Elvis, What Happened?

Instead of making a sappy Christmas special. Elvis decided to do a strong comeback special. He wanted to prove to the public that he could still rock and roll. One of the events that influenced Elvis's decision took place on the Sunset Strip, in Los Angeles. Elvis and the Memphis Mafia went for a walk along the Strip. It had been ten years since Elvis had felt comfortable going out in broad daylight. He was always mobbed by fans. This time, however, Elvis got no attention at all. It was a real wake-up call for the King.

The '68 Comeback Special aired in December 1968. Elvis wore a tight black leather suit, and he was thinner than he had been even at the start of his career. Elvis sang everything from material he'd recorded at Sun Studio to the most recent songs. The more mature Elvis Presley vocal style was pitched lower and was beautiful for slower, ballad-style singing. Elvis was simply terrific.