Las Vegas Nevada Resorts

Elvis Presley has made as much of an impression on the Las Vegas scene as any other performer in history.  Now that Elvis is gone most may remember his ties to Memphis more than Las Vegas, but Memphis is only where he made his home in Graceland.  He made his name in the entertainment capital of the world Las Vegas, Nevada!  It seems that Elvis was destined for great things and many people believe him to be the best entertainer of all time. However, one thing is for sure, Elvis is a Las Vegas legend!

Elvis first stepped into Las Vegas at a tender age of 21 in 1953. He had a 2-week gig, but it was not located in one of the biggest or most well known casinos in the town.  This is a common misconception, instead Elvis started off in Vegas with his first live show at the New Frontier Hotel.  He was not even listed under his own name at his first performance; he was given a “show” name to bring in paying customers.

Elvis was well known across the country already, but his fan base at the time he first entered Las Vegas was mostly teens.  Due to some rather mixed reviews in local papers, it seemed that Elvis was just not cut out to be a huge star in Las Vegas.  He finished his short concert series here and would move on for now.  It would be over 13 years before Elvis returned to Las Vegas to perform for his fans again.

Elvis recorded many albums and performed around the world in his hiatus from Las Vegas.  In 1963 he made his way back to the big city and bright lights for the filming of one of his fan favorites Viva Las Vegas!   This film was a big hit for Elvis and grossed over 5 million dollars after it was released in 1964.  This time when Mr. Presley made an appearance in Vegas, it was made available to fans all over the world when the movie was released and was considered to be his big comeback in the town.  Even though no fans got to see Elvis live in Las Vegas, this movie would leave an impression on the general public that would not be forgotten for years to come.

Elvis made another short appearance in Las Vegas in 1967, but this time it was not to perform.  He came to Las Vegas to marry his sweetheart, Priscilla Anne Beaulieu in a private ceremony at the Aladdin Hotel.  Even though Elvis had not been completely accepted by the city of Las Vegas, he showed how much he loved the

Finally in 1969, Elvis was back and ready to show Las Vegas that he was there to stay!  When Elvis started his first live concert series in Las Vegas in over 13 years, he was accepted with a warm welcome.   A lot had changed in Vegas since he was here performing many years earlier and many people said that he had changed a lot as well.  When Elvis came to the opening of the International Hotel in Las Vegas for a 4-week series of shows, he was an instant hit.   The performances that Elvis gave here would make this hotel world famous when he recorded his first live show ever here. The performances that Elvis gave at the International Hotel in Las Vegas are what made him known as “The” performer in this city.  There was no question who was the King of this city any more.

Elvis broke every attendance record in Las Vegas on his appearance in 1969.  He would do it again in 1970 when he came back to the International Hotel for another set of performances.  Later in the same year, Elvis returned to Vegas to rock the house at the International Hotel once again, the footage from this month long performance was used for a MGM films documentary on Elvis called “Elvis – That’s The Way It Is”.

In 1971 Elvis was given a very prestigious award for his efforts as an international entertainer.  The Bing Crosby Award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences was a huge award to receive for a 36 year old Presley. This award would later be renamed The Lifetime Achievement Award and would be given away yearly at the Grammy Awards ceremony.

Elvis never had a show in Las Vegas since 1969 that was not sold out.  He continued performing sold out shows in Las Vegas until the end of the year in 1976 when he had his final performance in Los Vegas in his 2 week stay at the Las Vegas Hilton, formerly the International Hotel.

For a small town boy to make it big in Las Vegas seems to be a big achievement. However, for anybody who knows how Elvis put his all into every step of his work, it is no big surprise that he became a legendary Las Vegas performer.  There was no other performer in his time that could match the attendance records at his Las Vegas shows and few since.

Elvis would never have a chance to come back to Las Vegas to woo locals and visitors from all around the world.   He would come to his final rest in 1977.  He will always be remembered as one of the most powerful and exciting performers of all time and as one of the original Las Vegas legends!

The magic and fire of Elvis’ live performances can still be relived today at the Viva Elvis show at the Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. The show, taking it’s namesake from The Kings legendary Viva Las Vegas movie, is inspiring for younger audience members and will also bring back the memories for any that had the pleasure to see him in his original performances.  Created in the image of The King himself, this show is sure to satisfy audiences of all ages.
photo credit: cliff1066™
photo credit: cliff1066™

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