Elvis´ Love For My Dying Child (1972 article)

[BrianTCB]

What a post, The Fool. I've always wondered about the story behind this footage.

Thank you for posting.

[Joe Car]

Every time I see that video, it brings me to tears. If Elvis seemed uncomfortable at all, it's because these types of meetings were never done in front of cameras. It was always a very private thing with him. Props to the Colonel for setting this up.

[Christopher]

Is the version of "You gave me a mountain" (or even the whole show) out on bootleg?

it is, on a bad sounding audience recording, a cd-r called "knocks em cold in albuquerque".
listen to it on:
http://www.elvisconcerts.com/cdr/720419es.htm

according to her mom/rose perlberg, denise asked her idol to sing on of her favorites "love me tender" or "don´t cry daddy" during their meeting in the trailer behind the stage, just before showtime on april 19th 1972.

during the following show the band (as usual) starts "you gave me a mountain", then elvis apruptly and surprisingly switches to (and starts singing) "love me tender", as if he had remembered denise´s wish right there - one has to admit that the song was part of his regular program during that tour anyhow (or was it indeed meant as a little surprise to denise?; she was sitting right in front of him in the first row).
after "love me tender" he speaks some words, that are hardly audible, but after reading the photoplay article, posted by the fool, one can assume that these were the dedication to denise, since "you gave me a mountain" then follows.

[Francesc]

Apparently little Denise was able to meet Elvis in Vegas during the summer

[drjohncarpenter]

Apparently little Denise was able to meet Elvis in Vegas during the summer

Someone on page 1 said she passed away in August 1972, though.

[Tony Trout]

. Now, as for the matter at hand, this story does present something of a dilemma for those of us who admire Elvis Presley.

On the one hand, there were mitagating circumstances. It was a cramped space, full of cameras, Elvis did have a show to perform and it was the final show of the tour. But, on the other hand, Elvis was, at best, somewhat cold.

Having pondered this, I believe, that Elvis was simply at a loss, of how best to behave in that situation. And so he floundered a little.

I agree totally with this assessment. When I first saw this footage in "EOT: Through My Eyes", Elvis seemed literally lost for words and really didn't know what to say to the little girl. I agree that he seemed to be very "cold" towards her - but, as you say, he was probably trying to concentrate on the show and wanting to get it over with and get the hell out of there.

Under, say, different circumstances, I think that the meeting would have went off a lot better had there not been a bunch of people around nor should there have been reason to allow no one but Denise and her mother (and Parker, of course) there with Elvis.

[drjohncarpenter]

. Now, as for the matter at hand, this story does present something of a dilemma for those of us who admire Elvis Presley.

On the one hand, there were mitagating circumstances. It was a cramped space, full of cameras, Elvis did have a show to perform and it was the final show of the tour. But, on the other hand, Elvis was, at best, somewhat cold.

Having pondered this, I believe, that Elvis was simply at a loss, of how best to behave in that situation. And so he floundered a little.

I agree totally with this assessment. When I first saw this footage in "EOT: Through My Eyes", Elvis seemed literally lost for words and really didn't know what to say to the little girl. I agree that he seemed to be very "cold" towards her - but, as you say, he was probably trying to concentrate on the show and wanting to get it over with and get the hell out of there.

Thank goodness both Denise and her mother had a very different impression of this meeting. They were overwhelmed by Elvis' very sweet interaction.

And it was such a great moment that they saw him again, making both of you wrong twice.

See this excellent topic for much, much more on this eight year-old fan from Santa Fe, and her moments with Elvis:

A Dream Came True TWICE for Little Denise Sanchez!
https://www.elvis-collectors.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=99972