La. Hayride voice Frank Page dies at age 87

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The man who helped introduce Elvis Presley to worldwide audiences through his work with the Louisiana Hayride — the state's version of the heralded Grand Ole Opry — has died.

Veteran radio broadcaster Frank Page died late Wednesday after a severe respiratory infection at WK Pierremont Health Center in Shreveport. He was 87.

Longtime friend and colleague Tom Pace says funeral services are pending. Rose-Neath Funeral Home confirms it's handling Page's arrangements.

Page retired from Shreveport's KWKH Radio in 2005 after 65 years. He is best known as the person who helped introduce Presley to the world on the stage of the Louisiana Hayride.

Presley sang "That's Alright Mama" on the Hayride in October 1954. A biography on the Graceland website says the 19-year-old Presley had a few weeks earlier recorded a song on the Sun label.