Security on a world tour or at least a Great Britain tour.

[jurasic1968]

Again, Parker was a friend of LBJ, vice president of the US from 1961 to 1963 and president of the US from 1963 to 1968. He could help his friend to became a US citizen. It was no big deal for him. But Parker did not want to do it.

[Sarita]

Agree. Parker also did not want Elvis to go to Acapulco to do the film in Mexico in early 1963. In 1969 Elvis wanted to go to Europe as a tourist, but The Colonel convinced him to go to Bahamas instead. The offers for Elvis to perform in foreign countries were coming very often from 1957 until 1977, when Elvis died, and Parker turned down all of them. The greatest of all was in 1975 for Elvis to do one concert at the Pyramids of Egypt for 10 million $, one single concert. Parker again said no. Rome, London, Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro, many cities from Western Europe made offers for Elvis to perform there, but Parker turned down all of them. So only the Canadian Elvis fans had a chance to see Elvis in concert in 1957.

Parker even banned Elvis from taking a private trip to Europe. And Elvis didn't rebel against it.

[Sarita]

Apparently there were no security concerns by '77 as Elvis was supposed to be booked at Wembley arena (not to be confused with Wembley stadium)
Wouldn't it be great if a former arena executive confirmed the planned August 77 meeting with Mr Stone?

Being relatively close to a London concert series in, let's say 1978, you would think it would have made the media right after Elvis' passing.
The fact it didn't makes me question the reliability of the course of events.

Is there any evidence that something was planned for 1978? I once read somewhere that Elvis wanted to take some time off after the August 1977 tour. There is no proof of this either. We won't experience anything like that again. Unless some of Parker's secret diaries, or better yet Elvis himself, turn up.

The Colonel’s aide Charles Stone mentioned many times he booked an August 77 London flight to book Elvis for a future date at the Arena over there.

Thanks! I didn't know that. I thought it was a rumor. Maybe Elvis should have flown to England without Parker.

Charles, who worked with the Colonel on daily basis, further confirmed “the Colonel would not join”

It indicates by 77 it was a known fact Parker couldn’t leave the US.. who knows;)

Maybe Elvis would know. Or there were one or two rumors in his environment. Parker could have seen Elvis travel alone. But no, Elvis wasn't allowed to do that either.

[Jokerlola]

I find it very odd that people on this board think that The Osmonds and David Cassidy were viewed as being of the same importance as Elvis in the 70s. That's rather like saying that Frankie Avalon and Pat Boone were of the same importance as Elvis in the 50s.

They were in England. They were huge there. It was like Beatlemania when they came over to England. They were big here too. The Osmond's played the Houston Astrodome the same years Elvis played there. Of course they didn’t have the cultural significance or longevity as Elvis but for a few years in the 70’s they were as big as, or bigger than Elvis as far as a concert draw and they had wilder fans and crowds which were like the fans and crowds Elvis had in the 50’s, teenage girls. Elvis was still a big draw but by 1969, his fan base was no longer wild, out of control, teenage girls. It was more sedate middle-aged to older women. Actually Tom Jones even had wilder fans who, even though they were also mostly middle age women, they were wilder than Elvis fans by 69. When we saw Elvis in Vegas 1973, we also saw Tom Jones at Caesar’s and the women at Jones’ show were way more assertive and wild than at Elvis’ show.

I noticed this even in 1976 when we saw Elvis in Denver. He sold out McNichol’s Arena faster than any artist at that time. (6 hours). And at the show, the mostly over 35 crowd cheered wildly but sat quietly when he was singing. A month later, I went to see Paul McCartney and Wings in the same Arena. And the younger crowd were on their feet and cheering and singing and surging at the stage for the whole show. Totally different experience and the security at the stage had to work a lot harder controlling the crowd.

