• Grand Finale Facebook
• Grand Finale Cincinnati

› › › › › › Elvis Aaron Presley 1956 The King of Rock 'n' RollElvis 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 million sellers), 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.Elvis 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 PresleyWeek of shows. Kiel Auditorium3 January. Boonesville, MS.

Von Theatre4 January. Jonesboro, AR. Community Center7 January. The Louisiana Hayride. Municipal Auditorium, Shreveport.January 10, Two days after his twenty-first birthday, 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, TennesseeG2WB 0208-08G2WB 0209-07G2WB 0210-SPJanuary 11, 1956 RCA Studio's - Nashville, TennesseeG2WB 0211-17G2WB 0218-0714 January.

The Louisiana Hayride. Municipal Auditorium, Shreveport, Louisiana (8pm)Hank Snow Package tour of Texas. 2015 January. San Antonio, TX.

Municipal Auditorium16 January. Galveston, TX.17 January. Beaumont, TX. City Auditorium18 January. Austin Coliseum19 January. Wichita Falls, TX.

Memorial Auditorium20 January. Fort Worth, TX. North Side ColiseumJanuary 21, 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.

Grand Finale Facebook

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, 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 ShowCBS Studio New York - Shake Rattle & Roll / Flip Flop & FlyI Got A WomanAfter making his first appearance on on the Dorsey Brothers Stage Show, Elvis stayed in town.Around 11 a.m.

On Monday, Jan. 30, he and the band headed for the RCA Studio, 155 E. They recorded for seven hours that day, then three hours on Jan. 31 and another several hours on Feb. 3.These 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 sound to the more commercial and mainstream sound RCA envisioned for him. Read more about the.January 30, 1956 RCA Studio's - New YorkG2WB 1230-10G2WB 1231-09G2WB 1232-08G2WB 1233-10January 31, 1956 RCA Studio's - New YorkG2WB 1254-18G2WB 1255-10February 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 2,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 yielded 'Lawdy Miss Clawdy' and 'Shake, Rattle and Roll'.February 3, 1956 RCA Studio's - New YorkG2WB 1293-10G2WB 1294-12(Backup Vocal Overdub) G2WB 1294February 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 ShowCBS Studio New York - Tour of Virginias and Carolinas.

105 February. Richmond, VA. Mosque Theater6 February. Greensboro, NC. National Theater7 February. High Point NC. Center Theater8 February.

Ambassador Theater9 February.10 February. (4 shows)The Dorsey Brothers Stage ShowCBS Studio New York - Blue Suede ShoesHeartbreak HotelEast Coast Tour. 12 - Feb 1612 February. Montecello Auditorium13 February. Newport News. Paramount Theater14 February.

Coon High School Auditorium15 February. Burlington, NC. Walt Williams High School16 February.

Winston-Salem NC. Carolina TheaterThe Dorsey Brothers Stage ShowCBS Studio New York - Tutti FruttiI Was The OneTour of Florida and Georgia. 2619 February. 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 BowlElvis 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 Bowl25 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, a well-to-do suburban neighborhood east of downtown Memphis.3 March. The Louisiana Hayride.

Municipal Auditorium, Shreveport, LouisianaMarch 10, Elvis performs with Johnny Cash and other on the Louisiana Hayride. Municipal Auditorium, Shreveport, LouisianaMarch 13, RCA releases, 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. Fox Theatre (3 shows)15 March. Fox Theatre (3 shows)17 March.The Dorsey Brothers Stage ShowCBS Studio New York - With Heartbreak Hotel storming up the national charts Elvis performs this hit along with Blue Suede Shoes.Elvis Presley - The Dorsey Brothers Stage Show - March 17, 1956.18 March. Charleston, SC. County Hall19 March.

Columbia, SC. Township Auditorium20 March. Bell AuditoriumMarch 20, While Elvis is on tour, his parents move into the new house at.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 GymnasiumOn March 22, 1956 the band performed at the Mosque again. This time the ad mistakenly referred to Scotty, Bill and DJ as the 'The Blue Mooners' instead of 'The Blue Moon Boys' as did the write-up in February. They had by now appeared on the Dorsey Brothers television show five times and were weeks away from making an appearance on the Milton Berle show from the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Hancock. They had one commitment on the Dorsey show left. The last time on the show they had piqued the interest of New York photographer Al Wertheimer who had been hired by Ann Fulchino of RCA to shoot some promotional photos.Al would later arrange to meet up with Elvis in Richmond for his next (and final) appearance at the Mosque on and follow him from there to New York and back to Memphis where he would take several thousand photographs, many of which are now world famous.22 March.

Richmond, VA. Mosque Theater.23 March.R CA realized they had nothing in their photo file on Elvis. They needed to get a few publicity shots.RCA offered the job to 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 ShowCBS Studio New York - 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 Hayride31 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.The on April 3 is on the deck of the aircraft carrier, the USS Hancock.The Milton Berle Show - U.S.S.

