Elvis Presley’s Last New Year’s Eve: A Rare Recording Frozen in Time
Elvis Presley spent the last New Year’s Eve before his death performing. As he rang in the new year in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the King of Rock and Roll stood before fans and performed a medley of his greatest hits. He also added one more song in the spirit of the season, and it is one of the rarest performances of his career.
The rare song Elvis Presley recorded before his death
On Dec. 31, 1976, Elvis Presley stood on the stage of the Civic Center Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He began performing half an hour before midnight, signaling the start of 1977.
Throughout the 90-minute set, Elvis performed a repertoire of his greatest hits. Some of the songs he sang included “I Got a Woman,” “See See Rider,” “Big Boss Man,” “Love Me,” “Jailhouse Rock,” and “Hurt.”
However, his performance of one song is considered rare among Elvis fans. Just as the clock struck midnight, the house lights went up and Elvis led the crowd in a rendition of “Auld Lang Syne.” This performance is considered a rarity among Elvis fans as he never officially recorded a version of the tune.
The Scottish song is traditionally sung to bid farewell to the old year at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve. The crowd sang along with Elvis until the house lights dimmed and Elvis resumed what would be a 90-minute performance.
Although the concert was never officially recorded as a live album, a soundboard recording of the evening has since become an Elvis classic. Therefore, it isn’t as clean as a professional recording would be but rather, captured Elvis live from the perspective of an audience member.
Details on Elvis’ New Year’s Eve concert in Pittsburgh
Elvis Presley performed to a sold-out crowd of more than 16,000 fans who packed the Civic Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The evening was a tribute to Elvis’ past, present, and future as a singer.
The night was the third time in his entire professional career that Elvis played a concert on New Year’s Eve. The other two times he was on stage as the year changed was in 1955 when he played the Louisiana Hayride in Shreveport, Louisiana, and in 1975, when he took the stage at the Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan, to the largest live audience of his career.
This concert was particularly special to the King of Rock and Roll as his new girlfriend, Ginger Alden, agreed to accompany him on tour. Also in attendance that evening were his father, Vernon Presley, and daughter Lisa Marie Presley.
In an interview with Elvis Australia, Ginger Alden recalled details of that concert. She said Elvis “always tried to give one hundred percent for his fans.”
Ginger continued, “He was always so happy when Lisa was able to be at his shows. I always sat in a chair near the stage and during that particular show, I remember holding Lisa up so she could have a better view of his performance.”
Elvis Presley’s last New Year’s Eve show was charismatic and powerful
Elvis Presley delivered a high-energy, emotionally charged show on Dec. 31, 1976. The concert demonstrated his enduring charisma and vocal prowess and created a standout moment in his career.
The night’s energy and Elvis’s powerful performance have become one of the most cherished recordings of his career. The Pittsburgh show is often seen as a reminder of Elvis’s potential for a career revival.
After that performance, fans continued to rally for the King of Rock and Roll to reclaim his throne in the music world. However, that was not to be.
Just eight months later, on Aug. 16, 1977, Elvis Presley died at his Graceland home. He was 42.
