Vintage glossy 8 x 10 Sun publicity photo of Elvis Presley, signed prominently on the reverse in blue ballpoint, “Love you, Elvis Presley.” The reverse is also signed in ballpoint and pencil by the Blue Moon Boys: D. J. Fontana, Scotty Moore, and Bill Black. Released in 1955, the photo was taken by William Speer at the request of Presley’s personal manager Bob Neal, whose office address, "160 Union Ave. Memphis, Tenn.," is listed in the lower right. Speer took a total of 11 different images during the photo shoot, with at least half of those appearing on the front of these rare Sun promotional photos. In fine condition, with surface impressions on the front from the signatures on the back. Photographs featuring signatures of Presley and his full backing band are rare and quite difficult to obtain.
Accompanied by various articles about Presley’s Sweetwater concert, a letter from the archives staff of Graceland confirming a Presley concert on June 8, 1955 (the show was canceled due to bad weather and rescheduled for the next day, June 9th), and a letter of provenance from the original recipient, which reads: “When I was 14 years old, I attended Elvis’ live concert in the Municipal Auditorium in Sweetwater, Texas on June 9, 1955. I vividly remember when he walked out on the stage, I thought, ‘He looks just like a kid!’ Actually, he was 20 at the time. It was a wonderful concert! After the concert, fans were allowed to go backstage where Elvis, Scotty, Bill, and D. J. were selling the photos of Elvis that all of them had signed. I bought this photo from Elvis that night.”
In 1955, Elvis was still an aspiring artist playing package deals with other musical acts in clubs and small venues. As such, Presley was accessible during this time and was more than willing to sign for his fast-growing fanbase. Presley’s manager, Colonel Tom Parker, secured a contract with RCA in November 1955 and he completed his first recording session with RCA in January of the following year, events that that soon enabled Presley to become an international sensation and, eventually, the King.
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