elvis presley ever tour overseas

The Real Reason Why Elvis Never Toured Outside America

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Elvis Presley’s life remains one of the world’s most captivating and heartbreaking stories. Though it all looked perfect from the outside, Elvis suffered from drug addiction and health problems, and was grossly mismanaged and taken advantaged of by the people around him. In fact, some fans even argue that he was cursed .

Despite being arguably the world’s most famous and beloved star, Elvis never performed outside North America. He did leave the United States for military service in Germany in his early 20s, and he did perform a selection of shows across the border in Canada. But he never toured internationally.

Given his popularity and the demand for him to perform outside of America, fans believe that there must have been some pressing reason stopping Elvis from leaving U.S. soil.

For decades since his 1977 death, rumors have circulated that Elvis had a fear of flying which kept him from touring overseas. And as it turns out, sources have confirmed that he did have negative feelings towards flying, at least early on in his career. But was this the reason he never toured abroad?

Was Elvis Afraid Of Flying?

According to Magic , Elvis’s fear of flying started in 1956 , when the flight he was taking from Amarillo to Nashville had engine trouble and had to make an emergency landing.

His ex-wife Priscilla confirmed the rumors to Larry King, saying, “He had a fear of flying, and his mother didn't really want him flying either. So he stopped for a while."

RELATED Priscilla Presley On How Elvis Would Have Reacted To The New Biopic

However, some fans have pointed out that Elvis did make frequent domestic flights. He even had his own plane named after his daughter Lisa-Marie.

Those that believe in the fear of flying theory argue that he became more spiritual after the death of his mother and looked at dying as a form of passing over to another life. Others say he naturally got over the fear, while some are convinced Elvis was never afraid to fly.

Whether he had a fear of flying or not, it appears there may have been another, more sinister reason why Elvis never left the country to tour.

The Alleged Real Reason Why Elvis Never Toured Outside America

It was never confirmed by Elvis or those around him why he never toured overseas. But fans and experts who have watched the star’s life closely are mostly united on the Colonel Tom Parker theory .

As Grunge points out, it’s been alleged that Elvis’s manager, Colonel Tom Parker, talked him out of touring abroad because Parker himself was an illegal alien. He had no passport documentation, and he feared that if he left American soil, he wouldn’t be able to get back in.

RELATED: The Real Reason Why Harry Styles Got Rejected For The New Elvis Movie

Additionally, the Colonel was allegedly linked to a murder in his native Breda and feared traveling overseas as he didn’t want to face passport scrutiny.

It has been confirmed that Parker wasn’t really an American citizen, as he claimed. Despite telling people that he was from West Virginia, and passing off certain elements of his accent as being Southern, he was actually born Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk in Breda, Netherlands.

He entered the United States illegally when he was 17, at a time when border security was much more relaxed.

In the Baz Luhrmann movie Elvis , this theory is put forward as the real reason why Elvis did not tour overseas. The film shows Elvis, played by Austin Butler , wanting to perform to his fans overseas, but the Colonel — played by Tom Parker — talking him out of it. In the movie, the Colonel tells Elvis that he shouldn’t travel abroad because of the security risk.

What Was Elvis’s Relationship Like With Colonel Tom Parker?

Since Elvis’s untimely death in 1977, his relationship with Colonel Tom Parker has been exposed as abusive and manipulative . Den of Geek reports that the Colonel took significant cuts of the star’s profits, sometimes even larger than Elvis’s own, tightly controlled his image and sound, and all but forced him into several movie roles that Elvis didn’t want to do.

RELATED: Austin Butler Risked His Health To Play Elvis

Between 1969 and Elvis’s death, the Mississippi-born star performed 600 times in Las Vegas, which he reportedly resented. Rather than honoring his client’s feelings, the Colonel kept Elvis performing at the International Hotel (now the Las Vegas Hilton) to pay off his own gambling debts.

In 1973, the Colonel sold Elvis’s back catalog to RCA for just $5.4 million, of which Elvis only received $2 million after taxes. As is shown in the movie, Elvis did finally fire the Colonel, but when the Colonel slammed him with an itemized bill for his services that was priced in the millions, Elvis and his father Vernon decided to take the Colonel back.

In 1980, an investigation was launched into the Colonel’s management of Elvis, which was found to be unethical and likely cost Elvis thousands.

The Alleged Reason Elvis Presley Never Toured Outside Of North America

There aren't many stars with whom millions around the world are on a first-name basis. That's a level almost beyond the upper echelons of celebrity. Madonna's full name, per Britannica , is Madonna Louise Ciconne, but as her renown expanded, she cast the rest of those affectations aside and became a popular culture powerhouse as simply Madonna.

Another of the most celebrated examples of this phenomenon is Elvis. Mr. Presley, Biography states, was born to a cash-strapped family in Tupelo, Mississippi, and the only early hints of his musical prowess were his enthusiasm for the music of the Assembly Of God Church. He was reportedly given a guitar when he turned 11, and the unassuming birthday present would surely go on to change the course of his life, not to mention the entire music industry.

