Elvis Blog – Post #13

DATELINE: Amelia Island (near Jacksonville, Florida)
Remembering Wednesday 8 August 2012

ELVIS QUOTE:
“I’ve always been a dreamer. When I was young I used to read comic books and go to the movies and I was the hero. My dreams have come true 100 times over.”

ELVIS TRIVIA:
In what year did Elvis perform a series of sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden in New York City?

ELVIS HISTORY:
Sunday 8 August 1954
Just one month ago, on 8 July, Elvis went to the movies. Why is this news? Dewey Phillips, a disk jockey, planned to play Elvis’s “acetate” on WHBQ radio. The studio was housed in the Hotel Chisca, downtown Memphis. Dewey had heard the record on Wednesday night and planed to play it on this night (8 July, Thursday). Vernon and Gladys were anxious to hear Elvis’s song being played for the first time.

Dewey played the record and the switchboard went crazy. He played it over and over, and called the Presleys’ home. Gladys and Vernon raced to the theater and went up and down the aisles at Suzore number two looking for their son. Knowing Elvis was nervous, Dewey interviewed him without telling him they were on the air.

VITO’S, JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA:
Wednesday 8 August 2012
Last night at Vito’s. Jim told me this story about Elvis—
Elvis often rented the entire Fairgrounds, and the entire movie theater for his friends to enjoy. On this day, 8 August, in 1957, Elvis took Venetia Stevenson, an actress, Lamar Fike, George Klein, and some others to the Memphis Fairgrounds and then to a private midnight showing of Loving You at the Strand.

We go to Vito’s the first Tuesday of the month and just eat and eat and talk about Elvis and whatever else is going on in our lives. Most of us met because of Elvis, and are friends because of Elvis.

TRIVIA ANSWER:
1972