Elvis Presley would have been 76 years old today and as a celebration, Chilean miner Edison Pena was flown to Graceland for the observance. (A big Elvis fan, Pena said it was a dream come true!)

Elvis performing in Jacksonville at the Florida Theater.

Elvis came on a tour of Central Florida in 1956, and it had Florida authorities squirming! Elvis’s suggestive pelvis was the controversy and even the courts got involved! He was warned when he first arrived in Jacksonville to tone down his act; in fact, Juvenile Court Judge Marion Gooding sat through the performance to ensure that Presley’s body movements would not become too suggestive!

Posters for the show read: ‘On stage today and tomorrow!’ ‘Mr. Dynamite — in person!’ ‘The sensation of the nation!’ and ticket prices were $1.50 at the door.

Just 21 years old at the time, Elvis gave six shows in Jacksonville, and by the end of his time there, he had won at leats one new fan, Judge Gooding who had sat through every show to assure Elvis’s good behavior!

Elvis went on to perform in Tampa, St. Peterburg, and Miami on the tour. Happy Birthday to the King!