Elvis, What Happened?

Elvis did a four-week engagement at the International Hotel in Las Vegas in July 1968. By the time the Colonel was done refining the contract, Elvis had been signed for a second engagement to follow the first, and he would earn $1 million total. Elvis had two gospel quartets on this tour: the Imperials, a male gospel quartet, and the Sweet Inspirations, a female group (whose leader was Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother).

The fans hadn't liked Elvis when he played in Las Vegas in 1956. This time around, not only did the fans love Elvis during this Las Vegas tour, but the critics did, too. The show got great reviews, and Elvis had brought in more fans than any other Las Vegas performer had, even more than Barbra Streisand.

When the show was over, Elvis took a short vacation, and then he went on the road. Elvis repeated this process for the rest of his career: Las Vegas shows, touring, recording, and vacations.