14th August 1954, Saturday

[Graeme]

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© Billboard

[Private Presley]

From 1953 until the end of 1954, the ''Saturday Night Jamboree'' was a Memphis stage show held every Saturday night at the Goodwyn Institute building's second floor auditorium at 127 Madison Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee. Founded by local guitarist and early morning radio entertainer Joe Manuel, whose band shared the jamboree's hosting duties with future Sun Records session bass player Marcus Van Story and his band.

Manuel also booked local talent on the program and broadcast live by KWEM Radio, with musicians like Ronald Smith, Kenneth Herman, Eddie Bond & The Stompers, Johnny and Dorsey Burnette, Paul Burlison, and of course Charlie Feathers all part of the show on one more occasions.

When the single ''That's All Right'' (Sun 209) had been released and hotted in Memphis since the release in July 1954, Elvis Presley, Scotty Moore and Bill Black accepted an invitation to perform on the famous Saturday Night Jamboree led by Ray Sexton on August 14, 1954.

Cash Box magazine ran Sam Phillips' press release virtually unchanged as a brief feature on August 14, along with a ''B'' (''Excellent'') review near the top of their ''Rhythm 'N' Blues Reviews'', that cited ''a feeling vocal with more than a backer-upper bass and guitar support... Listening and re-listening convinces one that the deck could make a great deal of noise''.

[Alan]

From the late great Brian Petersen's website:-