The Elvis Presley Army - 14,687 Strong
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
April 27, 1976

It was a happy, busy scene at Seattle Center last night as an army of Elvis Presley fans - 14,687 strong - advanced on the Coliseum

From all corners of the Center they streamed, fresh-faced teenagers and more than a generous sprinking of the Geritol set, all with anticipatory smiles.

Salesmen were hawking pregrams at $3 a throw, and women were buying pins bearing a color picture of elvis for a dollar.

Scalpers were doing a brisk, if furtive trade in tickets, with some tickets going for $45. "I was willing to pay 50," one satisdfied customer said.

Before 7 pm. the faithful were lined up on a level above the entrance they thought Elvis would use, all armed with cameras. One of them was May Humphries who had come from Boise to see him, after missing him twice in Las Vegas "I made teddy bears," she said "I was hoping to bring him one but I was afraid I couldn't get close enough to give it to him"

Irene Cure, standing next to her, had come up from Albany, Ore. forthe occasion.

They're here becuase they want to see The King volunteered Gary Pederson standing next to them.

A jolly group of women, from Tacoma said they had waited in line five hours for tickets, "I guess you're surprised to see so many gray hairs here" one of the group said "I wouldn't let my kids watch him becuase of wiggles and here we are.

Rose Nollette from Vancouver, BC who wore an Elvis pin with the legend "Elvis Spirit of 76" flew down with her friend Penny Cake bread and addmitted that she had been a member of Elvis' fan club for a long time but had never seen him.

Mr. and Mrs. John Bosko of Mercer Island were waiting for friends outside the Coliseum. Mrs. Bosko said her husband got their tickets and came home saying "Here I am almost 56 and I never thought they day would come when I would stand in line three hours to see some guy play a guitar" Mr. Bosko added: "He seems to appeal to the younger generation too. I think that what attracts people is that you can actually understand what he is singing."

Elvis did have his detractors, however. There was the young man who wandered around telling everyone. "I think Elvis is some sort of screwball".

Standing patiently with a sign: "wanted two tickets" was Gerry Kingen, Seattle restaurateur.

Perhaps one of the nicest sights at the center was a man who sold two tickets for exactly what he paid for them $7.50 each. He was Suresh Malhotra an economist who said: "I'm sorry I don't want more for them" He had bought them for a girl who was coming here from India but didn't make it in time.

As for economist Malhotra "I'm too old for this sort of thing" he said.

Courtesy of Francesc Lopez