YANKEE BARHANOVICH, ELVIS PRESLEY AND ALASKA INDIANS

 

Adam S. Eterovich

CFU 900

 

Elvis grew up in Tupelo, Mississippi. Author Peter Guralnik, Ballatine Books, wrote Elvis Day by Day in 1955. Elvis had just started and acquired an agent. Elvis' new managerial contract with Bob Neal went into effect on January 1, 1955 with a smiling picture of Elvis, Neal, and Sam Phillips that commemorates the occasion appearing in various periodicals and fan magazines over the next couple of months.

Yankee Barhanovich pays Elvis $600.00 for three nights in Biloxi, Mississippi. The Barhanovich Clan hails from the Island of Brac, Croatia; "business is business, Elvis is worth all of six hundred dollars" states Barhanovich.

 

Elvis and Slavonians (Croatians)

 

On Friday February 1955 at Jesuit High School, New Orleans, Louisiana, Elvis appears with Ann Barhanovich-Raye, daughter of Biloxi promoter Yankie Barhanovich. He is late for an appearance at radio station WWEZ to promote the show.

 

Sunday 26th, Slavonian Lodge, Biloxi, Mississippi. Elvis, Scotty, and Bill open the new air-conditioned club to a sellout crowd.

 

Monday 27th, Airman's Club, Keesler Air Force Base, outside Biloxi. Local girl June Juanico attends with a friend who saw the Slavonian Lodge performance and has told June that Elvis Presley is "the most gorgeous man I've ever seen in my life." Elvis picks June out of the crowd and spends the rest of the evening with her.

 

Tuesday 28th, Airman's Club, Keesler Air Force Base. The group receives $600 for its three nights in the Biloxi area. All shows are booked by Yankie Barhanovich, whom Elvis met in February when he shared the bill with Barhanovich's daughter, Ann Raye, in New Orleans. Ann recalls Elvis' mother, Gladys, being at Keesler to see at least one of the shows.

 

Other Mississippi Bookings

 

Louisiana Hayride, Municipal Auditorium, Shreveport. Elvis is introduced as the "Memphis Flash" and described to the radio audience by announcer Frank Page as wearing crocodile--skin shoes with pink socks. He performs "That's All Right,"' "Hearts of Stone," "Blue Moon of Kentucky," and "Fool, Fool, Fool." The bill includes rising country star Johnny Horton, known as "The Singing Fisherman," who will have a huge pop hit four years later with "The Battle of New Orleans."

 

Junior College Auditorium, Booneville, Mississippi (sponsored by the Kiwanis Club). The Booneville Banner carries a front--page story declaring that "the fastest rising country music star in the nation will be performing in his own top--notch manner." Elvis visits local radio station WBIP for an interview with DJ Lynn McDowell to support airplay of his records. Bob Neal writes to Ed McLemore of the Big "U" Jamboree to let him know that Colonel Parker will be doing bookings for him and Elvis, "just like MCA or William Morris or any other agency." According to Neal, Parker is attempting to get a booking at "one of the big resort hotels in Nevada and is "negotiating a deal that is terrific, to say the least."

 

City Auditorium. Clarksdale. Mississippi. Harry Kalcheim cables the Colonel that he has set up the Godfrey audition for March 23, and should Elvis win first place, he will appear on Godfrey's morning TV show for the following three weeks.

 

American Legion Hall, Meridian, Mississippi. Elvis attends the third annual Jimmie Rodgers Memorial Celebration honoring the universally acknowledged "Father of Country Music" in his hometown. An afternoon barbecue attracts 10,000 people with Ernest Tubb, Hank Snow, and many other current country-and--western stars in attendance, while the evenings shows are divided among five different venues in town. "Music will be provided by Elvis Presley and his orchestra" at the American Legion hall, according to the Meridian Star. The September issue of Country Song Roundup reports that Elvis was called back for encore after encore, performing "Baby Let's Play House," "I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone," "Milkcow Blues Boogie," and "You're a Heartbreaker," among others.

 

Belden High School Gym, Belden, Mississippi. DJ Bobby Ritter recalls that in order to get into the building without being mobbed, Elvis has to crawl through a back window, ripping the seat of his pants, which have to be held together with a safety pin during his performance.

