May 3rd in Elvis History

It's May 3rd, and on this day in 1969, Elvis’s recording of “In The Ghetto” began climbing *Billboard’s* Hot 100 at number 79. The song would remain on the charts for thirteen weeks, ultimately peaking at number three. This marked Elvis's first Top 10 single since “Crying in the Chapel” in 1965. Written by Mac Davis, the song was originally offered to Bill Medley of the Righteous Brothers and then to Sammy Davis, Jr., both of whom turned it down. The full title of the song, “In The Ghetto (The Vicious Circle),” was shortened by RCA for release. While the song didn’t perform as well on the country charts, peaking at number 60, it became one of Elvis's most iconic tracks. Interestingly, Dolly Parton’s later cover of the song reached number 50 on the country chart.