Dispelling Misconceptions: Elvis Gave 837 Successful Vegas Gigs
Apologies to Barry Manilow, you didn't surpass Elvis Presley's record for uninterrupted sold-out performances at the Westgate in Las Vegas this weekend. Apparently, there's a plaque in the casino resort that indicates you have 200 more concerts to perform.
However, this is a load of bull.
On September 8, 1978, during the first anniversary of Presley's death, the then-owner of Las Vegas Hilton, Barron Hilton, unveiled a bronze sculpture of the King, crafted by Carl Romanelli, which acted as the conclusion to a Hilton convention called "Always Elvis." The plaque based on the statue's foundation claimed Elvis played an astounding 837 consecutive sold-out concerts at the hotel, which opened as the International, from July 1969 to December 1976.
The plaque suggests Elvis appeared before 2.5 million people, which would've filled the reported 1,150-person showroom to its cap each night. Even at 837 concerts, this would result in 2,986 visitors per show - an impressive number, but nonetheless, better than admitting 3,930 people per show were present at certain shows.
It's probably just an honest error. But there are other, equally possible explanations.
Some believe that Hilton, who procured the International from owner Kirk Kerkorian early into Elvis' eight-year residency, exaggerated the number of Elvis' performances to hide severe fire code violations.
If Elvis had played to 2.5 million people, as the plaque suggests, there would have been a huge crowd every night, way surpassing the alleged capacity of 1,150. True, even with 837 concerts, 2,986 spectators per show seems too much. However, it's still more admirable than admitting 3,930 people were admitted at once.
A Manager with a Fib
Another possibility is that Elvis' performances and the number of attendees were inflated by an expert in exaggeration - that is, Elvis' long-term manager, Col. Tom Parker.
Although Elvis was the King of Rock n' Roll, Parker was the King of BS.
Why worry about a couple of hundred extra shows when nobody would bother counting them up, right?
Speculating with Suspicious Minds
Except that someone did go through the effort of counting Elvis' performances at the International and Las Vegas Hilton meticulously. In 2015, when Westgate bought the property (known as LVH temporarily), they wished to emphasize their connection with Elvis. The casino resort premiered "Graceland Presents Elvis: The Exhibition, the Show, the Experience," which even offered guided tours of the grounds, including what remained of Elvis' former 30th-floor penthouse.
Because the exhibit was a partnership with Graceland and Elvis Presley Enterprises, Graceland's archivist Angie Marchese felt responsible for ensuring the exhibit's accuracy. And the 837 figure raised her suspicions. She double-checked every record of Elvis' performances at the International and Las Vegas Hilton, and to her dismay, she kept finding 636 performances.
Despite changing the records, the plaque remains deceptive, and this misinformation is still shared in social media posts and articles that base their information on older publications.
Visit here to find more debunked Las Vegas myths. Want to suggest a Vegas myth that needs dispelling? Send an email to [email protected].
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Source: www.casino.org
