Reply With Quotethanks for sharing that great recollection. How neat that you were able to walk up the stairs and peek inside. Where were you when the police cars formed the barricade? Did you write all the times down when you got home?
*Saturday February 19th at approx. 3:00pm(est)...Driving near the airport in Charlotte,NC..I spot what I believe is Elvis' plane..the Lisa Marie...I had never seen a good photo of it at the time...but I knew it had TCB on the tail...so I knew it had to be Elvis' plane
*I drove around to a fenced in area near the jet...managed to slip through an unmanned gate.
*I walked right up to the Lisa Marie..a couple of fans were there..we were discussing whether or not this was Elvis' jet
*within an hour or so...about 20 more fans show up...and confirm that it was Elvis' Jet..
*I walked under the wings...wrote my name and address in the dirt/grime under the wings.
*at approx. 6:00pm...Airport crew drives the stairs to the plane..
*at approx 6:30..a van arrives...and a group of people get out..Pilots and crew?...open the door to Lisa Marie..and go inside..
*at approx 6:45pm....I'm the first one to walk up the steps..and stick my head inside the cabin..I see a sink, and a pitcher of what looks like TANG.
*Approx. 7:50pm...about 7 police cars arrive to form a barricade in front of the jet..
*Approx 8:00 pm....Engines are running as a big chartered bus pulls up...and what appears to be band members start boarding the plane..
*Elvis surprisingly exits the SAME bus...walks up the stairs...turns around and waves..He is flanked by Esposito and Ed Parker..
*8:05pm...Lisa Marie pulls away...taxis down the runway...heading to Johnson City TN..
*I'll never forget it....part 2 to follow....
TCB...Wade (HRH)
Last edited by howardrobardhughes; 11-24-2004 at 07:26 AM.
thanks for sharing that great recollection. How neat that you were able to walk up the stairs and peek inside. Where were you when the police cars formed the barricade? Did you write all the times down when you got home?
interesting story ...did you see elvis concert in charlotte too ? and the avatars you put up there is one of my fave concert on CD ... DO you have some pics to share from charlotte '77 concert..? will you share them with us ....you didnt forget to bring camera, did you ..i hope so.
you could manage yourself to the lisa marie stairs...thats awesome , how could you do that ? was it suppositly some Memphis Mafia guy at least some cops watching out some fans who tried to get close to that Convair 880 jet plane ?
Last edited by buttonhead; 09-14-2004 at 05:49 PM.
The period of time after the van pulled up and opened the door...We fans formed a line on either side of the staircase...HOWEVER...when the police cars pulled up..they made us stand on the other side of the police car barricade...(everyone was upset at this),,
as far as the times go....I had gone to work with my father that day...and I know we were at the airport right after that..which was approx. 3:00pm..I also remember that my Father complained to everyone that I made him stand out on a cold tarmac for 5 hours...so,all the times are approx. but pretty close to accurate...
HRH
This would be about what he looked like then, would it not? In fact, did you snap this one?
...you won't forget me when I go.
My birthday is Feb.17..
I was a big Elvis fan...towards the end of January..I heard on a local radio station that Elvis was going to be performing in Charlotte,NC on 2/20/77...so I IMMEDIATLY told my parents that I wanted to see Elvis for my birthday...
We sent off a cashiers check for $30.oo and about a week later..I received the tickets...but....a piece of paper stapled to the tickets read "due to the overwhelming demand for Elvis tickets..your order has been processed for 2/21/77..
I was so excited.....
I did take some photos...two are really close (I wasn't at my seat)..
I also tape recorded the concert..(which was later bootlegged into "RIOT in CHARLOTTE" )..
I also went to the stage after the concert to see if I could get a souvenir...
I tried to get a policeman to hand me a scarf out of the scarf "briefcase"..but he said it was property of the "ELVIS SHOW" and he couldn't...so...
I thought real fast...and asked him to hand me the styrofoam cup that Elvis drank out of...he did....
to this day..I still have the cup...(see photos below...you can see the cup...and Elvis with the cup on stage) and in a sealed glass bottle,I still have what's left of the water
see photos below
Wade (HRH)
Last edited by howardrobardhughes; 11-24-2004 at 07:25 AM.
Yes..I've seen that photo before...no...I didn't take it..
I do remember that Elvis was holding one of those grip exerciser things in his hand...right after that photo was taken..he stopped at the top of the steps and waved..
Oddly enough...before the police cars arrived...there was no real security..It seems like someone from the airport kept us from continuing to walk up the steps....but until the police came...we were free to walk around the jet freely...
