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Elvis Ignited: The Rise of an Icon in Florida
I don t think there was a better time and place to be a teenager than in Florida in the 1950s. It was such a magical place. Elvis is part of what contributed to that excitement. Bob Graham, former Florida governor and United States senator
Kealing tells us the story of what happened when Elvis arrived in Florida and what role the Sunshine State played in his life and musical career. This is a critical era in the Elvis Saga. William McKeen, editor of Rock and Roll Is Here to Stay: An Anthology
A Florida-centric look at his 1956 breakout state for people who thought they knew everything about Elvis. Joel Selvin, author of Altamont: The Rolling Stones, the Hells Angels, and the Inside Story of Rock s Darkest Day
Presents a great picture of what it was like to be a touring musician in the 1950s and also of Florida at the time and how the culture was changed by the shock of Elvis. Joy Wallace Dickinson, author of Remembering Orlando: Tales from Elvis to Disney
It was his most electric and influential time as a live performer. The young and hungry Elvis burst onto stages large and small sexy, controversial, brimming with talent and ambition. One lightning-hot year in Florida fueled his rise from novelty act to headlining megastar.
Elvis Ignited tracks the rising star through his tours of Florida, from 1955 when Presley was an unknown to 1956 when Presley played more concerts in Florida than in any other state. In only fifteen months, Presley toured Florida four times, becoming the object of worship, scorn, and controversy. Struck by a new kind of music and performances so different from anything they had known before, Floridians saw how special Elvis was before the rest of the world caught on. Before their very eyes, he transformed from Hillbilly Cat to the King of Rock and Roll.
Bob Kealing interviews people who saw the King up close, recalling the time-stands-still memories of hearing his iconic songs for the first time. He speaks with Floridians who helped Elvis along the way: the late Jim Kirk from Ocala, who offered Presley his first headlining opportunity; former governor and U.S. senator Bob Graham, who saw the young rockabilly god at the dawning of Elvis mania; Steve Binder, who produced Presley s 68 Comeback Special; and Country Music Hall of Famer Charlie Louvin, who opened for Presley in Florida.
Kealing follows Elvis after his return from the Army to his homecoming TV special in Miami with Frank Sinatra and through the filming of Follow That Dream in Florida in 1961, offering unique insights into the singer s relationship with co-star Anne Helm, his controversial manager Tom Parker, and the beginnings of his melancholy as a prisoner of fame.
This book is a roadmap to Elvis s time in the Sunshine State, a guide to the many small and large venues he played up and down the peninsula, and a spotlight on the people who witnessed, supported, and even opposed his meteoric rise to fame. It was a turning point in American music history; it was the arrival of rock and roll.
"
Kealing tells us the story of what happened when Elvis arrived in Florida and what role the Sunshine State played in his life and musical career. This is a critical era in the Elvis Saga. William McKeen, editor of Rock and Roll Is Here to Stay: An Anthology
A Florida-centric look at his 1956 breakout state for people who thought they knew everything about Elvis. Joel Selvin, author of Altamont: The Rolling Stones, the Hells Angels, and the Inside Story of Rock s Darkest Day
Presents a great picture of what it was like to be a touring musician in the 1950s and also of Florida at the time and how the culture was changed by the shock of Elvis. Joy Wallace Dickinson, author of Remembering Orlando: Tales from Elvis to Disney
It was his most electric and influential time as a live performer. The young and hungry Elvis burst onto stages large and small sexy, controversial, brimming with talent and ambition. One lightning-hot year in Florida fueled his rise from novelty act to headlining megastar.
Elvis Ignited tracks the rising star through his tours of Florida, from 1955 when Presley was an unknown to 1956 when Presley played more concerts in Florida than in any other state. In only fifteen months, Presley toured Florida four times, becoming the object of worship, scorn, and controversy. Struck by a new kind of music and performances so different from anything they had known before, Floridians saw how special Elvis was before the rest of the world caught on. Before their very eyes, he transformed from Hillbilly Cat to the King of Rock and Roll.
Bob Kealing interviews people who saw the King up close, recalling the time-stands-still memories of hearing his iconic songs for the first time. He speaks with Floridians who helped Elvis along the way: the late Jim Kirk from Ocala, who offered Presley his first headlining opportunity; former governor and U.S. senator Bob Graham, who saw the young rockabilly god at the dawning of Elvis mania; Steve Binder, who produced Presley s 68 Comeback Special; and Country Music Hall of Famer Charlie Louvin, who opened for Presley in Florida.
Kealing follows Elvis after his return from the Army to his homecoming TV special in Miami with Frank Sinatra and through the filming of Follow That Dream in Florida in 1961, offering unique insights into the singer s relationship with co-star Anne Helm, his controversial manager Tom Parker, and the beginnings of his melancholy as a prisoner of fame.
