May 6 in Elvis History: Vegas Bust, Hound Dog Spark

It's May 6, and on May 6, 1956, 21-year-old Elvis Presley wrapped up his first Las Vegas engagement at the New Frontier Hotel. Sandwiched between the Freddy Martin Orchestra and comic Shecky Greene, Elvis’s raw rock ’n’ roll energy clashed with the lounge crowd—and the reviews reflected it.

Still, Elvis took the moment in stride. “I’d like to tell you, it’s really been a pleasure being in Las Vegas,” he said sincerely. “This makes our second week here. Tonight’s our last night. We’ve had a pretty hard time, uh, had a pretty good time while we were here.”

And the trip wasn’t a total loss. One night, Elvis caught Freddie Bell and the Bellboys performing “Hound Dog” at the Sands. Their cheeky, upbeat version caught his ear—and lit the fuse for what would soon become one of the most iconic hits of his career.

Sources:

• dailyelvis.com/May_6.html
  

• ourdailyelvis.wordpress.com/2017/05/06/daily-elvis-may-6
  

• reviewjournal.com/entertainment/music/elvis-las-vegas-debut-65-years-ago-wasnt-the-disaster-people-think-2329397
  

• en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hound_Dog_(song)
  

• setlist.fm/setlist/elvis-presley/1956/new-frontier-hotel-las-vegas-nv-5bf6b774.html