elvis Facts, Vacation Elvis Style 13 - 13


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Vacation Elvis Style - Part 13 / 13

with the state of Texas, we wrap up your guide to planning vacation travel to places Elvis lived or visited:

TEXAS
After his army induction at Fort Chaffee, Arkansas, Elvis was sent to Fort Hood, Texas near Killeen where he received his basic training as well as advanced tank training. After basic training he was allowed to live off base with his parents and grandmother, whom he temporarily relocated from Memphis to Killeen.
They first lived in a mobile home and then in a rented house.

Elvis performed in Abilene, Texas at the Fiar Park Auditorium on 2/15/55 and 10/11/55. He had a concert on the Abilene Expo Center on 10/9/74 and the Taylor County Coliseum on 3/27/77. On 2/10/55 he was at the Alpine High School doing a benefit for the Future Farmers of America. In Amarillo there were shows the City Auditorium on 10/13/55 and 4/13/56. On 6/19/74 and 3/24/77 he performed at Amarillo's Civic Center. In Austin he was at the Sports Center on 8/25/55. On 1/18/56 he performed at the Austin Coliseum and the Municipal Auditorium on 3/28/77.

On 10/6/55 he performed at Warren Stark's Skyline Club in the evening after having performed a show earlier at Southwest Texas State University at San Marcos.
Beaumont City Auditorium was the site for five benefit shows 6/20-21/55. He returned to the same venue on 1/17/56. He performed at Big Spring City Auditorium on 4/26/55. In Beckenridge he performed at the High School on 4/13/55 and the American Legion Hall on 6/10/55.

On 7/4/55 various music acts performed in two different cities - Stephenville and nearby De Leon - in what was called the Battle of Songs. They would perform in the first city then when there was a break, the groups would change cities and perform again. It was a mix of country and gospel singing. Elvis began in the morning at Stephenville and did his regular rockabilly show. The rest of the performers were gospel singers, The Blackwood Brothers and The Statesmen. Over in De Leon was one country act and other gospel groups such as The Stamps. Elvis was so touched by the tribute the Blackwood Brothers gave for their members who had died in a plane crash that he didn't sing his usual music in De Leon. He sang only gospel, including "The Old Wooden Church," "Precious Memories," "Known Only To Him" and "Just A Closer Walk With Thee," disappointing the teenagers who had come to see him. That night Elvis performed in Brownwood in a benefit show at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall, doing his regular show.It was a three-show day for Elvis.

Brownwood and nearby Stephenville had all-day gospel singings where the artists switched venues mid-way and citizens of each community could hear them all perform. On this date some of the other performers included The Stamps, The Blackwood Brothers and The Statesmen quartets. Elvis performed two shows in each city - his regular show at first and then an all-gospel set. Elvis's parents Gladys and Vernon Presley attended these shows. The Brownwood segments took place at the Soldiers and Sailor's Hall and benefited the Brownwood Volunteer Fire Department. Elvis returned to that venue for another benefit on 10/10/55.

Elvis performed at Texas A & M in College Station on 3/19/55 and 10/3/55. On 8/23/55 he was at Bryan's Saddle Club. He performed at the grand opening of the Carthage Milling Company on 11/12/55 using the PA system in the Sheriff's patrol car. Elvis tripped on the flatbed trucks used for a stage at Conroe High School's football field on 8/24/55, hitting his head, but he still was able to perform. He did a show at the Hoedown Club in Corpus Christi on 7/3/55 but had to flee the unruly crowd on 4/16/56 at the Corpus Christi Memorial Coliseum. In De Kalb's High School Gym he performed on 3/4/55. In El Paso he was at the Coliseum on 4/11/56 and 11/10/72.
On 6/2/76 his show was at El Paso's Civic Center.

In Dallas he performed several times in 1955 at the Big D. Jamboree at the Sportartorium, stopping afterwards to take the stage at the Round-Up Club. On 10/11/56 he held a press conference and performed for the State Fair of Texas and the Cotton Bowl. He performed concerts at the Convention Center Auditorium on 11/13/71, 6/6/75 and 12/28/76. In Fort Worth he performed a matinee at the North Side Coliseum
on 5/29/55 before his show in Dallas that night.
He also performed there on 1/20/56 and 4/20/56.His shows at the Tarrant County Convention Center in Fort Worth were on 6/18/72, 6/15-16/74, 6/3/76 and 7/3/76.

