December 15, 1956, Full 'Press and Radio” Ticket for Elvis Presley at the Louisiana State Fairgrounds in Shreveport - Beckett NM-MT 8

Graded Beckett NM-MT 8. Offered is an immaculate, unused ticket for the Elvis Presley appearance on The Louisiana Hayride concert on December 15, 1956, at  the Louisiana State Fair Grounds. Elvis first performed on the KWKH radio show in October 1954, and the offered ticket is from his second to last appearance on The Hayride. Tickets from Elvis' 1950's concerts are some of the very hardest for collectors to find, and the offered "press and radio" ticket is one of only a few examples known for this particular show. The Louisiana Hayride was instrumental in launching Elvis' career--he appeared on the show nearly every week for a year. It helped solidify him as a regional star in the months before he moved from Memphis' Sun Records to RCA and onto superstardom. The radio show had a reputation for "making" the careers of entertainers, including Hank Williams, Jim Reeves, Slim Whitman, Faron Young, Johnny Cash, Kitty Wells and George Jones. The ticket measures 4 ¼ x 1 5/8 inches and presents in Near Mint to Mint condition.