[brian]

The point is every musical act besides Elvis toured other countries and they were all safe. Their managers and concert promoters were able to get them enough security so that they were able to tour all over the world. Since that happened that calls into question Colonel Parker's claims that he couldn't get enough security to protect Elvis if he had toured overseas. Since other acts toured the world and had plenty of security then Colonel Parker and Concerts West should've been able to provide that for Elvis. Colonel Parker and Concerts West were able to provide enough security for Elvis when he toured the U.S. so why couldn't they do that in other countries. All of that calls into question Colonel Parker's claim that he couldn't get enough security for Elvis to play concerts abroad. That was one of Colonel Parker's reasons for why Elvis never played a European tour and a World tour. Would Elvis have needed 5 times the amount of security as everyone else. Probably not. You know the Queen of the England and The Pope travel to other countries and they have enough security. Just because they are super famous and attract a lot of attention that didn't stop them from being able to travel to other countries and conduct their business. That should've been the same for Elvis.

[jurasic1968]

Agree, brian.

[Jokerlola]

The point is every musical act besides Elvis toured other countries and they were all safe. Their managers and concert promoters were able to get them enough security so that they were able to tour all over the world. Since that happened that calls into question Colonel Parker's claims that he couldn't get enough security to protect Elvis if he had toured overseas. Since other acts toured the world and had plenty of security then Colonel Parker and Concerts West should've been able to provide that for Elvis. Colonel Parker and Concerts West were able to provide enough security for Elvis when he toured the U.S. so why couldn't they do that in other countries. All of that calls into question Colonel Parker's claim that he couldn't get enough security for Elvis to play concerts abroad. That was one of Colonel Parker's reasons for why Elvis never played a European tour and a World tour. Would Elvis have needed 5 times the amount of security as everyone else. Probably not. You know the Queen of the England and The Pope travel to other countries and they have enough security. Just because they are super famous and attract a lot of attention that didn't stop them from being able to travel to other countries and conduct their business. That should've been the same for Elvis.

Exactly!

And Elvis’ promoter (Jerry Weintraub and Concerts West) was one of the first promoters to put on large overseas tours for big artists so he had the best, most experienced promoter for a world tour.

[pmp]

The point is every musical act besides Elvis toured other countries and they were all safe. Their managers and concert promoters were able to get them enough security so that they were able to tour all over the world. Since that happened that calls into question Colonel Parker's claims that he couldn't get enough security to protect Elvis if he had toured overseas. Since other acts toured the world and had plenty of security then Colonel Parker and Concerts West should've been able to provide that for Elvis. Colonel Parker and Concerts West were able to provide enough security for Elvis when he toured the U.S. so why couldn't they do that in other countries. All of that calls into question Colonel Parker's claim that he couldn't get enough security for Elvis to play concerts abroad. That was one of Colonel Parker's reasons for why Elvis never played a European tour and a World tour. Would Elvis have needed 5 times the amount of security as everyone else. Probably not. You know the Queen of the England and The Pope travel to other countries and they have enough security. Just because they are super famous and attract a lot of attention that didn't stop them from being able to travel to other countries and conduct their business. That should've been the same for Elvis.

Using the Pope as an example was probably not a wise move in the argument considering Pope John Paul II was shot in 1981, with one bullet hitting him in the chest. Which proves that security issues were not "BS" as you suggested in your first post in this thread.

Nobody is saying that such concerns would have prevented a tour, but there were very real issues to be dealt with if it were to ever happen - in the UK during the time of the "troubles" more than in any other country.

[brian]

Using the Pope as an example was probably not a wise move in the argument considering Pope John Paul II was shot in 1981, with one bullet hitting him in the chest. Which proves that security issues were not "BS" as you suggested in your first post in this thread.

I remember that. But regardless he traveled the world both before and after.

[pmp]

I find it very odd that people on this board think that The Osmonds and David Cassidy were viewed as being of the same importance as Elvis in the 70s. That's rather like saying that Frankie Avalon and Pat Boone were of the same importance as Elvis in the 50s.