His now-iconic debut on "The Ed Sullivan Show" in September of 1956 cemented his legend. According to History , it seized an 82.6% share of TV viewership, and the 21-year-old was watched by 60 million people as he performed while on the cusp of true superstardom. In short order, he had conquered the world. Curiously, though, he never toured outside of North America, and it seemed his manager had more than a little something to do with that.

Colonel Tom Parker seemed very averse to global tours

According to Graceland 's official website, Elvis met Colonel Tom Parker, the man who would steer him through the rest of his remarkable career, on February 6, 1955. The meeting was attended by representatives of Elvis' then-label, Sun Records, as well as the manager he had at the time, Bob Neal. Parker, it seems, wasted no time in making clear that he could take Elvis to the very top. By mid-March of the following year, Parker had assumed sole responsibility for managing Elvis.

Parker was there for much of Elvis' meteoric rise. According to Alanna Nash's "The Colonel: The Extraordinary Story of Colonel Tom Parker and Elvis Presley," RCA Records' Chet Atkins deemed Parker to have been "the best manager I ever saw ... whatever he cost Elvis ... was worth it, because Elvis would've ... lost that luster in no time if it hadn't been for the Colonel." Literally and figuratively, it's difficult to say exactly how much Parker "cost" Elvis. With Parker's tremendous influence over the singer's career, though, he called a lot of the shots, and one decision he seemed to make was that his client wouldn't tour around the world.

In an interview with Noise11 , Jerry Schilling of Elvis' "Memphis Mafia" stated that Elvis, at the peak of his success, "wanted to tour overseas. He wanted to go to Australia. He wanted to go to Japan." He passed these ambitions on to the Colonel, per Schilling, who wouldn't hear of it.

The King and the Colonel collided

According to Schilling, per Noise11 , the Colonel insisted that if Elvis embarked on such a trip, he would do so without him. Elvis apparently told Parker that he was fired and attempted to do just that, but, per Schilling, "When Elvis tried to get a tour going no one would touch him because they were afraid of the Colonel ... They had the relationship with the Colonel. They respected the Colonel."

And so it was that such aspirations were not to be. According to Smithsonian Magazine , the icon would play only three shows outside of the United States, all of them in Canada in 1957. Along the way, Parker had reportedly refused all kinds of lucrative offers for tours worldwide, and it seems he did so because he had no choice. Parker was not Tom Parker at all, he was not a United States citizen, and he didn't have a passport .

Biography reports that Parker's true name was Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk, and that he was born in the Netherlands. He pretended to have been born in West Virginia, later fought for the United States Army, and was given the title of colonel in 1948 (strictly honorary) by Louisiana's governor, whom he had helped campaign. Of these intriguing details, Schilling told Noise11, "We didn't know that while Elvis was alive ... That came out after Elvis passed away." Biography adds that relations from Parker's true native nation recognized him from press photos of himself with the King.

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Elvis Presley has to be the most famous singer in history, if not the most famous person of any kind in the entire inner solar system. You might imagine that he wowed people the world over by performing for huge sold-out crowds. Why, who can forget Elvis in Amsterdam, Elvis in Sydney, Elvis in Tokyo, and of course Elvis in London?

In reality, Elvis never toured internationally. He performed in over 240 cities, over 1,600 performances, but these were all in the United States. He did do three shows in Canada, all in 1957, but we're not going to count that as traveling internationally because at the time, you could travel freely between the U.S. and Canada without a passport.

We're not being arbitrary with that definition—freedom of travel is the crucial issue here and is the reason Elvis couldn't tour outside America. Elvis' manager, "Colonel" Tom Parker, believed that if he ever left the U.S., border authorities would forbid him (Parker) from ever coming back.

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Parker, played by Tom Hanks in the new Elvis movie, was born in the Netherlands and was originally named Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk. He worked on a ship to reach an American port and then leapt off the ship to enter the country illegally. He later enlisted in the U.S. Army, which meant he could have eventually become a citizen, but he never got around to it. He instead did his own form of naturalization. He called himself "the colonel" (just an honorary title), changed his name to Tom Parker (which sounded very American to him), and walked around in a cowboy hat (or occasionally some other hat he thought looked American, like in the above photo).

As Elvis' manager, the responsible thing for Parker to do (assuming he had no plans to sort out his immigration status) would be to send Elvis on fabulous world tours while he himself stayed behind back in the States. But Parker insisted on tight control over his client. We'll have to leave the full story of the Colonel and Elvis for a longer article, but let's just quickly mention that Parker would occasionally take over Elvis' home, he pushed Elvis into getting married, and he sometimes made more money off Elvis' career than Elvis himself did—though he then lost most of it gambling. The one good thing about Parker, though, is he had some skill at marketing. It was his idea to produce and sell buttons labeled "I Hate Elvis."

