Elvis Presley- Fair Park Coliseum, Lubbock, TX - April 10, 1956
On 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.
Faron Young and Elvis entertain fans backstage while Jane Giles, Elsie Medlin, Bob Montgomery and Valerie Harms look on
Faron Young and Elvis backstage with children from the March of Dimes - Apr. 10, 1956
Bob Montgomery and Elvis with fan club members after performing - Apr. 10, 1956
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!
You need to have flash player installed and Javascript enabled to be able to see the site content.
