Pat Parry

Patti Parry spent 17 years being a little sister to Elvis & sometimes noted as being the only female member of the 'Memphis Mafia'. Patti Parry was, in fact, one of a small number of girls who hung out with Elvis and the guys for many years in L.A. from the time they were young in the early 60s. Patti was also Elvis' hairdresser but, unlike some, has never bragged about her association with him. It was therefore a pleasure for EIN to get a chance to talk to Patti in her Beverly Hills home about a few of her experiences.

Interview: Patti Parry By Piers Beagley (August 12, 2003)

EIN - Patti thank you so much for finding the time to talk to us. I think I can detect a slight English lilt to your accent, are you originally from the USA and please tell us how you ended up meeting Elvis?

Patti Parry - I am British originally born in Stamford Hill, in London, but I came over here with my parents in 1953. I moved to the U.S. when I was 10 and I met Elvis when I was just 17. It was November 1960 and I was going to Beauty school. In fact, of all coincidences, I ended up in Beauty school with Larry Geller!

Anyway I was driving with my friend in this old Buick down Santa Monica Boulevard and we see this Rolls Royce. It was obviously Elvis but I pretended I didn't know who he was. He rolled down the window and said "Hey girls. Hi". I replied "Hey, you look familiar do I know you from somewhere?" Well he knew that we knew who he was and he laughed and said "Hey girls, pullover!" Well we chatted and our personalities clicked & so he invited me up to the Perugia Way house. I got on well with all the guys so they all just adopted me and from that time on that was it! I was around until he died, amazing isn't it?

EIN - What did your parents think of you, at such a young age, hanging around with Elvis?

Patti Parry - They weren't really happy about my life with him! I wasn't dating anybody and I just wanted to hang out with Elvis. Think about it, I was only seventeen years old and hanging out with Elvis Presley! They did eventually come around to the idea. They knew how much I loved him and they knew how much he loved me and they finally accepted that. In fact Priscilla would sometimes come around to my parent's house which was nice.

EIN - Tell me about the recent reunion event you all had this year in Palm Springs.

Patti Parry - The event was the first time in ages that 'all my boys' were with me. I knew that Sonny West was going and Charlie Hodge too so I called up Joe (Esposito) and Jerry (Schilling) and said, "Let's all get together." This would be like the first time we had all been together in so long. It was like a dream to have all my boys together. (Laughing) I call them "my boys" but they are like 68 years old but they are still 'my boys'! See, I've been with them since I was 17! It was fantastic and we'll be doing it again next year. Although some of them have had their differences I said, "C'mon guys, it's 25 years you can let it go". We had the best time I was thrilled. We have also been doing some fundraising for the 'Special Olympics' which is a fun thing to do.

EIN - We recently interviewed Jimmy Velvet, did you know him?

Patti Parry - Well he never hung around with my gang but I do know him and he is a lovely man. He once bought Elvis' guitar from me! Years ago when I took guitar lessons Elvis gave me this old acoustic guitar of his to practice on. It was no big deal and I had it in my closet for 25 years. I didn't really think about the fact that it was once Elvis' and so eventually I ended up selling it to Jimmy for his collection.

EIN - Are you still working along with your Elvis commitments?

Patti Parry - I am semi-retired but I still work 2 days a week in Beverly Hills. I still am a hairdresser for Heads of Studios and Producers & Directors. I have an incredible cliental who just won't let me retire! I also keep myself busy with a lot of TV shows and I also do a few Elvis things for charity but I have never made my living off Elvis.

EIN - Now the story is that Elvis paid you $750 for the first haircut you did for him!

Patti Parry - That's true but after that first time I never took Elvis' money because I ended up travelling with him and I practically lived at his L.A homes. He bought me gifts and I ate there every night going over to the house every day after work. Elvis was like my family because I knew him since I was 17 and so we grew up together. He brought me up. Wherever he was he'd bring me in to either Palm Springs or Vegas & I even got to go over to Hawaii for the satellite special. I just wouldn't go on payroll.

