Elvis Presley

Las Vegas, 1956-1976

Born: January 8, 1935, Tupelo, Mississippi
Died: August 16, 1977, at Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee, aged 42
Las Vegas debut: April 23, 1956, a two-week booking in the New Frontier's Venus Room
Las Vegas film: "Viva Las Vegas", filmed in Las Vegas in 1963 and released in 1964, co-starring Ann-Margret
Las Vegas wedding: Married Priscilla Beaulieu at the Aladdin on May 1, 1967
International Hotel opening: July 31, 1969, the first show of a run that lasted until December 1976
Residency venue: The International, later the Las Vegas Hilton, now Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino
Number of shows: Westgate says 636 sold-out performances; other accounts give 837
1969 pay: $100,000 a week for a four-week engagement, according to author Richard Zoglin
Where to see his legacy today: A bronze Elvis statue at Westgate Las Vegas, where he performed in what is now the International Theater

About

Elvis Presley's first Las Vegas engagement did not go well. On April 23, 1956, the 21-year-old opened a two-week run as an "extra added attraction" in the New Frontier's thousand-seat Venus Room, on a bill with bandleader Freddy Martin and comedian Shecky Greene. The older, dressy audience was unmoved, and Las Vegas Sun critic Bill Willard called him a whiz for teenagers but "a bore" for the average showgoer. Elvis held no grudge: he filmed "Viva Las Vegas" in the city in 1963 and married Priscilla Beaulieu at the Aladdin on May 1, 1967.

His real Las Vegas career began on July 31, 1969, at Kirk Kerkorian's new International Hotel, then the world's largest hotel-casino. Coming off his 1968 television "comeback special", Elvis signed for $100,000 a week, matching Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, according to author Richard Zoglin. He played two shows a night, at 8 p.m. and midnight, and reviews were strong. On August 28, 1969, the hotel said he had broken its attendance record, drawing more than 100,000 people in 29 shows.

The International became the Las Vegas Hilton, and Elvis kept returning for regular engagements until his final show there in December 1976. These were the years of the rhinestone suits, and Zoglin argues the shows brought a rock and roll sensibility to Las Vegas entertainment that continues today. The exact show count is disputed: Westgate says 636 sold-out performances, while other accounts give 837.

The Review-Journal has called the 1969 engagement the city's first residency, a model later followed by Celine Dion, Elton John and others. Elvis died at Graceland in Memphis on August 16, 1977, at age 42, and the hotel where he played still honors him with a bronze statue.

What to expect

Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino, the former International Hotel off the Strip on Paradise Road, celebrates its Elvis history. A bronze statue honors him, and the showroom where he performed is now the International Theater. Westgate acquired the hotel in 2014.

Elvis's home, Graceland, which offers tours, is in Memphis, Tennessee, not Las Vegas.

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Las Vegas history

Las Vegas history, era by era

Good to know

Barbra Streisand, not Elvis, opened the International's showroom on July 2, 1969; his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, thought opening a brand-new room was too risky.
The 1956 New Frontier booking paid $15,000 for two weeks and billed him as "The Atomic Powered Singer."
Graceland's archivist told the Review-Journal the 1956 engagement "eventually is what elevated Elvis to another level", helping broaden his appeal beyond teenagers.
Totals for his Las Vegas shows vary by source: Westgate says 636 sold-out performances, while UNLV historian Michael Green has cited 837 consecutive sold-out shows.
Tickets for the 1969 shows started at $15, which Zoglin describes as the top of the Las Vegas scale at the time.

Questions about Elvis Presley

Where did Elvis perform in Las Vegas?

His regular Las Vegas home was the International Hotel, which became the Las Vegas Hilton and is now Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino, from July 31, 1969, until December 1976. Earlier, in April 1956, he played a two-week engagement at the New Frontier. He also filmed "Viva Las Vegas" in the city in 1963 and married Priscilla Beaulieu at the Aladdin in 1967.

How many shows did Elvis do in Las Vegas?

Sources disagree. Westgate, which now owns the former International Hotel, says Elvis performed 636 sold-out shows there between 1969 and 1976. Other accounts, including one by UNLV historian Michael Green, give 837 consecutive sold-out shows. The Review-Journal has said the total was more than 600, "maybe even more than 800." Either way, he played two shows a night during his engagements.

Did Elvis bomb in Las Vegas?

His first visit was a disappointment. In April 1956 he played two weeks at the New Frontier to polite, older audiences, and local critics were unimpressed. But historians say it was not a total disaster: he did well at a teen-heavy afternoon show, and Graceland's archivist argues the booking broadened his appeal. His 1969 return to the International was a major success.

Where did Elvis get married in Las Vegas?

Elvis married Priscilla Beaulieu at the Aladdin hotel in Las Vegas on May 1, 1967. He was 32 and she was 21; they had met while he was stationed with the Army in Germany. The couple divorced in October 1973.

Is there an Elvis statue in Las Vegas?

Yes. Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino, the former International Hotel where Elvis performed from 1969 to 1976, displays a bronze statue of him. The resort says the statue honors his contributions to music, film, television and the city of Las Vegas. The showroom where he played is now called the International Theater.

How much was Elvis paid in Las Vegas?

According to author Richard Zoglin, cited by the Review-Journal, his 1969 contract with the International paid $100,000 a week for a four-week engagement. That matched what Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin were earning and put him at the top of the Las Vegas pay scale. His 1956 New Frontier booking had paid $15,000 for two weeks.