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I get so lonely: Elvis Presley's first Twin Cities performances poorly attended

Elvis signs autographs in St. Paul
Elvis Presley signing autographs in St. Paul, May 13, 1956.
Courtesy of Minnesota Historical Society

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Today's Morning Edition music is from "Heartbreak Hotel" by Elvis Presley, his first single for RCA Records.

RCA executives thought the downtempo number was a terrible choice for Presley's first release and Sam Phillips, head of his old label Sun Records, called it a "morbid mess."

But they misjudged the public's taste and it became his first No. 1 hit.

That success inspired a local promoter to book Presley for his first two performances in Twin Cities. Friday marks the 60th anniversary of the day Elvis played in both St. Paul and Minneapolis. Each show attracted about 1,000 people, far below capacity.