1st March 1970, Sunday

[Graeme]

Day number 12837Site Date Map

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Elvis jumps off the stage
to sing Love Me Tender

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After the afternoon show at a press conference Elvis is presented with a gold King Midas Rolex watch by the Houston Livestock Officers as well as Rocco Laginestra, president of RCA, presenting Elvis with 5 new gold records.
      

      
In June 1970s edition of Elvis Monthly the following artical and a transcript of what Elvis had to say appeared in the issue:-

At the Sunday afternoon press conference Elvis said he hadn't seen anything of Houston outside his hotel suite and the Astrodome. Elvis went on to tell reporters "I got a big thrill out of this appearance, I loved it. I know I'm signed to do the International Hotel in Las Vegas again, but nothing has been said about other personal appearances. I'd like to do them".

Later in the news conference he said "I knew it would be hard work at the Dome. There is no personal contact. I decided I just had to work as hard as I could, do the show and get off. The sound system bugged me the first night because I kept hearing my own echo. We had our own engineer and we got that all straightened out".

Colonel Parker was asked about further plans for personal appearance tours, to which he replied "I don't know anything".

During the conference hundreds of teenagers hung out of windows in adjoining wings of the hotel cheering Elvis. Elvis was great about the whole thing. He yelled "Hang on there babies, I'll be right out" and told the qudiences he loved them.

He was a warm and friendly man and happily shook hands with a couple of hundred people at the press conference and freely answered all their questions. The purpose of the Sunday afternoon conference was to give officers of the Houston Livestock Show, RCA Records and Sherriff Buster Kern a chance to pay tribute to Elvis and the Colonel.

As you know by now, Elvis broke every rodeo record. Louis Pearce, Buddy Bray and Dick Weekley, on behalf of the shows officers, presented him with a 'King Midas' Rolex watch valued at $2,500. The officers had presented one to Pearce when he turned over the presidential reins last year and Elvis admired it when when the group went to Las Vegas to make the deal for his coming here. Elvis laughed "I wasn't hinting". There are very few of these in the world and Elvis' is No. 343 to be made in the entire world. Elvis and the Colonel were also presented plaques naming them life members of the show.

Sherrif Kern told Elvis "I know you want to get out of town Monday and this will help you". He then gave Elvis a gold Deputy Sheriffs badge. Colonel Parker asked "How am I supposed to get out of town? Do you want me to hitchhike?". So Buster presented the Colonel with one too.

Elvis was also given a stetson. Then Elvis said "I should be given an award for nerve".

RCA Vice-President Rocco Loginestra was on hand to present Elvis with five gold records. They were 'In The Ghetto', 'Suspicious Minds', 'Don't Cry Daddy' and two albums 'Elvis At The International' and 'From Elvis In Memphis'. It is reported that this is the first time any artist has received five gold records in one year.

It was noted by many reporters that a very interesting thing was taking place. Elvis had been in the business nearly sixteen years now, and the children of his original fans were "Tearing down the roof" at his performances. As teenyboppers tapped on the window outside, a newsman asks "How do women in their twenties and thirties react to you now?" "Well, it varies" he said with a wide grin.

"And what's your father up to these days?". A white haired man, stepping into the TV cameras quipped "What's the trouble here?" It was Vernon Presley, looking more dapper than in his Memphis days. Vernon is Elvis' father.

And then there was Colonel Tom Parker. "Well that's it... Let's go" he said with a wave of his cigar, and the press conference was over.

[Graeme]

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[Alan]

On Sunday at breakfast at the Astroworld Hotel coffee shop we saw plenty of Elvisy people. Mr. Diskin, Charlie Hodge, Sonny West, Lamar Fike, and we think RCA-Vice President Rocco Laginestra. As it is not policy to say who said what I will generalize. They were discussing how secretive the Colonel and Elvis were, and someone said he had reservations on six airlines to come down to Houston and we didn't know until the last minute how Elvis would come down, they (meaning Elvis and the Colonel) never tell you anything. There
was some discussions about the lighting and Lamar was teased about his habit of putting a green spotlight on Elvis, "Why not pink occasionally?" he was asked, and someone said to him, "I bet if you order hamburgers you would ask for the green on them." They also talked about what a hard man the Colonel was to bargain with and I heard it said, "Bill Miller is a hard man too. I had to sit at breakfast one day and they were yelling so much at each other I just had to go away, I couldn't take any more."
      
