William V. (Red) Robertson is believed to have taken this photo of Elvis at Tampa's Fort Homer Hesterly Armory on July 31, 1955.
One of the earliest and most widely seen performance photos of Elvis Presley was taken right here in Tampa, during a 1955 concert appearance at Fort Homer Hesterly Armory. Tampa photographer WiA tightly cropped version of the photo was used on the cover of Presley's first album.
How did a classic image from one of rock 'n' roll's most famous album covers - recently hailed by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the 50 best - become shrink-wrapped in mystery?
The sheer volume of written material about Presley virtually guarantees that factual discrepancies will crop up. Even the most dedicated rock historians have disagreed about when the Tampa photo was taken and who snapped the image.
Today we are proud to present the definitive story of Tampa's early role in the iconography of Elvis.
Elvis Presley was just 20 years old when he hit the stage in Tampa on Sunday, July 31, 1955.
Presley already had cut a handful of singles with producer Sam Phillips in Memphis, Tenn., but those original Sun Studio recordings had not received wide distribution. He was still primarily a regional act, although word of his wildly energetic shows was spreading through the South.
It was not the first time the future pop idol had performed for a Tampa audience. Presley had appeared at Fort Homer Hesterly Armory once before - on May 8, 1955, as the closing act in country singer Hank Snow's All Star Jamboree tour.
Five days after his first Tampa appearance, Presley caused a minor riot in Jacksonville. .
Col. Tom Parker, a music promoter with longstanding ties to Tampa, was impressed by Presley's potential and had begun looking for ways to work more closely with the young singer. Steve Rinaldi Sr. of Tampa, whose parents were friendly with the Colonel, recalls hearing Parker talking enthusiastically about 'the kid' in early 1955, confidently predicting he would become 'the biggest thing in show business'.
By the time Presley returned to Tampa in July, Parker had forged a deal to handle all his booking and long-term planning, according to Guralnick and Jorgensen. Parker also was working to move Presley from Sun Records and onto a major record label.
Presley performed two shows in Tampa on July 31, 1955, both of them at Fort Homer Hesterly Armory on North Howard Avenue.
The shows, fundraisers sponsored by the Sertoma Club of Tampa, featured folksy comic Andy Griffith as headliner, along with Ferlin Husky, Marty Robbins and other Grand Ole Opry stars. Presley's name was listed near the bottom of the bill in an ad that appeared in The Tampa Tribune. Guitarist Scotty Moore and bass player Bill Black shared the stage with Presley. General-admission tickets for the shows, a 2:30 matinee and an 8:15 evening performance, were $1.25 each. Children younger than 12 were admitted for 50 cents.
With visions of stardom clearly in mind, Parker hired an established Tampa photo studio, Robertson & Fresh, to document Presley's stage act.
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