Elvis meets Eric Clapton July 1974 (updated 2023)

[monkboughtlunch]

Supposedly this meeting occurred in July 1974 at General Cinema in Memphis according Memphis Mafia accounts.

Apparently, Clapton came in one day before his show to meet Elvis.

Clapton performed in Memphis on July 28th. So apparently the Elvis meeting occurred on July 27th or early am of July 28th.

Do any photos of the Clapton / Presley meeting exist? Does General Cinema in Memphis still exist or has this been torn down.

Looking at Candid Central, the photo closest in date to July 27/28th is a series of photos dated July 24th, 1974. However, I wonder if these pics are dated correctly as Elvis is wearing a strange coat, which seems a little uncomfortable for hot summer weather in Memphis (even late at night). So is this how Elvis looked in July 1974 -- or not?

http://www.elvis-collectors.com/candid-central/redwhfans70s.html




Here's are photos of General Cinema in Memphis (4438 American Way location), but the web page says the facility opened Oct. 7, 1981 (but same web page also indicates it opened in the late 70s, suggesting the opening dates are inaccurate) -- so unclear if this is where the Presley / Clapton meeting occured? Where there other General Cinema locations in Memphis?

http://www.memphismemories.org/Topics/Movies/Memphis_Mall_Cinema/Memphis_Mall_Cinema.php

[monkboughtlunch]

Update. The above photo General Cinema appears to be the wrong location. It appears the address of the actual General Cinema theater may have been:

http://www.cinematour.com/tour/us/27717.html

Whitehaven Cinema
1243 Laudeen Dr
Memphis TN

Opened: November 2, 1966
Closed: Yes (date unknown)
Demolished: 1983 Capacity: 500 seats
Architect(s):
Architectural Style(s):
National Register:
Current Organ: none
Also Known As:
Previously operated by: General Cinema Theatres

[monkboughtlunch]

Anyone have any photos of Whitehaven Cinema (aka General Cinema)?

[chevyford]

I wonder if these pics are dated correctly as Elvis is wearing a strange coat, which seems a little uncomfortable for hot summer weather in Memphis (even late at night). So is this how Elvis looked in July 1974 -- or not?

http://www.elvis-collectors.com/candid-central/redwhfans70s.html




Here's are photos of General Cinema in Memphis (4438 American Way location), but the web page says the facility opened Oct. 7, 1981 (but same web page also indicates it opened in the late 70s, suggesting the opening dates are inaccurate) -- so unclear if this is where the Presley / Clapton meeting occured? Where there other General Cinema locations in Memphis?

http://www.memphismemories.org/Topics/Movies/Memphis_Mall_Cinema/Memphis_Mall_Cinema.php

Everyone else in the photo is dressed for summer weather. Don't forget that Elvis was sometimes known for wearing strange attire throughout his life so the jacket is really no surprise.
To give him the benefit of the doubt he may be wearing it coming prepared in case it got too cool in the theater from the air-conditioner.

The two photos of the cinema have absolutely nothing to do with Elvis. The Mall of Memphis (with an ice skating rink) did not exist until around 1981 and is no longer there now. The entire mall was bulldozed several years ago.



Jim

[monkboughtlunch]

Here's another photo from Candid Central dated July 10, 1974. Elvis looks significantly different -- thinner and healthier than the photos above dated July 24, 1974.

http://www.elvis-collectors.com/candid-central/071074memphis.html

[monkboughtlunch]

I wonder if these pics are dated correctly as Elvis is wearing a strange coat, which seems a little uncomfortable for hot summer weather in Memphis (even late at night). So is this how Elvis looked in July 1974 -- or not?

http://www.elvis-collectors.com/candid-central/redwhfans70s.html





Everyone else in the photo is dressed for summer weather. Don't forget that Elvis was sometimes known for wearing strange attire throughout his life so the jacket is really no surprise.
To give him the benefit of the doubt he may be wearing it coming prepared in case it got too cool in the theater from the air-conditioner.


Jim

Indeed - the kid is wearing a tank top. But is that photo confirmed to be from July 74?

[monkboughtlunch]

The two photos of the cinema have absolutely nothing to do with Elvis. The Mall of Memphis (with an ice skating rink) did not exist until around 1981 and is no longer there now. The entire mall was bulldozed several years ago.



Jim

As noted above, it appears the location of the meeting was Whitehaven Cinema 1243 Laudeen Dr Memphis TN. Do photos of this demolished facility exist?