They were in England. They were huge there. It was like Beatlemania when they came over to England. They were big here too. The Osmond's played the Houston Astrodome the same years Elvis played there. Of course they didn’t have the cultural significance or longevity as Elvis but for a few years in the 70’s they were as big as, or bigger than Elvis as far as a concert draw and they had wilder fans and crowds which were like the fans and crowds Elvis had in the 50’s, teenage girls. Elvis was still a big draw but by 1969, his fan base was no longer wild, out of control, teenage girls. It was more sedate middle-aged to older women. Actually Tom Jones even had wilder fans who, even though they were also mostly middle age women, they were wilder than Elvis fans by 69. When we saw Elvis in Vegas 1973, we also saw Tom Jones at Caesar’s and the women at Jones’ show were way more assertive and wild than at Elvis’ show.

I noticed this even in 1976 when we saw Elvis in Denver. He sold out McNichol’s Arena faster than any artist at that time. (6 hours). And at the show, the mostly over 35 crowd cheered wildly but sat quietly when he was singing. A month later, I went to see Paul McCartney and Wings in the same Arena. And the younger crowd were on their feet and cheering and singing and surging at the stage for the whole show. Totally different experience and the security at the stage had to work a lot harder controlling the crowd.

They might have been huge. But they were not Elvis - one of the most famous people on the planet. And who his fanbase was is utterly immaterial. He was the biggest name in showbiz. The Osmonds in 1973 played in The Rainbow Theatre in London, where the capacity was 3000, a Manchester venue where the capacity was 5000, and a Glasgow venue of 3000. Elvis would most like to have been playing at Wembley - the only stadium really big enough for such an occasion, which had a capacity of 100,000. It is not comparable, and it's ridiculous to say it is.

[pmp]

Using the Pope as an example was probably not a wise move in the argument considering Pope John Paul II was shot in 1981, with one bullet hitting him in the chest. Which proves that security issues were not "BS" as you suggested in your first post in this thread.

I remember that. But regardless he traveled the world both before and after.

Hardly the point. It proves that security was not "BS" as you stated earlier - unless you were happy for Elvis to have been shot, too?

[brian]

Hardly the point. It proves that security was not "BS" as you stated earlier - unless you were happy for Elvis to have been shot, too?

That's not what I said.

[xmascarrol]

all the guys carried guns plus Elvis,so maybe that was another reason Elvis didnt want to travel plus even though most rock bands were on things back then do you think the Col was worried about Elvis med intake so he just didnt want to risk his cash cow going down the drain. I just think in a way Elvis just didnt want to do it himself, so to blame the Col fully on this is strange. We all know from what we have been told in stories if the Col said no Elvis normally went down that road. Most stars would of told him to book it but for some reason Elvis didnt. Elvis also knew fans from all over the world travelled to see him so he didnt need to go on a world tour.

[Jokerlola]

I find it very odd that people on this board think that The Osmonds and David Cassidy were viewed as being of the same importance as Elvis in the 70s. That's rather like saying that Frankie Avalon and Pat Boone were of the same importance as Elvis in the 50s.

They were in England. They were huge there. It was like Beatlemania when they came over to England. They were big here too. The Osmond's played the Houston Astrodome the same years Elvis played there. Of course they didn’t have the cultural significance or longevity as Elvis but for a few years in the 70’s they were as big as, or bigger than Elvis as far as a concert draw and they had wilder fans and crowds which were like the fans and crowds Elvis had in the 50’s, teenage girls. Elvis was still a big draw but by 1969, his fan base was no longer wild, out of control, teenage girls. It was more sedate middle-aged to older women. Actually Tom Jones even had wilder fans who, even though they were also mostly middle age women, they were wilder than Elvis fans by 69. When we saw Elvis in Vegas 1973, we also saw Tom Jones at Caesar’s and the women at Jones’ show were way more assertive and wild than at Elvis’ show.

I noticed this even in 1976 when we saw Elvis in Denver. He sold out McNichol’s Arena faster than any artist at that time. (6 hours). And at the show, the mostly over 35 crowd cheered wildly but sat quietly when he was singing. A month later, I went to see Paul McCartney and Wings in the same Arena. And the younger crowd were on their feet and cheering and singing and surging at the stage for the whole show. Totally different experience and the security at the stage had to work a lot harder controlling the crowd.

