Showtime Nearing For Elvis Sell-out
by Jim Conley
The Abilene Reporter News
October 9, 1974

If you notice a preoccupied, faraway look in the eyes of thousands of area women Wednesday, there's a good reason. And it's not the flu.

It's because the countdown has begun for Elvis' 8:30 p.m. sell-out 8,536-seat concert in Taylor County Coliseum.

THE LATEST WORD at presstime was that everything was "A-OK' with one "reliable source" reporting that Presley's band would fly in by themselves at an unannounced time on a place called The Holiday.

Later in the day, perhaps just before showtime, The King himself is due to arrive by private aircraft.

APPARENTLY, it won't do any good to try to meet him. He zips into and out of his concerts so quickly that it's nearly impossible to get close.

Jo Anne Reed, with Alamo Productions in San Antonio said by telephone Wednesday morning that Elvis' concert there last night was "marvellous" and that he sang "all his hits" during a one-hour show preceeded by about an hour of fine music by his orchestra.

"You got your money's worth," said an ecstatic Mrs. Reed. "When the orchestra struck up his theme, everybody started yelling, and screaming. Then he came out with his entourage of men, wearing a sparkling white suit. Whe he got up there it was like a roar of thunder."

She said Elvis sang "all his oldies," including "Love Me Tender" and "Don't Be Cruel" then moved to his more contemporary hits, such as "Why Me Lord?"

Elvis closed with "I Can't Help Falling In Love With You."

And yes, he gave out his fabled scarves to adoring females throughput the concert, which Mrs. Reed said was attended by fans from younger children to the older set.

she said the people were really worshipping Presley, in a style perhaps commanded by no other entertainer.

ELVIS CAME to the Convention Center Arena in San Antonio in a limousine surrounded by motorcycle police and drove directly into the theater, she said. Everyone clamored to see him but his entrance and exit were rapid, leaving no one a chance to get too close.

The chorus of men singing with Elvis was described as "beautiful" by Mrs. Reed "Everything about the show was marvellous ...it was a moving concert," she said. "And I hadn't really been that big a fan of his."

Courtesy of Archie Bald