Pearl Harbor Benefit Concert, 1961

I stumbled upon this extremely rare concert on YT, his last live performance until he would get to Vegas in '69!!! Just listen to the audience!!!!!!!! He sure could work it!!!!!!!!!

Carl Perkins was right when he said "I was fighting a battle working with him, knowing that I looked like Mr. Ed, the mule, and here was a guy that could go out and clear his throat and make ten thousand people scream."


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-yNtfrF0M4 1/5

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_zSz...eature=related 2/5

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zotOt...eature=related 3/5

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVPdHQPM8o4 4/4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGu2pzd5qQs 5/5

I`d give an arm and a leg to be there!....although then I`d probably have been trampled to death!...great show.(y)

March 25th 1961Honolulu, HA- Pear Harbour Bloch Arena
Introduction: Heartbreak Hotel; All Shook Up; A Fool Such As I; I Got A Woman; Love Me; Band Introductions; Such A Night; Reconsider Baby; I Need Your Love Tonight; That's All Right; Don't Be Cruel; One Night; Are You Lonesome Tonight; It's Now Or Never; Swing Down Sweet Chariot; Hound Dog
"Elvis Aron Presley Box Set" CD

On March 25, 1961, Elvis Presley made his first post-Army appearance, and he did it for the Navy. Presley performed in a charity fund-raiser at Bloch Arena to kick-start the struggling USS Arizona Memorial building fund. It is an event largely unremembered and unmemorialized, even though a rock 'n' roll entertainer was able to accomplish something that admirals, generals and politicians could not. More than a thousand U.S. sailors were entombed in the battleship when a bomb ripped apart the bow, splitting the hull. It sank in minutes and the bodies were never recovered. Dozens of plans were proposed to memorialize the crew of the Arizona, the U.S. Navy's single greatest loss of life, but for nearly 20 years military efforts at raising funds were fumbling and disorganized. There was also no agreement on the size and shape of the memorial. Eventually, a design by architect Alfred Preis was accepted, even though the Navy had asked for a memorial shaped like a ship's "bridge" and Preis' design was like a bridge crossing a river. Although the U.S. Navy insisted on complete control of the Arizona Memorial, they had no experience in creating such structures. The Navy's fund-raising was confused, and ineffective, even when they hired civilians to do it for them. Hawaii journalists appealed to other newspapers to help. George Chaplin of the Honolulu Advertiser mailed something like 1,500 letters, asking for articles or editorials about the Arizona Memorial. The Los Angeles Examiner responded with an editorial, and one of their readers that day was Elvis Presley's manager, Col. Tom Parker. "The colonel read in an L.A. newspaper that the memorial-building project was not going to be finished," recalled radio personality and concert promoter "Uncle Tom" Moffatt, a friend of Parker's. According to Ron Jacobs, another KPOI "Poi-Boy" disc jockey at the time, "Parker, a veteran of World War I, served in the U. S. Army at Fort DeRussy in Waikiki and loved Hawaii. "Elvis did his first concerts here in November 1957 at the Honolulu Stadium. That is when Tom Moffatt met Elvis and Col. Parker. He was one of the first disc jockeys to play Elvis' records. Colonel invited him to emcee one concert each. That remains one of his most exciting experiences of my life." The benefit was also an opportunity for Presley to ease back into playing for a live audience. Presley was just getting out of the Army and he hadn't performed for a couple of years. Presley also wanted to do something patriotic for his country after serving in the military. "Chaplin was a veteran of World War II who served on the staff of The Stars and Stripes, the official U. S. military paper," said Jacobs. "Several other Stars staff members were discharged in Honolulu and joined Chaplin." USS Arizona Memorial historian Dan Martinez credits newspapers for keeping the memorial concept alive. "Editors of daily newspapers across the country were connected in their profession, that was how they kept the story going. "Parker and Elvis had to go to Hawaii anyway, to film a movie they thought would be called 'Waikiki Beachboy' (it turned out to be "Blue Hawaii"), so Parker thought it would be good publicity to schedule the benefit concert that would raise well over $64,000 for the memorial. "But the memorial needed half a million dollars. The total already raised at that time was $250,000, which was only half of what they needed. Federal money was eventually taken to finish the memorial, which means that half the money that was raised later came from the taxpayers," said Martinez. But before the concert could go on, Parker had to convince "the brass," admirals, generals, etc., that a benefit concert would actually be profitable. The military officers were skeptical, said Moffatt. Moffatt went with Col. Parker to "see the reaction" of the officers. "It was still the early days of rock 'n' roll, which conservative people still thought of as wild music. But Col. Parker was such a great salesman that by the end of the meeting, the colonel had the brass saluting him," Moffatt recalled. Jacobs also remembers the summit meeting. "Moffatt and I were on hand when Parker briefed the highest military in the Pacific. Although he was an 'Honorary Colonel' from the state of Tennessee he had the authentic generals and admirals hypnotized when he spoke. As the officers left, they were each given a photo of Elvis. They had to restrain themselves from looking like excited fans." "Our sincere thanks to Col. Parker," said Pacific War Memorial fund-raising chief H. Tucker Gratz afterward to the press. "It's hard to believe this is real." "It is," said Parker. "You know, Elvis is 26. This last Sunday was his birthday and that's about the average age of those boys entombed in the Arizona. I think it's appropriate that he should be doing this." Star-Bulletin columnist Dave Donnelly was a news editor at KPOI when he happened onto the interview among Moffatt, Jacobs and Parker announcing the concert. "Col. Parker waved his hands at all these kids who were sitting in the studio and said, 'You're all invited too,' and they were. He bought their tickets," Donnelly said. The concert was scheduled for Mar. 25, 1961, in the Bloch Arena next to the Pearl Harbor entrance. The goal of $50,000 was topped by almost $15,000. Tickets were sold at stores like Sears, for a top price of $5. The concert not only raised money, it also raised public awareness of the need for a memorial. All funds raised went into planning and building the Arizona Memorial; Elvis wasn't paid his usual fee of $25,000. "I don't believe in part-time charities," said Col. Parker. "Elvis will not receive a cent for his evening's work." "Parker believed that if you did a fund-raising concert that all the money made, every penny of it, went to the cause," Moffatt explained. Even Elvis purchased tickets. Col. Parker and the admirals bought tickets to the show to increase the total amount raised. "The colonel made sure that absolutely no one got in the show for free," Moffatt said. Many $100 tickets were sold, and Presley bought the first one. The show was memorable. "Because it was a small indoor hall, the screaming and cheering was louder than the 1957 outdoor shows. It was literally a situation where you couldn't hear yourself think," Jacobs said. "On the night of the show there was the electricity and excitement that was felt only at Elvis concerts. I have attended many concerts. The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson, 'N Synch, etc., never generated the highly charged audience reaction that Elvis did. "I was amazed at how much music such a small group of performers could generate. Elvis' onstage moves, which have since been widely copied, captured visually what his music sounded like. To me, the most exciting moment was when Elvis ended his smash-hit song 'Hound Dog' by landing on both his knees and skidding at least 6 feet across the stage. "Minnie Pearl, a country comedy singer and star of 'The Grand Ol' Opry' radio and TV show received 'special guest' billing. Parker brought Elvis' complete road show and touring band. They were most of the original musicians and singers on Elvis' first records: D.J. Fontana on drums, Scotty Moore on guitar and the Jordanaires as backup singers." There had never before been a high-profile fund-raising concert -- especially not one by a rock 'n' roll performer. Despite this contribution, there is no mention of Presley's special concert at the Arizona memorial itself or at the visitors' center. There is only one plaque at the memorial that mentions Presley as just one of the many contributors to the building of the Arizona Memorial. Elvis Presley merchandise and artifacts are viewable only within the archives at the memorial. None of it is on public display. "Moffatt remained friends with Col. Parker until he died several years ago," Jacobs said. "His biggest disappointment was that Elvis never received official government credit for this contribution to Hawaii, the country and the world. SPECIAL NOTE: Elvis photo used by permission to honor Elvis' as a US Army veteran and a man who greatly cared about the USS ARIZONA MEMORIAL and Hawaii. Here's the link to the Elvis at Pearl Harbor, then go to USS ARIZONA MEMORIAL PARK and then to HISTORY: http://www.pearlharbormemorial.com

