OHC fundraiser commemorates Presley’s 70th anniversary in city
There will be an “Elvis sighting” in Waycross this fall.
The Okefenokee Heritage Center will commemorate the 70th anniversary of the first appearance by the “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll” in the city with a special presentation by Elvis Tribute Artist and Georgia native Jordan Poole.
Poole, who hails from Sylvester, will perform Saturday, September 26 at the C.C. McCray City Auditorium. It’s the same venue Presley played February 22, 1956, just three weeks after signing his first national touring contract.
Poole has won several awards for his portrayal of Presley, most recently being named the 2025 Tupelo Ultimate Elvis Champion in the Presley’s birthplace of Tupelo, Miss.
Advance tickets for “Elvis Returns” are $30 at the Okefenokee Heritage Center, 1460 N. Augusta Ave., or online at www.okefenokeeheritagecenter. org. The show is a fundraiser for the center.
Tickets will be $40 the day of the show. Doors will open at 5 p.m. with an opening act still to be determined taking the stage at 6 p.m. followed by Poole at 7 p.m.
“One of the goals of the Okefenokee Heritage Center is to keep our rich, cultural heritage alive,” said OHC Executive Director Carla Garrett Cornett. “Our Willie R. Character Entertainment Venue houses posters of many famous performers who came to Waycross, specifically to the Waycross Auditorium.
“Knowing that Elvis performed here 70 years ago, and his music is loved by so many, we felt it fitting to bring ‘The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’ back to the same stage.”
Managed by Col. Tom Parker, Presley signed a national touring contract January 31, 1956.
His visit to Waycross came early in a 110-stop schedule that covered 26 states throughout the year.
Presley had only recently made his television debut on CBS’s Stage Show, hosted by the Dorsey Brothers, on January, 28.
During Presley’s stop in Waycross he performed “Baby Let's Play House,” “Tutti Frutti,” “Heartbreak Hotel” (mistakenly cited as being “Heartburn Hotel” by a local newspaper reporter) and “Blue Suede Shoes.”
Also on the show were performers Justin Tubb, The Louvin Brothers, The Alabama Sanddusters, Mother Maybelle, The Carter Sisters, June Carter, and Benny Martin.
After the concert, Presley and his entourage went to the Plant Café in downtown Waycross.
According to current Plant Café owner, Marla Howell, Col. Parker had orchestrated a contest after each concert dates for a local young woman to dine with Presley.
“After his two shows at our City Auditorium,” said Howell, “a young lady’s name was pulled and Plant Café, being open 24 hours those days, was the meeting location for them to arrange their dinner the next day at The Green Frog restaurant.”
Presley’s lengthy tour, which concluded with a massive show December 15 in Shreveport, La., was a hit with teens and young adults across the country.
Among them was a young man in the Waycross audience who would ultimately carve his own Hall of Fame niche in the music world.
Ingram Cecil Connor, later known as Gram Parsons, was at Presley’s show and became known as the creator of Cosmic American Music, a hybrid of country, rhythm and blues, soul, and folk music. Parsons went on to work with the Flying Burrito Brothers, the International Submarine Band, the Byrds, and Emily Lou Harris.
He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland earlier this year. The OHC hosts a permanent exhibit honoring Parsons.
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