July 30, 1954 - was the date of Elvis Presley's first billed performance.
The show was held at 8pm at the Overton Park Shell located in Memphis, Tennessee. Elvis, was the opening act for the show headliner, Slim Whitman. The show was advertised as a Hillybilly Hoedown. The Memphis Press Scimitar, advertised the show and they misspelled "Elvis." The advertisement said, Ellis Presley.
The shell is known today as the Levitt Shell.
The address is 1928 Poplar Avenue.
The show was held at 8pm at the Overton Park Shell located in Memphis, Tennessee. Elvis, was the opening act for the show headliner, Slim Whitman. The show was advertised as a Hillybilly Hoedown. The Memphis Press Scimitar, advertised the show and they misspelled "Elvis." The advertisement said, Ellis Presley.
The shell is known today as the Levitt Shell.
The address is 1928 Poplar Avenue.
The show began with Elvis, Scotty Moore, and Bill Black performing, "That's All Right (Mama)." They also performed, "Blue Moon of Kentucky", before Slim Whitman began his performance. Girls of all ages went crazy because of Elvis, and they began screaming, jumping around, losing control of themselves and applauding. When Elvis came off the stage, he asked "why people were yelling at him." Elvis, was very nervous for his performance and he did not know he was shaking his body in a sexual way. Scotty Moore said, "We didn't know what was going on when all those people started screaming and hollering." Much later in the show, Elvis came back to the stage to perform his first two songs again, and also "I'll never let you go (Little Darlin)."
Other performers on July 30, 1954 were entertainers: Billy Walker, 'Sugarfoot' Collins, 'Sonny' Harvelle, Tinker Fry and 'Curly' Harris.
Other performers on July 30, 1954 were entertainers: Billy Walker, 'Sugarfoot' Collins, 'Sonny' Harvelle, Tinker Fry and 'Curly' Harris.
Vintage Photo taken at the Overton Park Shell. This is not from July 30, 1954.
Elvis' thoughts on his first billed performance, many years later
“I was scared stiff. It was my first big appearance in front of an audience, and I came out and I was doing my first number ['That's All Right'], and everybody was hollering and I didn’t know what they were hollering at.”
Sam Phillips describes Elvis’ demeanor on July 30, 1954
“When I got there he was standing on the steps at the back of the shell looking kind of pitiful – well, maybe pitiful is the wrong word, I knew it was the way he was going to look: unsure. And he just grabbed me and said, ‘Man, I’m so glad to see you, Mr. Phillips. I – I – I – I —’ You know, that was just the way Elvis did. ‘I – I – I – I just didn’t know what I was going to do.’ Well, you know, it’s like when somebody’s mother is real sick and you tell them everything is going to be all right, and yet you know there’s the possibility that his mother might die. I said, ‘Look,. Elvis, we’ll find out whether they like you or not.’ And then I said, ‘They’re gonna love you.‘ Now I didn’t know that, and if you want to call me a liar or a fake for saying something that I didn’t know to be the truth – but I believed that once he started to sing and they saw him, I don’t mean the stage act, once they heard that voice and the beautiful simplicity of what those three musicians were putting down."
“I was scared stiff. It was my first big appearance in front of an audience, and I came out and I was doing my first number ['That's All Right'], and everybody was hollering and I didn’t know what they were hollering at.”
Sam Phillips describes Elvis’ demeanor on July 30, 1954
“When I got there he was standing on the steps at the back of the shell looking kind of pitiful – well, maybe pitiful is the wrong word, I knew it was the way he was going to look: unsure. And he just grabbed me and said, ‘Man, I’m so glad to see you, Mr. Phillips. I – I – I – I —’ You know, that was just the way Elvis did. ‘I – I – I – I just didn’t know what I was going to do.’ Well, you know, it’s like when somebody’s mother is real sick and you tell them everything is going to be all right, and yet you know there’s the possibility that his mother might die. I said, ‘Look,. Elvis, we’ll find out whether they like you or not.’ And then I said, ‘They’re gonna love you.‘ Now I didn’t know that, and if you want to call me a liar or a fake for saying something that I didn’t know to be the truth – but I believed that once he started to sing and they saw him, I don’t mean the stage act, once they heard that voice and the beautiful simplicity of what those three musicians were putting down."
The Overton Park Shell was built in 1936 by the City of Memphis and the Works Progress Administration for $11,935. The Shell was designed by architect Max Furbringer, who modeled it after similar band shells in Chicago, New York and St. Louis. The WPA built 27 band shells and the Levitt Shell is one of only a handful that are still standing.
In 2005, the Shell partnered with the City of Memphis and the Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation to renovate the Shell and present 50 free concerts every year. It was renamed Levitt Shell at Overton Park and renovation began in 2007. It opened again with free music for all on September 4, 2008. The Levitt Shell presents 50 free concerts every year, with performances by nationally and internationally touring musicians from all over the world. Using free concerts as a catalyst for bringing people together, the Levitt Shell is building a stronger community through music, finding common ground for a diverse audience. The Shell’s rich musical heritage, prime location, thoughtfully renovated facility, and multi-cultural musical programming make it the ideal setting to bring the Memphis community together.
article sources: scottymoore.net, elvispresleymusic.com, levittshell.org and Wikipedia
In 2005, the Shell partnered with the City of Memphis and the Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation to renovate the Shell and present 50 free concerts every year. It was renamed Levitt Shell at Overton Park and renovation began in 2007. It opened again with free music for all on September 4, 2008. The Levitt Shell presents 50 free concerts every year, with performances by nationally and internationally touring musicians from all over the world. Using free concerts as a catalyst for bringing people together, the Levitt Shell is building a stronger community through music, finding common ground for a diverse audience. The Shell’s rich musical heritage, prime location, thoughtfully renovated facility, and multi-cultural musical programming make it the ideal setting to bring the Memphis community together.
article sources: scottymoore.net, elvispresleymusic.com, levittshell.org and Wikipedia
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