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Early Elvis
Welcome, Elvis Fans!
This is one the longest-running
web sources for facts
about the early music career
of Elvis Aaron Presley
Dear Readers,
If you use any of the information on this page
please give credit to Early Elvis
at
www.americanmusicpreservation.com
Thank you.
Coming in Spring 2025 - The Rise of a Music Legend!
In celebration of the 90th birthday of Elvis Presley
(born: January 8, 1935)
and
the 70th anniversary of his early appearances in Cleveland, Ohio in 1955...
(picture courtesy of Bill Randle)
"Good Rockin' Tonight" -
Elvis Presley, Bill Randle,
and The Rise of a Music LegendThis new book by music preservationist and songwriter, Roger Hall, who once worked for Cleveland disc jockey, Bill Randle, details the early appearances by Electric Elvis in Cleveland in 1955 and his promotion by two local disc jockeys: Tommy Edwards and Bill Randle (both shown in the above picture). Randle introduced Elvis on his national TV debut on 28 January 1956.
The PDF book will be available Worldwide exclusively by email and include a rare Bill Randle radio air check from 1955.
Watch for this new illustrated book about Elvis in 1955 and 1956!
Here is detailed information about
the popular 1950s Cleveland disc jockey
named "Top Jock in America" by TIME Magazine
who helped promote Elvis into national fame in the mid-1950s.
To order your copy of this special PDF book
The Bill Randle Chronicles
illustrated with many pictures
and sent by email
-- click here
For the centennial of the birth of
popular
Cleveland disc jockey,
Bill Randle (1923-2004)
A special video program, sponsored by
the Shaker Historical Society and Shaker Heights Public Library,
was presented
by Roger Lee Hall,
a songwriter and former disc jockey who once worked for Bill Randle
as his teaching assistant in Cleveland in the 1970s.
Watch the Zoom program on YouTube:.
Bill Randle in Cleveland: From Electric Elvis to The Shakers
Learn about Cleveland disc jockey, Bill Randle, and the Lost Elvis film from 1955:
Listen to Roger Hall tell about his conversations with Bill Randle on this YouTube site with Steve Francis and over 40,000 listeners --
Elvis: The Ultimate Fan Channel Podcast
Here is Roger holding the original soundtrack LP album of KING CREOLE
he received as a Christmas gift back in 1958--
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A few recommended CDs
with early Elvis songs
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Elvis 56 - from his great first RCA recordings
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What's The Best Elvis Recordings?
It seems unfair that Elvis never received any Grammy Awards
for his popular rock n'roll recordings, like this one:
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There are some of his early rock albums which could be named
as best or one of his film albums,
like JAILHOUSE ROCK or KING CREOLE.
But he did receive three Grammy Awards for his Gospel recordings:His three wins were for “How Great Art Thou,” “He Touched Me,” and his live concert recording of the song “How Great Thou Art.”
Amazing Grace - His Greatest Sacred Performances
Compilation produced by Ernst Mikael Jorgensen, Roger Semon,
and Paul Williams (RCA/BMG, 1994)This 2-CD set includes the best of his gospel recordings
The first CD opens with his four recordings
originally released on this 45 RPM EP album in 1957
This million-selling EP album was my first
Elvis record purchase when it was released
and I still have my copy. These are the four recordings
sung with great sensitivity and religious spirit:"(There Will Be) Peace In The Vallley"
"It Is No Secret (What God Can Do"
"I Believe"
"Take My Hand, Precious Lord"
I believe Elvis put his greatest singing efforts into
his gospel recordings, both the slow and up tempo songs.
These recordings bring out his very best singing and
the "Amazing Grace" 2-CD set brings them all together in one beautiful package, including an a fact-filled 32 page illustrated booklet
with excellent notes by Charles Wolfe.This is a terrific collection and it is all literally -- Amazing!!
--By Roger Lee Hall
Elvis Debut On National Television
Cleveland disc jockey Bill Randle was the one who introduced Elvis Presley on national television on The Dorsey Brothers program, Stage Show on CBS-TV.
Elvis made his first appearance on that TV show
on Saturday night, January 28, 1956.Contrary to some descriptions, Elvis did not sing "Heartbreak Hotel" (by Mae Boren Axton and Tommy Durden) for his national TV debut appearance, even though it had just been recorded by RCA on January 10. The "Heartbreak Hotel" single was the A side of the first official RCA record. It was released January 27. The B side contained the song, "I Was the One." This first RCA single became a million seller by April of 1956.
