Hi everyone
Does anybody know why Elvis never played in the really famous venues in the U.S. like the Greek theater in Los Angeles, Carnegie hall in Newyork or Radio city music hall in Newyork?
Also there were several states Elvis never played among them were Vermont and Alaska. Does anybody know why Elvis never played those places?
P.S. I have a bit of trivia to test your Elvis knowledge
Exactly how many of the 50 states in the U.S. did Elvis never perform in and what states are they?
I imagine they aren't/weren't big markets for shows.Originally Posted by Brian
Alaska
Delaware
Idaho
Maine (due there for the first time in August 1977)
Montana
New Hampshire
New Jersey
North Dakota
Vermont
Washington state
Wyoming
This only refers to the 70s; he may well have played a few of these in the 50s.
Getlo - cute'n'cuddly
I don't think he played any of them in the 50's.
thank you, Getlo
I was thinking had Elvis played these places in the 70's it would give him a little challenge and a change of scenery.
I've always found it interesting that Elvis played Rhode Island but didn't play other small states like Vermont and New Hampshire.
Does anyone know why Elvis never played Carnegie Hall?
I have no clue-but would venture a few guesses.
In the 50s Carnegie Hall was not the place for rock-n-roll (althought I learned Bill Haley played there in 55)
In 1964 when Carnegie Halls officials were convinced to let the Beatles play there and the door was finally open to rock acts-Elvis was not touring.
When he went live again in 1969-and started touring in 1970 I imagine the COl. thought it was just way to small a venue (no matter the prestege of playing there) with only a little over 2800 seats in the main hall.
I thought it would be good if Elvis played there in the 70's
he played the Hilton which had a smaller seating capacity so why not Carnegie hall? I mean pretty much all the big names played there and the Colonel could've booked him for a series of concerts
Elvis also never palyed Radio City music hall until the Elvis Concert 1998 tour
I wonder why he never played there while he was alive
Prior to the scheduled August '77 Portland show, Elvis played Augusta Civic Center in Maine just a few months earlier on May 24th 1977.
Vermont and New Hampshire most likely appear on this list of excluded states because they are relatively small states within the driving catchment area of southern Maine's suitable venues.
'Taking Care of Beaulieu'.
It was well noted by Peter Guralnick that Elvis playes several shows in Seattle in 1957. In fact, there is a story that Jimi Hendrix actually went to see Elvis in concert when he was in Seattle and that Hendrix credited Elvis as the inspiration to his becoming a musician.
"More people today should see him not simply as a performer, but as an artist with a great soul."
John Bakke, professor emeritus
University of Memphis
what a waste.how sad elvis ,,just kept going round and round a merry go round. touring only in the usa...same old venues..tragic really...a world tour could of changed many things..4 elvis..no wonder he got bored to death.....usa --vegas -usa --tour same old same old..blah
MY ELVIS WEBSITE[
]Elvis i WILL REMEMBER YOU..FOR YOU SING IN MY HEART..AND LIVE IN MY SOULmy Selena Website
Well the Hilton deals were not for one or two nights-they were anywhere from a month long run-to a couple weeks at a time. He was tied to the Hilton
from the long term contract that Parker hastily worked out with Abe Shoofey at the beginning of his first engagement in 69.
I recall reading somewhere that Elvis was asked to perform at the White House by the Nixon people and Parker told them the discount fee would be something like $25,000.
Naturally the Nixon staff told Parker virtually all acts perform for free at the White House because it was an honor to be asked-and Parker told them Elvis was not most acts.
Carnegie Hall is a place which is held in high esteem for the history of great artists who have played there-the real payment is the fact that you are in that company of those artists-that type of payment would have meant nothing to Col. I just think it was not a huge money making proposition and Parker was not interested.
The aloofness in refusing the president may have been aimed at keeping Elvis above the rest of the pack - but then the greedy ol' colonel booked him into every venue that would take him if the money was right
another example of mismanagement in the 70s
I don't consider that mismanagement
I agree Ken...that's the only thing that Parker was interested in.
I don't think that was all of it-Parker just did not like doing anything for nothing. (unless it was for a charity which is commendable)
The "honor and prestige" of being asked to do certain things, like perform at the White House, is reward in itself.
Elvis would have probably been the first rock artist to do so back then.
But that type of reward was not something the Col. could bank.
I think that something like that was typical of parker...it would have given him a great thrill and built his image of self-importance up even more..... he made some strange decisions over the years...turning down concerts that could have been huge successes,not to mention a bit more of a challenge for Elvis...and yet he had no hesitation in booking him into the endless runs in Vegas and the shows when Elvis would have been better off at home looking after his health.......I`ll never understand him...and I don`t really want to!...That`s one mind I`d rater not see into!!
Actually Getlo...
Elvis did several shows in Washington state:
11/12/70 - Seattle, WA.
4/28/73 - Spokane, WA. (2 shows)
4/29/73 - Seattle, WA. (2 shows)
4/26/76 - Seattle, WA.
4/27/76 - Spokane, WA.
Also Teddy mentioned the May '77 show in Augusta, Maine. Other than those shows, the rest of your list looks right!!!
TCB!
Mike
R.I.P. Tommy
We will miss you dearest friend
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