I searched so apologies if I missed it.

I remember listening to his music and remember his death.

Anyone see him in concert?

Would love to hear about it.

I saw Elvis at the Houston rodeo in the mid 70s. I was 13 or 14 and, to me at the time, he was an oldies act. I was not into his music. He would have a greatest hits album advertised on tv commercials that would play 3 to 4 second clips of his hits. That is what I knew of Elvis. But the concert was wild with ladies screaming and after the show when they drove him around the dome floor, ladies were rushing down the aisles to get close to him and maybe catch a scarf. It was not something that I bragged about the next day at school like I would have if it had been Elton John. But as years went by, I always thought it was pretty cool that got to see Elvis live.

I got to see Elvis at the Dome in the early 70s as a guest of my best friend's family. I was in 1st or 2nd grade, so my memory is pretty foggy. I do remember sitting on the first row in one of the upper decks, the one that had all those tutti-fruity colored seats. Elvis was on a stage right about where the pitcher's mound was. He looked like a 1" man (like Drax said in one of the Guardians of the Galaxy movies) from where I was sitting. I've also looked back on that night as a special thing, as I was the only one in my family that got to see Elvis live.

My mom and dad DID NOT like Elvis, so we didn't listen to his music or watch his movies in my house. Of course, I knew his songs but was never a fan.

Had a family member move to Memphis and of course, when we visited, we made the obligatory trip to Graceland. My mom walked through the house loudly pointing out how everything was tacky and making fun of people crying.

We were lucky to make it out alive.

Also, there was no pretty little thing waiting for the King down in the jungle room.

ETA: Years later, I played in a pop music cover band and we did a lot of Elvis tunes. People loved 'em.

Quote:

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My mom walked through the house loudly pointing out how everything was tacky and making fun of people crying.

We were lucky to make it out alive.

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I would like to personally thank you for sharing that special memory. And yes I am serious.

LMAO.

I know most people know that Elvis was at G. Rollie White in 1955, about a year before he went on Ed Sullivan:


From Reddit, citing Sun Records archives:


There was a 7:30 p.m. concert in College Station at the G. Rollie White Coliseum on the campus of Texas A&M University in Bryan, Texas. The show was sponsored by the Office of Student Activities. Advance tickets cost 35-cents for children and 75-cents for adults. At the show, seats were 50-cents and $1.00. Elvis was dressed in a pink dinner jacket, black open-collar shirt, pink socks, and red shoes
When Elvis rolled onto campus that evening of October 3, the Aggie footballers couldn't believe their eyes, much less their ears, as hundreds of squealing girls wiggled and cavorted like Elvis himself. The girls had gone gaga over the man on stage. Some pulled their shirts mid-high, seeking approval, while others went further, removing their panties and throwing them onto the stage.
Elvis needed to look no farther than the front row to know it wasn't a normal college crowd. There stood military officers, sabers on their hips, shoulders-to-shoulder facing raucous fans. No one had ever seen anything like it at A&M. But, for the most part, the kids seemed to be having fun, until Elvis did the unthinkable. He spit his gum onto the stage floor.
In the blink of an eye, the crowd rushed to the edge of the stage. Corps members moved in waves, shoving their dates aside. They shook their fists and cursed the swivel-hipped rocker. ''You desecrated our stage''! they screamed. ''Somebody knock that sonofa***** off of there''. Swords were suddenly drawn. A company commander grabbed the microphone and began barking orders; 'Men, get back to your seats'! This boy didn't mean any harm. We've already picked up his gum. Everybody get back. Now, goddammit''.
Amazing, the cadets retreated. Elvis held his arms above his head and apologetically smiled. 'Sirs and ladies', he said, 'I'd like to say I didn't mean anything by it. I'll try to do better'. With those two strings still dangling from his guitar, Elvis went into ''Shake, Rattle And Roll'', a song made famous by Bill Haley and the Comets. Even the cadets started moving to the music. By the time he tried ''Good Rockin' Tonight'', the audience was his once more. He even returned for encores, including ''Maybellene'', a song made famous by Chuck Berry.


The Battalion mentions the Louisiana Hayride here Monday on Sept. 29, 1955 mentioning that Elvis was part of the Louisiana Hayride music program

His 1955 tour looks BRUTAL.

