Fort Worth

PHOTOS: Elvis Presley in Fort Worth, for all you fans of Oscar-nominee Austin Butler

April 19, 1960: Elvis Presley with Col. Tom Parker at the T&P train station in Fort Worth during a layover en route to Hollywood to make the movie “G.I. Blues.”
April 19, 1960: Elvis Presley with Col. Tom Parker at the T&P train station in Fort Worth during a layover en route to Hollywood to make the movie “G.I. Blues.” Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections

Will Austin Butler win the Oscar for Best Actor 2023 for his lead role in the “Elvis” movie?

If he doesn’t take home the Academy Award on Sunday, March 12, it won’t be because he failed to capture the essence of The King.

Just check out these photos from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s newspaper archives, showing Elvis coming to town for shows in the late 1950s; making a stop at the train station on the way to Hollywood in 1960; and of course, his sold-out 1976 concert at the Convention Center.

We can’t help seeing the uncanny resemblance that Butler had in the movie, which is streaming on HBO Max as well as other platforms.

The real Elvis made his first visit to Fort Worth in May 1955 as a 20-year-old rising star who was top-billed in a Grand Ole Opry tour at the North Side Coliseum, wrote Mike Nichols in one of his last history columns for the Star-Telegram before he died this month.

But it wasn’t until his 1956 stop that the Star-Telegram photographers showed up to cover it, including these shots below.

And there were even bigger crowds when he made a pit stop at the train station in 1960, as you’ll see. He was accompanied by Col. Tom Parker, portrayed by Tom Hanks in the “Elvis” movie.

Enjoy! And best of luck to Austin Butler to take home an Oscar.

Jan. 11, 1958: Elvis Presley kisses 14-year-old Mary Savage during a stopover on the train in Fort Worth. Ken Moore, a Fort Worth associate of Presley, is at foot of steps.
Jan. 11, 1958: Elvis Presley kisses 14-year-old Mary Savage during a stopover on the train in Fort Worth. Ken Moore, a Fort Worth associate of Presley, is at foot of steps. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
Elvis plays the North Side Coliseum in 1956.
Elvis plays the North Side Coliseum in 1956. Star-Telegram archives
April 20, 1956: Georgiana Blaylock, left, and Dolores Orms, both 16 from Dalla, with “Elvis” carved into their arms at his show in the Fort Worth Northside Coliseum
April 20, 1956: Georgiana Blaylock, left, and Dolores Orms, both 16 from Dalla, with “Elvis” carved into their arms at his show in the Fort Worth Northside Coliseum Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
June 14, 1958: Pvt. Elvis Presley, traveling from Memphis back to Fort Hood, Texas, stops over at Amon Carter Airfield. He poses for a picture with Nancy Cathcart.
June 14, 1958: Pvt. Elvis Presley, traveling from Memphis back to Fort Hood, Texas, stops over at Amon Carter Airfield. He poses for a picture with Nancy Cathcart. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
April 19, 1960: Elvis greets fans from train door at T&P station in Fort Worth on layover en route to film “GI Blues” in Hollywood.
April 19, 1960: Elvis greets fans from train door at T&P station in Fort Worth on layover en route to film “GI Blues” in Hollywood. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
April 19, 1960: Elvis Presley greets fans at T&P station in Fort Worth en route to film “GI Blues” in Hollywood.
April 19, 1960: Elvis Presley greets fans at T&P station in Fort Worth en route to film “GI Blues” in Hollywood. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
April 19, 1960: Elvis Presley is interviewed at the T&P station in Fort Worth during a layover en route to film “GI Blues” in Hollywood.
April 19, 1960: Elvis Presley is interviewed at the T&P station in Fort Worth during a layover en route to film “GI Blues” in Hollywood. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
April 19, 1960: Fans wait to see Elvis at the T&P train station in Fort Worth during his layover en route to Hollywood to film “GI Blues.”
April 19, 1960: Fans wait to see Elvis at the T&P train station in Fort Worth during his layover en route to Hollywood to film “GI Blues.” Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
April 19, 1960: Elvis Presley at the T&P train station in Fort Worth during a layover en route to Hollywood to make movie “G.I. Blues.”
April 19, 1960: Elvis Presley at the T&P train station in Fort Worth during a layover en route to Hollywood to make movie “G.I. Blues.” Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
April 19, 1960: Elvis Presley at the T&P train station in Fort Worth on layover en route to Hollywood to make the movie “G.I. Blues.”
April 19, 1960: Elvis Presley at the T&P train station in Fort Worth on layover en route to Hollywood to make the movie “G.I. Blues.” Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
April 19, 1960: Elvis Presley at the T&P train station in Fort Worth during a layover en route to Hollywood to make the movie “G.I. Blues.”
April 19, 1960: Elvis Presley at the T&P train station in Fort Worth during a layover en route to Hollywood to make the movie “G.I. Blues.” Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
April 19, 1960: Elvis Presley, 25, with Mrs. Carrie Tywater, 69, on the Texas Eagle at T&P train station in Fort Worth during a stopover en route to Hollywood to film “G.I. Blues.”
April 19, 1960: Elvis Presley, 25, with Mrs. Carrie Tywater, 69, on the Texas Eagle at T&P train station in Fort Worth during a stopover en route to Hollywood to film “G.I. Blues.” Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
June 4, 1976: Elvis Presley in concert at Fort Worth Convention Center.
June 4, 1976: Elvis Presley in concert at Fort Worth Convention Center. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
June 4, 1976: A capacity crowd at Fort Worth Convention Center waiting to see Elvis Presley perform.
June 4, 1976: A capacity crowd at Fort Worth Convention Center waiting to see Elvis Presley perform. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
June 4, 1976: Elvis Presley in concert at Fort Worth Convention Center
June 4, 1976: Elvis Presley in concert at Fort Worth Convention Center Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections
June 4, 1976: Elvis Presley in concert at Fort Worth Convention Center.
June 4, 1976: Elvis Presley in concert at Fort Worth Convention Center. Fort Worth Star-Telegram archive/UT Arlington Special Collections

MORE: Check out other historic photo galleries from the Star-Telegram archives here, including these:

Profile Image of Matt Leclercq
Matt Leclercq
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Matt Leclercq is senior managing editor at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He previously was an editor at USA Today in Washington, national news editor at Gatehouse Media in Austin, and executive editor of The Fayetteville (NC) Observer. He’s a New Orleans native.
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