In June 1972, Elvis’ mood varied from bad humor to good humor, since he had not yet assimilated his new situation of separation. Everyone knew that despite trying to pretend that everything was the same, Elvis perceived himself as sad and this affected how he treated others, but he tried not to be sad, although this situation caused him these contradictory states of mood. It was such that he did not allow the wives of members of the Mafia, his friends, to meet with him during his free time and this was some what particular for everyone. But since no one wanted to make the situation worse, none of them said anything to him about this.
But when the tour arrived, fortunately Elvis focused on his show and his audience.
In the performances held in June 1972, Elvis, who had been warned for a long time due to threats, ordered all of his bodyguards to carry weapons at all times. He didn’t want to be targeted by any madman and he always said that if someone shot him, he would be shot so that he wouldn’t have to brag about having murdered Elvis Presley.
The fear that some lone madman, hidden among the crowds of thousands of fans, would find him a target, was something he would have to overcome every time he went on stage. And New York was still too big a city, too unsafe for a person like Elvis.
A few days before they were all ready to leave for New York Elvis met them all at Graceland. “You are all security,” he told them, and you will be armed. There would be no exception, everyone would be armed, even the new signings like Billy Stanley, his stepbrother. They all had a weapons license and had to be prepared for any unforeseen event on or off the scene.
They were already used to feeling that tension as soon as they stepped into the hallways of the hotels, on stage or when they ran out and finished the show. Because really no one would ever know if anything could have happened at any of these shows, but simply the only thing that mattered was Elvis’ performance and the outcome for him.
The day before the performances in New York, both Colonel Parker was already there, and Joe Esposito with Billy Stantey flew out to check everything out before the whole team arrived. They were there to review hotel rooms, hotel security, limo service, dates, times and routes, and to arrange security at Madison Square Garden. Everything had to be exact and precise and it was a lot of work for one day, but this way the tour could be better controlled. Everything had to be synchronized perfectly, everything had to be in its place.
Elvis was very demanding and on tours he wanted to have everything exactly the same as when he was at his house, Joe Esposito knew his work well and trained young Billy to know his work.
Billy and David Stanley, who were making their debut on this tour, were the only ones who felt a lot of pressure and fear because they were not used to seeing all this audience and the emotion and expectation in the performance of Elvis Presley, whom they did not yet know as an artist. and how different he was from his own older brother, whom they adored since they were little.
Elvis would amaze with his shows, with his voice, with his audience who lost their breath to queue and buy tickets, who cheered and shouted at him with any gesture, with his songs. They saw the artist as great as he had been described for years, but now he was no longer his brother, but a singer on stage who they would be amazed by. The experience was truly beyond what they expected and when Elvis asked them offstage, they told him that he had been amazing like any fan.
Also in the rest of the cities to perform, the technical equipment, sound, suits, adequate drinking water, telephones, etc. Everything is important when touring and the slightest mistake can lead to an irremediable mistake.
Fortunately everything would go perfectly and the tour would be an absolute success.
“Following the Way of the King…