HIs playing at Cherry Springs (small community north of Fredericksburg) is the stuff of legend. That was a rowdy place back in the day. I asked my Uncle about it and he said that they ran Elvis out of there because they didn't like his music.

https://elvis.net/live/liv55.html

"Texas A&M University in Bryan Texas"

That right there might upset some CSTATers on here.

People who call it "CSTAT".

O.G. said:

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His 1955 tour looks BRUTAL.

HIs playing at Cherry Springs (small community north of Fredericksburg) is the stuff of legend. That was a rowdy place back in the day. I asked my Uncle about it and he said that they ran Elvis out of there because they didn't like his music.

https://elvis.net/live/liv55.html

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There's a bunch of small towns in the Big Country on that list. I can't imagine growing up in Stamford or Snyder and someone saying, "Oh yeah, Elvis played a show in the high school auditorium in 1955. Yes, THAT Elvis."

Interesting "fun" fact on the billing for the Hayride above. Johnny Horton died in Milano TX on Hwy 79.
Not far from CSTAT which is next to Bryan, which is where Texas A&M is located....

O.G. said:

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His 1955 tour looks BRUTAL.

HIs playing at Cherry Springs (small community north of Fredericksburg) is the stuff of legend. That was a rowdy place back in the day. I asked my Uncle about it and he said that they ran Elvis out of there because they didn't like his music.

https://elvis.net/live/liv55.html

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Man, what a grind. I got tired just reading that list.

My high school golf coach was from Arp, TX. He always told us about seeing Elvis get his butt kicked after a concert he saw in the area. We always thought he was BS'ing us, but after seeing that list it's certainly possible he saw him in Gladewater or Gilmer.

LOVED Elvis! Never got to see him live. But I do remember exactly where I was and and exactly what I was doing when I heard of his death. My brother and his FIL had bought this ranch that they were going to develop and build homes on. We had planted a bunch of trees and I was going around to all of them with a big old tank hitched to the back of a truck and watering them so the heat that summer wouldn't kill them. Had the radio on to some station out of Houston. They broke in and announced his death. I was heart-broken. They spent the next couple of hours playing nothing but his music. This was the day after my birthday.

He was no Elvis Presto, that's for sure.

Nor this guy.

Urban Ag said:

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Quote:

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My mom walked through the house loudly pointing out how everything was tacky and making fun of people crying.

We were lucky to make it out alive.

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I would like to personally thank you for sharing that special memory. And yes I am serious.

LMAO.

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I'm still traumatized.

Duckhook said:

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O.G. said:

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His 1955 tour looks BRUTAL.

HIs playing at Cherry Springs (small community north of Fredericksburg) is the stuff of legend. That was a rowdy place back in the day. I asked my Uncle about it and he said that they ran Elvis out of there because they didn't like his music.

https://elvis.net/live/liv55.html

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Man, what a grind. I got tired just reading that list.

My high school golf coach was from Arp, TX. He always told us about seeing Elvis get his butt kicked after a concert he saw in the area. We always thought he was BS'ing us, but after seeing that list it's certainly possible he saw him in Gladewater or Gilmer.

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I asked a friend about this that knows a lot about the old Sun Records, Elvis/Cash/Perkins/Lee Lewis days, and he said that on these early tours that Elvis may have only played 3-4 songs per show, which tracks with the
set/tour list. He wouldn't have had the catalog of songs yet like he would in 68.

So the "work" at each stop may not have been that bad, but the travel across places like west Texas in those days/pre major highways etc, had to be a grind.

The grind may not of been so bad with the drugs they had back then.

That drive from Mississippi to Alpine in 1955 would have been…..ugh…..

safety guy said:

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I saw Elvis at the Houston rodeo in the mid 70s. I was 13 or 14 and, to me at the time, he was an oldies act. I was not into his music. He would have a greatest hits album advertised on tv commercials that would play 3 to 4 second clips of his hits. That is what I knew of Elvis. But the concert was wild with ladies screaming and after the show when they drove him around the dome floor, ladies were rushing down the aisles to get close to him and maybe catch a scarf.

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I'm jealous of anyone who got to see Elvis. I liked Elvis from the first time I saw him or heard his music, which I guess would have been in the 80s or early 90s.

My mom took me on a roadtrip to meet up with some family friends and we agreed on Memphis. Got to tour Graceland, and I have forever since wished I had the jungle rom or the TV room to cozy up with some nice young ladies.

