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Elvis Presley Toledo, November 22, 1956
Elvis Presley Backstage at Toledo, November 22, 1956
Elvis Presley Toledo, November 22, 1956
Elvis Presley, the rising musical monarch of the '50s, gyrated into town for two Thanksgiving Day concerts in 1956 and blew Toledo away. 'The screaming youngsters frequently bordered on hysteria', a Blade reporter wrote in the next day's paper.
'Elvis ... was seen here by more persons than watched Adlai E. Stevenson and Vice President Nixon combined. And their talks were free'. This was a young, hip-swinging charmer whose fame was on the rise and whose movie 'Love Me Tender' had just opened in Toledo earlier in the week.
His shows on Nov. 23, 1956, a bitterly cold day, lasted only 30 minutes and followed two hours of warm-up acts, but they were unforgettable to the 13,125 frenzied fans who were there.
'I had never seen anything like that', remembered Kathleen Lindeman, 73, of South Toledo, who was in the crowd. 'All he had to do was lift his arm up and they screamed for five minutes'.
Tickets sold for between $2 and $2.50, an amount at the time that required many teens to save up. Sue Maenle, 66, of Temperance, had to combine earnings from babysitting with jobs as a waitress at a truck stop and as a roller-skating carhop at a drive-in.
'I just made enough to buy my ticket, and I didn't get to buy any souvenirs or any of that stuff', she said. 'It was my dream come true'. She still has the treasured ticket stub: Sec. 17, Row 3, Seat 1.
Teenagers, mostly girls, stood and screamed for much of the concert, often drowning out the sound of Elvis' singing. That didn't bother Sharon Luzius, 65, of West Toledo — she was one of them. But that wasn't enough for her. 'When he came on stage, we were jumping up and down like crazy, of course. I remember going up towards the stage and I touched his shoes. He had suede shoes on. ... I loved the man and I just wanted to touch some part of him', said Mrs. Luzius, whose future husband also happened to be at the show.
Elvis played his early hits, including 'Don't Be Cruel' and 'Hound Dog'. He made $16,000 for his one-day visit to Toledo, a city he would only return to once, in 1977 at what is now called Savage Hall.
Afterwards, a few like Donna Crane were lucky enough to meet the budding king of rock and roll. The 71-year-old Oregon resident, who sometimes worked the concessions stands at the Sports Arena, was taken backstage by the venue's general manager. There, she had her picture taken with Elvis and gave him an honorary membership to the Toledo Mercurys booster club, of which she was president.
'After I met him and they saw that he had his arm on my shoulder, every one of those girls out there wanted to touch my coat', she said. 'In fact, Elvis asked if I had a comb so he could comb his hair. Unfortunately I didn't have a comb with me at the time or I could probably have sold the teeth out of the comb to the crazy girls'.
Elvis' brief stay in Toledo managed to be notable even for him. While at the Commodore Perry Hotel downtown, he was accosted by a young man who shouted, 'My wife carries your picture but doesn't carry mine'.
'Elvis was pummeling the man, Louis John Balint when police broke up the free-for-all, and Balint later pleaded guilty to creating a disturbance. The man later claimed he was promised $200 to fake the fight and drum up publicity. Things didn't end up much better for Penny Bailey, 65, of Walbridge, who bought a picture of Elvis after the concert. Her joy at owning a copy of the singer's handsome visage was short-lived.
'I took it home and showed my family and my boyfriend come over and he spotted that and he was extremely jealous, like all the boys were. He tore it up in shreds and flushed it down the toilet', she said. 'I was devastated'. Everyone who was there had a story to tell — assuming there was someone willing to listen.
When Ruth Trznadel, 62, of Point Place, went home afterwards, her mom had saved some Thanksgiving goodies for her. She was starving, but didn't eat much once she got started talking about the concert.
'I can remember my dad later listening to me and saying, 'Ok, we just want to know one thing'. And I said, 'What?' He says, 'How are the seats at the Sports Arena?'
'I said, 'I don't know. I didn't sit in one'.
January 1956
= Elvis on TV : 1956 : One incredible year !!!
