Meeting Elvis: A Fan's Experience

By Karen Larson

It was in August 1957, I had found out that Elvis would be in Spokane, Wash. on August 30th.

I wrote to Tom Disken at Madison, Tenn.. to try and to get back stage tickets. I enclosed my phone number but never heard a word. In the meantime the secretary of my Elvis fan club(Mary) and I boarded a bus, and off to Spokane we went.

While I was there, Mr. Disken called my house and told Mom to tell me to report to the conference room at the stadium to get our passes for the press conference.

Mom called and we headed for the concert. Remember this was in 1957 and front row tickets were only $3.50.

We got to the stadium and received our passes. Bill Black and D.J. Fontana were there, so we got autographs and our pictures taken with them.

We finally went inside of the building and waited for Elvis to arrive. Mary didn't want to come up front with me so she stayed back at the benches.

Then it happened, the door opened, and in he came. Mary went to sit down ,and the other end of the bench flew up. She landed right at his feet and turned as red as a tomato. Elvis just laughed.

My heart was pounding so hard I thought it would come right out of my chest. He sat up front on a desk and you could ask him questions.

We had heard that he loved cut okra, well we tried that stuff just about every way you could cook it and I must say, there is NO way to eat that stuff. I finally raised my hand and said, "I understand one of your favorite foods is cut okra?" He said, "I 've never tasted it in my life". I said, "don't you will die", and of course that really got a big laugh.

When the conference was over you could get autographs and have your picture taken with him. The shy person I was, kept bugging him for a picture and finally he put both hands on my cheeks, got right down in my face and said "Honey, I ain't got no picture", and kissed me on the cheek.

Elvis was only 21 years old, and the most handsome hunk you could ever hope to see. Those beautiful blue eyes and long lashes would make anybody's blood go past the limit.

Go To Page: 1 2