“Good Rockin' Tonight”

In October 1954, Sam Phillips drove the Blue Moon Boys to Nashville, Tennessee, to appear on the Grand Ole Opry, a famous radio program that launched country music superstars Loretta Lynn and Patsy Cline, among others. Elvis was very nervous before the band's performance, and it happened that the live audience didn't like the Blue Moon Boys. The audience liked traditional country music. The show's host, Jim Denny, swore that the Blue Moon Boys would never again appear on his show.

They had more success on the Louisiana Hayride, a program that broadcast from Shreveport, Louisiana. The program was more experimental than the Grand Old Opry. Hank Williams got his start on the Louisiana Hayride. The audience was younger and more open to new music, and they quickly became fans of the Blue Moon Boys. Elvis was asked to become a regular on the show. That meant he would be appearing there every Saturday night for one year. One of the songs that Elvis sang on the show was Chuck Berry's “Maybellene.”

In addition to providing a salary for the up-and-coming musicians, the Louisiana Hayride also introduced Elvis to some important people. He met D. J. Fontana, who played with Elvis on the program and who would later become a regular part of Elvis's band. Elvis also met “Colonel” Tom Parker. The Colonel had managed such famous clients as country music star Eddy Arnold.