Southern Gospel Roots of Elvis – The Vegas Years
You Asked For a Gospel Show...
& We Are Giving You A GOSPEL SHOW!
The Southern Gospel Roots of Elvis – The Vegas Years is unlike ANY gospel show you have seen at an Elvis Festival before.
And we can’t tell you how excited we are about it!
The Show
Join a talent packed Gospel Show following Elvis’ love and passion for Gospel music during his years performing in Vegas at the International Hotel. Join Victor Trevino Jr, Bruno Nesci, The Tonettes, The Magi and Memphis Jones as they follow Elvis’ nightly gospel performances, from the Vegas stage to the post-show impromptu gospel jams in his hotel room with his singers and celebrity guests that lasted until 6:00 am every morning.
This show is a celebration of the Southern Gospel Music that both inspired Elvis and his contemporaries and was instrumental in the evolution of rock ‘n roll and popular music.
Lots of Elvis. Lots of Gospel. And a whole lot of Celebration. Plus a few surprises.
We think this just may be your favourite show of our 2024 Festival!
Gospel in Vegas?
Without question, ‘gospel’ and ‘Vegas’ pose a juxtaposition. One, a traditional and distinctly American musical tradition meant to profess one’s faith, praise God and surrender one’s sins to His grace. The other, bestowed with the moniker Sin City earned for its celebration of gambling, showgirls, drinking and organized crime.
Of course, Las Vegas is so much more than these elements having become an entertainment mecca, due in large part to Elvis Presley. But living for long periods in a Vegas hotel room, Elvis was forced to create outlets for spiritual replenishment and communion with God. And truly, what better place than Las Vegas for a touch of gospel?
Elvis' Passion for Gospel
Growing up, Elvis was rooted in Pentecostalism and was an avid listener to both black and white gospel music, developing a love of quartets. Terry Blackwood, a member of The Imperials who sang and recorded with Elvis, explains that Elvis’ music and the rest of his life were deeply infused with his faith and love of gospel.
He loved the sound of gospel. It infused almost everything he did. On the songs that lent themselves to quartet harmonies, especially on choruses, you will hear a strong gospel quartet influence in every one of those songs.
Blackwood was the son of one of the founding members of the gospel quartet The Blackwood Brothers who often sang at the First Assembly of God church in Memphis. As a kid, he remembers Elvis slipping into the back row of the church after service began so he could listen to his dad’s quartet without causing a distraction.
At the time he was already a star. He always had a great respect for the sanctuary and he would never want to disrupt it. That stood out a lot to me about how he was raised and what was important to him and what he valued.
Later in life, when Elvis had a residency in Las Vegas, Terry Blackwood remembers singing back up on stage at Elvis’ two nightly shows at 8:15 and midnight and then being invited up to Elvis’ room to sing gospel music into the early morning hours. Long gone were the days when Elvis could sneak into the back of a church unnoticed. In addition, his late night schedule would not allow for it. Unable to go to church, Elvis brought church to his Las Vegas hotel room, inviting his back up singers and many celebrity guests who wanted to meet with him up to his room. After giving so much of himself on stage, Elvis required this time of worship, reverence and celebration to recharge and uplift his spirit.
Elvis' Gospel Recordings
Although Elvis’ discography is prolific, the only Grammy Awards he ever won were for his gospel music. In his career, Elvis was nominated for 14 awards and took home 3 trophies: 2 for his gospel albums and 1 for a live performance of “How Great Thou Art.”
Southern Gospel Roots of Elvis - The Vegas Years:
Our Performers
* Performers & shows subject to change.
