And just like that, he was back. Like Jordan to the Bulls or Cleveland to the White House, the return of Elvis Presley to the live concert stage was not entirely unexpected. His stripped-down NBC comeback special had been universally praised, and although apprehensive of the whole production, he appeared loose and fit, possessing all of the raw sex appeal that characterized his earlier, hip-swiveling days. On the heels of his small-screen success, he also made a triumphant return to the music charts with “In the Ghetto,” his first top 10 hit since 1965. If ever there were a time to reintroduce himself to his fans, it was now.
More than eight years had passed since his last public performance—a 1961 benefit concert to help raise funds for the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor—and fans were no doubt eager to replace the image of the flufftastic movie star (he appeared in nearly 20 during his hiatus) with the leather-clad hunk from the TV special. On July 31, 1969, Presley finally made the leap, kicking off a four-week engagement at the new International Hotel in Las Vegas.
There was no rhinestone-encrusted white jumpsuit just yet. The Presley who took the stage that night in front of a crowd of 2,000 was tastefully dressed in a black tunic and matching pants, possessing a golden glow and the now-infamous coif. Newsweek noted that the crowd of thirtysomethings “roared and squealed in nostalgic appreciation” for their King, who lost 10 pounds during the run’s grueling rehearsal schedule. “It was hard to believe he was 34 and no longer 19 years old,” the magazine praised. Not all critics were as kind, however. Las Vegas Sun critic Ralph Pearl found Presley “cashing in on his reputation and not truly earning the enormous standing ovation” he received, although he cited “Memories” and “In the Ghetto” as worthy exceptions.
The public, however, was united in its appreciation of Presley’s return to the stage. By the following year, his engagement at the hotel had already begun to take on legendary proportions. “Good luck on getting in,” remarked Sun columnist Joe Delaney in February 1970. “Nearly 2,000 ‘didn’t’ last Friday midnight when at least that many ‘took their chances’ and didn’t get in.” Two live albums, From Memphis to Vegas and On Stage, the latter recorded the same month as Delaney’s column, became the first official souvenirs of his International run and showed Presley at a musical peak, mixing in his ’50s standards (“Blue Suede Shoes,” “Hound Dog”) with recent hits (“Suspicious Minds,” “The Wonder of You”) and covers that pointed the direction toward croonerville (“Release Me”). In-between-song banter captured Presley at his most charming, at ease with the lovingly partisan crowd and his material.
Over the next seven years, Presley performed 837 consecutive sold-out dates at the International and Las Vegas Hilton, which it became known as beginning in 1971, a remarkable run that set the bar for Las Vegas popularity. “If there are any doubts that Elvis is the all-time crowd count champion in Las Vegas, this Hilton engagement, sold out months in advance, should dispel them,” Delaney wrote during Presley’s final run at the hotel in December 1976.
By this time, he had become the living embodiment of “Las Vegas Elvis”: gaudy jumpsuits, pronounced sideburns, occasionally erratic performances. Struggles with his weight (and to a less publicized extent, addiction) had taken their toll, too, robbing him of the youthful aura of his first International performances.
Just a shade over 40, he was less than a year from the end, but to the crowds who flocked to his shows, he was still the King. Simply put, Las Vegas and Elvis Presley were a fateful match. You couldn’t help falling in love, to paraphrase the song that frequently ended his performances, and even now, you still can’t. Some things were meant to be.
