One for the Money… 

Longtime Lake Tahoe residents may recall that Elvis Presley was a frequent performer at the former Sierra Tahoe Casino (now Hard Rock Hotel and Casino) in Stateline, Nevada from 1971-76. Performing a total of 98 sold-out shows during that span, Presley was a huge draw, sometimes earning more money during his occasional two to four week-long engagements in Tahoe than he did in
Las Vegas. 

Along with the lucrative pay, Presley, his band and his agent, Colonel Tom Parker, loved visiting Lake Tahoe for the usual reasons, as it offered relaxation, less pressure from newspaper reporters, a lively nightlife and natural beauty. Presley enjoyed performing in the High Sierra
Theatre, which was reconfigured for his concerts to expand the capacity from 1,500 to 2,000. The only real issue Presley had with Tahoe was the altitude.

At an elevation of 6,200 feet, the thin air on occasion left him out of breath during performances. Otherwise, Lake Tahoe was a perfect venue, with short flights to his frequent haunts in Las Vegas and Palm Springs. By early 1973, Presley’s new album, Live from Hawaii Via Satellite, was #1 on Billboard magazine’s chart. The concert of the same name, which had been televised from Honolulu in January, had an estimated worldwide audience of 1 billion people in 40 countries, and was at the time the most watched live television performance in history.

Arguably at the pinnacle of his career, Presley returned to Tahoe in May 1973 for more concerts at the Sierra Tahoe Casino. However, offstage troubles were beginning to surface.

Two for the Show…

Attempting to win much needed goodwill, Colonel Tom Parker developed a strategy that relied heavily on philanthropy. It was agreed that Presley would dedicate a concert to his late mother, Gladys, with whom he was exceptionally close, and who previously had surgery at Barton Memorial Hospital. Her surgery was performed by the highly respected, late orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Paul Fry II.

The beneficiary of the concert was Barton Memorial Hospital.

Three to Get Ready…

Once again sold out, the concert was held on Mother’s Day in the High Sierra Theatre, beginning at the unusual time of 3 a.m. The concert ended around 4:30 a.m., and Presley was said to have mingled with thrilled fans after his performance.

Along with the $12,000 one-time concert fee, Presley donated a large supply of memorabilia — autographed albums, posters, glossy photographs, scarves and more that the Barton Auxiliary sold to thrilled concertgoers. The memorabilia sales raised an additional $13,300.

Now Go, Cat, Go! 

The total donation of $25,300 — approximately $155,000 in 2021 — allowed Barton Memorial Hospital to finance the construction of the Cardiac and Intensive Care wing, which opened in 1975.

And that’s how the King of Rock and Roll — considered one of the most significant cultural icons of the 20th century — left a lasting impact at Barton Health.