Uncover the Shocking Truth: Elvis Presley’s Surprising Failure in Las Vegas!
When Elvis Presley debuted in Las Vegas on April 23, 1956, the sophisticated crowds there were not at all impressed with the man who was revolutionizing popular music. Presley was only a short way into the career that would see him become one of the most legendary figures in the history of music when he accepted the booking at the Venus Room at the New Frontier Hotel in Vegas. The gig paid the modest sum of $17,000 for a two-week stand, and Presley was appearing on a bill with the Freddie Martin Orchestra and comedian Shecky Greene, both of whom were more traditional Vegas fare.
Presley had the No. 1 single in the country with “Heartbreak Hotel” when he kicked off his run at the Venus Room, but the audience consisted of middle-aged consumers in Vegas for some gambling and dining, quite different from Presley’s core audience of screaming teenagers. The sneering, hip-swiveling presentation that had been working magic elsewhere fell flat with the crowd, earning harsh reviews that would sting Presley for decades after. Newsweek likened his performance to “a jug of corn liquor at a champagne party,” noting that the crowd “sat through Presley as if he were a clinical experiment.”
Presley tasted even more humiliation after the venue moved his name from first to third billing after his opening night debacle. He openly complained to the press about playing nightclubs, feeling that his audience was not appreciative of what he had to offer. This incident came just two years after Presley suffered a similar humiliating failure at his debut on the Grand Ole Opry, but the story of Las Vegas ended differently.
While Presley made good on his promise never to return to the Opry, the King of Rock and Roll did eventually conquer Las Vegas, though it would take decades. In the 1970s, when both he and his audience were middle-aged themselves, Presley became one of the highest-paid acts in Sin City, putting on performances in white jumpsuits in the latter years of his career for audiences consisting of swooning housewives looking to relive their own youth.
Elvis Presley owned a spectacular estate in Beverly Hills during his marriage to Priscilla Presley, worthy of the King of Rock and Roll. The 4-bedroom, 5-bathroom, 4,695-square-foot Palm Springs hideaway where Elvis Presley and Priscilla Presley spent their honeymoon has sold for $5.65 million. Designed by renowned architect William Krisel, the lavish, futuristic estate earned the distinction of the “House of Tomorrow” from Look Magazine in 1962.
Lisa Marie Presley was living in a stunning mansion in Calabasas, Calif., at the time of her death, and the estate has now gone up for sale for $4.6 million after extensive renovations. Priscilla Presley has downsized considerably in recent years but still lives a life of absolute luxury. The actor, businesswoman, and former wife of rock icon Elvis Presley lives like a queen in…