Elvis Presley : RCA's McGavock St Studio : January 10 and 11, April 14, 1956
1956 business contract signed by Colonel Parker and Elvis for The Elvis Presley Show
Elvis Presley : The Dorsey Brothers Stage Show : January 28, 1956
February
Elvis Presley : The Dorsey Brothers Stage Show : February 4, 1956
Elvis Presley, Scotty Moore and Bill Black : February 9, 1956
Elvis Presley : Backstage February 10, 1956
Elvis Presley : The Dorsey Brothers Stage Show : February 11, 1956
Elvis Presley : The Dorsey Brothers Stage Show : February 18, 1956
March
Elvis Presley 1956 : March : June : July 
Elvis Presley's 1956 Home : 1034 Audubon Drive, Memphis, TN
Elvis Presley : The Lousinana Hayride : March 10, 1956
Elvis Presley : The Dorsey Brothers Stage Show : March 17, 1956
Elvis Presley singing and playing gospel music : March 17, 1956
Jimmy Dean and Elvis Presley on the Jimmy Dean WMAL-TV Show, March 23, 1956
Elvis Presley : The Dorsey Brothers Stage Show : March 24, 1956
April
Elvis Presley : The Milton Berle Show : April 3, 1956
Elvis Presley : Arena : San Diego : April 4, 1956
Elvis Presley : Arena : San Diego : April 4, 1956
Elvis Presley : Wichita Falls, Texas : April 9, 1956
Elvis Presley : Fair Park Coliseum, Lubbock, TX : April 10, 1956
Elvis Presley- RCA's McGavock St Studio : January 10 and 11, April 14, 1956
Elvis Presley : San Antonio : April 15, 1956
Elvis Presley : Oklahoma City : April 19, 1956
Elvis Presley : April 20, 1956 : North Side Coliseum, Forth Worth
Elvis Presley, New Singing Find, Booked Into New Frontier : April 21, 1956 
Elvis Presley at The New Frontier Hotel : From April 23, 1956
Review : Elvis Presley at The New Frontier : Las Vegas Sun : April 26, 1956
Review : Elvis Presley at The New Frontier : Las Vegas SUN : April 28, 1956
May
Review : Elvis Presley at The New Frontier : Las Vegas SUN : May 1, 1956
Letter to the editor : Las Vegas SUN : May 12, 1956
Elvis Presley : Auditorium in St. Paul, Minnesota : May 13, 1956
Elvis Presley : May 14, 1956 : LaCrosse Wisconsin
Elvis Presley : May 15, 1956 : Ellis Auditorium
Elvis Presley Detroit, MI. Fox Theater May 25, 1956
Elvis Presley : Columbus, Ohio : May 26, 1956
Elvis, Scotty, Bill and DJ performed two shows at the UD Fieldhouse in Dayton : May 27, 1956
Elvis Presley Dayton, Oh., as Elvis left for Memphis : May 28, 1956
Elvis greeting fans at Los Angeles Airport, 1956
June
Elvis Presley 1956 : March : June : July
Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley swap autographs, Memphis : June 1, 1956
Elvis Presley : Arriving in Oakland : June 3, 1956
Elvis Presley : In Concert : Oakland California : June 3, 1956
The Milton Berle Show : Los Angeles : June 5, 1956
Elvis Presley : June 7, 1956 : Long Beach Municipal Auditorium
Elvis Presley : June 8, 1956
June 16, 1956 : Wink Martindale TV Show
Elvis Presley and Red West at Elvis' 1034 Audubon Drive House : June 14, 1956
The Wink Martindale Show : June 16, 1956
Vernon, Gladys and Elvis Presley sing at the piano : 1034 Audubon Drive House : June 17, 1956
Elvis Presley and Barbara Hearn : June 19, 1956 : Fairgrounds Amusement Park, Memphis
Elvis Presley and Barbara Hearn at Elvis' 1034 Audubon Drive House : June 19, 1956
Elvis Presley with Susan Hayward : June 28, 1956
Elvis Presley : Mosque Theater, Richmond, Va : June 30, 1956
July
Elvis Presley 1956 : March : June : July
Elvis Presley : Hudson Theater : New York City : Steve Allen Show : July 1, 1956
Elvis Presley : RCA Studio One, Memphis, Tennessee : July 2, 1956