Hey HRH,
A whole thread dedicated to yourself - can't be bad...and wow, what a great story you have, u lucky man u!
From inside the entrance to the Lisa Marie to the Foam Cup from the Charlotte Concert - what a read, and what an experience!
Breathtaking!
Cheers mate.
If you look at the photo...
there is a stool on the left of the photo...(next to Elvis)
I have one of those cups...
It had crushed ice and water inside...not Gatorade..
A policeman handed it to me after I asked him to..
http://www.elvis-collectors.com/
however..I took the time to post the photo...just look through the thread..
TCB..
Sorry.....why is it hard to believe?????????
I live in Charlotte,NC...USA......
I have approx. 30 different photos of Elvis ( 2/21/1977 that I've collected over the years)...
the ones that I took (with a kodak instamatic) were far away...
(except for two)...I don't have them hosted on a website for a link...
but..
I tell you what...
I'll take a photo TONIGHT..(I'm at work now)...of the CUP,THE WATER,THE PROGRAM,MY TICKET STUB,AND the photos I took..
PLUS...the announcement I received in the mail stating that my tickets were processed for Monday,Feb 21st..1977...
If you want HARD proof...I still have the audience recording I made..
and you can hear me ask for the binoculars...explain how security made me leave the stage area,and me complaining that the people beside us are too loud..
all this is captured on audio tape (AMPEX 90 min.)...
Most of my conversation takes place during amen/JD Sumners bass solo...
WHASSUP???
Please don't get me wrong...you didn't piss me off..
But I do get defensive when discussing my Elvis experiences on 2/19/77 & 2/21/77....
I've taken alot of joking for being a die hard Elvis fan for all these years.....
I was lucky enough to see him ....yes...
Everyone that knows me always kids me about the Elvis Cup !!!
I've told that story 100's of times...
hopefully...some of you got a kick out of it too..
TCB
Wade (HRH)
Elvis toured extensively throughout the U.S. in the 1950s and the 1970s. and he also had a huge fan base (of all ages) even when he was alive. Many, many, many people got a chance to see Elvis in concert, and maybe get a glimpse of him entering or exiting somewhere.Originally Posted by buttonhead
To my opinion, as you were lucky enough to meet Elvis in person, i think you should have took pic of elvis at that Charlotte concert, since almost all elvis fans did that as they saw elvis in concert, i looked up the website but i cant see the picture . I am sorry if i sound mean ..but when it gets to meet elvis in person...i believe many people wanted to see the proof...evidence that you meet the man , it could be pictures...or maybe scarf..mostly pictures, taken by you , and not attachment we saw over the internet
Maybe you want to have some sort of proof, but I'm not one of the many people you believe need evidence that this story is true, It's nice that he shared it with the board. He's very lucky to have that cup from the concert, I'm sure it means a lot to him. He's not trying to sell it to anyone, so why does he need to prove that it's got Elvis' DNA on it?
Ok,i just wanted to see if he has elvis pics on that concert thats all, (not elvis DNA ) if he has ,it would be wonderful to share with all other elvis fans here , (just like everyone here loved elvis pics that kennyelvis shared ), if not i wont put it against him.
Your post came across as ill spirited to me, and when you said that many people wanted to see proof, I just didn't want someone else representing me. That's all.
Nice story!!
JohanD
"And i'm never gonna cease my wondering..."
Thanks..I hoped some of you would enjoy it..
It's funny...I live in Charlotte,NC..but I've only encountered one other person that was at that particular show..HOWEVER....
A few years ago,I met a person whose family went to the 2/20/77 show..
I forget how we got on the subject...but he told me that they had 4 tickets to the concert..and at the last minute,his brother was sick..and couldn't go..
I asked him what they did with the spare ticket..and he told me that it was in storage at his mom's house..
I got his phone#...and later that week..
I called,he found the ticket..and I bought it for $ 50.00...
it's in pristeen condition...
strange but true..
TCB
Wade ( HRH )
howard,
you were so lucky to see Elvis wlking up the steps to his plane.
If i would have been around (february 1977 - i was still growing in my Mummy's tummy) i would have been over those police barriers like a shot.
Seriously i am not joking - i wish that i had been around in the sixties and seventies - i would have been at those music gates, Graceland every day.
I would have drove him mad.
Well, at least you're honest!
But hey, who knows...I probably would have tried to 'Lamar' myself into his inner circle if I'd been around then too.
...you won't forget me when I go.
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