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The Unexpected Reason Why Elvis Presley Never Toured Outside America

Elvis Presley - maria mountain824 / Youtube

Elvis Presley was a living legend, but just like anybody else, he was a victim of the industry’s cruelty. After his iconic debut in The Ed Sullivan Show, Presley proved to anyone that he was the first person who conquered the world with music, charm, and his explicitly good looks.

But, in as much as we label him as the first person who made the whole world go crazy, it’s unfortunate that we never got to see the King of Rock and Roll tour outside the US borders. And there’s a reason why.

On February 6, 1955, Elvis Presley met Colonel Tom Parker, the person who would guide him through the rest of his extraordinary career. By the middle of March of the next year, Parker was handling all of Elvis’ business affairs on his own; that includes telling the star the things he needed to do and those he needed to steer off. So, when the young Elvis wanted to discover the world through touring, Colonel simply wouldn’t listen to him.

Parker was adamant that Elvis would go on this kind of trip without him if he went ahead and planned it. According to Jerry Schilling, Elvis reportedly attempted to fire him; however, Elvis was unsuccessful. “When Elvis tried to get a tour going no one would touch him because they were afraid of the Colonel,” Jerry Schilling told Noise11. “They had the relationship with the Colonel. They respected the Colonel.”

Along the way, it was claimed that Parker had turned down a variety of rich offers for tours all over the world, and it appears that he did so because he was faking his identity. Tom Parker was an illegal immigrant, and he did not have a passport.

Schilling further added: “We didn’t know that while Elvis was alive; that came out after Elvis passed away.” According to Biography,  Parker’s real name was Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk, born in the Netherlands. He later served in the United States Army and lied to have been born in West Virginia. In 1948, the governor of Louisiana, whose campaign he had assisted, bestowed upon him the honorary rank of colonel, even though he had never served in the military. It’s one of the many things that pushed Elvis’s career off the cliff, and later on, his life.

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When Elvis Said 'Aloha' From Hawaii, The World Watched

On January 14, 1973, Elvis Presley made history as the first solo entertainer to hold a live concert broadcast internationally via satellite. More than a billion people from more than 40 countries across Asia and Europe tuned in to watch "Aloha from Hawaii." Weekends on All Things Considered host Jacki Lyden talks to Elvis aficionados, including fans who witnessed the rock 'n' roll king when he took the crown to be a true worldwide phenomenon.

Copyright © 2013 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

The Tragic Reason Elvis Never Toured The UK

Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis uncovers why the tale.

Following a spate of musical biopics in recent years with the releases of Bohemian Rhapsody , Rocketman , Judy , and Respect , Baz Luhrmann released his much-anticipated big-screen interpretation of the life and career of Elvis Presley . Starring Austin Butler as the “King of Rock and Roll” and Tom Hanks as his manager Colonel Tom Parker , Elvis devles into the history of one of the world’s most prolific musicians, who had an army of adoring fans all around the world. But, did Elvis ever tour the UK?

What may come as a surprise to many – given his international fame – Elvis never toured across the pond . As per the Daily Mail , the reason for this lies with his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, who was born in The Netherlands and arrived in the United States as an illegal immigrant. Because Colonel Parker did not possess an American passport, he feared that if he left the U.S. for any reason – including to go on an international tour with Presley – he might not be granted permission back into the United States. Therefore, Parker reportedly convinced the “Blue Suede Shoes” performer that it would be a security risk for him to tour internationally, and encouraged him to focus on the Las Vegas strip, instead.

Although, the singer did briefly visit the United Kingdom back in 1960, when the military plane flying him back to the U.S. from his army service in Europe (which was mandatory at the time) stopped over at Prestwick in Scotland.

As mentioned, the 2022 musical-biopic Elvis chronicles the life and career of the famed performer, depicting everything from his childhood in Mississippi to his rise to worldwide superstardom. Following the film’s release, critics have largely praised director Luhrmann’s efforts , with one positive review from Rolling Stone describing the big-screen drama as a “brash, overwhelming experience.”

Meanwhile, members of Presley’s own family have also given the biopic their seal of approval . Speaking to reporters, Elvis’ former wife, Priscilla Presley, revealed that she “loves” the film, which she thinks is “beautifully done.”

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Exploring Elvis Presley’s International Tour and Legacy

By Happy Sharer

Introduction

Elvis Presley is often considered to be one of the most influential musicians of all time. He was a pioneer in the rock-and-roll genre and his influence can still be felt today. His songs have been covered by countless artists over the years and his style has had an enduring effect on popular culture. But did you know that Elvis also went on an international tour? In this article, we will explore the significance of Elvis’ international tour and its lasting impact.

Overview of Elvis Presley and His Impact on Music

Elvis Presley was born in 1935 in Tupelo, Mississippi. He began his career as a singer and songwriter in 1954, and quickly rose to fame. His unique blend of country, blues, and gospel music was unlike anything else that had been heard before, and it revolutionized the music industry. Elvis’ first hit single, “Heartbreak Hotel”, reached number one on the Billboard charts, and he went on to have a string of successful hits throughout the 1950s and 1960s. He also starred in numerous films, further cementing his status as a cultural icon.

