Day By Day

January 15, 1955

Elvis performed at the Louisiana Hayride, Municipal Auditorium, Shreveport. Elvis wore a rust-colored suit, black-dotted purple tie, and pink socks and performed Hearts Of Stone, That's All Right and Tweedle Dee. Colonel Parker and Tom Diskin arrived in Shreveport and this was almost certainly the first time either of them saw Elvis perform. The Colonel took steps to forge a link with Bob Neal after the show.

January 15, 1956

Elvis performed at the Municipal Auditorium, San Antonio, Texas at 3.00 and 8.00 p.m. On this 6 day Hank Snow tour, Elvis was billed as "RCA Victor's newest singing sensation" but this was the last time he was booked as a supporting act. He received $1,800 for the entire tour. While Elvis was in San Antonio he visited D.J. Fontana's aunt and uncle in their restaurant. There for he missed a cocktail party held in his honor with Bob Neal and the Colonel. Later he was reminded by them of his professional obligations.

January 15, 1957

Elvis went to the studio where soundtrack recording for his new picture began, at 10.00 a.m. ending at 5.00 p.m. Like Elvis had promised, The Jordanaires, Scotty, Bill and DJ were all hired. The 2 musicians who were regulars in the Paramount studio, Hilmer "Tiny" Timbrell on guitar and Dudley Brooks on piano, were playing along and became regulars on Elvis' Hollywood sessions in the sixties.

January 15, 1958

Elvis worked on the soundtrack at Radio Recorders from 9.00 a.m. to 5.40 p.m. Leiber and Stoller, who had written several songs for the picture, were in charge with the usual Hollywood band. The bassist Ray Siegel was present too as well as a 4 man horn section to create a Dixieland Rock feeling.

January 15, 1967

Elvis arranged for the funeral of his uncle Pat Biggs, the husband of Vernon's sister Delta. He invited the widow to live with her mother Minnie, at Graceland, where she would remain until her death on June 29, 1993. Pat Biggs, a gambler and nightclub owner, had always encouraged Elvis to believe in himself and had been a favorite of his nephew.

January 15, 1968

Elvis flew to Nashville to record 2 new tracks for Stay Away Joe, as well as some additional material for RCA. He was accompanied by all the Nashville regulars, along with Jerry Reed once again on guitar. The session ran until 5.00 a.m. The first song was a real good version of Too Much Monkey Business, but the next movie song Elvis had to do, drained all the energy out of the session. Elvis fought himself through 30 takes of Goin' Home. Later he went home himself in his rented Lincoln to the Jack Spencer Motor Hotel.

January 15, 1971

Elvis drove to Memphis with Priscilla and arrived at 11.30 p.m. and then Elvis spent several hours in the study next to his bedroom where he worked on his speech for the JCC awards dinner.

January 15, 1973

Elvis returned to Los Angeles, after the Aloha show.

January 15, 1974

Elvis was picked up at 7.45 p.m. at his Monovale home and driven to the RCA studio on Sunset to rehearse for his upcoming Vegas opening. He returned home at 1.45 a.m. and this schedule was maintained the next 3 nights.
Among the new songs Elvis rehearsed were some of the recordings from his recent Stax session, as well as The Twelfth Of Never, Born To Lose and I'm Leavin' It Up To You. However in the end only Let Me Be There, Why Me Lord and Help Me were introduced in the show.