"They really opened up their hearts to me in Spokane. They didn't even know how big of a break they were to me. It was my first true engagement! It was the first time a booking agent had ever booked me! I remember the add said "Direct from San Francisco The Original Copy. I have to admit I liked the phrase. I sat in my room counting how many cars were coming into the parking lot of the Spokane House. Snow was on the ground and I was worried if there would be a crowd. The funniest thing was I was never afraid of the crowd as long as it was a big crowd. By showtime there was a line of people standing out the front door in the snow. They cheered me on to the best performance of my life. I was only on a two week vaction from John Fluke Mfg. in Seattle. By the end of the 2nd week the manager of the Spokane House had gotten the biggest lounge and supper club owners in the Northwest and Canada to fly in for my show. The next thing I knew I was booked for six months across Canada and the Northern US. I don't think many of the people back where I worked ever expected I was going to be a big enough success to quit my job.
When they drove the brand new firemist red Cadillac Eldorado up in front of the Spokane House, it was just like in the Elvis movie "Loving You". I never expected anything like this would ever happen to me. As I left my second Spokane performance in a month for a Canadian coast to coast tour I promised the fans that I would be back for the Spokeane 1974 World's Fair. I opened at "Oil Can Harry's" in Vancover BC. I can't describe how exciting this was. This was not only the top "Hot Band" nightclub in Vancover. It was the most well known nightclub for 500 miles in any direction. After two weeks of sell out crowds I was off to Calgary and the capital of Alberta Edmenton. My road manager Jim and I drove the Eldorado as my band followed in the custom van I bought them and the road crew followed behind in the 20' truck full of the best sound equipment money could buy. My main concern was to always have good sound. We drove through Banff and the Canadian Rocky's. Every night after the last show I stood up through the open sun roof of the Eldorado and signed autographs in front of the club. Next we were heading accross Saskatchawan to Saskatoon and Regina. They were small towns but the people were great! I'll never forget the trip to Winnipeg Manatoba and the people there at the "Town and Country Cabaret". They became my biggest supporters ever and Jimmy Ginakis the owner treated me like a nephew. I got steak dinners after the last show every night, but the highlight of the Canadian tour was yet to come.
When I got to the Friar's Club in Toronto I found out what it would be like to be a star. The reviews said I was the best "Elvis" in years and for a newspaper with a million plus subscribers that is saying a lot. I must have done two encores every night and the people treated me so good that the M.C. didn't even have to coax me back out. By the time I got to Thunder Bay it was June and I hadn't had a single open week. I was actually begged by many club owners to stay over an extra week but I was booked solid the whole tour with only enough time in between to travel.
When I opened at the "Turn of the Century" supper club and show room in Denver my career was moving on track a 100 miles an hour. Though I could only imagine just how and when I was going to perform in Las Vegas. Back then I was just starting to ask my agent when I would play cities like L.A and San Francisco. About a week into my engagement as I sat backstage waiting to come on for the second show I noticed my introduction sounded very different. "I guess we're all here for one reason" the voice said. The announcers voice had a very distinctive ring to it, and I almost had it placed as I herd the crowd going wild. Dick Clark had apparently been watching my 1st show incognito. As I stood in aw from my entry point I listened to my most exciting introduction. "Elvis is the concernment entertainer and it is a tribute to his overwhelming impact on the world of music that any entertainer would attempt to duplicate his style and vocal quality". "One such performer and the best I have ever seen is Alan".
All this seemed to make the crowd appreciate me more as I put on one of my best performances so far. Back in my dressing room after the show Dick said he wanted me to appear with his "Good 'Ol Rock N' Roll Review" in Las Vegas at the Flaming Hotel on New Years eve. All of a sudden the how and when was written into my future. Dick Clark Presents Alan