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Today in Elvis History for May 13
Podcast: Today In Elvis History
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May 12th: Back From The Army & Embraced By Former-Hater Sinatra!
/RSS FeedIt’s May 12th, and on May 12th, 1960, Elvis Presley made his first television appearance since returning from the army—broadcast live from the luxurious Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami. The special was Frank Sinatra’s Welcome Home, Elvis, and it was more than just a variety show—it was a symbolic passing of the torch.
Elvis performed “Fame and Fortune” and “Stuck on You,” then swapped hits with Sinatra—crooning “Witchcraft” while Ol’ Blue Eyes serenaded the nation with “Love Me Tender.” The show ended with the entire cast joining in on “It’s Nice to Go Traveling.”
The broadcast pulled in a staggering 41.5% of the U.S. TV audience. And Elvis? He earned $125,000 for his six-minute performance—that’s over $1.3 million in today’s money. Not bad for a night’s work.
But the bigger payoff was respect. Sinatra, who once slammed Elvis’s music as a “rancid-smelling aphrodisiac,” now stood beside him, publicly embracing the King as “the embodiment of the whole American culture.” It was a defining moment: Elvis wasn’t just back—he was now fully accepted by the old-school elite.
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May 11th: Elvis, Tamblyn, and the Sandwich Incident
/RSS FeedIt’s May 11th, and on May 11th, 1957, Elvis Presley met actor Russ Tamblyn—thanks to a connection through their mutual friend Nick Adams.
Russ wasn’t just any actor—he was the acrobatic dynamo from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, later known for West Side Story and even Twin Peaks. He’s also the father of actress Amber Tamblyn. That day, Russ and Elvis hit it off, and soon they were working together on dance moves for Jailhouse Rock. Russ’s athletic style left a mark—the choreography in the movie’s title number became one of Elvis’s most iconic performances.
According to Russ’s memoir, Dancing on the Edge, he later offered Elvis & entourage his Malibu house for a quiet getaway, and when he returned, it looked like a rockstar party bomb had gone off, with peanut butter and banana sandwiches in the bed and shattered glass all over. But Russ considered Elvis a true friend, and when he mentioned it to Elvis, he was horrified and had his manager cut a check to cover it.
No hard feelings—just another legendary tale from the golden age of Hollywood friendships and peanut butter and banana sandwiches.
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May 10: Rehearsing for the Jailhouse
/RSS FeedIt's May 10th, and on May 10, 1957, Elvis Presley was busy rehearsing a barroom fight scene for his third film, Jailhouse Rock. In the scene, his character Vince Everett throws a punch defending a barmaid, accidentally kills a man, and winds up in prison.
It was a turning point in Elvis’s acting career. He’d already played the sweet younger brother in Love Me Tender and a rising singer in Loving You, but Jailhouse Rock was grittier. More edge, more attitude, and a lot more incarceration!
Not everyone was thrilled. The Los Angeles Times wrung their hands over Elvis's new “bad boy” image, worried that mixing rock ’n’ roll with crime might corrupt America’s youth. As if his hip swinging hadn't corrupted 'em enough already!
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May 9: The Colonel’s Wife
/RSS FeedIt’s May 9, and on May 9, 2020, Loanne Parker passed away in Las Vegas at the age of 84. As the widow of Colonel Tom Parker—Elvis Presley’s longtime manager—Loanne played a unique role in the Elvis story. She first met Elvis and the Colonel in 1969 while working as an RCA Records tour secretary. Her professional relationship with Parker evolved into a personal one, and they married in 1990.
Loanne was a steadfast defender of her husband’s legacy, challenging criticisms of his management style and decisions. In interviews, she described the Colonel as a tireless strategist who thought about Elvis “24/7,” constantly seeking ways to promote and protect his career.
Though not in the spotlight, Loanne’s behind-the-scenes presence helped shape the business side of Elvis’s career during his touring years and beyond. Her passing marked the end of a direct link to one of the most pivotal partnerships in music history.
