Elvis' Fans roar Approval
by Jerry Kenion
Greensboro Daily News
March 14, 1974

"Of all the places we've been to, you're one of the most fantastic audiences we've had," Elvis Presley said Wednesday night to the 16,400 ardent fans at his sold out Coliseum concert.

Just before Elvis made that statement, he made a gesture that confirmed his rumored love of children. Having asked that the house lights be brought up so he could see the audience, Elvis looked over the crowd and had spotlights beamed onto the lucky young woman who recieved his first blue scarf of the evening. Then the singer spotted a little boy, dressed in white, sequin-studded jumpsuit, complete with cape - a miniature Elvis costume. The child was in the spotlight as he stood on his chair.

After singing what appeared to be his final song of the evening. "Ain't It Funny How Time Slips Away?." Elvis asked that the little boy be brought up to the stage to be given one of the famous scarves.

As th elittle boy sat high on his father's shoulders, Elvis leaned over, draped the blue scarf around the child's neck, paused to look at the child's face and smooth his light brown hair.

"GET HIM OUT of here," thwe singer joked about the little boy, "he's dressed better than I am."

Now there's a child who'll have something to tell his grand children (not to mention every kid in the neighborhood, grandma and assorted other Elvis fans).

There were, of course, other members of the audience who will have stories to tell and keepsakes to preserve. Four front-row female fans carried off the ultimate souvenir - one of the blue scarves that had graced the sweaty neck of the King.

It appeared that almost every other Elvis fan at the Coliseum will have several pictures to preserve the performance permanently. At times, as Presley cameon, or when he turned to a segment of the house, flashbulbs were going off in such numbers and so rapidly that there appeared to be strobe lights in the Coliseum.

The star of the show arrivedin one of three limousines about 9:10, just 20 minutes before the elaborate fanfare that brought him onto the stage. A few of the faithful were waiting outside the elephant-sized door of the Coliseum waiting for Elvis's arrival. One of these, a young woman in along, red velvet coat, was so faithful that she has been following the singer from city to city, concert to concert. She led the pack in choruses of "Here he comes, the King!", as the third black limousine whisked the star through the door into the building.

At 9:30 p.m., the king stepped onto the stage. A deafening roar and blinding flashes went on for almost a minute. At last, what they had spent their money for, and waited an hour for - this black-haired man in a white jump suit, a blue scarf hanging losely around his neck, a brillant medalion hanging on his bared chest.

Elvis appeared to be relaxed and enjoying the concert as much as the audience. He tossed off banter with the crowd, saying "I love you,too," to one young woman. Hewaved, blew kisses, gave away scarves, grinned widely, broke up laughing several times, twitched, swayed, jiggled, danced, clowned around with a hat handed him from the audience, squeezed the hands of two groups of women.

Oh, yes. He sang. Boy, did he sing. Twenty years' worth of famous Elvis million-selling favorites. And, he sang them better than when they sold a million.

The Sweet Inspirations, the Stamps Quartet, other backup singers and musicians and an excellent orchestra provided a superb background for Elvis' performance, but much of it was lost to the audience. They squealed whenever Elvis looked their way, even if there was an exquisite flute solo being played at the moment.

From "Heartbreak Hotel," Elvis's 1956 hit, to his latest release, "Help me," his fans roared their approval.

Elvis is a great performer. He's spellbinding. He is the King and millions of fans love him. They shower him with standing ovations, cheers and declarations of love, not to mention money.

That's enough to make any man smile and show his dimples. Elvis obliges.

Courtesy of Archie Bald