 

Fairgrounds, Tupelo, Mississippi. Webb Pierce is the headliner on this new four-day tour set up by Bob Neal in June and featuring Wanda Jackson, Bud Deckelman, the Miller Sisters, and others. Also included is Charlie Feathers, a twenty- -three- -year- -old incipient rockabilly recording for Sun subsidiary Flip. This is Elvis' first performance in Tupelo since his appearance at age ten in the singing competition at these same fairgrounds, and it is held before a crowd of about 3,000.

 

Elvis also buys a pink 1955 Cadillac Fleetwood Sixty with a black top to replace the Cadillac that has burned. A removable wooden roof rack is used for the band's instruments.

 

 

Slavonian Croatian Association

 

The Slavonian Benevolent Association is adjusting to the changes in society and around its Myrtle Street lodge on Point Cadet, Biloxi, Mississippi. In the last five years, 91 new members have joined, pushing the club's rolls to 302 strong. If people are drifting away from their roots in the modern world, that trend doesn't seem to be affecting the Slavonians (Croatians), who settled in Biloxi over 150 years ago and were the driving force behind much of Biloxi's seafood industry.  The heritage that the members' relatives brought from Dalmatia in Croatia appears to be the drawing card. Casinos are just as eager to host their nightly activities. This year, the Beau Rivage Casino hosted Wednesday's press conference, and Thursday's Stag Night. The Slavonians have taken advantage of the casinos in the Point Cadet area. The group rents the parking lot north of its building to the Isle of Capri for employee parking. The club's boisterous meetings are as much a part of its heritage as anything. "I don't know if you've ever had to conduct a meeting with 60, 70 Slavonians in one hall at one time," President Kovacevich explained. "If a stranger walked in, he'd think there's some kind of war going on." He said all members get their say in the organization's business. Parliamentarians may not recognize the structure, but they've probably never seen a copy Robertovich's Rules of Order, either. Well, it doesn't exist, apparently. Don Hammack, The Sun Herald,  August 30, 2000

 

Yankee Barhanovich

 

F. "Yankie" Barhanovich is a highly respected and well thought of civic and business leader in the Biloxi, Mississippi area. He's a successful insurance executive and a valuable member of the community. "Yankie" didn't achieve his position by waiting for it. He proved that by hard work and determination, an individual can end up at the top. F "Yankie" Barhanovich was born in Biloxi, Mississippi, sixty-one year's ago. In 1938, he started as a 23 year old agent with the American National Insurance Company of Galveston, Texas. After fourteen short months he advanced to Assistant Manager, and four years later was elevated to District Manager "Yankie" has held the position of District Manager for 33 years. In addition, "Yankie" won the company's President Trophy in 1968. His agency is among the top fifteen in the Nation for the past 30 years and his is the leading District office in the South Central Division, "Yankie" Barhanovich Is a self-made man. He made it to the top. During his Professional-career. "Yankie" found time to actively participate in civic affairs. He has served as president or chairman of many organizations such as the East Harrison County Lions Club and the Shrimp Bowl Classic. He also acted as State Commissioner of the Amateur Softball Association for 10 years. During his many years of community service, "Yankie" has received various awards. These awards include the Biloxi Outstanding Junior and Senior Citizen, 1970 Junior Chamber of Commerce Boss of the Year and the Distinguished Service Award for his contributions to Amateur Football. He was inducted into the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame in 1971. "Yankie" is currently chairman of the Mississippi Coast Coliseum Commission and former President of the Mississippi Coast Chapter of the National Football Foundation. Yankee was president of the Slavonian Society in Biloxi, Mississippi.

 

Secretary of the Haida Indian Tribe

 

Also written as Barhanovich, the Baranovich clan originates from Sibenik in Dalmatia and the Barhanovich clan from the Island of Brac, Dalmatia, Croatia.

 

Vincent Baranovich’s activities were first discovered with a notice of mail at the Post Office at Victoria, British Columbia in 1870; in 1871 he was fur trading in Alaska. He also was associated with John Peratrovich who had married and Indian princess in Alaska and had 29 children and three wives; other Croatian associates were Tony Valensolo and Tony Markovich in Alaska.

 

Vincent W. Baranovich was Secretary of the Haida Indian Tribe in 1938.

 

Anton Baranovich was a 36 year old fisherman in 1880 at Clatsop, Oregon; the US Census  listed him as Italian. Andrew Baranovich was a cook in 1900 in the Santa Clara Valley of California and Peter Baranovich was a waiter in San Francisco in 1903.