EIN - I believe that you also did Priscilla's hair! Patti Parry - I did Elvis' hair that first time and then I did Priscilla's hair for a while. I did her hair in that big "Boombah" hairdo. What an amazing hairstyle that was! I got put on salary for that for a short time but I didn't want that and Priscilla could be a little, uh, difficult at times.. whatever! I saw Priscilla last year in Memphis and we hugged and kissed.

EIN - What about the disturbing concept that Elvis surrounded himself with paid friends rather than real friends. I always think it is great that you are referred to more as a friend than as a member of "the Gang."

Patti Parry - Listen, the guys who worked for Elvis worked very hard. I mean it was a 24/7 job for them. But I had my hairdressing and was working 4 days a week. I was kid, I was seventeen and I was a girl, I couldn't give up my complete life to work for him. Elvis lavished us with gifts but above all he was a friend. He didn't have a Mum, he didn't have a sister so I was a girl who was around who could nurture him. He needed that nurturing. I was the only girl there and if he needed it I would give him a lot of help and a shoulder to cry on. I was his Little Sister, I was a very lucky girl. (laughing) They were lucky too!

EIN - So tell me how you managed to stay a little sister without romance creeping in?

Patti Parry - We met when I was 17 and I was a nice innocent woman when I met him and he liked to bring up his women. He just adopted me and protected me and wouldn't let anyone hit on me. Even when I was in my thirties Elvis used to say, "Patti is family she doesn't fool around". I'd say, "Hey, I can fool around!"

EIN - Were his girlfriends like Priscilla or Linda Thompson ever jealous of the fact that you were the only girl there?

Joe Esposito and Linda Thompson

Patti Parry - Oh no, they knew exactly who I was and what I was. When he brought new girls up he would say, "This is Patti she is part of the family." The women knew our relationship was like brother & sister. But with Linda, you know, I got on so well with her. She's such an incredibly nice woman. She was the most fun, so wonderful. You know she looked after him and if Linda was with him he would never have died. But living with Elvis was really difficult. You really had to be mother, sister and confidant. When I got the call about him dying I ran to Linda's house. She's an incredible woman.

EIN - Is there one of the boys that you are closer to than the others?

Patti Parry - Well I am closer to Joe & Jerry. Joe is like my big bother and Jerry lives just up the street from me now. And I've got back being friends with Sonny after a long, long time. You know 'that book' really put a bit of distance between all of us but I knew that after 25 years it was time to get over it and that we were a family and we should be together. We were the only ones that really knew him so that is why it was so good to see them together in Palm Springs.
EIN - How much time did you spend in Memphis, because I heard that Elvis gave you a personal guided tour?

Dick Grob, Sonny and Red West, Elvis, Jerry Schilling, Lamar Fike, Joe Esposito, Vernon Presley

Patti Parry - I didn't spend much time there as when I met Elvis he was doing the movies & I was living in L.A. I sometimes went back for Christmases when he did. When I first arrived at Graceland he took me on this crazy ride on this golf cart which had, like, jet-engines! I thought it was going to be nice and sedate! He laughed as we bounced over the farmland at the back. I screamed and he loved that!

Then he took me to Humes High School and to Sun Records and places he grew up. He took me to Gladys' grave, which was the biggest honour he could ever do for me. We were standing right by the grave sight and then he teased me and said "Hey, Patti you're standing on my Mother!" and started laughing. He had a strange personality!

EIN - Elvis obviously had a very strong personality that would be have been very hard to say 'No' too. I can understand what an awkward position someone like Dr Nick, for instance, would have been in.

Patti Parry - You're right it was very hard to say 'no' to Elvis. In fact Dr Nick was a very nice man but he got caught up in the, how do I word it, "The Elvis syndrome." Nobody could say, "No." In fact I was always managed to be honest with him and told him the truth. I gave him hell when he needed it and he respected that! But Elvis was very crafty, he knew how to work around you!

Dr. Nick and his wife with Elvis

EIN - Maybe that was it Elvis needed more people to actually tell him how it was. Did you tell him to stop and cut back on those fatty sandwiches?!

Patti Parry - (Laughing) Oh no, I never could do that! When we were at Graceland we'd all be eating like red-eyed gravy and grits together! Those were some of my favourite times when Elvis and the guys would sit around and just sing gospel songs. In fact the guys commented, when I was singing along, that I was Jewish and shouldn't know all those songs. But I loved that music.

