She was tall curvy and tanned, like a Vegas showgirl. She was beautiful; blond with a perfect smile and long, slender legs. I watched her as she moved quietly through the mass of humanity that had invaded the Made in Oklahoma Building at the Oklahoma State Fair. Believe me, she stood out in the crowd. She was dressed to show off her body—tiny, short shorts, a tube top, no bra. But the more I watched her, the more it seemed to me the choice of clothes wasn’t her idea. She seemed like more of a trophy — like an animal a hunter would tie to the front of the truck. He was dressed in jeans, boots, a T-shirt and a stained, dirty ball cap. I’m assuming her was her husband -- because they both wore rings. But this was not a mutual relationship. It was obvious that he was the in total control. Most couples I watched that day talked and held hands seemed to enjoy each other. This couple, though, was different. They didn’t walk together. He pulled her, she was always struggling to catch
Twenty-one-year-old Elvis Presley, performing as The Hillbilly Cat, swings his hips during a 1956 concert in Oklahoma City. The photo of Elvis was captured by Tulsa photographer Mandell Matheson. TULSA – The picture is black and white. Taken 67 years ago in Oklahoma City, it’s a photo of Young Elvis. Slim. Hair in a pompadour. Standing on tiptoes. Elvis had just turned 21. His guitar is swung to the right side. His left hand is thrust toward the audience. His legs are doing all the heavy work, call it an early version the pelvic thrust. Behind him, the stage is sparse, a couple of amplifiers and a single microphone. This was Elvis when he was known as the Hillbilly Cat. He wasn’t yet the king. This was young Elvis, appearing in Oklahoma City at the Civic Center Music Hall. The photo is an iconic image of early Elvis. But that photo, taken on April 19, 1956, by a 17-year-old photographer named Mandell Matheson, would never be published by the newspaper Matheson worked for, the