Bill Randle told me that Elvis wanted an upbeat number for his TV debut and RCA wanted to be sure their new singer had a chance to be seen on television so Elvis held off singing "Heartbreak Hotel" until his February 11 appearance on Stage Show. He sang the song again on the March 17 and again on
March 24 telecast.For his national television debut on January 28, Elvis sang two songs in a medley:"Shake, Rattle and Roll" (Charles Calhoun) and "Flip, Flop and Fly" (Charles Calhoun and Lou Willie Turner). Elvis also sang the Ray Charles song, "I Got a Woman," on that first TV appearance.
Read about the Cleveland disc jockey who introduced Elvis
on national TV in 1956 in this PDF book --
The TV footage showing Bill Randle introducing Elvis on that national debut in 1956 is featured in the two hour documentary film, This is Elvis (1981). This film combines both original films of Elvis and various Elvis impersonators who portray him during his life and even with those impersonators it still remains one of the best film documentaries about Elvis.
All the songs sung by Elvis on the Dorsey Brothers "Stage Show", "The Milton Berle Show", "The Steve Allen Show", and "The Ed Sullivan Show" are found on this outstanding 4-CD Box Set:
Elvis Television Performances (1956-1957)Stage Show - hosted by two Big Band musicians:
Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey (CBS-TV)January 28 -
Tommy Dorsey introduced Cleveland disc jockey Bill Randle, who spoke about Elvis and the 1955 film short on this first national US TV appearance for Elvis.
Songs: "Shake, Rattle and Roll / Flip Flop and Fly" and "I Got A Woman"
February 4 -
Songs: "Baby, Let's Play House" and "Tutti Frutti"
February 11 -
Songs: "Blue Suede Shoes" and "Heartbreak Hotel"
February 18 -
Songs: "Tutti Frutti" and "I Was the One"
March 17 -
Songs: "Blue Suede Shoes" and "Heartbreak Hotel"
March 24 -
Songs: "Money Honey" and "Heartbreak Hotel"
The Milton Berle Show
(NBC TV)
April 3 -
Songs: "Heartbreak Hotel" and "Blue Suede Shoes"June 6 -
Songs: "Hound Dog" and "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You".
The Steve Allen Show
(NBC TV)July 1 -
Songs: "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You" and "Hound Dog"
The Toast of the Town (or The Ed Sullivan Show)
(CBS TV)
September 9, 1956 -
Actor Charles Laughton not Ed Sullivan in New York introduced Elvis from Hollywood - Songs: "Don't Be Cruel"; "Love Me Tender"; "Ready Teddy"; "Hound Dog"
October 28, 1956 -
Ed Sullivan introduced Elvis -
Songs: "Don't Be Cruel"; "Love Me Tender"; "Love Me"; "Hound Dog"
January 6, 1957 -
Ed Sullivan introduced Elvis -
Songs: "Hound Dog"/"Love Me Tender"/Heartbreak Hotel" (Medley); "Don't Be Cruel"; "Too Much"; "When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again"; "Peace in the Valley"
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Recommended Books
Channeling Elvis:
How Television Saved the King of Rock n' Roll
The best book about early Elvis
Read the interview with Alanna Nash,
author of the book, The Colonel,
which originally appeared in the "Elvis On Record" blog
and available now in this book --
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DVDs
There have been numerous DVD documentaries about the life and
music career of Elvis Presley, some are pretty bad and others quite good.
First a bad one...
This 2 DVD set is poorly edited with bad sound and fuzzy images,
especially the television appearances.The narration is fine and most of the songs are complete.
But don't expect great quality even with over 3 hours about Elvis.
You can read more at this link:
Now for several good ones...
Documentary about early years of Elvis in Tupelo and Memphis and including interviews with authors Elaine Dundy and Alanna Nash, DJs George Klein and Wink Martindale, Historian Roy Turner, several Elvis friends from his youth. Also excerpts from early Elvis songs.
This fascinating DVD is recommended for your collection.
And another recommended one,
especially Disc 2 (The Man and His Music) is...
Elvis - The Great Performances (2 DVDs)
For comments are questions, write to -Early Elvis-
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