Today in Elvis History

It's May 7, and on May 7, 1957, Elvis Presley was in Hollywood recording for his upcoming film Jailhouse Rock. That day, he laid down a second vocal overdub for “Baby I Don’t Care” and worked through instrumental takes of the film’s title track.

On May 7, 1972, Elvis left Memphis for the first leg of a Hawaiian vacation—a trip that would ultimately set the stage for his globally broadcast Aloha from Hawaii concert.

And on May 7, 1975, he performed the final night of a two-show run at the Murphy Center in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, proving once again that the King could still bring the house down in a college town.

It's May 6, and on May 6, 1956, 21-year-old Elvis Presley wrapped up his first Las Vegas engagement at the New Frontier Hotel. Sandwiched between the Freddy Martin Orchestra and comic Shecky Greene, Elvis’s raw rock ’n’ roll energy clashed with the lounge crowd—and the reviews reflected it.

Still, Elvis took the moment in stride. “I’d like to tell you, it’s really been a pleasure being in Las Vegas,” he said sincerely. “This makes our second week here. Tonight’s our last night. We’ve had a pretty hard time, uh, had a pretty good time while we were here.”

And the trip wasn’t a total loss. One night, Elvis caught Freddie Bell and the Bellboys performing “Hound Dog” at the Sands. Their cheeky, upbeat version caught his ear—and lit the fuse for what would soon become one of the most iconic hits of his career.

Sources:

• dailyelvis.com/May_6.html
  

• ourdailyelvis.wordpress.com/2017/05/06/daily-elvis-may-6
  

• reviewjournal.com/entertainment/music/elvis-las-vegas-debut-65-years-ago-wasnt-the-disaster-people-think-2329397
  

• en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hound_Dog_(song)
  

• setlist.fm/setlist/elvis-presley/1956/new-frontier-hotel-las-vegas-nv-5bf6b774.html

It's May 5, and on May 5, 1955, Elvis Presley performed at Ladd Stadium in Mobile, Alabama. Billed as part of the “WSM Grand Ole Opry” All-Star Jamboree. Elvis skipped the next night’s performance, instead jumping in his pink Cadillac to drive the 350 miles back to Memphis to take his girlfriend, Dixie Locke Emmons, to the prom. It was a move described as “a most remarkable display of priorities for a young aspiring artist at the bottom of the tour hierarchy,” 

Sources:

• elvispresleymusic.com.au/pictures/1955-may-6.html

It's March 18th, and on this day in 1965, production began on Elvis’s nineteenth film, *Harum Scarum*, at MGM studios in California. Known for quickly churning out movies, producer Sam Katzman completed filming in just eighteen days. Elvis, however, was often heard complaining about the film's concept. At one point, Colonel Parker even insisted on adding "speaking parts" to the script, only for Katzman to dismiss the idea. Despite the film's exotic theme, it was shot entirely on soundstages and back lots at MGM. One of the sets, an ornate temple, had originally been built for Cecil B. DeMille’s silent epic *King of Kings* from forty years earlier, and costumes were recycled from the 1944 film *Kismet*. Elvis earned a whopping one million dollars plus fifty percent of the profits for the movie, leaving just \$300,000 to pay the rest of the cast.

It's February twenty-second, and on this day in 1969... Elvis Presley wrapped up his final recording session at American Sound Studio in Memphis by recording the gospel-influenced ballad "Who Am I?" This session marked the end of a landmark run that produced some of Elvis’s most critically acclaimed work in years, including “Suspicious Minds,” “In the Ghetto,” and “Kentucky Rain.” The sessions revitalized his musical reputation and showed the world that Elvis wasn’t just back—he was evolving.

It's April 23rd, and on this day in 1956, Elvis opened a two-week engagement at the Venus Room in the New Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas. Facing an older, "less hip" audience, he later remarked, "After that first night I went outside and just walked around in the dark. It was awful… I wasn’t getting across to the audience." Despite the rocky start, Elvis fell in love with the city, meeting show business legends like Johnny Ray and Liberace, whose flamboyant style left a lasting impact on him. He also caught performances by other acts, including Freddie Bell and the Bellboys, whose rendition of "Hound Dog" deeply impressed him. This engagement marked a significant turning point in Elvis’s relationship with Las Vegas and his ongoing evolution as a performer.

It's April 22nd, and on this day in 1956, *Billboard* magazine reported that Elvis Presley’s record sales were bringing in a staggering \$75,000 a day in retail record shops across the country. In Canada, Elvis’s records dominated, accounting for the first eight singles of RCA Victor’s top ten bestsellers. In the United States, his LPs and EPs were selling at an incredible rate of 8,000 copies a day, while 90,000 singles flew off the shelves daily. This phenomenal success accounted for a massive 50 percent of RCA Victor’s total pop record business. Unsurprisingly, *Billboard* ranked “Heartbreak Hotel” as number one in sales for the week, cementing Elvis as a chart-topping force in the music industry.

It's April 21st, and on this day in 1976, Elvis made headlines for his first business venture outside the entertainment world. The *Memphis Press–Scimitar* ran a photograph of Elvis with his bodyguard Joe Esposito, Dr. Nick, and business associate Mike McMahon breaking ground on a racquetball facility that was part of a new project, Presley Center Courts, Inc. However, the excitement quickly turned to frustration. Elvis soon withdrew from the project after realizing he would need to contribute a significant amount of money, something he had not initially understood. Furious with Joe and Dr. Nick for involving him, Elvis threatened to fire Joe and even considered taking a new doctor on his next tour.

It's April 20th, and on this day in 1964, *The Las Vegas Desert News and Telegram* published an article entitled "Elvis Helps in Success of Burton-O'Toole Movie." The piece featured an interview with Hollywood producer Hal Wallis, who discussed how the profits from Elvis's films helped finance more "classy" projects, like *Becket*, starring Richard Burton and Peter O'Toole. Wallis even suggested that the success of Elvis's commercially popular movies was key to making such artistic films possible. However, his comments about Elvis's films being necessary but not always considered highbrow struck a blow to Elvis's ego. He would privately mention this article and the hurtful remarks about his movie career for years to come.

It's April 19th, and on this day in 1957, Hollywood actress Yvonne Lime arrived in Memphis for a visit, and Elvis took her to see Graceland. This was a notable moment in Elvis's personal life, as it involved a rare occasion when the King of Rock and Roll shared his beloved home with a guest, showcasing a side of him beyond his public persona.

Also, on this day in 1965, Elvis completed his work on the film *Harum Scarum*. The film was one of several in which Elvis solidified his status as a movie star, although *Harum Scarum* didn’t fare well with critics, adding to the mixed reception Elvis's later film career often received. Nonetheless, it remains a part of his extensive filmography.