They might have been huge. But they were not Elvis - one of the most famous people on the planet. And who his fanbase was is utterly immaterial. He was the biggest name in showbiz. The Osmonds in 1973 played in The Rainbow Theatre in London, where the capacity was 3000, a Manchester venue where the capacity was 5000, and a Glasgow venue of 3000. Elvis would most like to have been playing at Wembley - the only stadium really big enough for such an occasion, which had a capacity of 100,000. It is not comparable, and it's ridiculous to say it is.

Of course it’s comparable. They were playing the same size and bigger venues as Elvis in the early 70’s here in the US. They played Mile High Stadium in Denver one year and played the same arenas as Elvis. The Donny and Marie show was hugely popular on TV here in the states as was the Partridge Family TV show and when they came to a town on tour it was a big deal. They were a staple on TV which translated to, they were big ratings getters. Hell, even Leif Garrett was hugely popular for about 5 minutes. I remember when he came to Denver some time in the late 70’s and hysteria he caused. I had friends who worked for Fey Concerts (Denver’s big promoter) and I remember them saying that the security detail for Leif Garrett was triple of that for other big bands like Led Zeppelin or The Who.

As far as Elvis being in danger of being shot. I would think that danger was way bigger here in the states where guns are everywhere.

[Sarita]

Of course, anything can happen anywhere. Therefore, the lack of security abroad is an excuse. Elvis was talked out of touring abroad. Everything was told so that the real reason was not revealed. Sad for Elvis that he never had the chance to tour internationally.

Parker has been lying to him the whole time. Elvis must have wondered why everyone but he do international tours.

[Spanish_Eyes]

Again, Parker was a friend of LBJ, vice president of the US from 1961 to 1963 and president of the US from 1963 to 1968. He could help his friend to became a US citizen. It was no big deal for him. But Parker did not want to do it.

By that time there were lots of people who had entered the USA illegaly, not to mention under false identitites (such as nazi war criminals)...Parker was the manager of the most famous entertainer in America, he had served in the military, he had connections with politicians and businessmen....it would not have been a big deal for him to get his citzienship.

[Spanish_Eyes]

all the guys carried guns plus Elvis,so maybe that was another reason Elvis didnt want to travel plus even though most rock bands were on things back then do you think the Col was worried about Elvis med intake so he just didnt want to risk his cash cow going down the drain. I just think in a way Elvis just didnt want to do it himself, so to blame the Col fully on this is strange. We all know from what we have been told in stories if the Col said no Elvis normally went down that road. Most stars would of told him to book it but for some reason Elvis didnt. Elvis also knew fans from all over the world travelled to see him so he didnt need to go on a world tour.

Simple as hiring armed bodyguards wherever he performed

[Spanish_Eyes]

The point is every musical act besides Elvis toured other countries and they were all safe. Their managers and concert promoters were able to get them enough security so that they were able to tour all over the world. Since that happened that calls into question Colonel Parker's claims that he couldn't get enough security to protect Elvis if he had toured overseas. Since other acts toured the world and had plenty of security then Colonel Parker and Concerts West should've been able to provide that for Elvis. Colonel Parker and Concerts West were able to provide enough security for Elvis when he toured the U.S. so why couldn't they do that in other countries. All of that calls into question Colonel Parker's claim that he couldn't get enough security for Elvis to play concerts abroad. That was one of Colonel Parker's reasons for why Elvis never played a European tour and a World tour. Would Elvis have needed 5 times the amount of security as everyone else. Probably not. You know the Queen of the England and The Pope travel to other countries and they have enough security. Just because they are super famous and attract a lot of attention that didn't stop them from being able to travel to other countries and conduct their business. That should've been the same for Elvis.

Using the Pope as an example was probably not a wise move in the argument considering Pope John Paul II was shot in 1981, with one bullet hitting him in the chest. Which proves that security issues were not "BS" as you suggested in your first post in this thread.

