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Elvis Presley August 5, 1955, Memphis. Overton Park Shell
August 5, Bob Neal's eighth annual Country Music Jamboree.
The show also included Elvis Presley, Webb Pierce, Sonny James, Johnny Cash, Wanda Jackson and some 22 other country music and comedy performers. They drew a crowd of over 4000.
The Memphis Press Scimitar on August 6 reported that the Shell was jammed with an overflow audience for the show and that several hundred were turned away. Local amateur photographer Robert Dye who photographed Elvis at the Shell on August 5th recalled one performer loaning him his guitar after Elvis couldn't find his in time to go on and was pretty agitated after Elvis returned it with two strings broken.
Elvis Presley and Texas Bill Strength at the Overton Park Shell.
We go way back in time with this beautiful backstage picture we are sharing with you this week. On August 5th 1955, Elvis was performing at the Overton Park shell at ‘Bob Neal's eighth annual Country Music Jamboree'.
Also present was cowboy Bill Strength, who Elvis admired and was happy to get his picture taken with. The Overton Park Shell in Memphis was also the location of Elvis his first live performance one year earlier on July 30th 1954.
On August 5th 1955 the show was filled with young upcoming stars, because beside Elvis were also performing; Webb Pierce, Sonny James, Johnny Cash and Wanda Jackson. The Shell was packed with an audience over 4000 people present! One day later the Memphis Press Scimitar reported that the Shell was jammed with an overflow audience for the show and that several hundred were turned away. Local amateur photographer Robert Dye, who photographed Elvis at the Shell on August 5th, recalled one performer loaning him his guitar after Elvis couldn't find his in time to go on and was pretty agitated after Elvis returned it with two strings broken.
Although Texas Bill Strength was better known for his radio career, he also recorded some country and rockabilly songs.
He even recorded at the legendary Sun Records backed by Scotty Moore.
Bill was born in Bessemer, Alabama on August 28th 1928, he died at the early age of 45, following a car accident on August 5th 1973 (on the day, 18 years after this picture was made). Strength was paralyzed from the waist down, slipped into a coma and passed away on October 1st 1973.
In 1990 he was inducted into the Country Music DJ Hall of Fame.
Elvis Presley August 13, 1955, Louisiana Hayride in Shreveport
January 1955
Alvis Presley : January 5, 1955
Elvis Presley on The Louisiana Hayride : January 22, 1955
Tyler : January 25, 1955
Backstage : Gilmer : January 26, 1955
Elvis Presley : January 29, 1955 The Louisiana Hayride
February
Sun Studios : February 3, 1955 : Elvis, Scotty and Bill
Elvis Presley : February 6, 1955 : Memphis. Overton Park Shell
Radio promotion for February 23, 1955 Appearance
Buddy Holly and Elvis Presley : February 13, 1955 : Lubbock, Tx. Fair Park Coliseum
February 26, 1955 : Ad for Cleveland Concert on this date
March
Elvis, Scotty and Bill at Coley's Truck Stop in Dermott, AR : March 25, 1955
April
Bill Black, Royce Hanson Jr. and Elvis Presley : Gladewater High School : April 30, 1955
May
Elvis Presley : May 13, 1955 : Elvis with Mae Boren Axton
Elvis with Jimmie Rodgers Snow in the parade : Meridian, Mississippi : May 26, 1955
Elvis Presley : Texarkana, AR : Friday, May 27, 1955
June
Elvis Presley : Fair Park Coliseum Lubbock, TX : June 3, 1955
Elvis Presley : June 5, 1954 : Elvis Presley's Burnt out Cadillac
Elvis Presley : Big D Jamboree : Dallas, Texas. Sportarium : June 18, 1955
Scotty Moore, Elvis Presley & Bill Black : Beaumont Texas : June 21, 1955
July
Elvis Presley : July 4, 1955 : Hodges Park : De Leon
Elvis Presley : Water Skiing : McKellar Lake : July 1955 
Elvis Presley : July 15, 1955 : Joy Drive-In Theatre : Minden, LA
Elvis Presley : July 28 & 29, 1955 : Jacksonville, FL. Gator Stadium Baseball Park
Elvis Presley : Fort Homer W. Hesterly Armory, Tampa, FL : July 31, 1955
August
Elvis Presley : Bryan, Tx., Aug 23, 1955
September
Elvis Presley and friends, backstage : Clarksdale, MS. City Auditorium : September 8, 1955
Gilmer : September 26, 1955
October
Elvis Presley : The Cotton Club Lubbock, TX : October 15, 1955
Elvis Presley : October 18, 1955
Elvis Presley : Cleveland : October 19, 1955
Elvis Presley : Cleveland, Ohio : October 20, 1955
December
Elvis Presley : New York : December 1, 1955
Elvis Presley : Swifton, AR : December 9, 1955
Scotty, Bill and Elvis onstage (in the ring) at Ellis Auditorium : Dec 19, 1955
CDs
The Complete Louisiana Hayride Archives 1954-1956
Greatest Live Hits of the 50’s CD From MRS
Elvis At SUN
Books
The Elvis Files Volume 1 : 1953-1956
The Rock 'N Roll Years : My Wish Came True : 1954-56
Elvis Presley: The Family Album Book
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