Elvis to Wiggle Tonight Before 17,950
Buffalo Courier-Express.
June 25, 1976

It's not unusual for Elvis Presley fans to travel hundreds of miles for a glimpse of the man's eternal wiggle, now powered by a 42-inch waistline.

Presley will give them the opportunity when he performs at 8 tonight before some 17,950 fans in Memorial Auditorium.

In a recent Memphis concert, one partisan exclaimed "I don't care how fat he is ... if he weights 300 pounds, I would still love him."

The public's 20-year infatuation with "Elvis the Pelvis" shows no signs of diminishing even now, as Presley moves into his 40s and fights a battle with weight, as well as other undisclosed illnesses.

Escaped His Fans in '75

On his last trip to the area in 1975, when he played to an estimated 23,000 people at the Niagara Falls Convention Center's two shows, Presley escaped detection before and after, with the help of some clever locally based chauffeurs

All the good wishes of flocks of fans who descended on Falls hotels with special gifts for the singer, went unsaid.

This trip, it's not all certain that Elvis will even stay the night

"I really don't know," said Aud. director Joe Figliola. "Doesn't he have one of those new airplanes equipped with living quarters? He may just fly away."

During the concert, Figliola says a contingent of 31 guards will be on hand to keep things relatively decorous, though Presley fans aren't the quietest breed.

"We don't expect any problems," said Figliola, "except when he comes out on stage. From past experiences, we know the people are mature." But at Niagara Falls last year, one person was bitten in a scuffle for Elvis' sweat-drenched hanky.)

Calls are coming into the aud for tickets, which were all sold out by May 14 four days after they went on sale.

Presley Getting $225,000

The Presley organization, run by Col. Tom Parker, grossed $225,000 on ticket sales, an all-time high for an aud entertainment event. Presley will then pay the Aud rent, a figure which was not disclosed.

The fine art of scalping , by which some ticket buyers turn around and sell for more than face value of admission, hasn't become a big issue yet for the concert, though the Aud's Figliola says scalping deterrents will be in effect outside the hall tonight.

Figliola's been answering questions on the concert locally, while Col. parker handles the nitty-gritty business end, as he has since the beginning of Elvis' remarkable career.

"Col. Parker knows all the tricks," said Figliola admiringly the other day.

Courtesy of George Rittenhouse