Overview of Elvis’ International Tour

In 1957, Elvis embarked on an international tour that took him to countries around the world, including Canada, Mexico, England, Germany, and Australia. During this tour, Elvis performed a total of 57 shows in 18 different cities. The tour was a massive success, and it gained him legions of fans in each of the countries he visited. It was also the first time that many international audiences had ever seen a live performance of an American musician.

Analyzing Elvis Presley’s Global Impact Through His International Tour

Elvis’ international tour was a crucial moment in his career. Not only did it help to make him a global star, but it also helped to spread the influence of American music around the world. During his tour, Elvis performed some of his most iconic songs, such as “Hound Dog”, “Jailhouse Rock”, and “Love Me Tender”. These performances were seen by millions of people, and they helped to popularize rock-and-roll music in countries outside of the United States.

How Elvis Revolutionized Music Through His International Tour

Elvis’ international tour was not just a success for him personally, but it also had a major impact on the music industry as a whole. According to music historian Michael Lydon, “The tour was a watershed moment for international music. It showed the world that American music could be enjoyed and appreciated by people from all walks of life, regardless of language or culture.” This tour helped to open the door for other American musicians to tour internationally, and it helped to create a global market for music.

Examining the Cultural Significance of Elvis’ International Tour

In addition to its impact on the music industry, Elvis’ international tour was also a significant moment in popular culture. During his tour, Elvis was seen as a symbol of freedom and rebellion. His performances challenged social norms and inspired young people around the world to challenge authority and embrace their own individuality. As a result, Elvis became a beloved figure in many countries, and his influence can still be felt today.

The Legacy of Elvis Through His International Tour

The legacy of Elvis Presley continues to live on through his international tour. His music and performances still resonate with people around the world, and his influence can be seen in the music of modern artists. In fact, according to a study conducted by the University of California, Los Angeles, Elvis’ music is still the most widely listened to music in the world. This speaks to the lasting impact that Elvis had on the music industry and popular culture.

The Impact of Elvis on Pop Culture Through His International Tour

Elvis’ international tour was also instrumental in shaping modern pop culture. His style and attitude have been imitated by countless artists, and his influence can be seen in everything from fashion to film. His look and sound have become synonymous with the idea of “cool”, and his presence can still be felt in popular culture today.

Revisiting the Magic of Elvis’ International Tour

When Elvis embarked on his international tour, he was taking a risk. He had no way of knowing how his music and performances would be received by audiences in other countries. But his gamble paid off, and his tour was a resounding success. Today, Elvis’ international tour is remembered as one of the most important moments in music history.

Reflection on the Impact of Elvis’ International Tour

Elvis’ international tour was a pivotal moment in both music and popular culture. His tour helped to spread the influence of American music around the world, and it opened the door for other American musicians to tour internationally. It also helped to shape modern pop culture, and its influence can still be felt today. Elvis’ international tour was truly a revolutionary moment in music history.

Concluding Thoughts on Elvis’ Influence Through His International Tour

The impact of Elvis Presley’s international tour cannot be overstated. His unique blend of music and style revolutionized the music industry, and it shaped the landscape of popular culture. His tour was a defining moment in music history, and its influence can still be felt today. Elvis’ international tour is a testament to his enduring legacy and influence.

Elvis Presley’s international tour was a groundbreaking moment in music history. It helped to popularize American music around the world and it opened the door for other American musicians to tour internationally. It also had a lasting impact on popular culture, and its influence can still be felt today. Elvis’ international tour is a testament to his lasting legacy and influence.

(Note: Is this article not meeting your expectations? Do you have knowledge or insights to share? Unlock new opportunities and expand your reach by joining our authors team. Click Registration to join us and share your expertise with our readers.)

Hi, I'm Happy Sharer and I love sharing interesting and useful knowledge with others. I have a passion for learning and enjoy explaining complex concepts in a simple way.

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Frozen in time, Elvis still reigns as the King in Germany

By Carter Dougherty

• Aug. 25, 2008

BAD NAUHEIM, Germany — Millions of fans, impersonators, hucksters and charlatans have wanted a piece of Elvis Presley ever since his music hit the charts in the 1950s, and his German admirers are no exception.

Elvis was born in Tupelo, Mississippi, and reigned from stages of Las Vegas and an estate called Graceland, they like to say, but the King was never as much at peace as when he was in Bad Nauheim.

"Elvis always said that his time in Germany was the least constrained of his entire life," Hans-Ulrich Halwe, the honorary chairman of the Elvis Presley Association, told a tour group of 70 while standing near the house where Elvis lived.

Halwe's broad thesis about Presley's time in Bad Nauheim may be objectively true, for it has a lot of green space, enjoyable vistas of the rolling hills outside Frankfurt, and a population that is small-town without being parochial. It lacked the pressures of managers, fans and spotlights that Elvis faced later in life.

