Ed Note:   Because Bill Gray, an alumnus who graduated a year before we did from Sheffield High, has such a wonderful memory of our high school days and seemed to really be in the middle (or forefront) of everything that was going on back then, I inquired of him whether he had any of those "Elvis in Sheffield" photos that Luca Fabris wants for his Graceland/EMI book that he's writing for Elvis Fan Clubs Worldwide.  Bill is a prolific writer on current topics that challenge Christianity, and he intermixes this with poignant "look-backs" on his youthful days in Sheffield.  He has corrected our assertion that Elvis came to Sheffield only 3 times to perform at the Community Center by recounting the "real" first performance in the summer or early fall of 1954.  So, it was only natural that I finally turned to him for assistance on the photodocumentation of Elvis' performances in Sheffield.  Here's what he wrote:

I could not find any photos specifically of the Sheffield concert; however the photos below are from that same time period.  The web site excerpts give sort of a time frame for when the trio did their Southern one night stand concerts, of which Sheffield Community Center was one venue.

As I said, the first had to have occurred before June 1955 --- for I was there and definitely recall, even before Carol's article appeared on your web site, that Elvis was attracted to Carol at that concert when all the girls rushed up to the edge of the stage after the concert.  It surprised me, for, at that time in my life, there were about a dozen girls at that stage edge I would have chosen had I been Elvis.

I notice that I was wrong about the name of his first record.  I have always called it Little Mama; when it really was titled That's All Right Mama.

http://www.elvispresleynews.com/ElvisBiography-Milestones.html

Serious Business: June 1954, Phillips asked Elvis back to the studio this time inviting Scotty Moore (on guitar) and Bill Black (on dog-house bass) to back him. During a break, Elvis let into an upbeat version of THAT’S ALL RIGHT MAMA. Phillips was so impressed he put it on tape. The flip side became BLUE MOON OF KENTUCKY simply because Elvis knew the lyrics in full.

Radio Gig: Dewey Phillips of WHBQ radio played the single. The response was so great he called Elvis at home to arrange an interview. The single sold 20k, but only in the South

1st PHOTO:  Scotty Moore, Elvis, Bill Black,
2nd PHOTO:  Elvis, Bill Black, Scotty Moore, Sam Phillips
3rd PHOTO:   Scotty Moore, Elvis  (This one is typical of how they looked at the Sheffield concert)

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http://www.elvis.com.au/presley/article_blackie.shtml

Despite any misgivings Bill might have held after that first short meeting, the two began to work with Elvis in the tiny studio at 706 Union Avenue, an address they were destined to make world famous. According to Evelyn Black, in those early days, both Bill and Scotty done much to teach the nervous young singer his stage-craft, the way he would stand at the mike, and also some of the ways to move.

After various attempts at songs, the group 'stumbled upon' the sound which gave them 'That's All Right (Mama)', on Tuesday, 6th July 1954. Following on from that number, it's said to have been Bill who jumped up and started to mess about on 'Blue Moon Of Kentucky', the eventual B-side to their first single. He plucked like crazy at the strings of his 'dog house', and sang the lyrics in a high falsetto voice, bringing both amusement and inspiration to those present. The single version, like most of his Sun work, features fine bass work from Bill.

The Starlight Wranglers played at the Eagles Nest on Lamar, just outside Memphis. This was around 1954-55. Elvis sat in as a guest around October 1954, playing with them about ten times (some sources say just once). The group also played the Bon Air Club.

On Saturday, 16th October 1954, Elvis, Scotty and Bill appeared on the 'Lucky Strike Guest Time' segment for new artists on the very popular 'Louisiana Hayride' show on KWKH out of Shreveport. They were introduced by Frank Page and performed both sides of that first release (SUN 209). The show was carried by 190 CBS stations across the south, between 8pm.- 11pm., and there's no way to measure the huge boost this gave the boys and their style of music.

With things going so well, the three quit their day jobs, also around October '54. At the start of the 'Hayride' contract, Elvis got 18 dollars and Scotty and Bill 12 each. As well as the "Hayride", which they would perform on at least fifty times, well into 1956, there were countless one-night stands which also made them tight as a unit and helped establish them. It was the beginning.
 

That would be "Elvis Presley" and his band Scotty Moore and Bill Black, and his producer Sam Phillips. Yes sir, they got the trophy and, from July 1954, they were the team to beat.  From then on they had plenty of competition.  Every musician close to Elvis' age was looking for the sound that he got there first with.   After "That's Alright" every hill billy cat that could get into a recording studio was trying to duplicate the same sound as elvis and the record companies were more than willing to help this new breed of hillbilly cat get the records to the radio stations and to the juke boxes.

Elvis, Scotty and Bill weren't the only musicians who could play what is now called rock a billy.  There would be hundreds of thousands of recordings made.  Many never made it far past the record pressing plant and were never removed from their shucks. some recordings made it to the radio.

http://www.history-of-rock.com/sam_phillips_sun_records_two.htm

On Monday evening, July 5, 1954, Elvis, Scotty and Bill went to Sun Records for their first recording session. They were nervous despite Sam Phillips' efforts to loosen things up. They worked in vain on the Bing Crosby hit, "Harbor Lights," and on the country ballad, "I Love You Because." Finally they took a break late in the evening. During the break Elvis picked up his guitar and started clowning around, playing the fool on ``That's Alright Mama," the Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup blues song. Elvis went up-tempo as first Bill, and then Scotty, joined in. In the control booth Sam Phillips heard the sound, the "new" music, he had been looking for. He stuck his head out the door asking, "What are you doing?" The boys answered, "We don't know." Turning on the tape Sam said, "Well, back it up, try to find a place to start, and do it again." Rock n' roll was born.

During the next eighteen months Sam Phillips worked tirelessly promoting Elvis. Sam was Sun Records. He produced, engineered, and marketed the Sun label. Elvis Presley, his rising star, took all his attention. It was retail marketing, one record distributor, one record store, at a time. Sam loaded up his Cadillac with records and hit the road, traveling from city to city sixteen hours a day. In addition he booked engagements for Elvis and the Blue Moon Boys, the name of the new group, in venues like the Grand Ole Opry and the Louisiana Hayride. The Elvis Presley phenomena had begun, and its engine was Sam Phillips.

Please let me know if you find anyone with photos from the Sheffield concert.  I would love to have those myself.

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,