HancockSan Diego, California - 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. ArenaElvis Miami: August 4, 1956.Tour of Colorado, Texas and New Mexico. 8-13, 19568 April. Coliseum9 April.April 10, 1956, just one week after appearing on the broadcast from the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Hancock in San Diego, Elvis, Scotty, Bill and DJ performed once more at the. 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.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, 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.11 April. Coliseum12 April. Alburquerque, NM. Armony13 April.

Amarillo, TX. Municipal AuditoriumApril 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 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, TennesseeWhether 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.G2WB 0271-SPImmediately 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 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. San Antonio, TX. Municipal Auditorium16 April. Corpus Christi, TX. Memorial Auditorium17 April. Heart O' Texas Coliseum18 April.

Fairgrounds Pavillion19 April. Oklahoma City, OK.

Municipal Auditorium20 April.21 April. City Auditorium (2 shows)First Live Performances In Las Vegas Apr. 23 - May 623 April-6 May. Las Vegas, NV. New Frontier HotelIn April, Colonel Parker booked Elvis, Scotty, Bill and D.J.

For a two week engagement at the. Elvis Presley New Frontier Hotelbeginning 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 teenagers, 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'. 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 theApril 25, Negotiations with Hal Wallis are finalized and Elvis signs a with Hal Wallis and Paramount Pictures.Re. Elvis Presley LPM-1254May 5, Elvis' first LP, 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 2713 May.MayRe13 May. Minneapolis, MN. City Auditorium (eve), Elvis Presley arrived in the Twin Cities to play two concerts: a matinee at the St. Paul Auditorium and an evening gig at the Minneapolis Auditorium. The Tribune dispatched Will Jones to St.

Paul for the early show. His 'After Last Night' column appeared the next morning in the Monday paper. It's an engaging series of observations about the future King of Rock 'n' Roll - then just 21 years old - and his young fans.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.14 May. (2 shows)(Time magazine)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, 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.Elvis at the May 15, 1956. Elvis Presley in Person May 25, 195615 May.16 May. Little Rock, AR. Robinson Auditorium (2 shows)17 May. Springfield, MO.

Shrine Mosque18 May. Wichita Forum (2 shows)19 May.

University Of Nebraska Coliseum20 May. Civic Auditorium Arena (two shows)21 May. Municipal Auditorium22 May. Veteran's Memorial Auditorium23 May. Sioux City, IA. Municipal Auditorium24 May. Kansas City, MO.

Municipal Auditorium25 May.It's May 1956. Americans were fretting about President Eisenhower's health, slugger Mickey Mantle was the toast of the baseball world, and 21-year-old Elvis Presley was about to make his first appearance at the Fox Theatre in Detroit. It had been a whirlwind five months for the soft-spoken truck driver from Tupelo, Miss., who recorded his first RCA Records session in January, yielding 'Heartbreak Hotel', which shot to No. Elvis was winding up a tour of the Midwest when he came to.26 May. Columbus, OH.

Veteran Memorial Auditorium (two shows927 May.May, 28.Tour of California and Arizona. June, 3 - June, 10June 1, Elvis makes a surprise visit to the in Memphis where old friends and and new Sun artists and Warren Smith are performing.3 June. (Two Shows, 3pm and 8pm).

Scotty & Elvis rehearse- Milton Berle.4 June. Elvis and cousin, Gene Smith fly to Los Angeles for rehearsals for Elvis' second appearance on the Milton Berle Show.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 StudioHollywood, California - Hound Dog: The Milton Berle Show.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 anView a 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 Arena7 June.8 June.June 8, Elvis Presley dropped by 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, 1956.9 June. State Fairground10 June. Rodeo GroundsJune 11, Elvis flies home to Memphis for the funeral of his cousin Lee Edward Smith, Gene and Junior's brother, who has drowned.

Grand Finale Cincinnati

Among the crowd of fans outside his Audubon Drive house, Elvis finds, 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.June 12, Elvis flies to Houston with, 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, 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'.June 16, Elvis shows up on local TV host. 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. 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.Elvis at Lansky Brothers - Beale Street, Memphis.Tour of Georgia and The Carolinas. June, 22 - June, 2822-24 June. 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 Arena26 June. Charlotte, NC. Coliseum27 June. Bell Auditorium28 June.

Charleston, SC. College Park Baseball FieldJune 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 for this bit, saying it was a deliberate attempt to humiliate Elvis and ridicule the 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, who photographed Elvis on the fifth Dorsey Show, hooks up with Elvis once again and begins a series of pictures that will 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. 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.30 June.

(Two shows 5pm and 8pm)Immediately after the show Elvis returns by train to New York.July 1, Elvis appears on The Steve Allen Show.The Steve Allen Show - Het Hudson TheatreNew York - 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, 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. He also recorded a nice ballad, 'Any Way You Want Me'. 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.

Elvis Presley August 10-11, 1956.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., 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.'

10-11 August. (3 shows per day)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.Thousands, maybe even millions of teenage girls in the 1950s and '60s dreamed of getting a kiss from Elvis Presley. Clay County resident Kathy Bray is one of the lucky ones who did get a kiss from the king of, who was known for his swiveling hips and sexy sneers.

