Texarkana to Dedicate Elvis Presley Plaque on January 8

Editor's Note: This event took place in 2015 and is an example of the interesting events that take place in Texarkana. 

Texarkana will be celebrating Elvis Presley’s 81st birthday with a plaque dedication January 8 at the Walk of Fame Park outside the Arkansas Municipal Auditorium at East 3rd and Walnut Street. The dedication will take place at 11:30 a.m. and will commemorate the performances by the famous singer at the auditorium in 1954 and 1955.  Presley, who was born on January 8, 1935,  performed at the venue six times in those years, including two concerts with Johnny Cash, who also has a plaque on the Walk of Fame Park. Their performance at the auditorium was featured in the movie Walk the Line.

Mayor Ruth Penny Bell and members of the Arkansas Municipal Auditorium Commission will be at the dedication. The Arkansas Municipal Auditorium, which is on the National List of Historic Places, was built in 1928 and has an important place in music history. Many early rock and roll performers, including Presley, played at the venue as they traveled through Texarkana on U.S. 67 (now known as the Rock ‘n’ Roll Highway) on the Louisiana Hayride circuit. For more details on the event, check out the Arkansas Municipal Auditorium Commission’s Facebook page here.  Below is a 1955 interview with Presley where he mentions his Texarkana performances.