[monkboughtlunch]

Here's the Schilling interview on the Clapton meeting: http://www.elvis.com.au/presley/interview_jerry_schilling.shtml

Some websites say Elvis met Clapton in July 1974. But I'm wondering if it was really July 1975. Clapton apparently toured Memphis in both 74 and 75 so it's unclear.

Not much has ever been reported about Elvis meeting one of rock's greatest guitar players, Eric Clapton.
Jerry Schilling: That happened through my friend, Richard Cole, who was Led Zeppelin's road manager. After Zeppelin met Elvis, I became pretty good friends with Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and Richard Cole. I hung out a lot with all of them. I hadn't seen Richard in a year or so, and he called me and said he was doing the 'I Shot The Sheriff' tour with Eric Clapton.

Richard said, 'We're doing this big show at the Mid-South Coliseum, and we're supposed to fly in and fly out, but Eric will come in the night before if he can meet Elvis'. I said, 'Richard, Elvis doesn't really meet many people'. I really felt bad because when I went to a Led Zeppelin concert I'd sit on the side of the stage with Peter Grant bringing me Dom Perignon champagne. I said, 'We go to movies quite a bit, so let me see if it's okay with Elvis if he comes to one of the movies'. I said to Elvis, 'You remember Richard Cole?' And he said, 'Crazy Richard'. I told him he was the tour manager for this tour and that Eric Clapton was this great guitar player. Is it okay if we go to the movies that I bring him by and introduce him?' He said, 'Yeah, that would be okay'. We were down at the Circle G Ranch in cowboy boots and cowboy hats driving our trucks. As we're going to the movie theater, I reminded Elvis that Eric Clapton was gonna be there. We drove up, and there's two limousines, and there's Elvis in a truck wearing a cowboy hat. He goes, 'Who in the f**k is Eric Clapton? Goddamn limousines! Why does he have to bring a ****' limousine to a movie theater?' I said, 'Oh my God, what am I gonna do?' Then, to top it, Elvis always sits in a certain place in the theater, and Eric's sitting there (laughs). It's like rubbing salt in the injury.

I made the introductions, and Eric was just his wonderful self, and he said everything right. Elvis liked him immediately. We stood and talked for about 15 minutes, and then it was time to start the movie. Elvis invited him and his wife, Pattie, to stay and watch the film. Then he went out to the bathroom, and someone would always go with him. When we go out there, he said, 'Hey, you know that Eric is a pretty nice guy' (laughs). I told Eric that story years later when Scotty Moore was being inducted at The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame. I went up to him and introduced myself, and he said, 'I know you, Jerry. You introduced me to Elvis'. I said, 'Well, could I introduce you to Scotty Moore?' and he said, 'Where is he?' So I got to make that introduction.

[monkboughtlunch]

Another one: http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/clapton-week-1221/

Clapton Week: When Eric Met Elvis
Chuck Crisafulli | 12.21.2010

“Who the Hell’s limousine is that?”

On a late July evening in 1974, that was Elvis Presley’s reaction to the sight of a long, black limo parked in front of the General Cinema in Memphis--one of Elvis’s favorite spots for personal midnight movie screenings. The limo happened to belong to another superstar rocker who had made a special pilgrimage to meet Elvis. It was up to Jerry Schilling, one of Elvis’s Memphis Mafia entourage, to remind the King that he had consented to such a visit.

“I think it’s probably Eric’s, E,” said Schilling.

“Who’s Eric?” Presley asked.

“Eric Clapton. You said he could come by to say hello, remember?”

“Well, fine. We just don’t need a damned limousine parked in front of the theater.”

Elvis didn’t normally have anything against limousines, and usually didn’t mind being the center of attention when out in public, but the movie theater was one place where he preferred to keep things low-key and extremely private. Guests had to be invited or cleared by Elvis himself, and were expected to follow a fairly rigid protocol inside the theater. You didn’t sit anywhere in the 12th row center area--that was for Elvis and those he chose to sit near him. And, once a movie started, you shut up--Elvis was a film buff who really did want to see everything he screened over there.

On that particular night, Elvis looked more like a rancher than a rock star. After a spring of heavy touring, Elvis was back in Memphis for a while, and was taking the time to enjoy some down home pleasures. That day, he had driven south to some Mississippi horse farms with Schilling and Myrna Smith, a member of Elvis’s vocal backing group the Sweet Inspirations and Schilling’s longtime girlfriend. The three came back straight to the theater without a stop at Graceland, and Elvis, at the wheel of his favorite pickup truck, was in leather boots, cowboy hat, and his somewhat upscale version of Western wear.