The thesis is also useful. German Elvis fans have created their own narrative about the King, one that forgives the star for his later transgressions and freezes in time the young, svelte, pleasant man they knew.

Elvis pulls double duty, 50 years after he began his military service in Germany, as an honorary, if deceased, ambassador from the United States, especially during the recent European Elvis Festival in Bad Nauheim. The King was titanic without being overbearing, talented without being arrogant, and friendly without being saccharine - all things a lot of Germans say are missing in today's America.

"At least when the festival is going, everyone here loves America," Ulrich Schlichthaerle, director of Bad Nauheim's marketing and tourism agency. "You can't say that all the time."

Elvis is also good business.

The festival brought about 10,000 people to Bad Nauheim, good news to Schlichthaerle, who is a salesman first and an Elvis fan second, he concedes. For a good century before Elvis, Bad Nauheim was a famous spa town, with mineral springs for every ailment, but it is managing a transition.

"Why did the city get interested in Elvis?" Halwe said. "Because the spa visitors tapered off."

On the trail of Elvis, Halwe, 64, leads his tour group through leafy Bad Nauheim to the house he rented, the record store he patronized, and the fountain where he once inhaled regenerative saltwater vapors to heal his inflamed tonsils. It would all be easy to miss, but for the black granite monument at Elvis Presley Plaza.

Halwe's storytelling provides the real insight into his fans here.

Those stories about Elvis being in a bar fight in Bad Nauheim are nonsense, Halwe said. (Elvis's bodyguard, Red West, was the real culprit.) And when he met his future wife Priscilla in Germany, he was utterly smitten. (Their marriage later broke up.) And Elvis had firm plans to play the first date on his European tour in Bad Nauheim's auditorium, Halwe assured his tour group. (Tom Parker, Presley's longtime manager, nixed the plan because the Dutch- born Parker could have been barred from re-entering the United States.)

Elvis was but a nice young man, and Germany was his Eden, a point lost on fans who live across the Atlantic.

"When I look at what comes from the United States, Germany is dealt with in three minutes and it's gone," said Jürgen Muth, a member of the Elvis Presley Association who lives just outside Bad Nauheim. "But otherwise Elvis was never outside the United States, except for a quick trip to Canada."

The special connection between Elvis and Germany makes for a convenient rallying point for those who miss the relationship the United States once enjoyed with its European ally.

"For me he represents the 8 to 10 million GIs who served in Germany at one time or another," said John Provan, a historian who has devoted himself to collecting relics of the American presence in Europe.

Coming to Germany on a troopship, buying a Volkswagen Bug and visiting Munich, Elvis "experienced just what the others did," Provan said.

Provan, who has scavenged radio interviews and pictures of Elvis, helped organize a popular museum exhibit to commemorate what began 50 years ago. A German photographer, Hans-Ulrich Elter, and a writer, Heinrich Burk, have put together a coffee-table book on Elvis in Germany that is scheduled to appear in October.

The town of Bad Nauheim is also maneuvering to take control of the Capri Club, the officers' club at now-closed Ray Barracks, where Presley was stationed.

It hopes to turn the spot, now in the hands of the German government, into a kind of German-American meeting point.

Because Elvis always trumps politics.

Halwe recalled the time when John F. Kennedy visited Frankfurt, and the whole city came to a standstill out of sheer enthusiasm. Decades later, George W. Bush visited nearby Mainz, and manhole covers were welded shut for security reasons.

The message for Halwe is clear: politicians who have a little bit of Elvis about them are the ones who build bridges.

"Bush can't sing as well as Elvis," Halwe said. "We don't yet know about Obama."

John Vinocur is on vacation.

Tomorrow: Indira A.R. Lakshmanan on the only Iraq war veteran serving in the U.S. Congress

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Book captures the only time Elvis performed in Vancouver back in 1957

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Elvis Presley performed outside the United States three times, once in Toronto, once in Ottawa, and once in Vancouver 64 years ago.

The King of Rock's Canadian tour stops took place on two days in April 1957 and August 31 the same year and is extensively documented in the recently published book Elvis Presley: ‘All Shook Up’ in Canada. Written by New Westminster-born Brandon Yip, the story offers a fresh interpretation of Elvis’ tour and its culmination at Vancouver’s Empire Stadium.

Befriending through fandom

Yip has been writing about pop culture figures since 2001, having been fascinated by pop culture figures like James Dean and Elvis Presley since high school. Yip describes this fascination as something that resonates with the psyche.

“We don't personally know these ‘pop culture figures,’ but in a way, because we love them so much--they become almost like a friend to us,” Yip said in a recent Q&A with Vancouver Is Awesome. “This goes back to the celebrity worship that we have seen since the deaths of film stars Rudolph Valentino and James Dean--where there was a massive outpouring of grief.”

Yip added the stars are kept alive by fans buying and treasuring any souvenirs as well as the internet preserving their music or movies.