In Gainesville he was at the Owl Park Baseball Field on 4/14/55. On 1/28/55 he was at the Gaston High School Auditorium. In Gilmer on 1/26/55 he had a show at the Rural Electrification Administration Building. Researchers vary on the date of an Elvis performance at Gladewater's Mint Club. Some say 11/22/54 while others say 11/23/54. He was definitely back again on 4/30/55, this time at the High School Gym, for a "Louisiana Hayride" remote which benefited the local Jaycees Little League program. Also on hand was a tiny 3-year-old Elvis imitator, Royce Hanson Jr., who joined Elvis on stage. The show was so successful that the Jaycees sponsored another "Hayride" remote from the High School on 11/19/55. Between these two shows on 8/10/55, Elvis performed at Gladewater's Bear Stadium, home to the city's semi-pro baseball team. He had a show at the Gonzales, Texas baseball park on 8/26/55.
In Greenville he performed at the City Auditorium on 10/5/55.
On 1/24/55 he was at the Recreation Hall of the Humble Oil Camp hear Hawkins.
He did a show at the Rodeo Arena in Henderson on 8/9/55.

Elvis performed many times in Houston in 1954 and 1955. Often after a Saturday night "Hayride" show in Shreveport, on Sunday afternoon one could find Elvis at Houston's Magnolia Gardens for the what became known as the Texas Hayride. It was a wooded area in Magnolia Park across from the Port of Houston where in good weather families would gather to hear live music. In the evenings of those same Sundays you might find him at Cook's Hoedown Club. He headlined a show at Cook's on 12/28/54 to benefit the Volunteer Fire Department. Another venue he played in Houston was the Pladium Club. The Fraternal Order of Eagles Hall was the venue for concerts on 1/1/55 and 3/19/55. There were "Louisiana Hayride" remote broadcasts from Houston's City Auditorium on 4/2/55 and 10/8/55. He gave two more shows there on 4/21/56 and he had a show at the Sam Houston Coliseum on 10/13/56. From 2/27/70 - 3/1/70 Elvis performed six shows at the famous Houston Astrodome as part of the Texas Livestock Show. Following the engagement at a press conference and banquet in his honor, Elvis received five gold record awards, a Stetson hat, a Sheriff's badge and a limited-edition Rolex gold watch.
When Elvis returned to perform again at the Astrodome on 3/3/74,
he broke the attendance record he had set in 1970.
Elvis also performed concerts at Houston's Hofheinz Pavilion on 11/12/71, 6/4-5/75 and 8/28/76.

Elvis performed at the baseball field in Kilgore on 8/12/55. He performed at the Reo Palm Isle Club near Longview on 1/27/55, 3/31/55, 8/11/55 and 11/18/55. Elvis performed several times at the Cotton Club in Lubbock in early 1955 where he met Buddy Holly, who was then performing as Buddy and Bob with a partner.
Elvis had shows at Lubbock's Fair Park Coliseum on 2/13/55, 6/3/55, 10/15/55 and 4/10/56.
He made a brief appearance at the Johnson-Connelley Pontiac Showroom on 6/3/55 to promote his show
later that night. He was at the Municipal Coliseum on 11/8/72 and 5/31/76.

Elvis performed at Midland High School Auditorium on 1/7/55. He performed at Odessa High School on 2/16/55 in a show sponsored by the Voting Home Owners Club. On 5/31/55 he returned to Midland High School for a show and returned to Odessa High School for another show sponsored by the Voting Home Owners. He played Midland High School again on 10/12/55. He came back to the area on 5/30/76 to have a concert at the Ector County Coliseum.

The Paris, Texas Optimist Club sponsored a show at the Boy Club Gym on 10/4/55. Elvis was at the Woodrow Wilson Junior High School in Port Arthur on 11/25/55. San Angelo's City Auditorium was the venue for shows on 1/5/55 and 2/17/55. Tyler's Mayfair Building at the fairgrounds was where Elvis had shows on 1/25/55 and 8/8/55. Elvis performed at the Heart O' Texas Coliseum in Waco on 4/23/55, 4/17/56 and 10/12/56. In Wichita Falls Elvis performed at the M-B Corral Club on 4/25/55 early in the evening before racing to Seymour to do a benefit show.
He performed in Wichita Falls again on 8/22/55 at Spudder Park baseball field and again on 1/19/56 and 4/9/56
at the Municipal Auditorium.

Elvis's performances on the "Louisiana Hayride" in Shreveport, Louisiana led him to perform many shows in small towns especially in Texas - sometimes performing in more than one city and more than one venue a day, literally racing from one stage to another. Some shows and venues may have been overlooked by accident for this Elvis Fact of the Week series. Painstaking research has been done by many writers including Peter Guralinick and Ernst Jorgensen for the book "Elvis Day By Day" and by Lee Cotton for his books "All Shook Up," "Did Elvis Sing In Your Hometown?" and "Did Elvis Sing In Your Hometown, Too?" Two very interesting books by Stanley Oberst - "Elvis In Texas" and "Elvis Presley Rockin' Across Texas" - focus on the Texas barnstorming days for Elvis and the Blue Moon Boys.

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