On June 26, 1977, around 18,000 fortunate Elvis fans witnessed his performance at the Market Square Arena in Indianapolis.

Little did they know that this would be his final show, because the King of Rock and Roll passed away just two months later, on August 16, 1977.

At the time of this concert, Elvis was on a nine-day tour.

This Indianapolis show marked the last stop of his tour.

The media labeled it an “essential” concert.

They were targeting all music enthusiasts, with the event organizer even attempting to sell seats behind the stage for $15 (equivalent to around $65 presently).

The Indianapolis Star had reported, “If you admire Elvis Presley’s back you still can buy $15 seats behind the stage for his concert at the Market Square Arena tomorrow night.”

Would you have purchased a ticket, or were you lucky enough to be there?

The tickets indicated that the doors would open at 7:00 pm and the show would commence at 8:30 pm, with opening acts typically beginning the proceedings.

The opening acts for this tour included brass bands and soul singers, with comedian Jackie Kahane also taking the stage to warm up the audience before Elvis’s appearance.

This task wasn’t without effort.

Kahane wasn’t having the easiest time appeasing the crowd as the audience was growing impatient while eagerly awaiting Elvis’s performance.

Jackie Kahane faced even greater difficulty as his planned 18-minute set was extended to 45 minutes due to Elvis taking longer to prepare himself before the performance.

Finally, around 10:00 pm, Elvis emerged onstage.

He was dressed in his iconic white-and-gold jumpsuit.

He proceeded to perform for the next 80 minutes, delivering some of his most beloved hits, including “Jailhouse Rock,” “Hound Dog,” “Hurt,” and concluding the concert with “Can’t Help Falling in Love With You.”

While Elvis’s fans adored his performance that night, the critics had a different opinion.

Critics were less than impressed.

Zach Dunkin of the Indianapolis News happened to be one of those people.

Zach stated, “Compared to today’s increasingly competitive and sophisticated concert formats for the top-dollar performer, Presley’s has become downright tacky and outdated. The Presley concert is like a sideshow with its warmup group fluff. It’s like waiting through the sword-swallower and the fire-eater before seeing the REAL attraction in the back room.”

Expectedly, this was not the popular opinion.

After Zach Dunkin’s critical review of Elvis’s concert, he received a considerable amount of unfavorable mail from upset fans.

However, he also received letters of sympathy from other fans who shared his opinions.

Then again, no king lives without criticism.

Regardless of the criticism, Elvis’s fans were still appreciative of the opportunity to witness the King’s performance.

The audience erupted in thunderous applause.

They continued their cheers as Elvis announced his next song, unaware that it would be his final serenade.

And to many people’s surprise, this version of “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” almost never existed.

Elvis recorded a remake of the song that his record label did not initially approve, causing a delay in its release.

However, when it was finally released, everyone was taken aback by its instant success.

The King struck gold again.

The song topped both Billboard’s Pop Singles and R&B Singles charts and even reached the number one spot on the UK Singles chart.

Elvis also proved that night why he was, and still is considered “The King of Rock and Roll.”

Watch Elvis take the stage for the last time in the video below!

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Source: YouTube – rosi kalau , Grunge , Elvis Concerts