Our Evening with Elvis and the Colonel
By Rita Overhead, Leicester, England

In September 1972, my husband and I were in Las Vegas with the Elvis Presley Fan Club of Great Britain and naturally we went to see the Elvis shows at the Hilton Hotel. All in all we saw 10 of his shows during that visit.

Whilst waiting around on 3rd September for the 3 a.m. show, something really special happened. I was standing near the manager's office with another member of our party waiting for my husband to return from a wander 'round the casino. Just then the manager's office door opened, and we thought we saw Colonel Parker sitting inside. Of course, we had to ask him if he was the Colonel because he looked so much younger than we imagined him to be. When he said 'Yes,' we got talking to him.

Soon my husband and another two fans joined in the conversation, and the Colonel asked how many of us were there. "There are five of us," I said.

The Colonel took us through the showroom, then through a "No Exit" door and down to Elvis' suite. He showed us into a room where Elvis must have rested between shows, as there was a bed in there (I sat on it!). The Colonel asked if we would care for something to eat and drink, so we all settled for a drink.

When the Colonel left the room, we assumed he had gone to see Elvis about something. In the meantime, we were introduced to Vernon Presley, and Red West came into the room to see if everything was all right, but he didn't speak.

Then my husband heard the Colonel say, "Elvis can you come and see some fans from England?" Suddenly Elvis appeared in the doorway. He was dressed all in black with an open-neck black shirt, wearing a claw medallion. He looked absolutely amazing; his photos just didn't do him justice.

Elvis shook hands with the two guys and I received a kiss. I made sure I wasn't dreaming all this, so I kissed him again. Elvis gave me a wonderful smile and obviously found it funny. After a little talk (Elvis spoke very softly), he signed autographs. All I had with me was the Elvis menu from the dinner show earlier, so he kindly signed that for me.

When the Colonel came back, we knew it was time to leave. Elvis shook hands again with the guys and I received another kiss and Elvis said goodbye to us. The Colonel asked us to follows him, and he led us back into the showroom for the 3 a.m. show. The Colonel had a few words with the maitre d', and we were shown to the best seats in the room, just near the Colonel himself.

Elvis gave a really fantastic performance, and I heard later that it was the best show of the season. This really was the most exciting time of our remarkable holiday.

Thank you Elvis!
Posted 9/21/05