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May 8 in Elvis History: A Fateful Meeting And A BBC Ban
/RSS FeedIt's May 8, and on May 8, 1954, 19-year-old Elvis Presley attended the Memphis Cotton Carnival with his girlfriend, Dixie Locke. That night, the gospel group The Jordanaires performed—an event widely believed to be the first time Elvis encountered the group that would later shape his signature sound.
That same day, across the Atlantic, Britain’s BBC banned Johnnie Ray’s “Such a Night” for being too suggestive—a song Elvis would later make his own with sultry swagger.
On May 8, 1976, Elvis performed a dinner show at the Sahara Tahoe in Nevada, still holding court with fans who came to see the King in action.
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May 7 in Elvis History: Jailhouse Rock, Murfreesboro, and a Hawaiian Lift-Off
/RSS FeedIt's May 7, and on May 7, 1957, Elvis Presley was in Hollywood recording for his upcoming film Jailhouse Rock. That day, he laid down a second vocal overdub for “Baby I Don’t Care” and worked through instrumental takes of the film’s title track.
On May 7, 1972, Elvis left Memphis for the first leg of a Hawaiian vacation—a trip that would ultimately set the stage for his globally broadcast Aloha from Hawaii concert.
And on May 7, 1975, he performed the final night of a two-show run at the Murphy Center in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, proving once again that the King could still bring the house down in a college town.
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May 6 in Elvis History: Vegas Bust, Hound Dog Spark
/RSS FeedIt's May 6, and on May 6, 1956, 21-year-old Elvis Presley wrapped up his first Las Vegas engagement at the New Frontier Hotel. Sandwiched between the Freddy Martin Orchestra and comic Shecky Greene, Elvis’s raw rock ’n’ roll energy clashed with the lounge crowd—and the reviews reflected it.
Still, Elvis took the moment in stride. “I’d like to tell you, it’s really been a pleasure being in Las Vegas,” he said sincerely. “This makes our second week here. Tonight’s our last night. We’ve had a pretty hard time, uh, had a pretty good time while we were here.”
And the trip wasn’t a total loss. One night, Elvis caught Freddie Bell and the Bellboys performing “Hound Dog” at the Sands. Their cheeky, upbeat version caught his ear—and lit the fuse for what would soon become one of the most iconic hits of his career.
Sources:
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dailyelvis.com/May_6.html
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ourdailyelvis.wordpress.com/2017/05/06/daily-elvis-may-6
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reviewjournal.com/entertainment/music/elvis-las-vegas-debut-65-years-ago-wasnt-the-disaster-people-think-2329397
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en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hound_Dog_(song)
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setlist.fm/setlist/elvis-presley/1956/new-frontier-hotel-las-vegas-nv-5bf6b774.html
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May 5 in Elvis History: A Young Man’s Priorities
/RSS FeedIt's May 5, and on May 5, 1955, Elvis Presley performed at Ladd Stadium in Mobile, Alabama. Billed as part of the “WSM Grand Ole Opry” All-Star Jamboree. Elvis skipped the next night’s performance, instead jumping in his pink Cadillac to drive the 350 miles back to Memphis to take his girlfriend, Dixie Locke Emmons, to the prom. It was a move described as “a most remarkable display of priorities for a young aspiring artist at the bottom of the tour hierarchy,”
Sources:
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elvispresleymusic.com.au/pictures/1955-may-6.html
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March 18th in Elvis History
/RSS FeedIt’s March 18th, and on this day in 1965, production began on Elvis’s nineteenth film, *Harum Scarum*, at MGM studios in California. Known for quickly churning out movies, producer Sam Katzman completed filming in just eighteen days. Elvis, however, was often heard complaining about the film’s concept. At one point, Colonel Parker even insisted on adding “speaking parts” to the script, only for Katzman to dismiss the idea. Despite the film’s exotic theme, it was shot entirely on soundstages and back lots at MGM. One of the sets, an ornate temple, had originally been built for Cecil B. DeMille’s silent epic *King of Kings* from forty years earlier, and costumes were recycled from the 1944 film *Kismet*. Elvis earned a whopping one million dollars plus fifty percent of the profits for the movie, leaving just $300,000 to pay the rest of the cast.