Elvis Presley solely wished to know one factor when he visited the UK | Music | Entertainment | EUROtoday

In the late Fifties and early Nineteen Sixties he was the most important star on the earth, so why did Elvis solely come to the UK as soon as – and why did The King flip down The Queen?

On today, March 3, 1960, rumours ran like wildfire by the small Scottish city of Prestwick, 30 miles southwest of Glasgow. Teenager Ann Murphy acquired a cellphone name at work from her mum telling her that Elvis Presley actually could be arriving on the airport in a number of hours.

The star was on his means residence from Germany after finishing two years of army service. Even although it had interrupted his virtually on the spot rise to worldwide fame since 1955, his supervisor, Colonel Parker, and document firm and been protecting followers tantalised with common prerecorded music and updates.

16-year-old Ann dashed residence, became “my American jeans, lumberjacket, bobby socks and blue suede shoes”, after which cycled three miles to the airport together with her greatest good friend Muriel. It was a US forces base till 1966 and was used as a refuelling level for army and later transatlantic business flights till the Nineteen Seventies.

Base commander Colonel Russell Fisher, admininistration officer Major Ben Bacchus and chief govt officer Major Ed Miller formally met Elvis and Miller recalled: “He was an extremely pleasant, sincere young man who took the time and trouble to speak to everyone he met. The lucky few fans who were in the right place at the right time were left with the memory of a lifetime.”

Elvis was reportedly far more relaxed and approachable without his manager and entourage around him and spent time talking to fans before going inside for a press conference and then reboarding the transport plane.

Two years later, Elvis was invited by the Palace to join the line-up for the 1962 Royal Variety Performance alongside Bob Hope, Cliff Richard and the Shadows, and Eartha Kitt.

Queen Elizabeth presided over the event but The King turned our queen down. In fact, apart from some concerts in Canada, and shows and filming Hawaii, he never left the United States again.

Most believe this was due to the influence of his manager. Dutch national Parker was an illegal alien in the US (with rumoured links to a murder back home in Breda) and did not want to risk leaving the country in case he wasn’t permitted to return. Therefore, he made sure Elvis was never booked to appear overseas.

However, a sensational claim emerged when theatre impresario and football enthusiast Bill Kenwright told BBC Radio 2 that The King did return to the UK, and was accompanied by star Sir Tommy Steele for a secret trip around London.