"A Day in the life"
Elvis: "A Day in the Life" January 1, 1956 (Sunday)
Elvis and Red West flew from Shreveport to take part in a 'Grand Ole Opry' packaged show headlined by Hank Snow and Webb Pierce.
LIVE PERFORMANCE(S) - Hank Snow, Webb Pierce, Elvis Presley, The Blue Moon Boys.
Kiel Auditorium, 1400 Market Street, St. Louis, Missouri. (2 shows) (3:00 pm and 8:00 pm)
Musicians: Rhythm Guitar & Vocals: Elvis Presley - Lead Guitar: Scotty Moore - Bass: Bill Black - Drums: D.J. Fontana.
Elvis: "A Day in the Life" January 2, 1956 (Monday)
Elvis and Red returned to Memphis to begin a five day tour.
LIVE PERFORMANCE(S) - Elvis Presley, The Blue Moon Boys, Johnny Cash, David Houston
The High School in Charleston, Mississippi.
Musicians: Rhythm Guitar & Vocals: Elvis Presley - Lead Guitar: Scotty Moore - Bass: Bill Black - Drums: D.J. Fontana.
Elvis was billed as "The King of Western Bop".
Elvis: "A Day in the Life" January 3, 1956 (Tuesday)
LIVE PERFORMANCE(S) - Elvis Presley, The Blue Moon Boys, Johnny Cash, David Houston
The Von Theatre, Boonesville, Mississippi. (2 shows) (6:00 pm and 8:00 pm)
Musicians: Rhythm Guitar & Vocals: Elvis Presley - Lead Guitar: Scotty Moore - Bass: Bill Black - Drums: D.J. Fontana.
Elvis was now billed as "The Folk Music Fireball" which further proved that no-one really knew how to market or promote this new talent.
Elvis: "A Day in the Life" January 4, 1956 (Wednesday)
LIVE PERFORMANCE(S)
The Community Centre, Jonesboro, Arkansas.
Musicians: Rhythm Guitar & Vocals: Elvis Presley - Lead Guitar: Scotty Moore - Bass: Bill Black - Drums: D.J. Fontana.
Elvis: "A Day in the Life" January 5, 1956 (Thursday)
No information.
Elvis: "A Day in the Life" January 6, 1956 (Friday)
LIVE PERFORMANCE(S)
The High School, Randolph, Mississippi.
Musicians: Rhythm Guitar & Vocals: Elvis Presley - Lead Guitar: Scotty Moore - Bass: Bill Black - Drums: D.J. Fontana.
Elvis: "A Day in the Life" January 7, 1956 (Saturday)
Red joined Elvis as he flew into Shreveport for an 8:00 pm performance in the Municipal Auditorium on the
"Louisiana Hayride" that included George Jones.
LIVE PERFORMANCE(S) - Louisiana Hayride - Elvis Presley, Hoot and Curley, Jack Ford, Betty Amos, Werly
Fairburn, Johnny Horton, Jeanette Hicks, David Houston, Jimmy Newman, Buddy Attaway, Buzz Busby and the
Bayou Boys, George Jones
The Municipal Auditorium, 705 Grand Avenue, Shreveport, Louisiana. (8:00 pm - 11:30 pm)
Musicians: Rhythm Guitar & Vocals: Elvis Presley - Lead Guitar: Scotty Moore - Bass: Bill Black - Drums: D.J.
Fontana.
BILLBOARD POP CHART (singles)
Best Sellers in Stores:
"Sixteen Tons" by Ernie Ford.
Most Played In Jukeboxes:
"Sixteen Tons" by Ernie Ford.
Most Played By Jockeys:
"Memories Are Made of This" by Dean Martin.
BILLBOARD C&W CHART (singles)
Best Sellers in Stores:
"Sixteen Tons" by Ernie Ford.
"I Forgot To Remember To Forget" by Elvis Presley. #4
Most Played In Jukeboxes:
"Love, Love, Love" by Webb Pierce.
"I Forgot To Remember To Forget" by Elvis Presley. #3
Most Played By Jockeys:
"Sixteen Tons" by Ernie Ford.
"I Forgot To Remember To Forget" by Elvis Presley. #4
Mystery Train" by Elvis Presley. #13
BILLBOARD R&B CHART (singles)
Best Sellers in Stores:
"The Great Pretender" by the Platters.
Most Played In Jukeboxes:
"At My Front Door" by the El Dorados
Most Played By Jockeys:
"The Great Pretender" by the Platters.
BILLBOARD POP CHART
Honor Roll of Hits:
"Sixteen Tons" by Ernie Ford.
The Top 100:
"Sixteen Tons" by Ernie Ford.
BILLBOARD POP CHART (LP)
No LP Chart
BILLBOARD POP CHART (EP)
No EP Chart
Elvis: "A Day in the Life" January 8, 1956 (Sunday)
Elvis and Red flew back to Memphis in the early hours of the morning and the Colonel woke Elvis by phone and wished him a Happy 21st Birthday.
The two cars used by Gladys and Vernon were insured by Elvis: The pink and black '55 Cadillac Fleetwood and the '56 Plymouth Station Wagon.
Elvis: "A Day in the Life" January 9, 1956 (Monday)
Steve Sholes arrived in Nashville to produce Elvis' first recording session for RCA Victor.
Elvis: "A Day in the Life" January 10, 1956 (Tuesday)
RECORDING SESSION: (RCA Victor)
RCA Studio, 1525 McGavock Street, Nashville, Tennessee. (2:00 pm - 5:00 pm)
Producer: Steve Sholes
Engineer: Bob Farris.
Musicians: Lead Guitar & Vocals: Elvis Presley - Electric Guitar: Scotty Moore - Bass: Bill Black - Drums: D.J. Fontana - Guitar: Chet Atkins - Piano: Floyd Cramer
The building that housed the recording studio was shared with the owners, the Methodist TV, Radio and Film Company. RCA recording star Chet Atkins played guitar on this session except for "I Got A Woman" and Floyd Cramer whom Elvis, Scotty and Bill knew very well played piano.
The tracks recorded over the next two days were mostly covers of songs by various black artists that had influenced Elvis.
The session began at 2:00 pm and continued until 5:00 pm. Three songs were recorded: Ray Charles' "I Got A Woman", "Heartbreak Hotel" which Elvis got from Mae Axton, and "Money Honey", a 1953 hit for Clyde McPhatter and the Drifters. (audio)