Presley's recording sessions. In the process the reader is taken into the recording studio to experience the atmosphere: 'Altering the lyrics, laughing as his voice cracked, throwing in the first two lines of 'A Little Less Conversation'. Elvis was relaxed and energetic as they ran through a series of incomplete takes, finally making it to the end at take ten'. If you are interested in Elvis' recoding sessions you will without doubt consider this your most prized possession - book wise. Read Review
Elvis The Concert Years - 1969-1977 - There are so many good things to say about this book - excellent material deserves praise and any fans of the concert years has to have this book on his shelf. Somehow Mr. Skar realized the impossible and produced the BEST Elvis Presley book ever available on the concert years from 1969 to 1977, this is now the reference on the subject .... Buy it, enjoy it; I am sure you will not regret it! Read Review
Stop, look and listen baby that's our philosophy .... First thing in the morning, last thing at night ... look, stare everywhere and see everything inside .... Stop, look and listen!
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informs the Colonel that because of his new job he will have to 'bow out' of participation in the upcoming February tour.This marks the end of his official association with Elvis Presley. The Colonel is now in full control of all aspects of Elvis' career.
50's Masters
60's Masters