Nobody is saying that such concerns would have prevented a tour, but there were very real issues to be dealt with if it were to ever happen - in the UK during the time of the "troubles" more than in any other country.

The attemped assasination of the Pope took place in Saint Peter's Square, basically his "home". It was like Elvis being shot in the gardens of Graceland or at the gates whenever he entered or left the estate. It had nothing to do with security while being abroad.

[pmp]

I find it very odd that people on this board think that The Osmonds and David Cassidy were viewed as being of the same importance as Elvis in the 70s. That's rather like saying that Frankie Avalon and Pat Boone were of the same importance as Elvis in the 50s.

They were in England. They were huge there. It was like Beatlemania when they came over to England. They were big here too. The Osmond's played the Houston Astrodome the same years Elvis played there. Of course they didn’t have the cultural significance or longevity as Elvis but for a few years in the 70’s they were as big as, or bigger than Elvis as far as a concert draw and they had wilder fans and crowds which were like the fans and crowds Elvis had in the 50’s, teenage girls. Elvis was still a big draw but by 1969, his fan base was no longer wild, out of control, teenage girls. It was more sedate middle-aged to older women. Actually Tom Jones even had wilder fans who, even though they were also mostly middle age women, they were wilder than Elvis fans by 69. When we saw Elvis in Vegas 1973, we also saw Tom Jones at Caesar’s and the women at Jones’ show were way more assertive and wild than at Elvis’ show.

I noticed this even in 1976 when we saw Elvis in Denver. He sold out McNichol’s Arena faster than any artist at that time. (6 hours). And at the show, the mostly over 35 crowd cheered wildly but sat quietly when he was singing. A month later, I went to see Paul McCartney and Wings in the same Arena. And the younger crowd were on their feet and cheering and singing and surging at the stage for the whole show. Totally different experience and the security at the stage had to work a lot harder controlling the crowd.

They might have been huge. But they were not Elvis - one of the most famous people on the planet. And who his fanbase was is utterly immaterial. He was the biggest name in showbiz. The Osmonds in 1973 played in The Rainbow Theatre in London, where the capacity was 3000, a Manchester venue where the capacity was 5000, and a Glasgow venue of 3000. Elvis would most like to have been playing at Wembley - the only stadium really big enough for such an occasion, which had a capacity of 100,000. It is not comparable, and it's ridiculous to say it is.

Of course it’s comparable. They were playing the same size and bigger venues as Elvis in the early 70’s here in the US. They played Mile High Stadium in Denver one year and played the same arenas as Elvis. The Donny and Marie show was hugely popular on TV here in the states as was the Partridge Family TV show and when they came to a town on tour it was a big deal. They were a staple on TV which translated to, they were big ratings getters. Hell, even Leif Garrett was hugely popular for about 5 minutes. I remember when he came to Denver some time in the late 70’s and hysteria he caused. I had friends who worked for Fey Concerts (Denver’s big promoter) and I remember them saying that the security detail for Leif Garrett was triple of that for other big bands like Led Zeppelin or The Who.

As far as Elvis being in danger of being shot. I would think that danger was way bigger here in the states where guns are everywhere.

I dint care where they were playing in the US. in their UK tour they were playing 3000 seat theatres, not 100,000 seater arenas.

[pmp]

The point is every musical act besides Elvis toured other countries and they were all safe. Their managers and concert promoters were able to get them enough security so that they were able to tour all over the world. Since that happened that calls into question Colonel Parker's claims that he couldn't get enough security to protect Elvis if he had toured overseas. Since other acts toured the world and had plenty of security then Colonel Parker and Concerts West should've been able to provide that for Elvis. Colonel Parker and Concerts West were able to provide enough security for Elvis when he toured the U.S. so why couldn't they do that in other countries. All of that calls into question Colonel Parker's claim that he couldn't get enough security for Elvis to play concerts abroad. That was one of Colonel Parker's reasons for why Elvis never played a European tour and a World tour. Would Elvis have needed 5 times the amount of security as everyone else. Probably not. You know the Queen of the England and The Pope travel to other countries and they have enough security. Just because they are super famous and attract a lot of attention that didn't stop them from being able to travel to other countries and conduct their business. That should've been the same for Elvis.