And she has photographic proof as well.She was Kathy Campbell, a 15-year-old ninth-grader at Lakeshore Junior High School in August 1956 when she and three of her girlfriends heard Elvis would be performing at the.' We were the first in line and we got a front-row seat for the concert', Bray said in a recent interview at her Fleming Island home. 'We were so excited'. After the concert, Kathy said a photographer asked her and one of her friends if they wanted to go backstage and meet Elvis. They said yes, of course. 'We went back there and met him', she said.

'He just said hello and we posed for the picture. You can tell from the picture that he was more concerned about being photographed than kissing me. But I didn't wash my cheek for over a week'.12 August. New Orleans, LA. Elvis Presley at Sun Sept 23, 1956Although at first said he would never want Elvis on his show, Sullivan changed his mind when 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 StudioHollywood, California - September 23,September 26, to perform two shows at the Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show.Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show in Tupelo, MississippiElvis 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) watch's from the front row as Elvis performs. Some of the songs have been released (with sound) on the.26 September - Tupelo, MS. Mississippi-Alabama Fairgrounds (2 shows)Following is an interview with at the Mississippi-Alabama Fairgrounds, Tupelo, September 26, 1956.October 1 1956 20th Century Fox Stage 1 - Hollywood, CALove Me Tender (End Title Version) SPA5 2875-NAOctober 5, Elvis Presley with Robert Wagner and Alan Hale Jr.Tour of Texas. 1411 October.12 October. Heart O' Texas Coliseum13 October. Sam Houston Coliseum (2 shows)14 October.

San Antonio, TX. Bexar Country ColiseumOctober 18, After being released from jail following his arrest for a fight at a downtown service station Oct.

A week later the service station owner, Clarence Harwell, publicly apologized to Presley for the incident. Presley was cleared in city court of misconduct, but two station attendants with whom he tangled briefly drew fines for assault and battery.Elvis returned to New York on October 25 in preparation for his second appearance on the on 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 StudioNew York - 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 1, 1956:then later in the day Natalie Wood, clad in jeans, climbed up on the seat behind Elvis and they gunned out from the Audubon Drive driveway and roared around the Memphis streets for three hours accompanied by a motorcycle policeman and Nick Adams, who was riding Elvis' old Harley Davidson.November 16, Elvis' first movie, 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.Tour of Ohio and Kentucky.

2522 November. (two shows)23 November.24 November. Hobart Arena (2 shows)25 November.

Louisville, KY. Jefferson County ArmoryOn Sunday November 25, 1956 after Elvis played two shows (2pm/8pm) at The Jefferson County Armory in Louisville. On Monday the 26th after picking up his check Elvis paid a visit to his Grandfather, at 4008 Beaver St and he didn't arrive empty handed. Elvis brought with him what is reportedly the very first car he ever gave away, a brand new 1957 Ford Fairlane with a new TV set in the trunk and handed over $100 to Vera Presley (nee Leftwich) his step Grandmother. Clutching an Elvis Presley 'Love Me Tender' wrist watch, Sue Manker was all aflutter when the rock and roll king bussed herNovember 30, Elvis attends the a Memphis charity event. Louisiana Hayride PosterDecember 4, - 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, 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' - )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'.backstage at the December 7, 1956 WDIA (Radio Station) Goodwill Revue at Ellis Auditorium. Although Elvis' recording contract did not permit him to perform at the fund-raiser for radio station WDIA, he set off a sensation.

Elvis attends with.Last Hayride Performance. 1515 December. 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 16, An unidentified woman approached, with a request: 'Elvis, please autograph my arm!' Elvis was at the headquarters to present the Press-Scimitar Goodfellows with 100 brand new $10 bills.Elvis let it be known that the Goodfellows had played Santa Claus for him seven years earlier. 'Our family had it pretty rough that year,' he recalled. 'The Goodfellows made my Christmas for me'December 25, Elvis spends Christmas at Audubon Drive with his parents.December 27, Elvis plays touch football with friends including.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.Next January 1956= Elvis on TV 1956 One incredible year!!!FebruaryMarchAprilMayReJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember1957The Movies Of 19561956, Twentieth Century FoxThe Movies In PhotosCDs. Never before have we seen an Elvis Presley concert from the 1950's with sound. The DVD Contains recently discovered unreleased film of Elvis performing 6 songs, including Heartbreak Hotel and Don't Be Cruel, live in Tupelo Mississippi 1956. Included we see a live performance of the elusive Long Tall Sally seen here for the first time ever.

+ Plus Bonus DVD Audio.This is an excellent release no fan should be without it.The 'parade' footage is good to see as it puts you in the right context with color and b&w footage. The interviews of Elvis' Parents are well worth hearing too. The afternoon show footage is wonderful and electrifying: Here is Elvis in his prime rocking and rolling in front of 11.000 people. Highly recommended.Video with Sound.