Elvis Presley’s Big Break: 71st Anniversary of Hayride Debut

In today's world, Elvis Presley is the 'King of Rock and Roll'. One of the most iconic, influential, and successful artists in American History. But, long before the #1 singles, the "Memphis Mafia" or Graceland, Elvis was just a struggling singer from Tupelo, Mississippi looking for his big break.

And that break came on October 16th, 1954 in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Elvis Debut at the Louisiana Hayride and It's Historical Impact

On October 2nd, 1954, Elvis played the Grand Ole Opry...but his style of music and performance didn't exactly fit the Opry's program. So, two weeks later the Opry's more adventurous rival, Shreveport's Louisiana Hayride booked Elvis for a show.

The Hayride made a lot of stars during this period of time - Hank Williams, Faron Young, Kitty Wells...the list goes on. And this appearance for the 19 year old Elvis helped launch him into superstardom.

READ MORE: Elvis Arrested in Shreveport

According to reports, once Elvis launched into 'That's Alright Mama', the crowd erupted. Dancing, clapping, and just generally having a GREAT time. That performance led the Hayride to sign Elvis to a 12 month contract to perform every Saturday Night for a year. He also began playing tons of show in the region including stops in Texarkana.

The performance is so iconic and transformative, that the 2022 biopic "Elvis" did it's best to recreate it. Not exactly how it went down in real life but close enough for the movies.

The partnership between Elvis and the Hayride ultimately launched him into the stratosphere. The Hayride is also where he met one of his longest running band mates. Louisiana Hayride house drummer and Shreveport native DJ Fontana officially joined Elvis' band the 'Blue Moon Boys' in 1955. He ended up being Elvis' drummer for 14+ years and played on over 460 RCA recording with Elvis.

Elvis' History and Impact on Shreveport, Louisiana

He made several appearances on the Louisiana Hayride between 1954 and 1956. His last appearance at a special Hayride show at Hirsch Coliseum in 1956 is where the phrase "Elvis has left the building" was first uttered.

Another fun fact, the only commercial Elvis ever recorded in his life was for Southern Maid donuts in 1954. According to local legend, he recorded the commercial in exchange for a box of donuts. Who knows if that details is true or not, but kind of fun.

There are tons of stories about Elvis in Shreveport-Bossier from those Hayride years. From being a regular shopper at Stan Lewis' record store to getting "arrested" for speeding in his Pink Cadillac. Some can be proven, some are local lore. All of them fascinating.

If you weren't around in the 50s, 60s or 70s to see Elvis live in Shreveport, there are numerous albums that capture Elvis' live shows from the Municipal and the Hirsch. According to local legends, the ghost of Elvis resides at the Municipal to this day.

Legendary Musicians Who Rocked The Hirsch In Shreveport

Here's a sample of the legendary musical acts who have played Shreveport's Memorial Coliseum over the last 60 years. The Hirsch was basically the homefield for bands like Van Halen and ZZ Top, who regularly put the Hirsch near the top of their tours. For that reason, we're actually not going to feature them on this list, because they were basically "house bands" for Shreveport...and that's NOT a bad thing.

Gallery Credit: Getty Images