Elvis Live In Atlanta, Georgia (June 30, 1973 AS)

[thehillbillycat]

My friend knows a guy who went to this concert. Well what my friend told me that his sister has the cape and belt for the jumpsuit that he wore for this show which is the Thunderbird Jumpsuit. Well, my friend told me that guy remembers a phoenix. I was like HUH! that isn't what is on the cover of the audience recording. If you have this you know it is the Sunburst suit, I think that is what is call but anyway. So I am searching and searching and guess what I found. I found a picture from this show and found out that he wore the Thunderbird suit. I was like ok now I know how the guy got the Phoenix suit idea which he called it by the wrong name. Here is that picture I found.

When you a fan and don't spend a lot of time on the net and you have a cape that has a bird like that one. You could call it a Phoenix. I would if I didn't know but that's me.

Ok, here is the good part. Well as you see in the picture it looks like if he is going to give it to somebody. Well, my friend borrowed his pictures that he took and guess what. Three pictures are a key to this true story. Elvis gave the suit to his nephew (his sister's son). Well here is a picture of the man's sister and she is holding up his son.

As you see for yourself here she is with her son (in a jumpsuit of his own I might add). Well look closely in the background and you will see J.D. Summer. Now, he didn't take a picture of Elvis given his nephew the cape and belt. But here is two pictures that was taken the very next day at their home. First picture is the Cape and Belt on a blanket outside in front of their house.

That is a beautiful cape I might add.
Here is a picture of his nephew with the cape and belt near him on the back hood of the car.

Cute picture......HUH!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well, to finish the story which does have a sad part to it. When the boy was a teenager he passed away, I think he passed away in a car accident. That is very sad. He looks so happy in the picture. Well, as for the cape and belt. Well his mother still has it and is in a very safe place. Which I won't tell where it is at but it is in a safe place.

How do you like that story?

[Menwithbrokenhearts]

That is a great story and it rings true to me. Another testament of Elvis' unending generosity..I especially like these stories and pictures that involve children.

[Unchained Melody]

Thanks for that story. Elvis was just so generous.

[Leroy]

This suit which is originally called "Thunderbird" was for a long time also known as the "Phoenix". Probably because the design looks a bit Egyptian.
The story as you wrote it is known for it made the headlines of a lot of newspapers and several books. The boy in question was Robbie Barnes. and this is the story the way it happenend.

"Just before the last show someone told Elvis that a five year old boy named Robbie Barnes is attending the show dressed in a tiny jumpsuit. During the show Elvis asked to turn the spotligh on the boy. At the end of the concert Elvis gives him the cape of his "Thunderbird" suit which can be regarded as one of the heaviest and most expensive. In the background J.D. Sumner can be heard mumbling: "Elvis, give the boy your belt to!". And Elvis did."

But there were never pictures to illustrate this fact until now. Thank you very much for sharing these little items.

[Dovey]

Thanks Elvislennon2004 for sharing the beautiful pictures and Leroy for the wonderful story. I have heard it before also but never saw the pictues to go with the story. Elvis was surely one of a kind!!! Dovey

Thanks for sharing...

[thehillbillycat]

No problem on sharing the story. I thought it was a wonderful story about Elvis.

[Matt]

Very cool story until I read about the kid dying, that's a heartbreak. He was one lucky kid to get something like that. That would have been so cool