Here are the next two pages in the recent few I had a chance to complete. I put them up together because they played both shows the same day: the afternoon in St. Paul and the evening in Minneapolis. The second one closes with a letter written by Dede Smith, 14 years old at the time, courtesy of Suzie Olson who gives an interesting review from the perspective of a 14 year old girl with the determination to get backstage, successfully. Check them out, in sequence:

http://scottymoore.net/StPaul.html
and
http://scottymoore.net/Minneapolis.html

Thanks,
Jim

_________________

Now on Facebook Too

Actually, at the St. Paul show, they couldn't get Elvis on stage.

The crowd gave Augie Garcia (Minnesota Godfather of Rock & Roll) a 10 min. standing ovation and actually Booed when Elvis came on, preferring to hear more from Garcia.

I know Augie's nephew Rick Aguilar, more than 40 years and have met Augie hundreds of times. Augie was a real hero to St. Paul's Mexican-American community.

Augie told the story of rushing to change after the show to get over to the Mpls. Auditorium for the 2nd show. Said that when he got there, the Security Guard told him that per Col. Parker and Scotty Moore, he'd been struck from the Bill.

Guess they didn't like being upstaged by a local Mexican.. !!



cheers!

_________________


'11 FSR Am. Vtg. Ltd. Ed. CAR '57 Stratocaster (SN# LE02639)
'14 American Deluxe Ash Stratocaster
'12 Telebration Empress Telecaster
'99 Deluxe Nashville Telecaster
'12 FSR Telecaster HH
'10 Heritage H-535
'99 Martin DC-1E
'13 Lanikai Tenor Ukulele

I'm sure these stories get embellished over time and I don't doubt Augie's local popularity but the reviews of the day don't reflect it. I also sincerely doubt Scotty stuck anyone from a bill or would have if he had the authority.
Augie was likely added by Skarning and not the Colonel or Dvorin who supplied the acts. Though the Colonel was particular at that point in time with anyone sharing a bill that could be deemed a contemporary I would bet that financial concerns kept him out of Minneapolis more than anything else.

_________________

Now on Facebook Too

Sorry... gotta disagree.... Though it's really not worth an argument.

Augie actually appears on the original Mpls. Concert Bill and there was a follow-up story in the St. Paul Pioneer Press a couple days after the concert about Augie being snubbed by the band.

Augie replied in an op-ed stating that he felt no animosity over the incident and really enjoyed meeting Elvis, calling him a very talented newcomer.

Augie had some major R&R chops, but knew that in the '50s there was no way a mexican-american was going to break through the 'racial/ethnic' barriers which existed.

He was a family man and so didn't want to tour. He played very successfully throughout the Twin Cities for 40 years.










cheers !

_________________


'11 FSR Am. Vtg. Ltd. Ed. CAR '57 Stratocaster (SN# LE02639)
'14 American Deluxe Ash Stratocaster
'12 Telebration Empress Telecaster
'99 Deluxe Nashville Telecaster
'12 FSR Telecaster HH
'10 Heritage H-535
'99 Martin DC-1E
'13 Lanikai Tenor Ukulele

Don't misunderstand me. I'm not arguing or trying to detract anything from Augie but the reviews I posted contradict the stories of Elvis getting booed or upstaged and "the band" would be in no position to restrict anyone nor were they concerned with potentially being upstaged by anyone. By then they'd shared bills with plenty of talented performers and limelight was the least of their worries. Almost by then too they themselves were discouraged from speaking with Elvis except onstage.
I'd like to see the articles you mentioned if you have access to them at some point. They'd make an interesting addition.


PS cool pix. What's he playing in the third one?

_________________

Now on Facebook Too

Absolutely no idea.

Augie used to play around making guitars, also people would give them to him and whenever he went to Mexico on Vaca, visit family (though Augie was born here...) he always brought one back with him.

Musta had 1,000 guitars when he died in '96.

cheers!

_________________


'11 FSR Am. Vtg. Ltd. Ed. CAR '57 Stratocaster (SN# LE02639)
'14 American Deluxe Ash Stratocaster
'12 Telebration Empress Telecaster
'99 Deluxe Nashville Telecaster
'12 FSR Telecaster HH
'10 Heritage H-535
'99 Martin DC-1E
'13 Lanikai Tenor Ukulele