EIN - So were you at the Perugia Way house when The Beatles visited?

Patti Parry - Yes I was but, to be honest, it was not really that exciting. They came up and they all sort of stared at him. Elvis said, "Well if you're just going to stare at me I'm going to bed"! That sort of broke the ice and then they started playing some music together. At the time I wasn't really into their music and this was the period when we were more into playing Gospel at the house.

EIN - You were lucky enough to be in the audience for the '68 Comeback Special. What was that like seeing him perform live again? Was he nervous?

Patti Parry - It was amazing seeing him perform. I was there with Priscilla & Joannie Esposito and they said for me to go down and sit next to Elvis. It was incredible and every time he looked over at me he would laugh. He was really nervous about the show but at the same time really excited about doing it. He didn't get along that well with the director, Steve Binder, but he so loved to perform and that was when he was his happiest. Even though his records weren't doing so well at the time he knew his own talent and being surrounded by the guys he was really comfortable. He liked that so much more than making those movies.

Patti in white dress

EIN - Was there a big party afterwards to celebrate its success?

Patti Parry - No, he never really liked those kind of parties, it was more like family parties for him. In Vegas after the shows we'd go backstage and he would change. Then all these movie stars would come in but I think he was the most uncomfortable of everybody. He was very shy. Elvis was basically a 19-year-old truck driver and he was still shy but with his friends he could really relax. He was so different the first time I saw him on stage it blew me away. To see how the audience reacted to him and how he reacted to the people. He always went down and kissed the girls and shook hands which is very special for an entertainer to do.

EIN - Tell me about the Aloha Special. We know that Elvis was not happy with his hairstyle after he saw the dress rehearsal tape and wanted it changed for the final show. Patti Parry - I did his hair for that! I wasn't there for the rehearsal and Elvis was very unhappy about that first haircut. It looked like hell! Elvis wanted his hair cut properly and it was Marty Lacker, who was in LA, who called me and we flew in together. I cut his hair for the final show and Marty Pasetta, the producer, said to me that Elvis had never looked so great. While I cut his hair Elvis said, "Patti, look, I've got really thin, I feel really good.."

EIN - Tell me about the Aloha Special. We know that Elvis was not happy with his hairstyle after he saw the dress rehearsal tape and wanted it changed for the final show.

Patti Parry - I did his hair for that! I wasn't there for the rehearsal and Elvis was very unhappy about that first haircut. It looked like hell! Elvis wanted his hair cut properly and it was Marty Lacker, who was in LA, who called me and we flew in together. I cut his hair for the final show and Marty Pasetta, the producer, said to me that Elvis had never looked so great. While I cut his hair Elvis said, "Patti, look, I've got really thin, I feel really good.."

Elvis was very happy and really stoked about doing the show. I think that was his prime, he looked gorgeous. We were all staying on the 30th floor of the Hilton and had a ball together. The sad thing was that we all went to the beach but Elvis would be stuck in his room. We all also went to see the Arizona Memorial that he had put a lot of money into but again he couldn't go.

EIN - In the Aloha Special Elvis is obviously very tanned especially compared with his look in the 'On Tour' film. Since Elvis slept most of the day when and how did he ever get so tanned?

Patti Parry - He would usually get tanned & fit by relaxing in his home in Palm Springs. Elvis would go outside and we would put a fan out there and he'd put on 'Man Tan' (which was a version of today's suntan lotions & bronzers). I'd put it all over his face and he'd sit there and get tanned. Elvis was nocturnal, as you know, but he took time out in Palm Springs to get fit. He'd still get up around 4 o'clock in the afternoon but the sun in Palm Springs is still hot until eight o'clock at night. It was like our getaway place. We all just hung out & kicked back. I found out that the place is up for sale again right now.

EIN - Tell me about your TLC necklace. Do you remember exactly which year Elvis gave it to you, as EIN often gets asked which year they started?

Patti Parry - Tender Loving Care with the lightning-bolt standing for 'in a flash'! You know I've had it around my neck for so many years I can't remember exactly. It was the early seventies and we got it a Sol Schwartz's on Beverly Drive. Some people are really surprised that it is an original but I can tell you that this has never been off my neck! I've never taken it off and I never will. He gave it to me and Elvis was so special to me, he changed my life.

