THE ANXIOUS YOUNG ELVIS. Pts. 1-2

After my wife and I bought our new 2015 Nissan Altima a couple of years ago, we received an initial complimentary subscription to Sirius Radio. At this writing, I forget whether it ran a few months, (the offer, not the car) or as much as a year. Of course, we realized ‘day one’ that the initial subscription was little more than a ‘teaser;’ in order to interest prospective subscribers.  

Ultimately, I received an email offer to extend our access to Sirius Radio. And while, at approximately $250.00 per year, the fee was steep, it was, and continues to be worth it; at least, to me. (Don’t ask my wife). Oddly enough, though Sirius offers upwards of 150 channels, I ‘was in it’ for one reason. Literally one station. Elvis Radio.

Granted, I spend a limited amount of time in my car, but I have derived so much pleasure from the Elvis Channel during trips to the post office, church, and other local destinations that I just can’t bear to ‘kick it to the curb.’

To be fair, I don’t enjoy every song which Elvis sang. I mean, he sang selections from virtually every genre of music. My preferences are the slow ones, such as, “Can’t Help Falling in Love” and “Maybe I Didn’t Love You,” and Gospel selections, such as, “How Great Thou Art,” and “Amazing Grace.”

However, even more than Elvis’ songs, I love the stories George Klein, the King’s childhood friend, and aged Elvis Channel DJ, as well as former band members share about his all too short life.

Wink Martindale, whose wife, Sandy, once dated Elvis Presley, has appeared on Elvis Radio a couple of times, and he shared the following story.

Pt. 2

Elvis recorded his first song at Sam Phillip’s Sun Studio in 1954.

On the evening of July 5, 1954, Presley, Scotty Moore, and Bill Black were hard at it, but couldn’t seem to find just the right song. In between their failed recordings, Presley began fooling around with Arthur Crudup's song, "That's All Right, Mama.” Black joined him on his upright bass, and they were soon joined by Moore on guitar. Producer Sam Phillips was surprised at the change in tempo, and asked the three of them to begin again so he could run a tape.

The following evening, Elvis and his compatriots recorded, “Blue Moon of Kentucky," and it was selected as the B-side to, "That's All Right;” (a shortened version of the original title).

The foregoing recording session had been Presley's fifth visit to Sun Studio. (His first four visits had, apparently, been private recordings).

Sam Phillips sent copies of the acetate to local disc jockeys, Dewey Phillips of WHBQ, Uncle Richard of WMPS, and John Lepley of WHHM. On July 7, 1954, the former of the three played "That's All Right" on his popular radio show, "Red, Hot & Blue.” When Elvis got the news that Dewey Phillips planned to play his song, he headed to the local movie theater to calm his nerves. He just couldn’t bear to listen, and wonder how it ‘was going over’ with the station’s listeners.

However, the song was so well received that the DJ reportedly played the recording 14 times, and answered over 40 telephone calls. In his interview with Elvis Radio, Wink Martindale reported that, upon hearing the song, Vernon and Gladys, Elvis parents, (perhaps as the result of a phone call from Phillips) hopped in their pickup truck and set sail for the ‘picture show.’

They found Elvis sitting alone in a far corner of the darkened theater, and managed to persuade him to drive to the station for an on-air interview.

Completely unaware that he was on live radio, Presley responded to Dewey's questions, including one about his local high school; a roundabout way. in the age of segregation, of making the audience aware of Presley's ethnicity.

The original release of "That's All Right" came out on July 19, 1954, and sold about 20,000 copies. Not a platinum record, to be sure, but a respectable, and some might say incredible initial effort.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

If Elvis was, at one time, an anxious, self-reflective, introvert, I guess there’s hope for the rest of us.


(Mc)Donald's Daily Diary. Vol. 79. By William McDonald, PhD. Copyright pending.

If you wish to copy, save or share, please include the credit line, above