ELVIS & the SILVER BALL!
It is May 1956 and 21-year-old Elvis Presley was about to make his first appearance at the Fox Theatre in Detroit. It had been a whirlwind five months for the soft-spoken truck driver from Tupelo, Miss., who recorded his first RCA Records session in January, yielding ‘Heartbreak Hotel’, which shot to No. 1. Here in 1956 Elvis Presley playing pinball machine between shows in Detroit.
In fact, Elvis performed three shows at the Fox Theater to a total audience of approximately 12,500 fans. Wearing a green jacket and tight pants, Elvis’ performance was more about his magnetic stage presence than his guitar skills, which took a backseat to his dynamic physical expressions.
In addition, according to a Detroit News review, his performance was characterized by knee flexing and thigh swinging, which elicited screams from the audience. This first visit, where Elvis earned an estimated $10,000 for his three 30-minute shows, marked the beginning of his profound impact on Detroit’s music scene.
Setlist:
Heartbreak Hotel
Blue Suede Shoes
Long Tall Sally
I’ve Got a Woman
My Baby Left Me
(Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup cover)
Resolution: 300 DPI
Dimensions: 8×10 – Width 2400 Height 3000.
Elvis Presley “Hound Dog” (September 9, 1956) Ed Sullivan Show.