An up-and-coming 21-year-old singer named Elvis Presley was scheduled to perform at the Shrine Mosque in downtown Springfield on this date 67 years ago.
Nothing seemed amiss at the quick sound check, but as showtime neared, the young singing sensation was M.I.A.
He was eventually found at the nearby Gillioz Theater, watching a Glenn Ford western. Presley apparently needed time to collect his thoughts, so he left the venue without telling anyone.
Based upon content from the book Missouri 365: This Day in Missouri History by John W. Brown, broadcaster and Missouri historian. Get your copy at Reedy Press.
Photo credit: Public domain
Related Posts
Bring the Heat
Those who just can't get enough chips and dip won't want to miss the 417 Salsa Fest in Springfield. A celebration of all things salsa, the event features a salsa taste-off, a hot-pepper-eating contest, live music, Latin dancing, and more.
At Montauk State Park, a River is Born
Montauk State Park is one of the oldest in the Missouri State Park system. Visitors can see the headwaters that form the Current River, cast a line in a well-stocked trout run, explore a pre-Civil War mill, and maybe even spot a pair of bald eagles.
The Kansas City That Never Was
Sometimes it's fun to wonder "what if?" An exhibit at the Special Collections Gallery at the University of Missouri-Kansas City's Miller Nichols Library imagines how a number of proposed projects might have reshaped the Kansas City experience.
Calamity Jane is Born in Princeton, Missouri: May 1, 1852
Martha Jane Cannary Burke was born in Princeton. The infamous frontier woman was known as "Calamity Jane."