The Official Elvis Presley Fan Club of Great Britain and the Commonwealth launches

The King Who Died On The Throne

He was known as ‘The King’. Not be confused with Paul King who was known as King. But luckily, that King wouldn’t be having any hits until the 1980s when confusion with the original King would be slightly reduced as The King was dead. Of course, I’m talking abut Elvis Presley who, in 1957, happened to be trouncing the British charts with his first hit All Shook Up.

The success of this song led besotted Presley acolytes, Jeanne Saward and Dug Surtees, to say something along the lines of ‘I like Elvis, I think we should start a fan club’. Which they did, on this day.

And so the snappily titled "The Official Elvis Presley Fan Club of Great Britain and the Commonwealth” was born. Members paying 11/-d (or 55p in understandable money) received a periodic Elvis magazine full of photos and fun facts about their favourite hip-swivelling pop star sensation. And Elvis rewarded all this loyal fun behaviour by never coming here. Not once. Which you can’t say about Chris De Burgh.