Alis Lesley

Alis Lesley
Birth name	Alice Lesley or Alice Leslie
Born	April 20, 1938 Chicago, Illinois, US
Genres	rockabilly
Instruments	voice guitar
Years active	1956–1959
Labels	Era Records
Formerly of	Arizona Stringdusters

Alis Lesley (born Alice Lesley or Alice Leslie;^[1][2] April 20, 1938) is an American former rockabilly singer, once billed as "the female Elvis Presley."^[3][4][5][6]

Early life

Lesley was born in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Her family later moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where she attended Phoenix Junior College. She majored in television and radio, and began singing rockabilly while a student. She was discovered by Kathryn Godfrey, a popular Phoenix television personality and the sister of Arthur Godfrey. With Kathryn Godfrey's help, Lesley became a local favorite following her appearances on television station KTVK and in local night clubs.^[7]

Career

Early on, Lesley formed her own western band, the Arizona Stringdusters, and were a night club act in Phoenix.^[8] She then joined bandleader Buddy Morrow's band and relocated to Hollywood, Los Angeles. "I wore sheath dresses and high heels while I was with the band. But when I really started singing, the heels seemed to hold me back." From then on, Lesley adopted the barefoot look when performing live and was known for kicking off her heels.^[9]

Lesley's stage persona as the "Female Elvis Presley" included a guitar slung around her neck, greased-back hair, and combed-down sideburns.^[3] She met Elvis Presley at the Silver Slipper Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, on November 13, 1956. Presley had attended the show to watch Lesley perform and praised her afterwards, meeting her backstage.^[10]

In 1957, Lesley released her debut and only single, "He Will Come Back to Me" backed with "Heartbreak Harry" (Era Records 45-1034).^[11]

She toured Australia in October 1957, with Little Richard, Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent, and local rocker Johnny O'Keefe.^[12] The tour was cut short when Richard underwent a "religious experience" and he retired from rock and roll for several years.

Legacy

A picture of Lesley between Little Richard and Eddie Cochran appears on the cover of The Philosophy of Modern Song written by Bob Dylan.^[8]

Discography

Single

• "He Will Come Back to Me" b/w "Heartbreak Harry" (Era Records, 1957)

Compilations

• Barefoot Rockabilly Angel (K-Tel, 2008)
• He Will Come Back to Me (Sleazy Records, 2016)

References

1. "Lesley, Alis". Women in Rock & Roll's First Wave. August 29, 2015. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
2. "Sun Records". Sun Records - 706 Union Avenue Sessions. Archived from the original on October 22, 2022. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
3. "Ace Records". Ace Records. Archived from the original on January 16, 2006. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
4. Telegraph, 2017-12:00AMThe Daily (October 11, 2017). "Little Richard saw Sputnik as a sign from God". dailytelegraph. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
5. "El Sótano - 50's RnR y Rockabilly - 13/04/16". RTVE.es (in Spanish). April 13, 2016. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
6. Tochka, Nicholas. "Rock and roll and nuclear weapons: how the Cold War shaped Little Richard". The Conversation. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
7. "Alis Lesley – Free listening, videos, concerts, stats and pictures at". Last.fm. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
8. Kriticos, Christian (October 21, 2022). "Alis Lesley: the 'female Elvis' who takes centre stage on Bob Dylan's new book cover". The Guardian. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
9. Carrollton, Betty (January 22, 1958). "'Female Elvis Presley' Eyes Career as Vet". The Atlanta Constitution. p. 18. Retrieved June 9, 2024.
10. Lorentzen, Erik (September 2013). "Alis Lesley - The Female Elvis Presley, November 1956". The Elvis Files Magazine (5).
11. "Rocking Country Style listing"
12. "98/77/7 Concert program, "Lee Gordon Presents the Big Show Rock 'n' Roll with Little Richard", paper, printed by Publicity Press Pty Ltd, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1957 - Powerhouse Museum Collection". Powerhousemuseum.com. Retrieved July 30, 2014.

External links

• Alis Lesley - Topic on YouTube