As I write this, Elvis Aaron Presley would have been seventy-five years old today. Like many of you, in my younger years, I was an Elvis fan. My wife actually had a date with him. Her dentist's office was across the street from Graceland in Memphis. Meg, my wife, who met Elvis through a friend through an insurance company where she worked, recalls that Elvis was rather short, about five-eight, and dyed his hair black.
Elvis was an isolated and lonely man; his manager Colonel Tom Parker made sure that Elvis was well protected and not over exposed. The Colonel's over protection probably indirectly contributed to his premature death. Being cooped up in one place for long periods of time, one is likely to get bored, one can get cabin fever and it opens the door for other things, unwanted things to enter in. My wife recalls that Elvis was not only nice, but super nice. He had rented a theater in Memphis and invited only his friends so that he could be with them. There was a double feature playing at the theater; neither were Elvis movies. The limo picked up Meg and her only contact with Elvis was at the theater where he kept asking her if she needed anything and wished her to have a good time. My wife didn't realize that Elvis had probably twenty dates that evening. The next evening, Elvis rented the fairgrounds after hours where it was reported that he was more like himself.
Being blessed with having the most perfect male singing voice, Elvis was becoming more and more popular while the hits just kept coming. His rapid success was suddenly interrupted when he was drafted by the Army. He didn't try to skirt or dodge his responsibility, but rather made it a part of the man called Elvis. He was treated like any other soldier, serving in Germany in the tank corp as a private. The Army basked in Elvis' popularity and the favorable press they received from it; even to let him perform occasionally. His managers saw this as another opportunity to exploit his immensely growing popularity, coming out with the movie, "GI Blues."
There were the tabloid stories concerning Elvis and his marriage to Priscilla, with its high visibility and social limelight, constantly being thrown on them. Elvis and Priscilla had some happy times, but the relationship became strained when Elvis retreated from her for reasons only known to them. Elvis began having doubts about his marriage to Priscilla which is what happens when a couple looking for either a trophy husband or wife, and in this case both, was a factor in the union. Priscilla sought more notoriety for herself because she had been relegated to a position to which was she was not accustomed, and although it wasn't obvious to the Elvis fans, there was contention between the two of them. Their breakup was plastered over the covers of every major tabloid magazine world wide.
Elvis was a high priced commodity, which Elvis often thought of more as a curse than a blessing. He resented being treated like an object, but being the nice, gracious and magnanimous, cooperative nice guy that he was, he was easily manipulated. In his prime, Elvis tucked away in the safe confines of Graceland, found himself even more miserable without Priscilla, and became lonelier than ever. He had trouble sleeping, and was more bored with his life in Graceland which had become a prison for him.
Elvis became the favorite topic for the tabloids. There were the alleged sexual affairs, the rumors of Elvis' voyeuristic tendencies; where he would watch others having sex either by closed circuit TV or one way mirrors. None of this was ever really proved; but as far as the media goes; don't let the truth stand in the way of a good story, especially if it sells magazines. Elvis' involvement with pain killers, barbiturates to help him sleep; uppers and downers, accompanied him when he went on the road, but went unchecked when he gave performances that left his audiences clamouring for more. The phrase, used after he had left the stage, "Elvis has left the building" became an adage that is used still today. Elvis was a true professional; never did he leave his fans disappointed. According a friend who was in one of the gospel groups that backed him up both in the recording studio and the concert tour told me, Everybody, literally everybody loved him. One of the most admirable events in Elvis' life that really helped form my final opinion of him was when he gave a concert in Atlanta at the now, only a memory, OMNI, there were thousands of counterfeit tickets sold and it left many fans bitterly disappointed because their seats were stolen from them. What did Elvis do? Elvis had another unscheduled concert following the one that he gave. That concert was also sold out, but Elvis himself made sure that those who had their seats stolen from them, had prime seats up front at the second concert. I have never before or since heard of anyone of doing this for their fans.