Using the Pope as an example was probably not a wise move in the argument considering Pope John Paul II was shot in 1981, with one bullet hitting him in the chest. Which proves that security issues were not "BS" as you suggested in your first post in this thread.

Nobody is saying that such concerns would have prevented a tour, but there were very real issues to be dealt with if it were to ever happen - in the UK during the time of the "troubles" more than in any other country.

The attemped assasination of the Pope took place in Saint Peter's Square, basically his "home". It was like Elvis being shot in the gardens of Graceland or at the gates whenever he entered or left the estate. It had nothing to do with security while being abroad.

Which makes you realise security is a problem everywhere. And the motive for the attack? That he had done a tour of Turkey.

This place is bonkers. On the one hand you have people getting very annoyed that Elvis isn't viewed as the best this or that, and now we have people saying Elvis playing Wembley is the same as Osmonds playing Glasgow Apollo.

[Igotstung]

I find it very odd that people on this board think that The Osmonds and David Cassidy were viewed as being of the same importance as Elvis in the 70s. That's rather like saying that Frankie Avalon and Pat Boone were of the same importance as Elvis in the 50s.

They were in England. They were huge there. It was like Beatlemania when they came over to England. They were big here too. The Osmond's played the Houston Astrodome the same years Elvis played there. Of course they didn’t have the cultural significance or longevity as Elvis but for a few years in the 70’s they were as big as, or bigger than Elvis as far as a concert draw and they had wilder fans and crowds which were like the fans and crowds Elvis had in the 50’s, teenage girls. Elvis was still a big draw but by 1969, his fan base was no longer wild, out of control, teenage girls. It was more sedate middle-aged to older women. Actually Tom Jones even had wilder fans who, even though they were also mostly middle age women, they were wilder than Elvis fans by 69. When we saw Elvis in Vegas 1973, we also saw Tom Jones at Caesar’s and the women at Jones’ show were way more assertive and wild than at Elvis’ show.

I noticed this even in 1976 when we saw Elvis in Denver. He sold out McNichol’s Arena faster than any artist at that time. (6 hours). And at the show, the mostly over 35 crowd cheered wildly but sat quietly when he was singing. A month later, I went to see Paul McCartney and Wings in the same Arena. And the younger crowd were on their feet and cheering and singing and surging at the stage for the whole show. Totally different experience and the security at the stage had to work a lot harder controlling the crowd.

They might have been huge. But they were not Elvis - one of the most famous people on the planet. And who his fanbase was is utterly immaterial. He was the biggest name in showbiz. The Osmonds in 1973 played in The Rainbow Theatre in London, where the capacity was 3000, a Manchester venue where the capacity was 5000, and a Glasgow venue of 3000. Elvis would most like to have been playing at Wembley - the only stadium really big enough for such an occasion, which had a capacity of 100,000. It is not comparable, and it's ridiculous to say it is.

Of course it’s comparable. They were playing the same size and bigger venues as Elvis in the early 70’s here in the US. They played Mile High Stadium in Denver one year and played the same arenas as Elvis. The Donny and Marie show was hugely popular on TV here in the states as was the Partridge Family TV show and when they came to a town on tour it was a big deal. They were a staple on TV which translated to, they were big ratings getters. Hell, even Leif Garrett was hugely popular for about 5 minutes. I remember when he came to Denver some time in the late 70’s and hysteria he caused. I had friends who worked for Fey Concerts (Denver’s big promoter) and I remember them saying that the security detail for Leif Garrett was triple of that for other big bands like Led Zeppelin or The Who.

As far as Elvis being in danger of being shot. I would think that danger was way bigger here in the states where guns are everywhere.

Bigger the attraction: bigger the venue, bigger the threat and bigger the security.

But there are also bigger revenues to ensure that money can be spent on more sophisticated security.

