On May 13, 1955, the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley, relatively unknown at the time, stepped onto the stage in Jackson, Florida. His electrifying performance ignited what would become his first riot experience, one that became synonymous with all of his future performances. Presley’s stage presence, gyrating hips, slicked-back hair, and deep Southern drawl sent young ladies into a frenzy, causing an uproar among parents and critics who dubbed him “Elvis the Pelvis.”
Despite the controversy surrounding his performances, the late musician, instead of backing down, leaned into the moment and turned it into fuel to further captivate audiences across the country, creating a movement that rattled the social norms of the time.
Elvis Presley incites a riot during his 1955 Florida performance
May 13 1955;
In Jacksonville, FL, a riot at an Elvis performance occurred.Elvis had to be rescued by police from what has become known as the “first Presley riot.” #ElvisHistory pic.twitter.com/tXpnF1MKHO— J.J. ✨️✨️ (@alexanjk1123) May 13, 2025
Presley was just 20 years old and still a year away from superstardom when he appeared onstage as the opening act for Hank Snow’s “All-Star Jamboree” tour held at the Florida Theatre in Jacksonville. Even though he had already begun developing a reputation for his electrifying stage presence, nothing could have prepared the city for what happened that night.
As the singer launched into his high-energy performance, complete with his signature hip-shaking moves, the crowd, particularly the young women in attendance, went wild. The commotion was so big that the Jacksonville sheriff’s office threatened to arrest Elvis if he didn’t tone down his act.
Reports say that the screaming fangirls attacked Elvis Presley
Jacksonville Historical Society archivist Mitch Hemann, commenting on the 1955 performance, revealed that Presley at the time was still unaccustomed to the frenzy of adoring fans. Feeling overconfident, he invited a group of girls backstage, only to be chased into the showers by the aggressive crowd, who tore off his clothes in their excitement.
Confirming Mitch’s story, Ardys Bell Clawson, a teenager at the time who later became an employee with the city of Jacksonville, disclosed that she and her brother, who had attended the show, later found Presley hiding shirtless under the bleachers, eating ice, and visibly shaken. Clawson, who donated photos of the encounter to the Jacksonville Historical Society, recalled in a 2019 interview with Jacksonville Magazine that even though she appeared star struck in the image as she beamed with a smile beside a nervous, bare-chested musician, her amusement stemmed from sympathy for the ordeal he had suffered in the hands of the fangirls rather than infatuation.