Is that plaque still there? I thought the rumor was that it was taken down because the people behind Elvis did not want it there. LIke I said, just a rumor. I did a quick read thru allthe donor lists, and I did not see the name Elvis Presley among them. I might have overlooked it.
AND, I do recall that a fan was working hard to get the Parks to give Elvis Presley credit for his contribution to Monument Effort.

the plaque was taken down I think when the Park changed hands......
I am going in October, will check, and I have been told the poster is not there in the Museum any more. I was last there in 2008, it was still there then?

I was there last year and there was no plaque or anything, of course I might have over looked something. The only thing was last year was the 50th anniversary of the concert and they were advertising it then and selling shirts, of course I bought several. I hope you see something, maybe I missed it but I don't think I did. If you do see a plaque take a picture of it please.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ehollier

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-yNtfrF0M4 1/5

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_zSz...eature=related 2/5

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zotOt...eature=related 3/5

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVPdHQPM8o4 4/4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGu2pzd5qQs 5/5

---

I can´t watch it. :mad: Youtube always blocks all good videos.

It's a shame we don't have this concert in much better sound quality than the 1980 box set version.

MRS has just released it.......I don't have it, don't know if there's amy improvement

lucky you! Have a great time, and please share your photos when you get the chance!

I just received the MRS PEarl Harbor cd and book but I haven't had the opportunity to play it yet. When I go to Hawaii this Aug, I will see if the plaque is there. If it is not, perhaps someone there would know why. ALoha!