Hear Elvis Presley’s 1975 Lake Charles Concert

Lake Charles, Louisiana - We're always reminiscing about some of the biggest artists that have played inside the Lake Charles Civic Center, and you won't get very far down the list before you run into Elvis! That's right, it has been more than 50 years since Elvis Presley came to Lake Charles. We stumbled across an old recording where you can actually still hear The King here in Lake Charles.

What Was It Like When Elvis Came to Lake Charles?

A few years ago, people who were actually there sat down with a few of our former co-workers who were local radio personalities to talk about the concert. Their stories included memories of seeing Elvis, where he stayed, how he arrived at the Civic Center, and the unusual story involving a mattress.

Thanks to the recordings and photographs that have survived, people who weren't alive in 1975 can still get a pretty good idea of what that night sounded like.

This is no doubt a pretty cool piece of Lake Charles history. If you have memories, pictures, or stories from the day Elvis came to town, we'd love to hear them.

Check out this piece done a few years ago with local folks here in SWLA...

Elvis Presley Performs Live in Lake Charles, Louisiana Back in 1975

On May 4, 1975, Elvis came to Southwest Louisiana for two shows at the Civic Center during Contraband Days. The shows were sold out, with about 10,000 tickets sold between the afternoon and evening performances. Elvis was already one of the biggest stars in the world at the time, and for one day, Lake Charles was part of his tour.

More than 50 years later, a recording of that performance is still around. But it gets even better: it is a soundboard recording, giving listeners a chance to hear much of the show directly from the mixing console. The recording includes Elvis performing some of his biggest songs, along with a few songs that make the Lake Charles concert especially interesting.

Songs Elvis Sang During The Lake Charles Show in 1975

He performed "Love Me," "Love Me Tender," "All Shook Up," "Don't Be Cruel," "The Wonder of You," "Polk Salad Annie," "Steamroller Blues," "An American Trilogy," "Hound Dog," and "Can't Help Falling in Love." CLICK HERE to check out the FULL Setlist.

But one song stands out for anyone listening from Southwest Louisiana. During the Lake Charles show, Elvis performed "Jambalaya." The legendary song was written by Hank Williams and became a major part of Louisiana music culture. I can't imagine he sang that song many times in front of a crowd.

Listen For Yourself - Full Recording of Elvis Presley's Concert in Lake Charles

The full recording of Elvis' evening performance runs for nearly an hour. You can listen to the recording below and hear what thousands of people in Lake Charles heard more than five decades ago.