EIN - There is a new fascinating book on Colonel Parker coming out. Did you ever see Elvis react about Colonel Parker?

Patti Parry - You know in all the years I was around, The Colonel hardly ever came to the house. That was business you know. Joe handled the personal stuff but The Colonel was business. In Vegas The Col would come backstage at night. In fact the first time I took my parents to Vegas, The Col came over and introduced himself which sort of shocked me because he wasn't really part of our Elvis life. Elvis was always good to all my family. My own brother used to come along to Vegas too and we would always get front tables to see the show.

EIN - As you live in LA did you get to spend time with Elvis on the movie sets and did he ever tell you how bad he thought the later ones were?

Patti Parry - Sure, I was there at Kid Galahad, Wild in the Country, Viva Las Vegas and others. He said how he hated some of them. He said how they would just cut to a song and that it was stupid! But he knew that it was his job and he did the best he could. He was an incredible actor especially in King Creole (that was before my time) but also in Wild in the Country. Some of them, like Clambake though, oh dear, give me a break! During that time Elvis started into his self-realisation period seeing Daya Mata and stuff. He was always trying to figure out "Why me?"

EIN - How often did you get to see Elvis perform on stage? Were you there for that first 1969 season in Vegas? Patti Parry - Of course I was there, are you kidding?!! It was The International then and I got there every weekend. I never went on the payroll and so I couldn't go with him on tour 'cos I had to work but in Vegas I would fly in every weekend to see him or sometimes limo in. I saw him there every year through to the final one in '76 but by then, after the season, he would always return to Memphis. He was always so proud of the way he looked but by the end in 1977, he really let it go. It broke my heart.

EIN - When was the last time you saw Elvis?

Patti Parry - I last saw him about 7 months before he died. He wasn't looking good and it worried me. You've got to understand, he was not really healthy and his kidneys were really shot. It just made me so sad. Unfortunately at the end most of his closest friends had gone and he had just a bunch of young kids around him. That book really hurt him a lot. I think part of his demise was because all the gang was gone and he didn't have anybody left to play with. We used to all play and have so much fun together. I loved him, you know, he was my big brother.

EIN - You were there for so much of the music. Is there any Elvis song that means something special to you?

Patti Parry - (Laughing) "Little Sister" of course! But I love so many of them, like "It's Impossible."

EIN - I have to ask you that of all the time you spent with Elvis, what was the most special moment for you & why?

Patti Parry - Every moment, every minute of every day I spent with Elvis was really special. I can't really think of any moment that was the 'most special'. However when my parent's first met him was really special. When my Mum met him Elvis came up and whispered in her ear. He said, "Didn't I do a good job of bringing up Patricia?" He always called me Patricia. My Mum laughed and said "You know Elvis, I had something to do with it too!" But he did bring me up and he liked bringing up his women. As I said I was a really lucky girl, but you know what, he was really lucky to have me too.

EIN - Any final words you'd like to add?

Patti Parry - In my heart and my mind, that's where Elvis is. I still dream of him. I'm a very lucky woman. I always say to every fan "I'm glad that everybody loves my friend."

EIN - Thank you so much Patti, it has been fantastic talking to you.

Piers Beagley interviewed Patti Parry August 2003.

-Copyright EIN August 2003
EIN Website content © Copyright the Elvis Information Network.

Elvis en Patti Parry
	Joe Moscheo, baszanger van the Imperials, stuurde ons zopas een reeks foto's door van Patti Parry, die ook hij leerde kennen als één van de liefste en respectvolle fans die er al vanaf de jaren '60 bij was. Op de foto linksboven herken je Patti in het witte jurkje. De foto onderaan toont Myrna Smith (overleden in 2010), Joe en Patti. Deze fotot werd in 2009 genomen.
	Gepubliceerd: 28 oktober 2011, 05:41 Bron: ElvisMatters / Gepubliceerd door: ElvisMatters - Peter Verbruggen . - Fotograaf: Joe Moscheo

by: GERI PARLIN / La Crosse Tribune, 4 Sep 2007

Read EIN's interview with Patti Parry

Patti Parry met Elvis Presley when she was 17, and it was just as you might imagine it. The year was 1960 and it was a sunny day in California. She and her girlfriend were driving down Santa Monica Boulevard in an old Buick on their way to a fraternity party and they spotted a fancy black Rolls Royce.