I remember eating at El Fenix off Jefferson in Oak Cliff in 2009. On the way there, I had my parents with me who grew up going to SOC. Somehow we started talking about Elvis, and my mother tells me her parents saw him in 1954 for his Texas Jamboree. She said my grandparents thought he wouldn't have amounted to anything. Of course, they were wrong. My grandparents used to tell me stories, but I had never heard them tell me that one which I found odd as they loved gospel music and would sing to me when I was little.

safety guy said:

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I saw Elvis at the Houston rodeo in the mid 70s. I was 13 or 14 and, to me at the time, he was an oldies act. I was not into his music. He would have a greatest hits album advertised on tv commercials that would play 3 to 4 second clips of his hits. That is what I knew of Elvis. But the concert was wild with ladies screaming and after the show when they drove him around the dome floor, ladies were rushing down the aisles to get close to him and maybe catch a scarf. It was not something that I bragged about the next day at school like I would have if it had been Elton John. But as years went by, I always thought it was pretty cool that got to see Elvis live.

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Man, I'm really confused by this statement.

Led Zeppelin
Fleetwood Mac
The Rolling Stones
The Eagles
Aerosmith

But Elton John is what your school would have thought was cool? I admit to being ignorant of it if his popularity and cool factor rivaled these others at the time. Maybe it was.

Yeah, he was sort of popular in the 70's.



In October 1975, Elton John was the biggest pop star in the world. His last two albums, "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy" and "Rock of the Westies," had entered the Billboard album chart at No. 1, a first for any artist. "No one had ever done that before," he wrote in his 2019 memoir, "Me." "Not Elvis, not the Beatles."

I met and somewhat got to know Rick Stanley, Elvis' stepbrother. I believe Elvis' dad married Rick's mom at some point in the '60s. Anyway, Rick had a couple of brothers and when they were late teenagers, they were added to the security detail. When I met him, Rick was in seminary, having became a Baptist minister and went on to Pastor one or two churches in Florida and speak at other churches around the country. Like his step-brother, unfortunately, Rick's life started to spiral downhill in the 2000s for some reason. I was only in touch with him in the mid-'80s so I don't really know what happened. I've just read a little here and there and those I know that also knew Rick haven't been in touch in decades.

One thing that Rick told me about Elvis was how kind he was. Immediately upon meeting his "new" brothers, Elvis welcomed them and pretty much bought them anything they wanted.

As far as Elvis' impact, he is probably the biggest popular culture figure in history. 50 years after his death, he still has many fans. There are a lot of guys, including a HS friend of mine, who make good livings as Elvis tribute artists and probably will for many years. Name one other icon that can say that. Frankly, no one knows who the Beatles are anymore and even if they do, they can't name them individually. Their tenure together was nowhere near the amount of time Elvis' career was and while you could put together a Beatles cover band, people would want more -- the Stones, other '60s stuff, and even '70s and '80s stuff.

YouBet said:

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safety guy said:

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I saw Elvis at the Houston rodeo in the mid 70s. I was 13 or 14 and, to me at the time, he was an oldies act. I was not into his music. He would have a greatest hits album advertised on tv commercials that would play 3 to 4 second clips of his hits. That is what I knew of Elvis. But the concert was wild with ladies screaming and after the show when they drove him around the dome floor, ladies were rushing down the aisles to get close to him and maybe catch a scarf. It was not something that I bragged about the next day at school like I would have if it had been Elton John. But as years went by, I always thought it was pretty cool that got to see Elvis live.

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Man, I'm really confused by this statement.

Led Zeppelin
Fleetwood Mac
The Rolling Stones
The Eagles
Aerosmith

But Elton John is what your school would have thought was cool? I admit to being ignorant of it if his popularity and cool factor rivaled these others at the time. Maybe it was.

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I love all those bands like you do, but yeah, Elton was bigger. And also, he was always pretty damn popular with the hard rock crowd. Hell, if you read a lot of interviews you'll see that a ton of hard rock and metal guys absolutely loved him. Zakk Wylde and others of his peers rave about him all the time and often list him among their favorites ever. Go watch the video where Elton is being interviewed with the Metallica guys and when he compliments their songwriting Hetfield practically tears up and the whole band acts like they were touched by the hand of God. I'm only a moderate fan of his music but I respect the hell out of him and so do most people. Especially after he went nuclear on other pop stars like Madonna for lip-synching their performances. If we're talking about living stars of the rock era I think he'd certainly be listed in the top 5 with the only two people I KNOW would be ahead of him are Paul McCartney and Mick Jagger.