“I remember being really worried that the sight of the limousine might darken Elvis’s mood and ruin the meeting with Eric,” says Schilling. “Elvis wasn’t seeing a lot of people up at Graceland at that time, and it was kind of a big deal when he agreed to be introduced to somebody new. We wanted everything to go just right.”

The chance for a great summit meeting seemed to diminish when Elvis walked into the theater and saw that Clapton and his companion, Pattie Harrison (George’s ex) were sitting about 12th row center--right in Elvis’s seats.

“That was like rubbing salt in an open cut,” laughs Schilling. “I didn’t know what was going to happen.”

Schilling had been instrumental in setting up the meeting. Clapton was on tour, and enjoying a new resurgence in popularity with the chart-topping success of his cover of Bob Marley’s “I Shot the Sheriff.” He had a concert scheduled at Memphis’s Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, but had a rare night off and wanted to do anything he could to meet Elvis. Weeks before Clapton’s arrival in town, Schilling had been contacted by Richard Cole, a tour manager who’d become a near legendary figure for the wild adventures he’d been at the center of while on the road with Led Zeppelin. Cole had made Schilling a VIP guest at some Zeppelin shows, and was hoping Schilling could return the favor by arranging for an Elvis and Clapton face-to-face.

Elvis had been open, if not particularly enthusiastic about the meeting. But now, between the showy limo and the seating faux pas, Schilling wondered if things were about to get ugly.

“Eric got up and came over to us and I made the introductions,” recalls Schilling. “And right away he was just such the perfect British gentleman, making it really clear how much respect he had for Elvis. Hearing that, Elvis became a relaxed and charming host, and the two fell into a really nice, friendly conversation. We’d all gotten used to thinking of Elvis as a great talent, but I remember being struck that day again at how much he meant to other great musicians.”

The idea had been for the two stars just to have a moment to meet, but they got along well enough that Elvis asked if Eric and Pattie would like to stay and watch that night’s movie. The couple gladly accepted the invitation (there’s no record of what got screened that particular night, but Schilling remembers that Godfather II was a particular favorite of Presley’s that summer). As everybody took their seats, Elvis asked Schilling to come with him to the bathroom.

“When we were alone in there,” says Schilling, “He turned to me and said, ‘You know Jerry, that Eric is all right.”

The next day, Schilling and Myrna Smith rode to the Liberty Bowl concert with Clapton and Harrison, in the same limo that had made Schilling a nervous man the night before. Schilling and Smith were VIP guests at the concert (at which the opening band was Lynyrd Skynyrd) and then said their goodbyes to Clapton, Harrison and Cole after the show.

Clapton and Elvis never crossed paths again, but Schilling saw the guitarist many years later at a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

“I went up to him and started to reintroduce myself,” Schilling recalls. “He stopped me and said, ‘I know you, Jerry. You introduced me to Elvis.’ I asked him if he’d like me to introduce him to Scotty Moore, who was being inducted that year. His eyes lit up and he said, ‘Where is he?’ So I got to make that introduction too.”

[Marko]

Has Clapton himself ever said anything about the meeting?

[midnightx]

Has Clapton himself ever said anything about the meeting?

Very little. In fact, he doesn't mention it in his autobiography. We really only have the accounts from people associated with Elvis.

[tcb4]

elvis once suggested a guitarist to have James Burton for teacher , which famous guitarist it was ?

[midnightx]

Apparently that happened during the Clapton encounter. If it is true, it shows how out of touch Elvis was with contemporary music during that period.

[midnightx]

elvis once suggested a guitarist to have James Burton for teacher , which famous guitarist it was ?

Didn't those around Elvis say Elvis said that out of sarcasm, not being serious.

No.

[thefunkyangel]

First time I've read that Presley was still on the cowboy kick in '74!

[drjohncarpenter]

Supposedly this meeting occurred in July 1974 at General Cinema in Memphis according Memphis Mafia accounts.

Apparently, Clapton came in one day before his show to meet Elvis.

It seems more likely Eric Clapton met Elvis after his two Sunday, July 28, 1974 shows in Memphis.

Clapton was in Davenport, Iowa on Saturday, July 27, 1974. He had to fly 550 miles to make two shows on Sunday, July 28, 1974 in Memphis, and on Monday, July 29 he had a gig 237 miles away in Birmingham, Alabama.

