by mrchaslik on January 28, 2012
by Phil Arnold, courtesy of www.elvisthemagazine.com/philarnold.html, July 24, 2005
Actress Cassandra Peterson has become known all across the country for her role as “Elvira, Mistress of the Dark.” She’s the costumed vamp who introduces the horror classics on television, but at one time in Cassandra’s career she was a Las Vegas showgirl. It was during this period she met Elvis. “I had been patterning my whole life after Ann Margaret in Viva Las Vegas. So, Yeah, luckily, really, I met Elvis, and it was kind of my dream come true because by the time I went to Vegas, and I did meet Elvis, it was like, ‘Oh my God, it’s coming true! The whole movie’s coming true, you know!’ And, so, I did hang out with Elvis for a while, and he was wonderful and charming and nice, very down home, very sweet, innocent kind of person. He was so different than what anybody would ever think. Not like Mr. Show Biz Time, just a nice, really charming, wonderful guy, very funny sense of humor.”
[click to continue…] «Elvis and Elvira»
by mrchaslik on January 23, 2012
Courtesy elvistribute.us: The concert was in 1973, at the Nassau Coliseum, in Uniondale, NY.
When I’d gotten the news that Elvis, who I’d loved as an entertainer since the 50′s, was appearing at the Coliseum, I had to go. Afterall, he was practically in my own backyard, and if I’d missed the show, I’d never have this opportunity again. My husband, never an Elvis fan, had no interest in accompanying me to the concert, so I asked my brother Neil. He said “Sure, I’ll order the tickets.” (Which by the way, cost $7.50 each…and I still have the ticket stubs!!)
Not being a concert goer, I had no idea where we’d be seated, or even that we’d have an option. I left those details to my brother. Wherever we’d sit was fine with me. As it turned out, we were ushered to the back set of rows, behind the stage. I thought, “Ooo, I’ll never get to see him”. But I was wrong. Elvis accomodated all his fans, moving to all sides of the stage to give each section a part of his performance, and of himself. He came to the back railing, on several occasions, and sang just to us. At those times I took some pictures with my simple, zoomless camera. Needless to say, the pictures weren’t that clear, but I later had them enlarged… to a grainy image. Regardless of the blur, I treasure those pictures, with the ticket stubs enclosed in a frame, and the memory of that evening when I saw Elvis in person! I may not have a scarf soaked with Elvis-sweat, or an imprint of his kiss on my lips, or the feel of his Teddy Bear hug, but I have those memories, of the one and only time I saw Elvis in the flesh! [click to continue…] «Elvis Concert Memories from Antoinette in New York»