Elvis' Christmas Visit

When Elvis came out with his only Christmas album in the late 1950s I spent $3 and bought the record. I loved Elvis but my sister wasn't much of a fan back then. As I was playing the Elvis version of "Here Comes Santa Claus," my sister walked past my room. She popped her head into the doorway and said, "how can you play that music at Christmas time, it's awful. You have to remember in those days Johnnie Mathis, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin were among the most popular holiday singers. Elvis played and sang rock and roll so the Christmas album wasn't everyone's cup of tea.

The following year my sister went away to college and as a joke one day in early December I called her and as soon as she answered I turned up, ""Here Comes Santa Claus," full blast. It made her laugh and it made her feel a little closer to home.

The year was 1960 and I've been playing Elvis over the phone to my sister every year since. I haven't missed a single year. She now admits it really isn't Christmas until Elvis visits on Christmas Eve and sings, "Here Comes Santa Claus."

I've got the CD player all cued up for this Friday night. Merry Christmas to all, Elvis fans or not.