So to say that Elvis couldn't have travelled simply because he was bigger than others is a one sided view.

Again, if there was will, there would have been enough money and thus means to spend on security.

And agree, there was more threat from US given the gun culture.

[jurasic1968]

As far as I know, in the US Elvis had death threats in Vegas (August 1970), Phoenix (September 6 1970) and Pontiac (December 31 1975). All in the US.

[Jokerlola]

I find it very odd that people on this board think that The Osmonds and David Cassidy were viewed as being of the same importance as Elvis in the 70s. That's rather like saying that Frankie Avalon and Pat Boone were of the same importance as Elvis in the 50s.

They were in England. They were huge there. It was like Beatlemania when they came over to England. They were big here too. The Osmond's played the Houston Astrodome the same years Elvis played there. Of course they didn’t have the cultural significance or longevity as Elvis but for a few years in the 70’s they were as big as, or bigger than Elvis as far as a concert draw and they had wilder fans and crowds which were like the fans and crowds Elvis had in the 50’s, teenage girls. Elvis was still a big draw but by 1969, his fan base was no longer wild, out of control, teenage girls. It was more sedate middle-aged to older women. Actually Tom Jones even had wilder fans who, even though they were also mostly middle age women, they were wilder than Elvis fans by 69. When we saw Elvis in Vegas 1973, we also saw Tom Jones at Caesar’s and the women at Jones’ show were way more assertive and wild than at Elvis’ show.

I noticed this even in 1976 when we saw Elvis in Denver. He sold out McNichol’s Arena faster than any artist at that time. (6 hours). And at the show, the mostly over 35 crowd cheered wildly but sat quietly when he was singing. A month later, I went to see Paul McCartney and Wings in the same Arena. And the younger crowd were on their feet and cheering and singing and surging at the stage for the whole show. Totally different experience and the security at the stage had to work a lot harder controlling the crowd.

They might have been huge. But they were not Elvis - one of the most famous people on the planet. And who his fanbase was is utterly immaterial. He was the biggest name in showbiz. The Osmonds in 1973 played in The Rainbow Theatre in London, where the capacity was 3000, a Manchester venue where the capacity was 5000, and a Glasgow venue of 3000. Elvis would most like to have been playing at Wembley - the only stadium really big enough for such an occasion, which had a capacity of 100,000. It is not comparable, and it's ridiculous to say it is.

Of course it’s comparable. They were playing the same size and bigger venues as Elvis in the early 70’s here in the US. They played Mile High Stadium in Denver one year and played the same arenas as Elvis. The Donny and Marie show was hugely popular on TV here in the states as was the Partridge Family TV show and when they came to a town on tour it was a big deal. They were a staple on TV which translated to, they were big ratings getters. Hell, even Leif Garrett was hugely popular for about 5 minutes. I remember when he came to Denver some time in the late 70’s and hysteria he caused. I had friends who worked for Fey Concerts (Denver’s big promoter) and I remember them saying that the security detail for Leif Garrett was triple of that for other big bands like Led Zeppelin or The Who.

As far as Elvis being in danger of being shot. I would think that danger was way bigger here in the states where guns are everywhere.

I dint care where they were playing in the US. in their UK tour they were playing 3000 seat theatres, not 100,000 seater arenas.

In this British produced doc I saw, 20,000 fans greeted them at Heathrow when they arrived, a similar scene of when the Beatles landed at JFK airport in the US. When they were performing at the Rainbow Theater, there were over 20,000 girls outside, trying to get in. It showed the how they had to have intense security with a big British police force controlling the crowds to keep them from being mobbed traveling from the hotel to the theater. They were prisoners of their hotel rooms when not performing because of the dangers of being mobbed. Believe me, I’m no Osmond fan. I thought they were totally lame and square when I was a kid in the 70’s but they were big and popular for several years. Most girls in my age range had Donny’s posters on their bedroom walls.