This book is a roadmap to Elvis s time in the Sunshine State, a guide to the many small and large venues he played up and down the peninsula, and a spotlight on the people who witnessed, supported, and even opposed his meteoric rise to fame. It was a turning point in American music history; it was the arrival of rock and roll.
"
280 pages, Hardcover
Published March 7, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 7, 2023
I so enjoyed reading this engaging book about Elvis’s time touring in my home state of Florida. My aunt got to meet the King during one of his stops in 1956, and being able to place her lasting memories within the timeline included in these pages is truly so exciting!
February 11, 2025
I wanted to like this book a lot more than I did. Having read Bob Kealing's books on Gram Parsons and Jack Kerouac, I've found him to be an excellent chronicler of Central Florida's small-yet-interesting contributions to 20th century popular culture. As a die-hard Elvis fan who lives in the Orlando area, this one seemed to be a no-brainer. On the one hand, I appreciate much of what Kealing does here. For someone who lives in Florida and cares about the specifics of Elvis's early touring days, you get to find out which spots he exactly performed at and where he stayed. It was fun to find out that he stayed in Sanford while playing in Orlando, and that many of the venues he played in the 50's are actually still standing.
As for the rest of the content of the book: Kealing subscribes to all the stereotypical myths about 20th century music, referring to the music that came before Elvis as "bland" and makes dumb mistakes like saying that Hank Snow would have been performing a song in 1954 that was a number one hit for him... in 1974. He also needlessly recounts all the basic information about Elvis and his life that surely anyone reading this already knows and has read elsewhere. So if you're reading the book for what makes it good, there's also a lot of poorly researched generalizations about Elvis's life, career, and times that all have nothing to do with the niche discussion of his days spent in the state of Florida.
The best part of this book was that Kealing in the year 2017 managed to put out a book that actually had lots of remembrances from Florida residents who were actually there at these shows in the 50's. One abundantly gets the idea that Elvis was generous with his time and fans, and that Florida fans were privileged to see the young Elvis at his most accessible. Reading their vivid memories of Elvis taking time to chat with them and sign autographs got a little repetitive, but was always the best part of the book.
Kealing completely ignores Elvis's 70's tour stops in Florida, which is surprising given how much one could say on that to add to a book that is already in need of more information relating to the specific subject at hand.
If you live in Florida and have an interest in doing some Elvis tourism to the sites around here, I would recommend skimming through this one. Otherwise, it doesn't have enough to add to the Elvis conversation to make it worth reading through.
As for the rest of the content of the book: Kealing subscribes to all the stereotypical myths about 20th century music, referring to the music that came before Elvis as "bland" and makes dumb mistakes like saying that Hank Snow would have been performing a song in 1954 that was a number one hit for him... in 1974. He also needlessly recounts all the basic information about Elvis and his life that surely anyone reading this already knows and has read elsewhere. So if you're reading the book for what makes it good, there's also a lot of poorly researched generalizations about Elvis's life, career, and times that all have nothing to do with the niche discussion of his days spent in the state of Florida.
The best part of this book was that Kealing in the year 2017 managed to put out a book that actually had lots of remembrances from Florida residents who were actually there at these shows in the 50's. One abundantly gets the idea that Elvis was generous with his time and fans, and that Florida fans were privileged to see the young Elvis at his most accessible. Reading their vivid memories of Elvis taking time to chat with them and sign autographs got a little repetitive, but was always the best part of the book.
Kealing completely ignores Elvis's 70's tour stops in Florida, which is surprising given how much one could say on that to add to a book that is already in need of more information relating to the specific subject at hand.
If you live in Florida and have an interest in doing some Elvis tourism to the sites around here, I would recommend skimming through this one. Otherwise, it doesn't have enough to add to the Elvis conversation to make it worth reading through.
September 14, 2024
Excellent book about Elvis's rise in the entertainment industry. An American Icon, he was criticized for being a bad influence on American teens and young adults. This book follows his beginning concert travels in Florida and how the establishment tried to intimidate him and the control that Parker had on him! It goes tour to tour in the 50's, and his return to Florida making the movie Follow That Dream, which is filmed there.
January 19, 2020
Carefully researched with lots of primary sources, Kealing's book on the role Florida played in making Elvis a star makes a compelling read for fans of Elvis and Florida history. Just like with his book on GramParsons, Kealing paints a realistic but still admirable portrait of the man who would be King.
July 9, 2023
A few errors/typos. Also, I hated that Kealing kept referring to Elvis as Presley. I also wish he would have done a run down of the concerts in the 70s as he did in the 50s. However, overall a good book that Elvis fans should read.
October 21, 2024
I like Elvis, Florida, and history so I thought I'd enjoy this book. I did not. I just don't think it's for me. It was well written. Just a little boring for my tastes.
November 9, 2025
Really good history of Elvis early in his career. Makes me very nostalgic for the old days.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews