Kay Wheeler – President of the first Elvis Presley Fan Club

 

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Here’s an edited interview with Kay

 

RONNY: How did the Elvis Fan Club come about?

 

KAY: The first time I heard Elvis sing was a live radio broadcast from the "Big D Jamboree" in Dallas. He was singing "Mystery

Train" and it was like an atomic bomb was dropped on me and my life would never be the same! That night I caught a ride on the

rockabilly Mystery Train and I have managed to stay on it all these years! It so happened that I had a connection with Radio

Station KLIF in Dallas (the founder of "Top 40 Radio). My aunt worked there; and one Saturday I went in to work with her. A Disc

Jockey stopped by and said, "Hey, you won't believe this crazy record I just got by some corny name like Elvis Presley".

I spoke up - "What do you mean by that - all the girls are just crazy about him...why I've even thought about having a fan club for

him!

Later, the DJ played the Elvis record as a joke on his Saturday night show - he announced my name and address as the Elvis

Presley Fan club president. On the following Monday morning there were 3 large boxes of mail on my front porch - all girls wanting

to join the club! I wrote Bob Neal, Elvis' manager at the time, and my letter was forwarded to Colonel Parker's office who had just

taken over management of Elvis.

My letter was answered by Colonel Parker's assistant, Carolyn Asmus (to her everlasting credit)! She wrote me back saying,"

Colonel Parker has instructed me to let you know that we have absolutely no fan club facilities set up for Elvis Presley, who is

only one of our minor acts. Col. Parker's main attractions are Hank Snow, June Carter, etc... . The Colonel told you to just go

ahead and do whatever you want to do for an Elvis Presley Fan Club." Well, friends, I took the ball and ran with it as the first

officially organized E.P. fan club in the world! There were to be major problems down the road as the club grew into the tens of

thousands and Parker wanted control - but that whole wild story as well as my life story is in my book titled, "Growing Up With The

Memphis Flash", which I wrote and was published in Europe. Her letter to me also mentioned that Elvis Presley was doing a show in

San Antonio, Texas; and if I wanted to go, I could meet Elvis there! Wow!

 

RONNY: What did you think of Elvis, his music, his character, his personality?

 

KAY: When I walked into Elvis' backstage dressing room in San Antonio - he was a rockabilly rebel! He had on a blue satin shirt,

a gaudy EP diamond ring - hair in a cool ducktail with sideburns. He was plumb dangerous! He turned to me and said in a strong,

sensual voice with a heavy lidded grin on his face, "So you're my fan club president. Honey, what do you want me to do?" He

walked up to me - slid his hands down my sides and said, "Is all this really you, Baby?" At that point, he started to kiss me. I flipped!

Later, during his show, I was dancing in the wings on the stage. After it was over, Elvis made me show him my special "rock & bop"

bop steps that I did during his show. The early Elvis at that time was all you could imagine a rebel to be - he said anything he

wanted to shock the news reporters. I was with Elvis on the rest of the Texas tour and on many occasions during the next 2 years.

Elvis was wild and free in the beginning. I loved him for it and was really disappointed when the influence of Col. Parker caused

Elvis to nearly abandon his rockabilly roots to be a main stream crooner and a movie actor. But friends, that's not the Elvis I knew

in 1956! Elvis was a wild one - like his music! He was in deed and in truth - "The Memphis Flash!"

 

http://www.kaywheeler.com/

 

What a lucky lady getting so close to Elvis :wub:

 

Wow, what a fantastic story. I would show Elvis my rock a bop bop anytime. :naughty: :yahoo: :cheer: :w00t:

 

Lucky lucky lady

Imagine yourself ladies, transported in time, alone in a 1956 dressing room were "Elvis was wild and free" :naughty:

Imagine yourself ladies, transported in time, alone in a 1956 dressing room were "Elvis was wild and free" :naughty:

 

 

 

 

Oh, if only. What a great time that would be :yahoo: :cheer: