He came, he sang, he conquered.

Who? Why, the man in the blue jumpsuit, of course. With the silver studs and jewels, and a matching cape. He needs no introduction - kings are well-known. But for those who aren't aware that the Concert of the Year was held at the Coliseum last night, we'd like to pass along the word that the King lives:
King Presley

Fans from all over Indiana and several surrounding states attended last night's concert, which was a sell-out. And never let it be said that Presley fans aren't the most dedicated, avid and loyal around!

EVERYWHERE you looked were Elvis buttons, pennants, posters and other expressions of idolatry displayed by everyone from children to older adults. A small delegation from Shelbyville headed by Mrs. Sue Johnson, president of "Elvis That's The Way It Is" fan club sported colorful capes with his drawings and photographs all over it, hand-made by Mrs. Johnson.

Besides talent, Elvis has longevity on his side. His star has soared continually upward since that day in 1956 when Ed Sullivan introduced him to the viewing public - no flash in the pan success like many teen idols whose names turn up occasionally in nostalgia quizzes.

On stage, Elvis recalled that day when he sung "You Ain't Nothing But A Houn' Dog" swiveling his hips and flopping his hair in his eyes. He was laughed at, screamed at, tagged Elvis the Pelvis - today, TV appearances and even tours are rare. His rendition of "Houn' Dog" last night was much slower paced, but the significance was still there.

THUNDERSHOWERS outside didn't seem to bother Presley fans any - they were busy creating their own lighting inside with flashbulbs that never stopped throughout the whole performance. And let it be known that country-western audiences are much more civilized than those who have attended recent rock shows at the Coliseum - the enthusiasm was there, but incidents involving over zealous fans were practically nil.

Elvis opened with "C.C. Rider," followed by a string of past hits (not all his) that included "Rolling over the River," "Lord, You Gave Me A Mountain," "Poke Salad Annie," "All Shook Up," "Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear," "Don't Be Cruel," and "Bridge Over Troubled Water."

Presley has style. A flick of the wrist or twist of the hip sends fans into screaming raptures, and a typical turn-on involves the singer standing perfectly still in some uncomfortable position, pointing like a dog that has just cornered a bird in the brush

A WHITE scarf, which was neatly tucked into his V-necked suit at the beginning of the show, was dangling precariously by the fifth song, as planned. "Take if OFF!" yelled a female voice from the mezzanine. "Take it OFF?" retorted Presley , "Why, you FOOL!".

A couple of numbers later, Presley wadded the scarf into a ball, wiped his chest with it, and tossed the coveted trophy into the audience where it was grabbed by glassy eyed female. ( A 39 cent scarf with a million dollars worth of sweat on it.)

We didn't, of course, get to see the King in action without the usual warm-up acts. The first half of the show consisted of a Negro singing group, the Sweet Inspirations, and a comic Jackie Kahane.

Courtesy of Geoffrey McDonnell