My book about @ElvisPresley and his 1957 Canadian tour is available at #HagerBooks . https://t.co/5nBtVSHr5a #hagerbooks #Kerrisdale #Vancouver #NewBook #Amazon #Elvis #ElvisPresley #theking pic.twitter.com/zbY85DFAe9 — Brandon Yip (@BrandonYip16) July 15, 2021

Preserving the memories

When writing his book, Yip spoke to the late Vancouver impresario Hugh Pickett and Canadian music manager Bruce Allen. Yip also interviewed legendary Vancouver DJ Red Robinson , who emceed the King's 1957 Vancouver concert.

“They were all kind and generous with their time,” Yip said. “Red Robinson was so generous and kind to me. He gave me coffee; and during a pause, after he answered one of my questions, he said to me, ‘You're not drinking your coffee. Is it that bad?’”

Yip added that both Pickett and Allen were gracious with their stories of spending time with the King.

“What I found after interviewing all three men about their interactions with Elvis was that he was a nice, polite young man. He seemed like a regular guy,” Yip said.

Rock 'n' roll's biggest star

After over sixty years, new fans just "Can’t Help Falling In Love" with Presley, a fact Yip credits older generations with as well as, again, the internet.

“He didn't invent rock and roll. But he was rock and roll's biggest star. Elvis also tested the boundaries of how an entertainer should behave on stage,” Yip said. “Elvis had the whole package: the looks, voice, charisma--he had it all. I see so many videos on YouTube showing younger Elvis fans reacting to Elvis' music in a positive way. So, it shows you that Elvis' legacy and appeal continue to endure.”

Elvis Presley: ‘All Shook Up’ in Canada is available for purchase on Amazon , Massy Books , Hager Books and Indigo on Robson Street . 

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Inside the Las Vegas Show That Turned Elvis’ Career Around

By the end of the 1960s, Elvis Presley’s career was in disrepair — treading water in a sea of bad movies, records that no longer made the charts and a decade of increasing irrelevance in the fast-changing world of rock’ n’ roll. He had made a splashy comeback in a widely acclaimed NBC special in December 1968. But he hadn’t performed live onstage in more than eight years. So when he opened in Las Vegas on July 31, 1969 — the start of a four-week engagement at the brand new International Hotel — it was a make-or-break career gamble. Richard Zoglin’s book Elvis in Vegas: How the King Reinvented the Las Vegas Show , out July 23 , offers a counter-narrative to the conventional wisdom that his time in Vegas contributed to the star’s decline. Instead, Zoglin argues, this time saw him not only remake himself, but the entire template for Las Vegas entertainment . The following excerpt goes inside that opening night, revealing both the anxiety leading up to it and the resulting triumph.

Listen to the audiobook version of this excerpt here:

Elvis was as ready as he could ever be: well rehearsed, backed by first-rate musicians, and heralded by the biggest publicity campaign in Vegas history. Yet his show still had something of a homemade, seat of-the-pants quality. Elvis hadn’t been on a concert stage in years and knew little about modern sound systems and other technical matters. The showroom was daunting: twice as large as any other venue in Las Vegas, with room for 2,000 people. The opening-night audience was filled with Hollywood stars, Vegas entertainers and assorted high rollers, along with rock critics and entertainment reporters from around the country. Even in a town used to star-studded opening nights, the array of celebrities—Cary Grant, Sammy Davis Jr., Ann-Margret, Paul Anka, Dionne Warwick—was impressive.

Backstage before the show, Elvis was a nervous wreck. “I can remember Elvis sitting on a couch,” bassist Jerry Scheff recalled, “his knee going up and down like a piston, his hands dancing like butterflies.” “You could see the sweat just pouring out of him before he went onstage,” said his friend and road manager Joe Esposito. “He was always nervous before a show, but he was never nervous like that again.” Everybody tried to keep him calm. “If you get lost, just turn around and we’ll start playing louder,” guitarist John Wilkinson reassured him. “Don’t worry about it, your friends are here.”

The Showroom Internationale was filling up, anticipation building. The expansive stage was sixty feet wide, with a ten-thousand-pound, Austrianmade gold-lamé curtain. The ornate decor featured crystal chandeliers and figurines of angels hanging from the ceiling and a hodgepodge of ancient Greek, Roman, and Louis XIV-era paintings and statuary. A setting fit for a returning king.

Usually in Vegas the headliner would be announced by a disembodied voice—“Ladies and gentlemen, direct from the bar—Dean Martin!” But as the curtain rose, Elvis simply walked out, an acoustic guitar slung over his shoulder, grabbed the microphone in his right hand—which was visibly trembling—paused for a moment, then launched into the familiar lyrics: “Well, it’s one for the money, / Two for the show, / Three to get ready / Now go, cat, go . . .”