Elvis Presley : On The Train to, Memphis, Tennessee : July 3, 1956
Elvis Presley : Russwood Park, Memphis, Tennessee : July 4, 1956
Elvis Presley : St. Joseph's Hospital Memphis Tennessee : July 5, 1956
Elvis Presley : Ocean Springs, MS. : Thursday, July 12, 1956
Elvis performs with The Statesman Quartet at Ellis Auditorium : July 27, 1956
Elvis Presley : Water Skiing : Biloxi : July 31, 1956
August
Elvis Presley Love Me Tender Movie Set Photos
Elvis Presley : Olympia Theater, Miami, Florida : August 3, 1956
Elvis Presley : August 5, 1956 : Tampa Florida
Elvis Presley : Florida Theatre St. Petersburg : August 7, 1956
Elvis Presley : Jacksonville, FL. Florida Theater (3 shows per day) : August 10-11, 1956
Elvis Presley at the Knickerbocker Hotel, Hollywood : August 18, 1956
Elvis Presley : Love Me Tender Recording Sessions : August 24, 1956
Elvis Presley : August 29, 1956 : Hollywood, California (The Truth About Me) + Out Takes [Audio only]
Elvis Presley : August 31, 1956 : On the set of Love Me Tender
September
Elvis Presley : The Ed Sullivan Show : 1956-1957
Elvis Presley : September 1-3, 1956 Recording Sessions
Elvis Presley : First Appearance : The Ed Sullivan Show : September 9, 1956
Elvis Presley: Asleep In Flight : Back To Memphis September 23, 1956
Elvis Presley : September 26, 1956 : Tupelo, MS. Mississippi-Alabama Fairgrounds
Elvis Presley at the Mid-South Fair : Memphis September 29, 1956
October
Elvis Presley : October 5, 1956
Elvis Presley : Cotton Bowl, Dallas : October 11, 1956
Elvis Presley : October 18, 1956
Elvis Presley : October 19, 1956 : Assault Charge
Elvis Presley : The Ed Sullivan Show Rehearsals : October 26-28, 1956
Elvis Presley : The Ed Sullivan Show : Dress Rehearsals : October 28, 1956
Elvis Presley : The Ed Sullivan Show : Press Conference : October 28, 1956
Elvis Presley gets his Polio Shot : October 28, 1956
Elvis Presley : The Ed Sullivan Show : October 28, 1956
Natalie Wood and Elvis Presley outside the Hotel Chisca : October 31, 1956
November
Elvis : Toledo : November 22, 1956
Elvis Presley : Cleveland Arena, Ohio : November 23, 1956
Elvis Presley : E.H. Crump Memorial Football Game : November 30, 1956
December
Elvis Presley : December 11, 1956 : Mobbed by fans in Memphis after running out of gas
Elvis Presley's Last Louisiana Hayride Performance : December 15, 1956
Elvis Presley Touch Football : Dave Wells Community Center : December 27, 1956
1957
Elvis Presley: The Ed Sullivan Show : His third and final Appearance : January 6, 1957
The Movies Of 1956
1956, Love Me Tender, Twentieth Century Fox
The Movies In Photos
DVDs
Elvis : The Ed Sullivan Show : The Classic Performances DVD
The Milton Berle Show DVD
Elvis : The King Of Rock n Roll 30 Hit Performances And More DVD
CDs
The Complete Louisiana Hayride Archives 1954-1956
Greatest Live Hits of the 50’s CD From MRS
Elvis At SUN
Elvis Presley : FTD Special Edition 2 CD
The Million Dollar Quartet
The King Of Rock 'N' Roll : The Complete 50's Masters
Elvis' Golden Records CD
Books
The Elvis Files Volume 1 : 1953-1956
A Moment In Time : 4 Days in '56 : Hardcover book from FTD
Rock, Sex, and Roll : Elvis Presley Hardcover Book [JAT]
The Rock 'N Roll Years : My Wish Came True : 1954-56
Elvis : The Hottest Thing That's Cool The '50s inc, Ed Sullivan and Steve Allen Shows
Flashback Book + 2 CDs
Elvis : The Hottest Thing That's Cool - Elvis Book
Elvis Presley: The Family Album Book
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