Presley might have enjoyed Clapton's Memphis set lists on this first leg of his 1974 U.S. tour. These were the songs Clapton played at those Sunday shows in Memphis:

Smile
Easy Now
Let It Rain
Willie and the Hand Jive / Get Ready
Tell the Truth
I Can't Hold Out
Badge
I Shot The Sheriff
Layla
Crossroads

[Marko]

Supposedly this meeting occurred in July 1974 at General Cinema in Memphis according Memphis Mafia accounts.

Apparently, Clapton came in one day before his show to meet Elvis.

It seems more likely Eric Clapton met Elvis after his two Sunday, July 28, 1974 shows in Memphis.

Clapton was in Davenport, Iowa on Saturday, July 27, 1974. He had to fly 550 miles to make two shows on Sunday, July 28, 1974 in Memphis, and on Monday, July 29 he had a gig 237 miles away in Birmingham, Alabama.

Presley might have enjoyed Clapton's Memphis set lists on this first leg of his 1974 U.S. tour. These were the songs Clapton played at those Sunday shows in Memphis:

Smile
Easy Now
Let It Rain
Willie and the Hand Jive / Get Ready
Tell the Truth
I Can't Hold Out
Badge
I Shot The Sheriff
Layla
Crossroads

Elvis might have enjoyed Clapton's music, had he been more interested to find out about Claptons's music. But it appears he wasn't that interested in contemporary rock music.

Clapton is still touring and I happened to catch his show last month in Helsinki. He doesn't say much but the man can still play guitar. His did fantastic acoustic set as a part of the show.

[drjohncarpenter]

Supposedly this meeting occurred in July 1974 at General Cinema in Memphis according Memphis Mafia accounts.

Apparently, Clapton came in one day before his show to meet Elvis.

It seems more likely Eric Clapton met Elvis after his Sunday, July 28, 1974 show in Memphis.

Clapton was in Davenport, Iowa on Saturday, July 27, 1974. He had to fly 550 miles to make his show on Sunday, July 28, 1974 in Memphis, and on Monday, July 29 he had a gig 237 miles away in Birmingham, Alabama.

Presley might have enjoyed Clapton's Memphis set lists on this first leg of his 1974 U.S. tour. These were the songs Clapton played that Sunday in Memphis:

Smile
Easy Now
Let It Rain
Willie and the Hand Jive / Get Ready
Tell the Truth
I Can't Hold Out
Badge
I Shot The Sheriff
Layla
Crossroads

Revisiting one of the posted Schilling sources above, it's clear memories are somewhat blurred, and the fabled meeting perhaps coming in 1975.

Not much has ever been reported about Elvis meeting one of rock's greatest guitar players, Eric Clapton.

That happened through my friend, Richard Cole, who was Led Zeppelin's road manager. After Zeppelin met Elvis, I became pretty good friends with Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and Richard Cole. I hung out a lot with all of them. I hadn't seen Richard in a year or so, and he called me and said he was doing the 'I Shot The Sheriff' tour with Eric Clapton.

Richard said, 'We're doing this big show at the Mid-South Coliseum, and we're supposed to fly in and fly out, but Eric will come in the night before if he can meet Elvis'. I said, 'Richard, Elvis doesn't really meet many people'. I really felt bad because when I went to a Led Zeppelin concert I'd sit on the side of the stage with Peter Grant bringing me Dom Perignon champagne. I said, 'We go to movies quite a bit, so let me see if it's okay with Elvis if he comes to one of the movies'. I said to Elvis, 'You remember Richard Cole?' And he said, 'Crazy Richard'. I told him he was the tour manager for this tour and that Eric Clapton was this great guitar player. Is it okay if we go to the movies that I bring him by and introduce him?' He said, 'Yeah, that would be okay'. We were down at the Circle G Ranch in cowboy boots and cowboy hats driving our trucks.

Was the Circle G Ranch a place Elvis still had in 1975? Or 1974?

It's interesting that in Jerry's book, he recalls taking Myrna Smith to see Clapton at an afternoon show at Memphis' Liberty Bell Stadium after the famous meeting. As already noted, Clapton played a show there in July 1974.

But . . .

We just read from that interview it's a Mid-South Coliseum show Eric has upcoming. In fact, Clapton returned to Memphis on Wednesday, June 18, 1975. And this tour would have been a case of "fly in, fly out," as in 1974:

Clapton played Mobile, Alabama on Tuesday, June 17, 1975, Memphis on Wednesday, and was booked for a show in Knoxville on Thursday, June 19, 1975.