But this is about Elvis so I'll just say I'm a big fan. As a little kid at my grandparents' in the 70s I listened to my dad's old Elvis and Beatles records repeatedly to the point that I can't believe they tolerated me. I always loved the young Elvis era as almost everyone does, but later came to appreciate almost all of it. There was a period from 68-70 or so where he made some really great stuff especially. The problem for most people is that over time the caricature of him became more well known than the actual performer, and that's too bad. He was awesome.

91AggieLawyer said:

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I met and somewhat got to know Rick Stanley, Elvis' stepbrother. I believe Elvis' dad married Rick's mom at some point in the '60s. Anyway, Rick had a couple of brothers and when they were late teenagers, they were added to the security detail. When I met him, Rick was in seminary, having became a Baptist minister and went on to Pastor one or two churches in Florida and speak at other churches around the country. Like his step-brother, unfortunately, Rick's life started to spiral downhill in the 2000s for some reason. I was only in touch with him in the mid-'80s so I don't really know what happened. I've just read a little here and there and those I know that also knew Rick haven't been in touch in decades.

One thing that Rick told me about Elvis was how kind he was. Immediately upon meeting his "new" brothers, Elvis welcomed them and pretty much bought them anything they wanted.

As far as Elvis' impact, he is probably the biggest popular culture figure in history. 50 years after his death, he still has many fans. There are a lot of guys, including a HS friend of mine, who make good livings as Elvis tribute artists and probably will for many years. Name one other icon that can say that. Frankly, no one knows who the Beatles are anymore and even if they do, they can't name them individually. Their tenure together was nowhere near the amount of time Elvis' career was and while you could put together a Beatles cover band, people would want more -- the Stones, other '60s stuff, and even '70s and '80s stuff.

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The Beatles are still very popular.

Joes said:

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YouBet said:

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safety guy said:

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I saw Elvis at the Houston rodeo in the mid 70s. I was 13 or 14 and, to me at the time, he was an oldies act. I was not into his music. He would have a greatest hits album advertised on tv commercials that would play 3 to 4 second clips of his hits. That is what I knew of Elvis. But the concert was wild with ladies screaming and after the show when they drove him around the dome floor, ladies were rushing down the aisles to get close to him and maybe catch a scarf. It was not something that I bragged about the next day at school like I would have if it had been Elton John. But as years went by, I always thought it was pretty cool that got to see Elvis live.

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Man, I'm really confused by this statement.

Led Zeppelin
Fleetwood Mac
The Rolling Stones
The Eagles
Aerosmith

But Elton John is what your school would have thought was cool? I admit to being ignorant of it if his popularity and cool factor rivaled these others at the time. Maybe it was.

---

I love all those bands like you do, but yeah, Elton was bigger. And also, he was always pretty damn popular with the hard rock crowd. Hell, if you read a lot of interviews you'll see that a ton of hard rock and metal guys absolutely loved him. Zakk Wylde and others of his peers rave about him all the time and often list him among their favorites ever. Go watch the video where Elton is being interviewed with the Metallica guys and when he compliments their songwriting Hetfield practically tears up and the whole band acts like they were touched by the hand of God. I'm only a moderate fan of his music but I respect the hell out of him and so do most people. Especially after he went nuclear on other pop stars like Madonna for lip-synching their performances. If we're talking about living stars of the rock era I think he'd certainly be listed in the top 5 with the only two people I KNOW would be ahead of him are Paul McCartney and Mick Jagger.


But this is about Elvis so I'll just say I'm a big fan. As a little kid at my grandparents' in the 70s I listened to my dad's old Elvis and Beatles records repeatedly to the point that I can't believe they tolerated me. I always loved the young Elvis era as almost everyone does, but later came to appreciate almost all of it. There was a period from 68-70 or so where he made some really great stuff especially. The problem for most people is that over time the caricature of him became more well known than the actual performer, and that's too bad. He was awesome.

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Well, like I said I didn't realize he would be considered someone to brag about seeing in context of the other big bands at the time. I stand corrected.

Aust Ag said:

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Yeah, he was sort of popular in the 70's.



In October 1975, Elton John was the biggest pop star in the world. His last two albums, "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy" and "Rock of the Westies," had entered the Billboard album chart at No. 1, a first for any artist. "No one had ever done that before," he wrote in his 2019 memoir, "Me." "Not Elvis, not the Beatles."

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In July of that year, Elton made the cover of Time magazine (when magazines were a big deal).