On June 10, 1972, The King was holding court in a huge conference room at the New York Hilton in front of a room of journalists – and he had them eating out of his hand.
"Thank you, thank you very much." Slim and glowing with health in a blue fitted suit and short cape, he was charming and irresistibly charismatic.
He batted away questions he didn't want to answer (about The Vietnam War protests, for example) while allowing some intimately revealing comments to slip out about how he felt about his life, his career and his future dreams. The greatest popular entertainment icon of the 20th Century clearly revelled in his celebrity but was quick to remind the pack about the man underneath: "The image is one thing; a human being is another." (Express)
Elvis was making history by being the first entertainer to ever sell out four consecutive shows at Madison Square Gardens. The likes of David Bowie, Bob Dylan, George Harrison and Art Garfunkel would be spotted in the audiences.
"I’ve never been to Britain. I’d like to. I’d like to go to Europe, to Japan. I’ve never been out of this country apart from the (military) service."
Dutch Col. Parker was an illegal alien in the US who had fled a rumoured connection to a murder back in The Netherlands in 1929. It has always been believed he blocked Elvis' hopes to travel because he feared he would be prevented from re-entry to the States.
There are, however, ongoing rumours that Elvis did, in fact, spend one legendary secret day in the UK with a British pop superstar.
It was 'revealed' that Elvis had flown in and out of the UK to spend time with home-grown star Tommy Steele.
It seems difficult to believe he could have possibly got in and out of any country without being spotted. Indeed, Elvis is asked about the pressures of always being recognised and mobbed by fans and replies: "I got used to it. I’d miss it f it didn’t happen. If nobody asked me for an autograph… To me it is part of the business and I accept it."