I saw Elvis Presley live, the real one. It was at the Swing Auditorium in San Bernardino, in 1971, maybe 1972.
It was something to see. I was 7 years old and my father took me, and probably saved my life. A comedian opened the show, and all the members of Elvis's band wore light blue jumpsuits.
He opened with 'CC Rider' ( I think that is the name of the song) and wore a gold/black outfit with a cape, and a dozen or more red scarves around his neck. Periodically, he would strike a pose at the end of the stage, flinging the cape wide open. Every time he did this, he'd throw a scarf into the audience and women would lose their minds.
We were up in the rafters. I told my father that I was going to go down there and get myself one of those scarves. He wouldn't let me go. Until he died he'd joke about how, had I gone down there, those women would have killed me.
That must have been fantastic. I don't own any Elvis records, but strangely enough think I prefer the older 70's incarnation to the other guises. He seemed to have a really great stage presence and his voice grew in stature with age. I prefer the Elvis versions of My Way and Aways on my Mind any day of the week. Elvis could really sing. People mock the fat Elvis years, but I find it poignant how he would keep getting on stage obviously not well at all and still have the audience eating out of his hands. He should really have taken a few years off and cleaned up, but it was never going to happen surrounded by yes men and a gambling addict manager/slavedriver. None of this twerking nonsense with Elvis, just a few karate chops, great songs, and voice to kill.
not a fan but went to Graceland last year when was in Memphis.
Fascinating place
Don't bully fat kids - they've got enough on their plate
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