Elvis Presley’s fans were extremely dedicated to the musician. When the people closest to him began to worry about the level of professionalism at his concerts, they still stuck by him. At one show in 1977, though, even his fans didn’t seem to know what to think of him. The concert went so poorly that many attendees left with concerns about Elvis’ well being.
Elvis fans were not happy after a 1977 concert
In May of 1977, Elvis began a tour just two weeks after the previous one ended. Though he kept performing, it seemed he could hardly keep himself upright.
“He was pale, swollen — he had no stamina,” one doctor said, per the book Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley by Peter Guralnick.
His deteriorating health became impossible to ignore, even for his fans. In Baltimore, Elvis left the stage for half an hour in the middle of the concert. According to a reporter for Variety, Elvis looked “weak” and “pained” when he walked off.
He eventually returned, full of exuberant energy and thanked the audience for “hanging with him.” He explained that he had to deal with a painful twisted ankle and use the bathroom. “You don’t fool around with nature,” he told the confused audience. The explanation was not enough for his fans, though.
“At the finale, there was no ovation, and patrons exited shaking their heads and speculating on what was wrong with him,” said the Variety report.
Members of his entourage worried he wouldn’t be able to stay standing
Elvis’ health on tour had been a longtime concern for the people close to him. At one tour stop, he collapsed while getting out of the car. Though he stood up and said he could go on, he was clearly still shaky.
“He walked onstage and held on to the mike for the first thirty minutes like it was a post,” keyboard player Tony Brown said. “Everybody’s looking at each other like, Is the tour gonna happen? Is he sick? Is it gonna be canceled.’”
His bodyguard Sonny West found this so disturbing that he teared up while watching Elvis.
Priscilla Presley said Elvis’ most ardent fans would never turn on him
Though the concert in Baltimore had not gone over well with fans, many people continued to support and celebrate Elvis. Priscilla Presley didn’t think there was anything Elvis could do to make his most dedicated fans turn on him.
“No matter what he did, his fans still cheered him on,” she wrote in her book Elvis and Me. “They were faithful to him through good performances and bad, and eventually their love was the only real gratification he received. They endorsed everything he did.”
As a result, Priscilla explained, Elvis did not think his career was in any sort of trouble. His fans would cheer him on no matter the quality of the performance.
“Maybe as long as he was getting their cheers, he thought he was doing fine,” she wrote. “But in fact, Colonel Parker was right when he told Elvis that he’d better get himself straightened out or his whole career would go down the drain.”
