Elvis and Band-Aids

[Tommy]

Hi Everybody,

Has anyone noticed besides me many photos of Elvis with band-aids on his fingers. I wondered what and why so many.? I'll look for some photos. Maybe he played the guitar too strong??

Tommy

[Lindnet]

I thought I had read somewhere that he taped his fingers to keep his rings on. The fans used to try to get them off when he shook their hands.

[mistymorning]

Some excited fans pressed his fingers so hard that they were bleeding!then he should have taped his fingers most of the times!!

[Tommy]

Thank you for your replies they make sense.

Tommy

[Fire_Eyes]

When I first read this topic name, I thought of the rapper Nelly who used to always wear a bandaid on his cheek for no apparrent reason...and then I attributed that to Elvis, which needless to say, was pretty amusing. :lol:

[Tommy]

Here's a photo with Elvis' wearing band-aids on his fingers.

Tommy

[cutiepie]

Here's a photo with Elvis' wearing band-aids on his fingers.

Tommy

hmmm...it looks like Elvis put band-aids on fingers that don't have rings...Did those already fall off??!

[Jungleroom76]

From all the stories that I have heard, Elvis wore the band-aids on his fingers to keep the fans from pulling his rings off when he shook hands with them before and after the show!

TCB!
Mike

[Tommy]

Cutiepie

Haha maybe they did already fall off! I hope someone picked them up!

Tommy

[Tommy]

Jungleroom76

Yeah makes sense putting band-aids on so fans couldn't get to his rings.

thanks for reply,

Tommy

[Lindnet]

Here's another thought....someone mentioned him having bandaids on the fingers that don't have rings. Maybe when the fans shook his hands, his rings would dig into the other fingers, from them squeezing too hard? After all, he wore very large rings.

[Tommy]

Great thought, thanks Lindnet. :-)

Tommy

[Lonniebealestreet]

Yep, you all have got it covered. The purpose was two-fold: to keep the rings from being pulled off and to protect the other fingers from the rings. It's kind of funny.

It's also a shame that they didn't make clear Band-Aids back then, because the look of very expensive rings surrounded by Band-Aids was kind of a funny one. (Everything's funny to me, right?)

But of course only the people in the first few rows would have noticed that. And Elvis didn't wear them in his TV specials and concert movies, so obviously he realized that an up-close view of the Band-Aids would have been less than ideal.

[Cryogenic]

Yeah!

Visually, it seems completely self-defeating. Ludicrously flashy and expensive rings next to... 50 cent Band-Aids. :lmfao:

Anyway, I'd say the reasoning was THREE-FOLD:

1) To protect the other fingers from the rings.

2) To prevent them from being pulled off.

3) To prevent skin being cut on the SAME fingers by overzealous fans attempting to pull the rings off.

The third reason is really a hybrid of the other two, but I felt it worth noting. Because of Elvis' affinity for fans and his "meet and greet" attitude, he actually placed himself at constant risk from physical harm and molestation. Aside from the other important issue of weight, this might be why capes never got to be ankle-length - all it would have taken was for one fan to have pulled too hard, knocking Elvis off balance and he'd be on his @$$! Maybe even off the stage! Possibly in a woman's lap... OK, that last one wouldn't have been so bad... ;) The moral here? Don't tug on Superman's cape! (Or his TCB rings). :D

[Tommy]

Thank you all for your interesting replies!!

Tommy

[Jungleroom76]

Jungleroom76

Yeah makes sense putting band-aids on so fans couldn't get to his rings.

thanks for reply,

Tommy
MY PLEASURE TOMMY!!!

TCB!
Mike

[Tony Trout]

Actually, it wasn't band-aids but tape that Elvis used...and, yes, he did tape the big "Aloha" horseshoe ring on his finger and I can bet that there is tape on his other three fingers on his left hand during the show as well (although it's difficult to tell)..

[Menwithbrokenhearts]

In 1974 when my dad escorted Elvis in Memphis at a football game, Elvis showed him the scars and cuts on his hands and said they were from fans. So, possibly a fourth reason was to protect the cuts already there.

[rickster]

Hi Tommy,
the story I have read was that the band aids were used to keep his rings on his fingers but look very closely at the 'Aloha' dvd and you can clearly see that when Elvis shakes hands with crowd he puts his hand out flat and with ALL his fingers pushed tight together so as to avoid losing any rings. The band aid thing came late on but I believe its to keep his rings on his fingers, cheers, rickster.

[elvislady]

Here a pic with elvis and hes got tape on his finger
elvislady.

[Sammy4Elvis]

I wasnt sure what you meant at first when you said Band-Aids!! We call them plasters over here!! Silly me!! LOL!!!

Great topic though!! :cool:

[elvislady]

i was going to put plasters but i new some one would ask me what a plaster was so i put tape. lol
elvislady:D

[Diane]

You guys made me remember that we called them plasters when I was growing up in eastern Canada too. :D

[Sammy4Elvis]

I feel a bit silly now,i should have realised!! Doh!!! :blush:

[Tony Trout]

Here a pic with elvis and hes got tape on his finger
elvislady.


Exactly my point...it wasn't band-aids (or plaster or whatever you wanna call it) but he used tape to keep the rings from falling off or being taken by fans.