It’s Elvis, they realized, and Parry pretended not to recognize him. “You look familiar. Do I know you from somewhere?” she coyly asked. Pretty soon, she was living with Elvis — not as a girlfriend but as a member of the Memphis Mafia. She was a little sister to the men who hung in a tight circle around Elvis and she gave up her youth and a chance at romance so she could hang with The King.

“Our personalities just bonded,” said Parry, who will attend the Elvis Explosion Sept. 7-9 at the La Crosse Center.

“He was gorgeous, he was 25,” but Perry knew she was not meant for a romance with Elvis.

“So he adopted me. I didn’t leave for 17 years. I gave up my life to Elvis.”

Her parents weren’t happy. She stopped dating, gave up life as she knew it, and traveled with Elvis and the gang. And because of that, she said, she never had children.

“Where he went, I went. I have no children because I gave up my life for him. Where he went, I followed.”

Maybe you had to know Elvis to understand. But 30 years after his death, Parry said she still misses him. She’s almost 65 and has just retired from her work as a hair dresser. And it’s only recently that she’s gotten on the Elvis circuit to talk about her time spent with Elvis.

Parry said Elvis was probably attracted to her honesty and the sense of family she gave him. “I told him the truth, and he loved me for that. I looked after him. He trusted me. Those guys, they adopted me.” She enjoys the tribute shows, she said, because they keep Elvis’ memory alive.

“They have wonderful, wonderful tribute artists. I do not have any problem with tribute artists as long as they don’t think they’re Elvis. They love him and they honor him.”

At the Elvis Explosion, she will share stories of life with Elvis and what it was like to live the life. “We shared the life of a millionaire. This is to honor Elvis. This is about my friend. I love to talk about it and people love it. That’s what it’s all about.”

IF YOU GO

What: 10th annual Elvis Explosion, hosted by Ronny Craig with convention, competition and benefit, featuring more than 25 impersonators and Patti Parry, a member of the Memphis Mafia.

When: 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday for semifinals and 1 p.m. Sunday for finals

Where: La Crosse Center

Tickets: $23 to $30 in advance, $2 more at the door; sold at Quillin’s IGA stores, WLFN Radio Group, Mirage Sports Bar, Salon Medusa, Lenny’s Boot and Shoe Repair, Glory Days Sports Pub, Visual Changes in La Crosse and West Salem and Crazy Horse Saloon in West Salem, or (608) 386-7809.

EIN's News & Information Archives

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22-12-2011 om 20:21 geschreven door zooroo  

