The first concert tour of 1977 included ten shows, started on February 12th and went until the 21st of the month.
Tour Stations
02/12/1977: Hollywood, Florida; The
Sportatorium (15,500 spectators)
02/13/1977:
West Palm Beach, Florida; The Auditorium (5,981
spectators)
02/14/1977: St. Petersburg,
Florida; Bay Front Center (8,355 spectators)
02/15/1977: Orlando, Florida; Sports Stadium
(8,000 spectators)
02/16/1977: Montgomery,
Alabama; Garret Coliseum (10,928 spectators)
02/17/1977: Savannah, Georgia; Civic Center
(8,052 spectators)
02/18/1977: Columbia,
South Carolina; Carolina Coliseum (20,000
spectators)
02/19/1977: Johnson City,
Tennessee; Freedom Hall (7,000 spectators)
02/20/1977: Charlotte, North Carolina; Charlotte
Coliseum (12,000 spectators)
02/21/1977:
Charlotte, North Carolina; Charlotte Coliseum
(12,000 spectators)
Musicians
James Burton (guitar), John Wilkinson (guitar), Charlie Hodge (guitar and harmony vocals), Jerry Scheff (bass), Ronnie Tutt (drums), Tony Brown (piano), David Briggs (keyboard) and The Joe Guercio Orchestra. The harmony vocals were provided by The Sweet Inspirations (Myrna Smith, Sylvia Shemwell & Estelle Brown), J.D. Sumner & The Stamps (Larry Strickland, Ed Hill, Ed Enoch & Gary Buckles) as well as Kathy Westmoreland and Sherrill Nielsen.
About The Tour
The tour in December 1976 had been more than just a step in the right direction. Elvis was leaner than he had been since 1974 and also displayed a joy of performing, that had been absent for so long. But as soon as he was home in Memphis, he fell back into old patterns. But even though he had gained several kilos between December 31, 1976 and February 12, 1977, he still managed to squeeze in several costumes from 1974/75 (the "Chief Suit", the "Rainfall Suit", the "Embroidered Arabian Suit" and the "Mexican Sundial Suit").
While on tour, Elvis learned, that David Briggs was now in a releationship with his former girlfriend Linda Thompson. Even though he had been the one, who ended the relationship, the singer couldn't stand the situation and decided to go on without David. From the next tour onwards Mr. Briggs would be replaced by Bobby Odgin. Musically the king continued to show a flexibility, he hadn't displayed for the most part of 1976. He included rare stuff like "Blueberry Hill", "Release Me" or "Reconsider Baby" and even premiered the gospel hymn "Where No One Stands Alone" and his current single "Moody Blue". Elvis also appeared to be in a happy mood. He communicated a lot with the audience, joked around and changed the lyrics in a funny way. But his general condition was considerably worse than in December. Especially at the beginning of the tour he looked bloated and sick. His voice also wasn't as good as two months before, at times he was out of breath and couldn't hold the notes long enough. Besides that, he missed several ones and appeared to be exhausted.
Audio