[pmp]

I find it very odd that people on this board think that The Osmonds and David Cassidy were viewed as being of the same importance as Elvis in the 70s. That's rather like saying that Frankie Avalon and Pat Boone were of the same importance as Elvis in the 50s.

They were in England. They were huge there. It was like Beatlemania when they came over to England. They were big here too. The Osmond's played the Houston Astrodome the same years Elvis played there. Of course they didn’t have the cultural significance or longevity as Elvis but for a few years in the 70’s they were as big as, or bigger than Elvis as far as a concert draw and they had wilder fans and crowds which were like the fans and crowds Elvis had in the 50’s, teenage girls. Elvis was still a big draw but by 1969, his fan base was no longer wild, out of control, teenage girls. It was more sedate middle-aged to older women. Actually Tom Jones even had wilder fans who, even though they were also mostly middle age women, they were wilder than Elvis fans by 69. When we saw Elvis in Vegas 1973, we also saw Tom Jones at Caesar’s and the women at Jones’ show were way more assertive and wild than at Elvis’ show.

I noticed this even in 1976 when we saw Elvis in Denver. He sold out McNichol’s Arena faster than any artist at that time. (6 hours). And at the show, the mostly over 35 crowd cheered wildly but sat quietly when he was singing. A month later, I went to see Paul McCartney and Wings in the same Arena. And the younger crowd were on their feet and cheering and singing and surging at the stage for the whole show. Totally different experience and the security at the stage had to work a lot harder controlling the crowd.

They might have been huge. But they were not Elvis - one of the most famous people on the planet. And who his fanbase was is utterly immaterial. He was the biggest name in showbiz. The Osmonds in 1973 played in The Rainbow Theatre in London, where the capacity was 3000, a Manchester venue where the capacity was 5000, and a Glasgow venue of 3000. Elvis would most like to have been playing at Wembley - the only stadium really big enough for such an occasion, which had a capacity of 100,000. It is not comparable, and it's ridiculous to say it is.

Of course it’s comparable. They were playing the same size and bigger venues as Elvis in the early 70’s here in the US. They played Mile High Stadium in Denver one year and played the same arenas as Elvis. The Donny and Marie show was hugely popular on TV here in the states as was the Partridge Family TV show and when they came to a town on tour it was a big deal. They were a staple on TV which translated to, they were big ratings getters. Hell, even Leif Garrett was hugely popular for about 5 minutes. I remember when he came to Denver some time in the late 70’s and hysteria he caused. I had friends who worked for Fey Concerts (Denver’s big promoter) and I remember them saying that the security detail for Leif Garrett was triple of that for other big bands like Led Zeppelin or The Who.

As far as Elvis being in danger of being shot. I would think that danger was way bigger here in the states where guns are everywhere.

I dint care where they were playing in the US. in their UK tour they were playing 3000 seat theatres, not 100,000 seater arenas.

In this British produced doc I saw, 20,000 fans greeted them at Heathrow when they arrived, a similar scene of when the Beatles landed at JFK airport in the US. When they were performing at the Rainbow Theater, there were over 20,000 girls outside, trying to get in. It showed the how they had to have intense security with a big British police force controlling the crowds to keep them from being mobbed traveling from the hotel to the theater. They were prisoners of their hotel rooms when not performing because of the dangers of being mobbed. Believe me, I’m no Osmond fan. I thought they were totally lame and square when I was a kid in the 70’s but they were big and popular for several years. Most girls in my age range had Donny’s posters on their bedroom walls.

They were TRYING to get in, but they WEREN'T in, were they? I'm pretty certain you know the difference between 3000 fans in a venue and 100,000? This conversation is utterly surreal.

[ForeverElvis]

Elvis did 3 concerts in Canada in 1957. Parker went with him, but in Canada he did not need a passport in 1957.

Which is further proof that it was all because of Parker's passport. Neither security, nor medication, nor weapons, nor Elvis' fear of flying, or anything else.

Well not really.
There were never security concerns for Canada, there wasn’t a medication issue in 1957, don’t really think Elvis and his cousins carried guns in 1957, they didn’t fly- they took the train.