Elvis: Still the King

Looking for Elvis Over the years, we received so many questions about Elvis Presley's time in Vegas that we've created a whole page devoted to them. No Elvis fan's trip to Las Vegas would be complete without first stopping at the Las Vegas Hilton. Though remodeled several times over the last 30 years, the Hilton was the epicenter of Elvis' 1969-1976 Vegas performances. A statue located just outside the lobby entrance marks Elvis' time at the hotel and there are employees at the hotel who fondly remember the King's concerts. Your next stop should be the Planet Hollywood Hotel. While nothing remains of the original Aladdin hotel where Elvis married Priscilla, Planet Hollywood commemorates the event by offering two Elvis-themed wedding ceremonies in its chapel. Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel and a Hollywood Wedding Chapel also offer Elvis-themed wedding ceremonies. If you are looking for an Elvis tribute artist who truly captures the spirit of the King, we recommend Legends in Concert at Harrah's. At the Imperial Palace, you can check out the hotel's auto collection which boasts a Cadillac once owned by Elvis. Aria hotel at CityCenter is home to "Viva Elvis," a Cirque du Soleil show that pays tribute to the King through dancing, acrobatics, video and, of course, the music of Elvis. Located next to the theater is a gift shop that sells all things Elvis from Elvis Barbie dolls to Elvis Pez dispensers. Finally, if you are looking for a Vegas souvenir with a little Elvis flair, check out Bonanza Gifts. Located at the intersection of the Strip and Sahara Avenue, this store boast numerous Vegas tchotchkes with an Elvis theme. Elvis in Vegas timeline Las Vegas has never forgotten the King. 365 days a year, the city celebrates the spirit of Elvis Presley in a variety of ways. Below, we've given you a chance to remember Elvis in his Vegas heyday 1969 - 1976. The following timeline follows Elvis' Vegas appearances. The links will take you to articles and advertisements that appeared in the Las Vegas Sun newspaper during those years. April 23 - May 9, 1956: Elvis' first Vegas appearance Elvis made his first appearance in Las Vegas at the New Frontier Hotel in the spring of 1956. Hotel hype praised the "atomic powered" singer. While the nation's youth was in the grip of Elvis hysteria and "Heartbreak Hotel" was No. 1 on the Billboard pop charts, audiences in Las Vegas gave Elvis a cool reception. July, 1963: "Viva Las Vegas" Elvis Presley and Ann-Margret are in Las Vegas filming what would be Presley's 15th film, "Viva Las Vegas." The film wouldn't be released until June, 1964. May 1, 1967: Wedding bells Elvis Presley and Priscilla Anne Beaulieu are married in a private ceremony at the Aladdin Hotel. July 31 - Aug. 28, 1969: The King is back Thirteen years after his first appearance, Elvis returns to Las Vegas. He is booked for a four-week, 57-show engagement at the newly built International Hotel. The show breaks all existing Las Vegas attendance records. Elvis' first live album is recorded during the shows. January - February, 1970: A second appearance Elvis returns to Las Vegas for a month-long engagement at the International Hotel. Once again, Elvis breaks attendance records. Aug. 10 - Sept. 7, 1970: A hit Another popular month-long appearance at the International Hotel. MGM films some of the rehearsals and stage performance for its documentary "Elvis - That's the Way It Is." January - February, 1971 Another month-long appearance at the International Hotel. Aug. 9 - Sept. 6, 1971: Record audiences Elvis returns to Las Vegas and appears at the International Hotel, now called the Las Vegas Hilton. During his month-long appearance he is given the Bing Crosby Award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. This award would later be renamed the Lifetime Achievement Award presented each year during the Grammy Awards. Elvis was 36 years old. 1972 - 1975: Elvis performs in Vegas Jan. 26 - Feb. 23, 1971: Elvis appears at the International. Jan. 26 - Feb. 23, 1973: Elvis appears at the International. Aug. 6 - Sept. 3, 1973: Elvis appears at the International. Jan. 26 - Feb. 9, 1974: Elvis appears at the International. Aug. 19 - Sept. 2, 1974: Elvis appears at the International. March 18 - April 1, 1975: Elvis appears at the International. Aug. 18 - Sept. 5, 1975 Elvis opens at the Hilton, but ends his appearances on Aug. 20, 1975, when he is flown to Memphis and hospitalized. Dec. 2-15, 1975 Elvis returns to the Hilton to make up for shows that were cancelled because of his ill health. Dec. 2-12, 1976 Elvis appears at the Hilton for a two-week engagement. It turns out to be his final Las Vegas appearance. August 16,1977 Elvis dies at Graceland in Memphis, Tenn. In Las Vegas, fans and friends mourn the passage of an entertainment and Vegas legend.

On the eve of the 30^th anniversary of his death, the king of rock 'n' roll still reigns supreme in the "entertainment capital of the world."

On the Las Vegas Strip, Elvis' spirit lives on in shows like "Legends in Concert" and "Viva Elvis." Hundreds of couples tie the knot in Las Vegas each year with "Elvis" officiating at their wedding and the city is home to the world famous Flying Elvi -- a 10-member skydiving team dressed as the king.

Everywhere you look, from a rusted sign in the Neon graveyard that proclaims "Elvis slept here" to the $9.99 gold-rimmed sunglasses and sideburns at "World's Largest Gift Shop" on the corner of Sahara Avenue and the Strip, Elvis lives on.

Graceland may be home to his shrine but it's Las Vegas that pays homage to the spirit of Elvis the entertainer.

Elvis' enduring popularity in Vegas is a tribute to the bonds forged between the singer and the city in a seven-year run between 1969 and 1976, a period fondly remember as the "Vegas Years." It's a legacy that continues to this day.

