Remembering Elvis Presley 60 Years After His Savannah Concert

Caption

An advertisement for Elvis Presley's performance in Savannah, Georgia in 1956.

Sixty years ago, a pair of blue suede shoes touched down in Georgia.  Savannah played host to Elvis Presley's first concert in that city in June 1956.  The concert hall was packed with fans, mostly teenagers.  One of those was 14-year-old Dee Sutlive, who was covering the show for the Savannah Morning News.
"The whole auditorium was crazed. There was a tsunami of girls screaming in back of me," says Dee Sutlive.

The Jepson Center for the Arts has rare images of Elvis Presley at age 21 on display through October 2. 

Elvis "Shake Rattle and Roll" from iLivingApp on Vimeo.

Dee Sutlive's reflections in 1956 about Elvis' concert in Savannah:

First, I’d like to say, being a registered member of the “Elvis Presley Fan Club” you may think I’m prejudiced: Maybe so, but I think for the most part, I have an open mind(!)When people say this “boy wonder” is illiterate or worse (some have, too), I think it over, and only THEN do I disagree.Really, I think you have to be a teen to really appreciate him. He’s different, and people have to get used to his style. The male disc jockeys, critics, etc., say he’s sexy. (I wonder why!) Personally I think they’re jealous. After all, how many women do you know that REALLY like Jayne Mansfield? Even I, an ardent fan, think that Mr. Presley is a fad (but, oh boy, WHAT a fad), and will, in some length of time, go out but while he’s here, let’s just accept him. Why all the fuss and bother about how awful he is? Leave him alone, (but buy the records!) he’ll go out, and it’ll almost have to be pretty fast, (though I hate to admit it) since he reached the top in one try.I’ll leave you with but one thought—that most teenage girls agree on. He’s terrific—the most, the gonest, “and everythang”!