Some other tidbits in that interview which intrigue include Jerry speaking of seeing Led Zeppelin in concert. This had to have occurred in 1975, as they did not tour the US in 1974.

Zeppelin played 7 shows in southern California in March 1975, and this is the same period where Richard Cole and John Bonham visited Elvis in Los Angeles. Elvis would remember "Crazy Richard" from this visit, and Schilling had to have seen his Led Zeppelin gig during this time as well.

Thus, given all the information (however conflicting), it seems possible Eric may have caught a flick with Elvis on late Tuesday evening, June 17, 1975 or late Wednesday evening, June 18, 1975.

But . . .

Elvis had just finished a tour on Tuesday, June 10,1975 in Memphis, and quietly gotten eye surgery in town on Monday, June 16, 1975 by Dr. Asghar Koleyni, MD.

So, would Presley have been up to see movies with "Slowhand" just two or three days later?

[merry77]

I do think like the doc in this case that Elvis met Clapton in 1975.
Since on June 18th Eric did play the Mid South Coliseum.

Richard said, 'We're doing this big show at the Mid-South Coliseum, and we're supposed to fly in and fly out,

On July 28th 1974 Eric played the Memorial stadium, not the Mid South Coliseum.

Also:
Elvis met Led Zeppelin on May 11th 1974. To become friends that quickly in a month would seem a bit quickly.
It is possible of course. But Jerry writes:

After Zeppelin met Elvis, I became pretty good friends with Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and Richard Cole. I hung out a lot with all of them. I hadn't seen Richard in a year or so, and he called me and said he was doing the 'I Shot The Sheriff' tour with Eric Clapton.

After becoming good friends and hanging out and then not seeing eachother a year will get you into 1975.

So my estimated guess is 1975.

[midnightx]

There clearly is a lot of grey area with the Elvis/Clapton meeting. Jerry's recollections only add more questions.

[monkboughtlunch]

Another factoid lending weight to the meeting occurring in 1975. Schilling recalls the Godfather II was a favorite of Elvis that summer. Godfather II was released in the US on Dec. 20, 1974. Thus Godfather II wasn't even available to screen in July 1974.

"The idea had been for the two stars just to have a moment to meet, but they got along well enough that Elvis asked if Eric and Pattie would like to stay and watch that night’s movie. The couple gladly accepted the invitation (there’s no record of what got screened that particular night, but Schilling remembers that Godfather II was a particular favorite of Presley’s that summer). As everybody took their seats, Elvis asked Schilling to come with him to the bathroom."

[monkboughtlunch]

So if Presley met Clapton on or about midnight June 18, 1975, the closest dated photo on Candid Central is this one: June 10, 1975.

http://www.elvis-collectors.com/candid-central/memcon75.html



Wasn't Elvis discharged from the hospital (eyelift surgery) on June 17th? If so, perhaps Clapton was one of the first people to see the new Elvis -- after his vanity eyelift.

Here's an apparent post eyelift photo of Elvis dated July 9th, 1975.

http://www.elvis-collectors.com/candid-central/apmyauto75.html

[drjohncarpenter]

Wasn't Elvis discharged from the hospital (eyelift surgery) on June 17th?

As noted, the procedure occurred on Monday, June 16 in Memphis; he probably went home right after it was done?

[monkboughtlunch]

Anyone have a photo of the Whitehaven Cinema where the meeting apparently occurred. Looking at Google Maps, it was quite close to Graceland. It was demolished circa 1983.

Whitehaven Cinema
1243 Laudeen Dr
Memphis TN

[monkboughtlunch]

Wasn't Elvis discharged from the hospital (eyelift surgery) on June 17th?

As noted, the procedure occurred on Sunday, June 15 in Memphis; he probably went home right after it was done.

Doc, this thread cites the Jorgensen book for a June 17 hospital check out. Your thoughts?

http://elvis-tkc.com/forum2/lofiversion/index.php/t15868.html

In "Day by Day" Book(1999)by Guralnick-Jorgensen - on page 349:

QUOTE
"Sunday, June 15: 1975"

Elvis is admitted to the Mid-South Hospital for two days for what the press report as "an extensive eye examination" but what is in fact cosmetic surgery around his eyes.

Both Dr.Nick and the plastic surgeon, **Dr.Asghan Koleyni, try to talk him out of it, but he insists, threatening to have another doctor perform the procedure if they won´t.

Tuesday, June 17: 1975
Elvis is released from the hospital".