"It was July of 1977, I was
headlining at the Trop, I had the world by the tail and all my dreams
were coming true. The date was set, I was finally going to meet Elvis!
I never would have believed only one month later he would be gone."
Consider the source "Variety" heralded throughout the world as the final word in showbusiness,
... I continued my tribute at the Tropicana.
This is perhaps my best writeup ever, but I actually was upset when I read it.
I down played the magnetude of Variety to the fans but most of all I didn't want
Elvis to think I was out to beat him out. Elvis' tribute that was my mission and "A Tribute To Elvis" was my battle cry.
"Alan continues his Tribute To Elvis"
The day Elvis died...
It was the hardest thing I ever did.
I was awaken at 10:00 a.m. with the
terrible news by an abrupt phone call from my manager telling me Elvis
was dead. I wanted to tell him there would be no performance that night
but he beat me to the punch and told me he'd understand if I didn't go on.
With Chet, and the owners of the Tropicana Hotel, Mitzy Briggs and Fred Domany at my side,
the members of the press and the three T.V. networks asked me what I was going to do.
Fred told me I would still have a job if I didn't go on, but they had already received thousands
of calls from fans wondering if I would go on tonight and share Elvis with them. I told them
I felt now more than ever, I had to continue my Tribute To Elvis. For the next six months
I lived the life of Elvis Presley, partly for myself and mostly because his beloved fans seemed to really need me during that time.
Alan Featured in"Elvis' Magazine"
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