On June 9, 1972, Elvis Presley walked into a packed room at the New York Hilton knowing that one of the biggest weekends of his career was about to begin.
Hours later, he would perform his first-ever live concert in New York City at Madison Square Garden.
But first, he had to face the press.
His father, Vernon Presley, was introduced first. Then Elvis entered as cameras flashed around him.
He looked at the reporters, sat down and immediately said:
“First of all, I plead innocent of all charges.”
The room broke into laughter.
It set the tone for the entire press conference.
When a reporter asked why he had remained popular while so many other entertainers from the 1950s had disappeared, Elvis gave another completely unexpected answer.
“I take Vitamin E!”
Again, everyone laughed.
Elvis quickly admitted he was joking and said the real reason was much simpler: he still loved entertaining people and loved what he did.
Elvis Presley’s Complete 1972 New York Press Conference
The surviving footage captures something fans did not always get to see onstage: Elvis being quick, playful and comfortable enough to laugh at himself.
At one point, reporters mentioned his reputation for being shy and humble.
Elvis jokingly drew attention to the huge gold belt around his waist.
When someone brought up his old appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, where television cameras famously avoided showing his full body during parts of the broadcast, Elvis joked that it was exactly why he was staying seated.
But beneath the humor was real pressure.
All four Madison Square Garden concerts sold out, yet Elvis was reportedly still worried about whether New York would truly accept him. His friend Tom Jones later remembered Elvis expressing doubts even after tickets had disappeared almost immediately.
That evening, Elvis got his answer.
He walked onto the Madison Square Garden stage in front of a packed audience and performed songs including “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Hound Dog,” “Suspicious Minds” and “An American Trilogy.” The opening night became the first of four sold-out shows during the historic New York run.
The press conference now feels like the perfect opening act.
Before Elvis had sung a single note at Madison Square Garden, he had already walked into a room filled with New York reporters and won them over with nothing more than his personality.
They came ready to question the King. Within minutes, Elvis had them laughing with him instead.