The Bill and Sue-On Hillman Musical Odyssey Presents:

ELVIS AND OTHER STARS OF
THE LOUISIANA HAYRIDE
SHREVEPORT MUNICIPAL AUDITORIUM
http://www.hillmanweb.com/elvis/hayride/elvis1all.html

I spent an afternoon roaming the Shreveport Auditorium
-- every nook and cranny - lobby, halls, on stage, back stage, dressing rooms, storage - on every level.
Luckily we were able to gain access since the building was open
for workers to decorate the Aud for a special ceremony later in the week,
and no one seemed to mind us snooping around .
Photos are in preparation, meanwhile I've shared a few here,
as well as historic photos of Elvis' performance on the Louisiana Hayride stage.


December 12, 1955                      .


Elvis and James Burton Statues in Front of the Auditorium
Hillman getting in on the act
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Elvis Presley StatueJames Burton Statue

James Burton's Studio is across the street.

James moved some of his famous telecasters across the street for a photo.

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Backstage Dressing Room used by Elvis  ~  View of the Stage Today
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Historic photos of Elvis' Louisiana Hayride Performances

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October 1, 1955
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January 22, 1955
                                                                   January 22, 1955
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Elvis's  last Louisiana Hayride show, December 16, 1956
SET: Heartbreak Hotel, Long Tall Sally, I Was The One, Love Me Tender,
Don't Be Cruel, Love Me, I Got A Woman, When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again, Paralyzed, Hound Dog


Portraits of Past Entertainers
On the walls of the auditorium
The Hallowed HallsEarly ElvisLater ElvisHank WilliamsJohnny CashJune Carter


Hank SnowHank ThompsonPorter WagonerTex RitterPatsy ClineDoug KershawGranpa Jones
Hank Williams, Jr.Buck OwensDale EvansRoy RogersMarty RobbinsRay PriceWillie Nelson
Jerry Lee LewisSmiley BurnetteDolly PartonLefty FrizzellMel TillisGene AutryCarl Perkins
String BeanBobby BareErnest TubbHomer and JethroLoretta LynnConway Twitty
Billy WalkerCharlie PrideCarl SmithLeroy Van DykeRoy ClarkCousin Minnie PearlNat Stuckey
Charlie WalkerRoger Miller

 Elvis was a Louisiana Hayride regular 1954-1956
NAMES TO THE FACES
TOP ROW: Bill Hillman outside Shreveport's Municipal Auditorium with the statues of Elvis and guitar great, Shreveport's James Burton | Interior hallway lined with portraits of country music greats by artist Jerry Harris.
ROW 2: Elvis on stage at Louisville Hayride | Early Elvis | Later Elvis | Hank Williams | Johnny Cash | June Carter
ROW 3: Hank Snow | Hank Thompson | Porter Wagoner | Tex Ritter | Patsy Cline | Doug Kershaw | Granpa Jones
ROW 4: Hank Williams, Jr. | Buck Owens | Dale Evans | Roy Rogers | Marty Robbins | Ray Price | Willie Nelson
ROW 5: Jerry Lee Lewis | Smiley Burnette | Dolly Parton | Lefty Frizell | Mel Tillis | Gene Autry | Carl Perkins
ROW 6: String Bean | Bobby Bare | Ernest Tubb | Homer and Jethro | Loretta Lynn | Conway Twitty
ROW 7:  Billy Walker | Charlie Pride | Carl Smith | Leroy Van Dyke | Roy Clark | Cousin Minnie Pearl | Nat Stuckey
ROW 8: Charlie Walker | Janie Fricke | Roger Miller



click
From our Poster Montage Archive
www.hillmanweb.com/cards


1960s

Elvis was certainly a pioneering rock'n' roller, making his case strongly with great Sun singles like "Good Rockin" Tonight." And as he started to get more popular, he started taking a lot of heat for the "threat" he posed to the nation's youth. But in 1953 he was still mixing up country, blues, gospel, and pop in his sound, and was actually considered a country act by many due to his appearances throughout the year on the Louisiana Hayride radio shows. I actually have a sharp memory of a bit of conversation I had with Elvis that year, on a night when we both ended up at WHBQ again, waiting to goof around with Dewey after his show. I knew Elvis had been a huge success on those Louisiana Hayride broadcasts and was quickly moving up the bill from an opening act to a featured star to a headliner.
"Elvis, it looks like you're in competition with Webb Pierce and Ferlin Husky and Hank Snow," I said, citing some of the top country stars he had appeared with.
He shook his head and let out a little snort of a laugh.
"No, George. I'm shooting for Bill Haley."
We didn't know it, but in just a few quick months, Elvis would in fact be rockin' at the top of the charts, with nobody mistaking him for a coun try crooner anymore.—
GK: Elvis My Best Man


CREDITS


Hillman Career Collage Archive

THE BOOK: A 50-YEAR MUSICAL ODYSSEY
HILLMAN GIG NOTES SERIES
Refs:
www.hillmanweb.com/sun
www.hillmanweb.com/elvis
Scotty Moore's Hayride Feature
Elvis At the Louisiana Hayride - 1954-1956
Elvis Presley Music
Elvis InfoNet

Jerry Harris: The artist who was commissioned to draw all the regular stars (60)
of the Louisiana Hayride for the Museum located in the historical Shreveport Municipal Auditorium


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Bill and Sue-On Hillman