ELVIS HISTORY IN ARIZONA

Presley In Phoenix - 56

By the time he made his first appearance on a Phoenix stage — a sold-out concert at the Arizona state fairgrounds — Elvis Presley was the hottest rockabilly singer on the planet.

It was June 9, 1956. "Heartbreak Hotel," his first single since signing to RCA Records, was in its sixth of seven weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's Top 100.Four days prior to performing at the fairgrounds, Presley scandalized the nation while grinding his way through a smoldering version of "Hound Dog" on "The Milton Berle Show."  The 5,000 tickets available to see the 21-year-old's first date in Phoenix sold out in two hours at $1.50 each. There was no coliseum at the fairgrounds in the '50s. Presley performed at the grandstand, where rodeos and car races were held. An ad in The Arizona Republic promised "an all new variety show" with opening sets by the Flaim Sextet, Miss Jackie Little, Frankie Connors, Phil Maraquin and the Jordanaires Quartet. Ray Odom, the concert's promoter, who also brought Presley to Tucson the following night, had erected a chain link fence to prevent fans from rushing the stage, girls having torn his clothes and pulled his hair at other concerts.