As he sang “Blue Suede Shoes,” the crowd erupted. It was the old Elvis, rocking as hard as ever on a classic hit they hadn’t heard him sing in over a decade. He was wearing one of costume designer Bill Belew’s two-piece karate outfits, dark blue, with flared pants and a sashlike belt that whipped around as he moved. His high-collared shirt was unbuttoned nearly to his navel, with a scarf loosely knotted around his neck. (His friend and hairstylist Larry Geller claimed that Elvis wore high collars to imitate the spiritual masters in David Anrias’s book Through the Eyes of the Masters . Priscilla said it was because Elvis thought his neck was too long.)

The frenzied reaction from the crowd startled the performers. “They wouldn’t shut up,” Wilkinson recalled; “all through the first song they kept shouting and cheering, they couldn’t get enough of him.” As he finished his opening number, Elvis let the cheers wash over him, then turned around to face the musicians behind him and sort of shrugged his shoulders—as if to say, “Maybe this isn’t going to be so bad.”

Then he roared on, doing a hard-driving version of Ray Charles’s “I Got a Woman,” followed by a string of his biggest fifties hits, from “All Shook Up,” to “Heartbreak Hotel.” During “Love Me Tender,” Elvis planted kisses on as many female fans in the front row as he could reach. He did the up-tempo songs faster than in the old days, as if he were trying to get through them as quickly as possible. “I think he did them because people expected those songs,” said drummer Ronnie Tutt. “You could tell he just wanted to rush through them. He wasn’t necessarily thrilled with who he was in the fifties. Because he had become a different man.” When he got to “Hound Dog” (a song he didn’t like anymore), he prefaced it with a long, tongue-in-cheek buildup, telling the audience he wanted to do a “special song” just right for a “tender, touching moment”—before the sudden explosion: “YOU AIN’T NOTHIN’ . . .” He raced through that one so fast it was almost disrespectful.

After the trip down memory lane, Elvis changed the pace with several numbers that showcased his more emotional, ballad-driven style, like Mac Davis’ “Memories,” the Beatles’ “Yesterday,” and the angsty “I Can’t Stop Loving You.” Elvis’s feverish, seven-minute performance of the yet-unreleased single “Suspicious Minds” nearly brought the house down. In the last part of the show, Elvis circled back to the 1950s with an energetic cover of Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode.” Then he revved up the jets for the old Ray Charles rouser “What’d I Say,” before closing the show (as he would nearly every live show for the rest of his career) with “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” his ballad from the 1961 film Blue Hawaii .

“I never saw anything like it in my life,” said Mac Davis, who was in the audience, flattered when Elvis gave him a shout-out—“Hiya, Mac”—before singing “In the Ghetto,” the hit that Davis had written for him. “He was physically beautiful at that age, just a specimen. You couldn’t take your eyes off the guy. Women rushing the stage, people clamoring over each other. I couldn’t wipe the grin off my face the entire time.” Ann Moses, editor of the teen magazine Tiger Beat , said, “I saw the Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl, and the Rolling Stones at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. But there was something about that night that was so special. Everyone was dumbstruck and didn’t want the night to end. It was one of the greatest shows I’ve ever seen.”

The performance lasted an hour and fifteen minutes, with Elvis pacing the stage like a panther, crouching, lunging, leaping, doing karate kicks and punches. He gulped water and Gatorade and mopped his sweat with handkerchiefs tossed onstage by women in the audience. “He was like a wild man,” recalled Felton Jarvis, his RCA record producer. “I mean, he almost hurt himself—he was doing flips and cartwheels and all kinds of stuff.” The cartwheels may have been an exaggeration, but no one could doubt that Elvis was giving it everything he had. In one show later in the run, he split his pants and had to retreat offstage, where his entourage formed a protective ring around him while he changed quickly into a new pair. (This prompted Belew to switch to one-piece jumpsuits—more forgiving in the crotch.)

He talked to the audience in between numbers—nervously, self-consciously, with a few awkward jokes. He noted that this was “my first live appearance in nine years. Appeared dead a few times. . . .” He joked about the garish showroom—“Welcome to the big, freaky International Hotel, with those weirdo dolls on the walls and those funky angels on the ceiling.” He repeated the same lines almost every night, but the evening had a loose, spontaneous quality too.

The awkwardness and spontaneity were refreshing. This was no slick Vegas headliner, with polished stage patter and fake effusions of love for the audience. Elvis was still the overgrown kid from Memphis , as anxious about talking (as opposed to singing) to an audience as the audience was eager to make him feel welcome. But musically, he was a revelation. When the show was over, Elvis got a standing ovation—“one of the rare occasions,” Myram Borders reported in the Nevada State Journal , “when a Las Vegas standing salute was sincere rather than rigged with a few cronies of an entertainer planted down front to stamp and scream approval.” Over the next seven years, he would perform more than 600 shows in Las Vegas—and sell out every one. The show was a clear triumph.

Copyright © 2019 by Richard Zoglin. From the forthcoming book ELVIS IN VEGAS: How the King Reinvented the Las Vegas Show by Richard Zoglin to be published by Simon & Schuster, Inc. Printed by permission.

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Did Elvis Presley ever perform live in the UK?

Baz luhrmann’s elvis biopic tells the story of the king of rock and roll, but whether or not he played in the uk is a tale in itself.