On Sunday afternoon Elvis once again wore the white and gold Lariate suit and sang the same programme as the previous evening. He raised his glass and said, "It's only water but here's to you folks. I can hear you but I can't see you." When he startd to sing Love Me Tender he jumped off the stage onto the soil and started to walk around lifting his feet in an exaggerated manner as if his feet were stuck in the mud. He only strolled a few yards from the stage, but everyone was wild and to the people up in the "Gods" who were hollering he called, "I'll be up there."
      After this show there was a press conference for 100 reporters and officials from the Rodeo, at the Astroworld Hotel, during which Elvis was presented with 5 gold discs by Mr. Laginestra for, "In The Ghetto," "Suspicious Minds," "Don't Cry Daddy," and the two albums, "From Elvis In Memphis," and, "Elvis In Person." It was announced that he was the only artist ever to get 5 gold discs in one year. He was also given a Stetson hat which was too big for him and a deputy sheriffs badge in gold. The officials said to him, "You will want to make a quick getaway on Monday so here is something to help you." The Colonel said, "What am I supposed to do? Hitch hike?" So they gave him one too. Elvis was also presented with aKing Midas Rolex gold watch valued at 2500 dollars. All the King Midas watches are numbered and Elvis' is No. 343. He had admired one on the wrist of the Rodeo Presidents last year when the group had gone to Vegas to arrange for his appearance at the Rodeo. When presented with it Elvis laughed and said, "I wasn't hinting." He told reporters - "I got a big thrill out of this appearance. I loved it! I know I'm signed to do the International in Las Vegas again but nothing has been set about any other apearances. I'd like to do them. I knew it would be hard work at the Dome. There is no personal contact. I decided i just had to work as hard as I could, do the show and get off. The sound system bugged me the first night because I kept hearing my own echo. We had our own engineer here and we got that all straightened out."
      Throughout the press conference hundreds of girls hung out of windows of adjoining wings, cheering their hero. Elvis was marvellous. He kept taking time out to yell back at them such things as, "Hang on there babies, I'll be right out," at the same time he put his leg out of the window. At one stage of the press conference a rope suddenly came down from one of the balconies. The kids were trying to get down to him from the roof.
      
Priscilla had flown in on Sunday and she accompanied Elvis in the bus to the Dome. She had looked fabulous in a black see-through Rodeo outfit. Sunday night the show was at 7pm and Elvis wore the white suit trimmed with emerald green and silver. After introducing the members of the band he asked the audience to come and see Charlie Pride on the Monday, and sang a few words of Charlie's latest record, mimicking his voice. Once again at the end of the show Elvis was driven around the arena. We had hung a poster in front of our seats, saying simply, "Thanks Elvis!! Gladys & Maria from England." As Elvis drove past he inclined his head backwards, so we knew he noticed it, but don't suppose he would have had time to really read it. We were thrilled to see that the Imperials recognised us as they were driven by, one of them spotted us and I saw him pointing excitedly in our direction and talking to the rest and I could see by his actions that he must have been saying, "Those two who are always boppin' in their seats are over there!"
      After this show when Elvis was driven back to the Astroworld hotel all the fans waiting there reckoned hewould have stopped to sign autographs but the crowd was such that the metal barriers broke and all the people standing there fell forward and on top of Elvis. He was pulled out and taken into the hotel. We heard the doctor had been called to see him and Elvis sent word out to ask if anyone had been hurt. There were many people hanging around the foyer of the hotel hoping Elvis would come down. At 3am the guard said to everyone, "Why don't you go home? I have just finished serving him (don'tknow what he meant by that. I think he meant he had finished his duty) and he has gone to bed, so I suggest you all go home."