The International Hotel

Hilton72 — International Hotel 1970, for "That's The Way It Is"

The International Hotel was a hotel located at 3000 S. Paradise Rd. Las Vegas, NV 89109. The hotel was sold to the Hilton chain in 1971 becoming what was known as the Las Vegas Hilton, later known briefly as the LVH. In 2014, the LVH was sold to Central Florida Investments, Inc, or Westgate Resorts which is the name that the hotel operates under to-date.

Having failed in Vegas 13 years prior to his return to Vegas, Elvis was understandably nervous. But he has no reason for concern. He sang great, and the fan response was overwhelming. The series of concerts broke house records, drawing more than 100,000 people and grossing 1.5M dollars. He earned a reported $100,000 per week.

Elvis returned to Las Vegas in late 1969, playing from July to August returning in 1970 in January. Elvis would play all over the country in the ‘70s, but it was Las Vegas that would forever become associated with this period in his life. The common pattern was to play Vegas for a series of concerts every January, often returning later in the year for another engagement, and visit other cities all over the country in between

The Scheduled Tours[]

July 31 – August 28, 1969
January 26 – February 23, 1970
August 10 – September 8, 1970
January 26 – February 23, 1971

By the time the August 9 – September 6, 1971 engagement was set, the International Hotel was bought by the Hilton Franchise.

The Contract Renegotiation[]

The historic idea for Elvis’ return to Las Vegas was negotiated by Colonel Tom Parker and Alex Shoofey, president of the International Hotel, owned by Kirk Kerkorian. The Colonel took notes on the tablecloth as they hammered out the deal, including a proviso that if Shoofey left the hotel, the contract, could be renegotiated. In 1971, Kerkorian sold the hotel to Baron Hilton, whereupon Shoofrey retired, and veteran hotel executive Henry Lewin took over. Soon after, Lewin – a legendarily tough negotiator himself – was visited by the Colonel, toting the old tablecloth with, among other things, the scribbled contract renegotiation clause. Suffice it to say, Lewin made a new deal.

Glittered Up for the Shows[]

The new live shows were not just about the music or the Hillbilly cat we knew before. They were about the King himself. In other words, they were about glitter and glitz as well as musicianship. They were choreographed around his image- his arrival on the stage was dramatized, as was his departure. Elvis worked for each crowd as if it would be his last. No longer the supercharged Hillbilly Cat, Elvis was now consummate professional: smooth, powerful, and passionate, already seeming more myth than man.

Elvis had an intuitive feeling about what his audience wanted to hear. The order of the songs was strictly Elvis’ choice, though he welcomed suggestions from his musicians. There were surprisingly few special effects and little emphasis on production values. Elvis was on the show.

The Band[]

Elvis’ Vegas shows presented the full range of his singing talents – pop ballads, country standards, gospel hymns, and rocking R&B. His touring band, organized at the beginning of 1969/1970 – the TCB Band – was powerful and polished.

James Burton on lead guitar
John Wilkenson and Jerry Scheff on rhythm gutar
Glen Harding on piano
Joe Osbourne on bass
Ronnie Tutt and Hal Blaine on drums
Pat Houston on trumpet
Marty Harrell on trombone

In addition to his band, he also had a backup female vocal group, The Sweet Inspirations, who played with Elvis on both concert and studio sessions. The Grammy award-winning four-some backed up Aretha Franklin before moving over to Elvis.

Cissy Houston (mother of Whitney Houston)
Estelle Brown
Sylvia Shemwell
Myrna Smith

The International Hotel

Contents

The Scheduled Tours[]

The Contract Renegotiation[]

Glittered Up for the Shows[]

The Band[]

References[]

Fan Feed