Audience Adores Presley's Squirms, Shakes...Voice
By Jerry Kenion
Greensboro Daily News
April 15, 1972

Only a few teen-agers were standing at the concrete ramp that led into the Coliseum when two blue and white Cadillacs screeched to a halt and one backed up and wheeled through the door.

It was shortly after 9 p.m. Friday, and the Elvis Presley show was going on inside, Presley, who went on intermission, had just entered the building and only a few fans had to be held back by the police.

Presley was heavily guarded by local police, who had been instructed by the Palm Springs police officer who accompanies Presley. The singer was in the back seat, and about all that anyone could see was a flash of silver stars on the arm of his blue custome.

Presley's phalanx of advance protectors, under the direction of Col. Tom Parker, had prepared the way earlier in the day. Everything had been tested, checked, cleared and secured. No females were allowed backstage, not even the regular Coliseum maids.

Howard Hughes himself could take lessons from this outfit.

JUST BEFORE Presley's entrance there was a grandiose fanfare from the orchestra and Presley singers (The Sweet Inspirations, and a gorgeous brunette soprano named Kathy Westmoreland). Then, in a darkened house, the spotlight fell on the steps and 16,300 fans set up a roar of applause.

There he was; tight blue jumpsuit, splashed with silver stars, silver owls on his wide belt, three rings on his left. In his open-to-the-waist neckline, Presley wore a white scarf.

As the show progressed, Presley's movements got more exaggerated; the more he squirmed, knelt and jumped, the more the females screamed and swooned. As he faced various sides of the audience, that section cheered.

AT ONE POINT Presley walked within reaching distance of a blond woman in the audience and handed her his scarf. Make down one happy female.

Then he got a second white scarf, which was grabbed from his neck when he reached out to shake hands with another group behind the stage. At this point a scuffle broke out and one of five or six laughing people got the scarf.

During all of the show, there were movie cameramen peering out from behind guitars, scooting across the stage to get close-ups of the sensuous, one-sided Presley smile. Both the scarf incidents went on film, as did footage of the audience.

All the fancy filming was being done by cameramen sent by MGM. The movie being shot will be a documentary about Presley's 15 city tour, which started last week in Buffalo, NY.

"Standing Room Only" is the title of the movie in which the Greensboro audiences may appear. That's an appropriate title for a show that is consistently sold out.

THE AUDIENCE were appeared to be predominantly female, all ages, but there were some males there too. From their cheers and the smiles on their faces, they seemed to think they were getting their $10 worth.

Complete with characteristic hip movements. Presley transported his fans back to the fifties with "You Ain't Nothing But a Hound Dog," "All Shook Up," "Don't Be Cruel" and "Heartbreak Hotel." He also crooned more recent numbers, including "Until It's Time For Me To Go" and "An American Trilogy."

The audience adored the man. They showed him with screams, applause and rapt attention. Women sat on the edge of their seats, looking through binoculars, and whispered , "Look at his hips." And Even a man, reluctant to admit it, said, "He's got a good voice."

And at the end of his stint on stage, before the cameras , Presley showed his appreciation to his fans by having the house brought up so he could see the audience. Coliseum managing director James F. Oshust said that this was quite a gesture and he'd never seen it done before.

Courtesy of The Greensboro Public Library