At the 1955 Disc Jockey Convention in Nashville, Tennessee, (where Elvis was lauded as The Most Promising New Talent In Country Music), songwriter Mae Boren-Axton - known as the Queen Mother of Nashville - told Elvis she was going to write him his first million seller.
Together with Tommy Durden, she did. It was Heartbreak Hotel, which Elvis recorded in Jan 1956.
As you can see, the lyrics is handwritten in pencil and has various additions and corrections, and the lyric sheet is signed at the bottom by both songwriters.
No wonder it recently sold for a cool R3,2 million.
