Elvis Presley: The Real Reason He Gave Out Scarves in Concert
An Elvis Presley concert was an event in the 1970s. Watching the King of Rock and Roll perform live was a moment in time most fans would not soon forget. However, receiving a token from Elvis was even more special. Scarves were one of the items the entertainer would share with the crowd. What was the real reason he began giving out scarves in concert?
Elvis’ tradition of handing scarves to fans began in 1970 in Phoenix, Arizona, on impulse
Elvis Presley traditionally interacted with fans during his live performances. He openly kissed his fans and presented some lucky followers with costume jewelry while performing a concert.
However, while handing out scarves is now part of Elvis’s legend, this practice only came into play in 1970, 16 years after he soared to the top of the charts with the song “Hound Dog.”
According to the Elvis History Blog, Elvis flew to Phoenix from Las Vegas, Nevada, to open his first tour since 1957. The show was scheduled at Phoenix’s Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
That night, Elvis began a stage tradition that would continue after that for every tour. He handed a scarf to a fan. During the Phoenix show, Elvis pulled a scarf from his neck and threw it to a fan in the front row of the arena.
Fans flipped out over the moment. Elvis, knowing a winning moment when he saw one, continued the tradition throughout the remainder of his live career.
The Phoenix show was also plagued with problems
As the tour’s first show, the Elvis Presley concert stop in Phoenix, Arizona, set the tone for the remaining series of appearances. However, that first live performance was plagued with problems.
A bomb threat delayed the show for some time and was later deemed a prank. Elvis was to take the stage at 8:30 but didn’t go on until an hour later.
The house sound system was ill-equipped for a concert, so Elvis couldn’t be heard properly. Subsequently, his backup singers couldn’t hear each other or the King of Rock and Roll.
That concert would be the last time Elvis would use a house sound system on a tour. The Elvis History Blog reports that a state-of-the-art sound system was placed on stage at the subsequent St. Louis tour stop.
The Phoenix show was the first time Elvis Presley reportedly thought about his setlist
For years, Elvis Presley performed a rotation of hits fans knew and loved. He believed hearing these songs was the primary reason they came to see him.
This thought process was evident even during the 68 Special when Elvis peppered his set with standards such as “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Hound Dog,” and “All Shook Up.” However, by 1970, Elvis began to rethink the music he wanted to present to fans in a live setting.
He decided to go with the type of songs he was already singing in his Las Vegas concerts. These included a mix of standards and newer tunes. According to The Elvis Presley Blog, some of Elvis’s songs performed during later tours included “That’s All Right,” “I Got a Woman,” “Love Me Tender,” and “I’ve Lost You.”
The repertoire also included “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling,” “Polk Salad Annie,” “Johnny B. Goode,” “The Wonder of You,” “In the Ghetto,” “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Kentucky Rain,” “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Hound Dog,” “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “Suspicious Minds,” and “Can’t Help Falling in Love.”
The tour that began in Phoenix ended in Mobile, Alabama, on Sept. 14, 1970. Elvis would tour 25 more times in six years until his death in August 1977.
Elvis Presley’s personal scarf collection is kept in Graceland’s Archives.
