Elvis Presley painted statues black in Las Vegas showroom during fire to ‘integrate’ venue | Music | Entertainment
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During the early 1970s, Elvis Presley performed his Las Vegas residences at the International Hotel, which became a Hilton in 1971 and is known as Westgate today. Georgann Reynolds of the Elvis Country Fan Club is a huge fan of The King and would go see him perform in the hotel’s showroom many times. During a recent interview, she shared how one night during a fire Elvis was evacuated downstairs to the showroom, where he painted the skin of the Marie Antionette statues to the right of the stage black.
Speaking with Elvis expert Billy Stallings Spa Guy in the video below, Reynolds said how one night this fire (not to be confused with the infamous 1981 blaze) had broken out on the 26th and 27th floor where she was staying.
She said: “We were evacuated and Elvis was evacuated because he was on the 30th [in his penthouse suite] and everybody in between was evacuated.”
“We came down first, they let us down on the elevators. Everybody else had to walk the stairs. I’m sure Elvis didn’t, but anyway…somebody said, ‘Elvis is in the showroom!’
“Here we go in our nightclothes, across the lobby of the Hilton hotel and, of course, they wouldn’t let us in.”
READ MORE: Elvis: What Willie Nelson realised he should’ve done at Las Vegas show
Reynolds continued: “So the next night, all our clothes were soot-covered, so we’re waiting for our clothes to be cleaned so we could go to the show. I mean there was soot everywhere.”
Eventually, her clothes were ready and she and the fellow fans went to see Elvis’ show.
From the stage, The King said: “Well, last night I came down to the showroom.”
Reynolds added: “He never mentioned the fire or being evacuated or anything like that.”
Earlier this month, Elvis’ girlfriend from around that time Linda Thompson visited the hotel, which is now a Westgate, to pay tribute to The King.
The 71-year-old shared photos on her Instagram including a reunion with Elvis’ stepbrother David Stanley, the son of Vernon Presley’s second wife Dee Stanley.
Having stayed at The Palazzo Las Vegas at The Venetian resort, Linda shared photos from her “nostalgic” trip down memory lane.
She wrote on Instagram: “What a great few days & nights in Vegas! I love @palazzovegas where I usually stay.”
Linda continued: “It was so nostalgic getting to revisit the city where I lived for 9 months of the 4 1/2 years Elvis & I were together!
“I had a lovely lunch & sweet visit with Elvis’s stepbrother David Stanley at the old Hilton international which is now the Westgate.”
The King’s ex also spoke of seeing Bruno Mars perform and compared him to Elvis.
She wrote: “What an astonishing performer! He is an amalgamation of Prince, James Brown, Elvis & Michael Jackson – yet uniquely his own style & magic!”
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