"He was the show in town -- the one everyone wanted to go to because he was just really hot and was coming back with new music," said singer Terry Blackwood, a member of the Imperials who sang backup for Elvis. "Everyone wanted to see Elvis."

A rocky start then the romance

Elvis first performed in Las Vegas in 1956 when he was just 21 years old. He was booked in the Venus Room at the New Frontier hotel, which billed him as "The Atomic Powered Singer."

While he was already becoming quite popular with teens around the country, Elvis was not the typical Las Vegas Strip entertainer of the time and his shows were met with a cool reception.

Bill Willard, a reviewer for the Las Vegas Sun newspaper, panned Presley's performance writing, "For the teen-agers, 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."

Willard may have captured the dismay that older Vegas audiences had with the young upstart, but Las Vegas resident Ed Jameson caught a vision of the future Elvis would have in Vegas.        

Penning a rebuttal to Willard's review, Jameson wrote, "He is not a Rock 'n' Roller nor is he a cowboy singer. He is something new coming over the horizon all by himself and he deserves his ever-growing audience. Nobody should miss him. Parents would do well to take their children to hear him. It would be a good way to get to know and understand your own kids."

Elvis ended his two-week run unable to capture success in Vegas, but that didn't end his relationship with the city. While he wouldn't return to a Las Vegas stage for 13 years, in 1963 he spent several weeks in town to film the hit movie "Viva Las Vegas," which co-starred Ann-Margret.
       

The movie was a huge success, costing only $1 million to make and earning $5 million. It also spawned what many consider Sin City's theme song, "Viva Las Vegas."        

"Viva Las Vegas" also featured a Vegas wedding between Elvis and his co-star Ann-Margret. Four years later, reality mirrored the cinematic fairytale when Elvis' real-life love story played out in Las Vegas. On May 1, 1967, at age 32, he married Priscilla Anne Beaulieu, 21, at Milton Prell's Aladdin Hotel.They were wed in a quiet eight-minute ceremony in Prell's suite at the hotel.

Success onstage at the International

Despite his history in the city, it wasn't until The International hotel opened in 1969, that Elvis truly became synonymous with Las Vegas. While Barbra Streisand opened the showroom at the International, Elvis would make it world famous.        

In 1969 Elvis performed his first show at the International to a sold-out crowd and he went on to perform regular engagements at the property for seven years -- a total of 837 consecutive sold-out performances in front of 2.5 million people.        

The sheer numbers from these performances are mind-boggling. In one 29-day period Elvis entertained 101,509 guests, bringing in $1.5 million in ticket sales. In the course of his 800-plus performances in Vegas, Elvis sold $43.7 million in show tickets, about $250 million in 2007 dollars. In the months when Elvis was performing, 1 in 2 visitors to Las Vegas saw his show.        

The hotel became the Hilton in 1971 and over the years more people saw Elvis perform there than anywhere else in the world.

Blackwood recalled the opening show on July 31, 1969 as a who's who of the entertainment business, with an audience full of celebrities including Tom Jones, Juliet Prowse and Sammy Davis Jr.        

"He (Davis) was a big Elvis fan. He was right down in front -- front row center -- and right in the middle of the show Elvis specifically singled out Sammy Davis Jr. and walked down to the edge of the stage where Sammy was seated and took off one of his big rings -- I don't know what kind of ring it was -- but he just handed it to Sammy and Sammy was thrilled of course."        

Elvis performed two shows a night -- at 8 p.m. and midnight for a month-long stretch at a time. Blackwood said he'd usually get to bed about 3 a.m. but sometimes the group would be up all night.        

"On average of about once a week, Elvis would come to our dressing room and say, 'Hey guys, would you come up to the penthouse tonight -- I'd love for you to come up and just hang out with me.' Of course when Elvis invites you, you can't say no. So we would all go up to the penthouse. He wanted to go up there and sing."

Blackwood said the penthouse would be filled with food, drinks and Elvis' Memphis friends.

"He'd sit at the piano or one of our guys would sit at the piano and would play and we'd sing gospel music and that's about all we would do. Or he had a big stereo and he would play black gospel groups. He loved traditional black gospel music. We'd listen to it and go over and sing it. He had a ball singing ... I would say I've never known a man who loved music more than Elvis."