• 20:08, 26 JUN 2022

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Elvis Presley had millions of fans across the UK during the height of his powers. However, the musical legend peculiarly never graced the country’s biggest and best arenas to entertain audiences here.

Amazingly, Elvis only ever played three gigs outside of his native USA, with all of them taking place in neighbouring Canada. Lovers of his trailblazing hip-shaking dance moves and trademark spectacular voice missed out on what would have truly been an unforgettable experience.

Why did Elvis never perform live in the UK?

The reason behind Elvis’ UK omission has little to do with the man himself, but rather his manager, Colonel Tom Parker. It is reported that Colonel Parker was in fact an illegal Dutch immigrant who did not hold an American passport.

Read more: Who is in the Elvis cast as new movie comes out in cinemas?

It is believed the Dutch-born manager refused to let Elvis tour overseas out of fear he would not be permitted to return to the US due to his illegal alien status. Parker was often criticised for his management style, restricting Elvis’ touring career.

That being said, in 2015, the Mirror reported on documents that came to light, indicating that plans were being made for overseas gigs. This would have taken place in Britain and Japan prior to his 1977 death.

Did Elvis ever come to the UK?

Although he never toured on our shores, Elvis was known to have set foot in the UK on at least one occasion. In 1960, Elvis was sighted at Prestwick airport in South Ayrshire on his journey back from military service in Germany, with the airport even displaying a sign proudly proclaiming it to be the only place in the UK ever visited by Elvis.

However, by 2008, another peculiar story came to light, suggesting the Heartbreak Hotel singer joined English entertainer Tommy Steele in 1958 for a day driving around London, admiring some of the capital’s famous landmarks. Theatre producer Bill Kenwright worked with Steele, who was then part of a production of Dr Dolittle in Woking, Surrey, and revealed this secret on Ken Bruce's Radio 2 show.

He said: "It all came from that. It's quite something isn't it - the thought of them wandering around London together? But the impression I got was that they never got out of the car."

Elvis Presley performing on the Elvis comeback TV special in 1968

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Elvis Presley Wanted To Tour Australia But Colonel Parker Stopped Him

Jerry Schilling was part of the ' Memphis Mafia ' and worked with Elvis Presley and Colonel Tom Parker . 'I was at that late night meeting at the Las Vegas Hilton. Elvis wanted to tour overseas. He wanted to go to Australia. He wanted to go to Japan. The Colonel said, 'if you go I am not going to go with you'. Elvis said 'that's fine, you are fired', Jerry tells Noise11.com.

Colonel Tom was a powerful person in the music industry back then and even Elvis couldn't beat him. 'When Elvis tried to get a tour going no-one would touch him because they were afraid of the Colonel', Jerry said. 'They had the relationship with the Colonel. They respected the Colonel. They did not want to go behind his back. The bottom line Elvis could not stretch the way he wanted to because of the confines of the business'.

The reason Colonel Tom would not let Elvis tour outside the USA was because Colonel Tom was a illegal alien. 'We didn't know that while Elvis was alive', Jerry says. 'That came out after Elvis passed away. One of the Memphis mafia guys called the Colonel and said 'Colonel, you never told us you were from Holland'. The Colonel said, 'well you never asked'.

Colonel Tom made Elvis a star but after a decade Elvis was growing tied of him. 'I think creatively Elvis outgrew the Colonel and that's what caused a major conflict', he says. 'Musically and acting wise Elvis didn't want to do at 30 or 35 what he was doing at 19 and 20 (nor would anybody else). I lived and worked with Elvis and I was with Colonel Parker one day a week. As a young guy I learned a lot about the relationship between and artist and a manager. The manager must understand the creative needs of his artist. He doesn't have to bring him 'Sgt Pepper'. That is for the artist to develop and for him to get it done. The artist must understand what the manager needs to do to promote their artistic work. They need to understand each other's role to make the whole thing successful'.

Schilling says that despite his faults, the Colonel was a genius. 'Colonel Parker is the most misunderstood person in the music industry', he says. 'He was brilliant in a simple way. He could outsmart any mogul or film company owner. Don't ever say Colonel Parker wasn't a brilliant guy. Creativity was not his best quality. He was the go-to bad guy. Colonel Parker was an honest guy. I used to dread going to work for him but at the end of the day it was pretty damn interesting. I became very close to him. I was the closest person to him in the last 20 years of his life'.

Jerry Schilling was in Australia earlier this year for Q&A's about Elvis. Priscilla Presley will return to Australia for encore performances in November.

Priscilla Presley: Elvis & Me dates

November 4, Gold Coast, The Star November 6, Perth, Crown Theatre November 9, Melbourne, Crown Palladium November 12, Sydney, Star Event Centre

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Elvis Presley's songs are unforgettable - they have stood the test of time, especially his singles of the 1950s, a decade in which he had a song at No. 1. for 59 weeks and 4 No. 1 albums ('56-'59). Read More .

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