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As of December 1955 Elvis had
still not made an appearance on national television. His manager
Colonel Tom
Parker negotiated a deal through Steve Yates with CBS's
"Stage Show" for four appearances on the show in January 1956 at
$1,250 each and an option for two more at $1,500 each.
Harry
Kalcheim, an agent with William Morris Agency, which represented
Elvis, was upset that Parker had booked Elvis through another agent.
Colonel Parker, in a straightforward letter written December 16,
1955, chastised Kalcheim for his lackluster attempts to book Elvis.
Colonel told him that writing a letter and then sitting back and
waiting to hear a reply was no way to sell Elvis. He continued, "If
I waited for someone to call me with deals all the time, I would
have to start selling candy apples again. Nuff said..."
On
Monday, January 23, 1956, Elvis,
Scotty,
Bill and
D.J.
rehearsed in Memphis for their television debut. Elvis and the
Colonel flew to New York on Wednesday the 25th. They stayed at the
Warwick Hotel on 52nd Street. Scotty,
Bill
and D.J. drove from Memphis to New York and arrived on Friday,
January 27th.
"Stage Show" was produced by Jackie Gleason
and hosted by big band leaders Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey. The
thirty-minute program aired on Saturday nights at 8:00 PM as a
lead-in to Jackie Gleason's "The Honeymooners."
Elvis and his
band rehearsed at Nola Studios in New York on the morning of
Saturday, January 28th. That night the show aired from CBS Studio
50. It was raining and the then-unknown Elvis Presley did not draw a
large studio audience. Also appearing on the show were singer Sarah
Vaughan and comic Gene Sheldon. Tommy Dorsey introduced Cleveland
disc jockey Bill Randle, who, in turn, introduced Elvis to his first
national audience by saying:
"We'd like at this time to
introduce to you a young fellow who, like many performers - Johnnie
Ray among them - came out of nowhere to be an overnight big star.
This young fellow we saw for the first time while making a movie
short. We think tonight that he's going to make television history
for you. We'd like you to meet him now -
Elvis Presley."
Elvis wore a black shirt, white tie, dress pants with a shiny
stripe, and a tweed jacket. He sang a "Shake, Rattle & Roll / Flip,
Flop & Fly" medley and "I Got a Woman." The audience reacted with
both shock and interest. The show received an 18.4 % ratings share
while its competition "The Perry Como Show" on NBC received a 34.6%
share. The option was picked up and Elvis appeared a total of six
times on "Stage Show."
For these appearances the band rented
instruments in New York while Elvis associates Red West and Gene
Smith transported the band's own instruments to the next concert
appearance using a pink trailer that Elvis' father Vernon had built
for this purpose. After the fourth "Stage Show" the rented standup
bass that
Bill Black had
enthusiastically played had to be repaired. Bill had broken the
neck, sound post and the back of the instrument. The repairs cost
$32.96.
Elvis' sixth and final "Stage Show" appearance was
on March 24, 1956. That night Carl Perkins was to have been on the
opposing "Perry Como Show." However, Carl had been badly hurt in an
automobile accident on the way to New York. That night on "Stage
Show," out of respect for his friend Carl, Elvis refused to sing
Perkins' "Blue Suede Shoes" as previously planned and instead sang
"Money Honey."
TV Guest Appearances
January 28, 1956,
Stage Show
February 4,
1956, Stage Show
February 11, 1956, Stage Show
February
18, 1956, Stage Show
March 17, 1956, Stage Show
March 24,
1956, Stage Show
April 3, 1956,
Milton Berle
Show
June 5, 1956, Milton Berle Show
July 1, 1956,
Steve Allen
Show
September 9, 1956,
Ed Sullivan
Show
October 28, 1956, Ed Sullivan Show
January 6,
1957, Ed Sullivan Show
March 26, 1960,
Frank Sinatra Timex Special
(Welcome Home, Elvis)
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