Elvis and the Photographer: A Story of Gratitude

I was just listening to George Klein on Sirius XM’s Elvis radio station (channel 19). Today, as usual, he had an interesting story that demonstrates not only one of Elvis’s many positive aspects, reasons for the King’s continual success, but one that can also be harnessed by you.

The story goes that for Elvis to get back to his room after a show at the International (later the Las Vegas Hilton) he couldn’t get back through the casino without being stopped. So, he would go backstage through the maintenance passages and take the service elevator. With him would typically be about six members of Elvis’s gang of friends, the Memphis Mafia, and about four bodyguards.

On this particular occasion, when Elvis and his entourage got out of the elevator, a man with a camera greeted them by asking Elvis if he could take his picture. Suddenly, Elvis’s bodyguards were on the man, pushing him to the wall and taking his camera.

But Elvis told his bodyguards to lay their hands off the man. When the man was released, Elvis asked the fellow how many pictures were on his camera. The man replied thirty-two whereupon Elvis asked him how he would like him to pose. Long story short, the man didn’t leave until Elvis had posed for all thirty-two shots.

Afterwards, Elvis asked his bodyguards to be easy with his fans because if it weren’t for them, he wouldn’t be where he was.

First off, I’ve gotta thank George Klein for a great story which I only wish I could tell as well as he can. It’s touching to hear a tale of such humanity when many celebrities are pulled into the bustle of their own importance. But more so, humanity is what makes Elvis fans still get the warm fuzzies for him thirty five years after his passing (and yes, I am no exception).

Elvis cared so much for the man that not only did he save him being roughed up and give him a picture, but he gave him as many pictures as possible could. Why? Because Elvis recognised that people like that fan were responsible for his success. And even if that man had never bought an Elvis record in his life, the man’s spreading of Elvis’s neighbourliness might encourage others who would.

Elvis realized that no one gets anywhere without something to get them there. Moreover, nobody becomes successful without someone helping them, whether that be a friend, a relative, or, yes, a fan.

Elvis’s Lessons:

• Remember (and be grateful to) those who helped you get somewhere. They can be your parents, relatives, friends or strangers. It doesn’t matter. What does is that you give them the respect they deserve because they helped you become something and even if they individually can’t take that away, a multitude of them can (and your common decency should hurt long before that ever happens). They helped you, so it’s only fair if you help them, too, even if it only be through gratitude. The best bit: your continual support of them will encourage them to continue supporting you. Result − both you and them are happy in the long run.

P.S. If your interested in seeing Elvis perform in one of the shows that could have preceded the story in this article, here's a clip from Elvis: That's the Way it Is of the King singing Patch it Up.

Failing is Not a Reason to Give Up

Elvis and the Blue Moon Boys were a pretty new item on the music market in 1954. Their rockabilly style, mixing country, blues and gospel music together, was new, too. As a result, it required an open-minded person to accept these new styles and not be offended by them. And America in the 50’s was a very easy place to offend people.

Back in those days, the Grand Ole Opry was the largest country show in the United States. Sam Phillips, owner of Sun Records and Elvis’s contract, got the Blue Moon Boys a gig at the Grand Ole Opry, a very unusual stroke of luck for a group so young. They were excited. They were unheard of and now they were on one of the greatest shows in the U.S.

But things didn’t go quite as planned. Apparently the country element of rockabilly wasn’t large enough for the conservative country crowd. The crowd did not respond well to the show put on by the boys and the talent producer of the show told Elvis afterwards that he should go back to driving trucks. Ouch.

The Blue Moon Boys weren’t done yet, though. The Louisiana Hayride was also running at this time and, though not as big as the Grand Ole Opry, it was more open-minded. When Elvis and the Blue Moon Boys showed on their show, they were a big hit and returned many times afterwards. Taking the advice of that Talent Producer at the Grand Ole Opry could have destroyed a perfectly good career because Elvis and his band didn’t fit into that shows niche.

Later, Elvis, now managed by Colonel Parker and working for RCA, went onto the Milton Berle show to play a couple songs. He finished with a crowd favourite, a cover of Big Mama Thornton’s “Hound Dog”. Elvis’s version is much more upbeat and rock ‘n’ rolling. Then it would go into a slow section where Elvis would shake his body to the music and get the crowd going wild. The music of the show is fine. The clip is even good and nowadays most people would smile with Elvis’s energetic movements, but not America back in 1956. Some people were so offended, they wanted to have Elvis banned.

The newspapers tore the Mississippi kid apart. But the Colonel got Elvis on the Steve Allen show, a big show similar to David Letterman’s show nowadays. Allen brought Elvis on after a “he’s learnt his lesson” speech. Elvis was further humiliated by singing “Hound Dog”, the song that had got him in trouble, to a real hound, a moment he would say to the end of his life was his most embarrassing moment.

Working through his imminent failure had done him a favour; Steve Allen’s show beat Ed Sullivan’s show in the ratings that night. Sullivan, known for showing the latest cutting edge acts of the day, was flabbergasted and wanted to get the boy who had outdone him that night on his show.

Elvis was booked for a performance which has since become a legendary moment in that show’s history. Sullivan called Elvis, “a very nice boy” and Elvis’s career was safe and back on track again. Elvis returned to the Sullivan show for a further two, unforgettable performances.

Elvis was still not immune to failure; Elvis and his boys were offered a four week engagement down in Las Vegas. But after a couple weeks of bad reception from the conservative audience, who expected entertainment on the line of Dean Martin or Frank Sinatra, Elvis’s group cut their stay short and left casino town. However well he was doing in the charts, Elvis could not guarantee the love of older fans as well.

Fast forward thirteen years to 1969: Elvis has done his ’68 comeback special and has had his biggest selling hit with “Suspicious Minds”. Elvis wants to return to touring and the Colonel has once again booked him in Las Vegas at the International, later the Hilton, Hotel. It’s hard to imagine the thoughts going through Elvis’s mind. This was the town which had seen one of his greatest flops when he was a national sensation. Now he was still making a comeback. His whole concert tour career might hinge on the success of these shows. What would happen if he failed again, even after the changes of time, and he had to cut his tour down, again?

But times had changed and so had people’s opinions. When Elvis performed in Las Vegas, all these years later, he was warmly received. So warmly that a documentary film Elvis –That’s the Way it Is was done through MGM showing Elvis during that first year back in Vegas. Elvis continued to play successfully at the Hilton until the end of his life and is still associated with that famed hotel in Vegas.

Elvis’s Lessons:

Ø Failing is not a reason to give up. Not everyone will dig your style. Take what you can learn from a situation and move on, continuing to do your best. Who knows, maybe next time you try you’ll be successful.

Ø Given different changes and after being altered by the pass of time, situations that once turned out in failure can be turned around to create success. Elvis could do it in Las Vegas, so can you do it in your life.

P.S. If you're interested in seeing Elvis on the Ed Sullivan Show, this is a clip from his first appearance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsP6fluNoTU&feature=related