31st October 1954, Sunday

[Graeme]

Day number 7237Site Date Map

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      That Sunday at 6:00P.M. Elvis walked up the familiar steps of the entrance to Ellis Audtorium. The show included Minnie Pearl, guitar virtuoso Hank Garland, local hillbilly star Eddie Hill, and singing group the Jordanaires, not to mention Robert Powers, the World's Smallest Hillbilly Singer. The man at the box office recognised him immediately and gave him the tickets that had been left in his name, and he attracted a good deal of attention himself sitting up front in his pink shirt and black pants and sharp white shoes. Eddy sang "Don't Rob Another Man's Castle," "I'll Hold You In My Heart," "Any Time," and "I Really Don't Want To Know" (his latest number-one hit), all in that effortlessly flowing voice, with the smooth quartet backing of the Jordanaires.
      After the show was over, Bob Neal found Elvis and took him backstage, where he wandered around the unfamiliar setting in a kind of daze. Oscar Davis came over and seemed genuinely pleased to see him; he introduced him to Eddy and to Hoyt Hawkins of the Jordanaires. he had really enjoyed the group's singing, Elvis mumbled with his eyes on the floor. Well, they had enjoyed his singing, too, Hoyt said. They had heard his record on the radio when they were out in California with Eddy. he sounded like a quartet singer to them. Elvis blushed and fidgeted with his hands.
If he ever got to the point where he had the kind of success that Eddy Arnold had, he said, he would like to get a group like the Jordanaires to sing behind him on record - did Hoyt think that was possible? Hoyt said he was sure that it was; they did lots of background work in Nashville, it was more and more popular nowadays - they'd love to work with him someday. Oscar seemed anxious for them to go. There was a little coffee shop across the street, maybe he and Elvis and Bob Neal could go over there and have a Coke or a cup of coffee. A heavyset man in a rumpled, ready-made suit with a cigar stuck in his mouth eyes them briefly from across the room, then turned his attention elsewhere. who was that? Elvis asked Oscar as they exited the backstage area. That, said Oscar, with a respectful but somewhat impatient gesture, was Colonel Parker.