April 28th in Elvis History

It's April 28th, and on this day in 1956, Colonel Tom Parker organized a special matinee show for teenagers, offering an affordable opportunity for young fans to see Elvis perform. Attendees paid just one dollar for admission and received a soft drink, making it a memorable and accessible event for the next generation of Elvis fans. In 1957, Elvis arrived in Los Angeles and checked into the penthouse apartment and presidential suite of the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. He was accompanied by Gene and Junior Smith, George Klein, Arthur Hooton, and Bitsy Mott, while the band stayed at the Knickerbocker Hotel in downtown LA. Fast forward to 1976, and Elvis performed at the Summit in Houston, Texas. A scathing review by *Houston Post* reporter Bob Claypool sent shockwaves through Colonel Parker. Claypool described Elvis's performance as a "depressing, incoherent, amateurish mess" delivered by a "bloated, stumbling, and mumbling figure"—a far cry from the King of Rock 'n' Roll that fans had once adored. The fallout from the review led to Parker's attempt at a quick fix, calling for the return of the recently fired Dr. Nick, despite lingering tensions from a past debacle involving a racquetball facility.