Elvis Presley planned to play a concert despite knowing that people had been making anonymous threats against him. The threats were credible enough that the FBI became involved, and Elvis wept before he went onstage. The concert was immensely stressful for practically everyone involved, but Elvis seemed to enjoy the adrenaline rush it gave him. One friend said that Elvis actually seemed disappointed that someone hadn’t shot at him.
Elvis Presley played a concert after receiving a threat on his life
Elvis played a series of shows at the International Hotel in Las Vegas. He fell into a routine there but was abruptly shaken from it when someone called the hotel to say there was a plot to kidnap Elvis. Two days later, they received another call with information about a threat on Elvis’ life that would be carried out during his concert.
Elvis did not cancel the show despite his fear. Instead, he beefed up security and said tearful goodbyes to everyone before he took the stage.
Everyone watched Elvis in terror. They even brought in the hotel doctor with oxygen and blood supplies. The concert went off without incident, though. According to one onlooker, Elvis even seemed disappointed by this.
“It was crazy,” backup singer Joe Moscheo said, per the book Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley by Peter Guralnick. “It was like he was disappointed that he didn’t get shot!”
Priscilla Presley recalled what it was like to watch Elvis play the concert
Priscilla Presley grew accustomed to these threats on her husband’s life. That didn’t make them any easier to deal with, though.
“With the renewed fame came renewed dangers,” Priscilla wrote in her book Elvis and Me. “Off-stage he could be guarded by Sonny and Red. Onstage he was a walking target.”
She recalled watching the show after Elvis received death threats. It was an agonizing experience for every member of Elvis’ family.
“The show seemed to take an eternity,” Priscilla wrote. “I glanced at Patsy [Presley] apprehensively and she in turn grasped my hand as we comforted each other, longing for the night to end without incident. Vernon remained backstage, never letting Elvis out of his sight and praying, ‘Dear God, don’t let anything happen to my son.’”
He instructed his security guards to protect him at all costs
Elvis dealt with these threats by telling his security guards to keep him safe no matter the cost. One of his biggest concerns was someone being able to boast about having killed him.
“He felt that the assassins gloated over their ‘accomplishments,’ and told his bodyguards that if any attempt were made on his life, they should get the killer — even before the police,” Priscilla wrote. “He didn’t want anyone bragging to the media that they’d killed Elvis Presley.”
His bodyguards took their jobs seriously, which sometimes landed them in trouble.
“Sonny and Red lived in so much tension these days that they were constantly frenzied,” Priscilla wrote. “Suspicious in crowds of overzealous fans, they were quick to respond to any sign of danger. Compared to Sonny’s diplomacy, Red’s reputation was to act first and ask questions later. Eventually, numerous assault-and-battery charges started piling up against Elvis.”
When Elvis learned about the legal drama, he scolded his bodyguards for taking their job too seriously.