Janie Steele worked as a camera girl, taking pictures of guests in the showroom during Elvis' 1970s shows. She was also lucky enough to get to socialize with Elvis after the shows.        

"I was invited by one of his employees to come up to the suite between shows. I took one of my co-workers with me. He was just so nice and so handsome. I was overwhelmed. I don't think I said very much. We sat with him while he ate his dinner along with lots of other people that were there also."        

Steele also often got to watch Elvis' performances at the Hilton. "We were allowed to stand in the back of the showroom or sometimes we could sit on the steps that led down to the floor of the showroom. I saw so many that I lost count -- pretty good for someone who thought she would never see him."

Tickets to Elvis' dinner show were $17.50 and included lobster or steak. The midnight show, which included drinks, cost a little less, but those who wanted a close-up view of Elvis had to pay a bit more.

"The maitre'd had to have made a fortune by being tipped to get down front," Blackwood said. "I'm thinking probably $100 to $200 would have gotten you front row or right near the stage."

The Imperials worked with Elvis until 1972 and Blackwood said the group always enjoyed working with him.

"I really liked Elvis and I really appreciated more than anything his genuineness. He was just a Southern gentleman. He was always kind and polite to people."

Steele agreed. "He was always a gentleman with me, he always acknowledged me when he saw me at work. He was funny and witty. I wasn't disappointed at all. I am still amazed that I saw his shows let alone met him," she said.        

Blackwood said he was also struck by Elvis' intense love for people. "I never saw him really be rude to the fans. They could be quite demanding at times and he was always nice to them."

Blackwood said the one thing he wants people to know about Elvis is that he always took his music seriously and gave his all to his fans.

"He was passionate about his music. He was passionate about giving the people his very best. He was passionate about hiring musicians and singers that he felt were the best he could give. In that sense he was really a perfectionist about his music. He was serious about it. I think a lot of the time there are music people who think he was not serious and he was just having fun -- and he was doing that -- but he was very serious about what he wanted the people to experience when he sang."

Even though Elvis was scheduled for more appearances at the Hilton, December 2-12, 1976, turned out to be his last engagement there. Elvis died of a heart attack on Aug. 16, 1977 at his Graceland mansion in Memphis, Tenn.        

The legacy

Elvis was fated to never perform again in Las Vegas, but the city never forgot the entertainer. Perhaps it was fated that a city which embraced Elvis the entertainer, would want to hold on to Elvis the myth. Even before his death, tribute artists were performing as Elvis. The King used to love catching Brendan Boyer's impression of him, during the Irish Show Band's performances in the Stardust Lounge in the '70s. Las Vegas continues to offer tributes to Elvis nightly, 365 days a year.        

A year after Elvis' death a statue was dedicated in his honor at the Hilton hotel. Initially on display outside the Hilton showroom in a glass case, the statue was moved outside of the hotel's front door in 2006.

At the Hard Rock Hotel, one of Elvis' '70s jumpsuits, a gold lamé jacket and a guitar are enshrined under glass. While at the Hard Rock Café gold records, belts, a smashed guitar and a telegram from Elvis and the Colonel to the Beatles are just some of the Elvis memorabilia on display.

In 2010 the Strip's entertainment titan, Cirque du Soleil, partnered with CYK and its subsidiary, Elvis Presley Enterprises, plus MGM Mirage to create an Elvis Presley show at CityCenter, an $8 billion, 66-acre hotel, entertainment, dining and retail project at the heart of the Las Vegas Strip.        

The show is a combination of live music and singers, projections and dance along with the latest multimedia sound and lighting.

"We are working closely with our partners to ensure the public will have an unforgettable encounter with the King of Rock and Roll," said Guy Laliberté, founder of Cirque du Soleil. "Elvis had a unique relationship with his adoring fans in Vegas and a large part of our mission is to recreate the excitement and the spirit of joy he generated here."

Long live the King.

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Elvis in CONCERT DATE: May 25 1977 (8:30 pm). Rochester NY.



CONCERT DATE: May 25 1977 (8:30 pm). Rochester NY.

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