While it is true that Elvis didn't do as well as we would like in his last year or so, Elvis we must remember was not the perfect human; he had his faults and like so many, he fell victim to his own devices. Elvis died at Graceland on August 16, 1977. Within a day or so after Elvis' death, I was talking to Jim Howell, part of the Jim and John duo at WSB AM 750 before it became all news talk. Howell was the consummate Elvis fan as was John Moore. Jim wept when he heard the bad news of Elvis' death. I wasn't in a very good mood myself. I remember that there were millions of fans in mourning for the King of Rock and Roll. One of the reporters that I worked with at WSBTV News asked me, if I thought Elvis had gone to heaven; that there was no record that he knew of that he had ever been saved and that he was involved in some things that bordered on perversion. I emphatically told him, YES. The reasons I had this opinion were several. First, Elvis was born a poor sharecroppers son in Tupelo, Mississippi, who had a fundamentalist upbringing in the country church. He loved the Lord and you could tell it when he sung his Gospel songs. He would sing them as if he was singing them unto the Lord. A friend of mine who was a member of the Stamps Quartet, a group that frequently backed up Elvis in a number of his secular songs told me, that Elvis loved singing Gospel music. J. D. Sumner, the legendary bass singer for the Stamps quartet and the Blackwood Brothers loved Elvis and the two of them established new audiences for gospel music. It is one of those favorite stories that Elvis' only demand was that he wanted to make sure that J. D. Sumner's voice could be heard in the background. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lMvnWr-51o J. D. knew that Elvis loved Gospel music. By working with Elvis, J. D. Sumner and the Stamps Quartet created a whole new fan base for gospel music. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70WJ4GD7I3Y Even though J. D. Sumner and the Stamps Quartet worked with Elvis, they maintained a full gospel itinerary, which presented the best of both worlds. Records would show that in the time frame they were working both arenas, they had the opportunity to present gospel music to more audiences and a larger number of people than anyone had, before that time. http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/elvispresley After a recording session, he would often invite the backup singers to Graceland and they would sing Gospel music until they couldn't sing anymore; often til daybreak. At all of Elvis' concerts, he would honor the Lord by singing, "How Great Thou Art" and the "Battle Hymn of the Republic." Elvis never won a Grammy for any of his secular music, but he won three Grammies for his Gospel Music.
Elvis did not have a mean bone in his body. Whenever someone would speak ill of another, Elvis would walk away, and the message that he conveyed resonated with everyone that knew him. Elvis' music transcended style by taking what was known as rockabilly, a combo of rock and hillbilly, and turning it into Rock and Roll. Even his rock and roll evolved into something more, that in his final years, he was singing American Trilogy and In the Ghetto.
For me, I don't want to remember any of the bad about Elvis, because I've got those areas of my life that I don't care to remember either. I want to look at the entire life, the man, a patriot, a talented musician and singer, and a lovable human being who was in love with the Lord.
Elvis was an isolated and lonely man; his manager Colonel Tom Parker made sure that Elvis was well protected and not over exposed. The Colonel's over protection probably indirectly contributed to his premature death. Being cooped up in one place for long periods of time, one is likely to get bored, one can get cabin fever and it opens the door for other things, unwanted things to enter in. My wife recalls that Elvis was not only nice, but super nice. He had rented a theater in Memphis and invited only his friends so that he could be with them. There was a double feature playing at the theater; neither were Elvis movies. The limo picked up Meg and her only contact with Elvis was at the theater where he kept asking her if she needed anything and wished her to have a good time. My wife didn't realize that Elvis had probably twenty dates that evening. The next evening, Elvis rented the fairgrounds after hours where it was reported that he was more like himself.
Being blessed with having the most perfect male singing voice, Elvis was becoming more and more popular while the hits just kept coming. His rapid success was suddenly interrupted when he was drafted by the Army. He didn't try to skirt or dodge his responsibility, but rather made it a part of the man called Elvis. He was treated like any other soldier, serving in Germany in the tank corp as a private. The Army basked in Elvis' popularity and the favorable press they received from it; even to let him perform occasionally. His managers saw this as another opportunity to exploit his immensely growing popularity, coming out with the movie, "GI Blues."
There were the tabloid stories concerning Elvis and his marriage to Priscilla, with its high visibility and social limelight, constantly being thrown on them. Elvis and Priscilla had some happy times, but the relationship became strained when Elvis retreated from her for reasons only known to them. Elvis began having doubts about his marriage to Priscilla which is what happens when a couple looking for either a trophy husband or wife, and in this case both, was a factor in the union. Priscilla sought more notoriety for herself because she had been relegated to a position to which was she was not accustomed, and although it wasn't obvious to the Elvis fans, there was contention between the two of them. Their breakup was plastered over the covers of every major tabloid magazine world wide.
Elvis was a high priced commodity, which Elvis often thought of more as a curse than a blessing. He resented being treated like an object, but being the nice, gracious and magnanimous, cooperative nice guy that he was, he was easily manipulated. In his prime, Elvis tucked away in the safe confines of Graceland, found himself even more miserable without Priscilla, and became lonelier than ever. He had trouble sleeping, and was more bored with his life in Graceland which had become a prison for him.
Elvis became the favorite topic for the tabloids. There were the alleged sexual affairs, the rumors of Elvis' voyeuristic tendencies; where he would watch others having sex either by closed circuit TV or one way mirrors. None of this was ever really proved; but as far as the media goes; don't let the truth stand in the way of a good story, especially if it sells magazines. Elvis' involvement with pain killers, barbiturates to help him sleep; uppers and downers, accompanied him when he went on the road, but went unchecked when he gave performances that left his audiences clamouring for more. The phrase, used after he had left the stage, "Elvis has left the building" became an adage that is used still today. Elvis was a true professional; never did he leave his fans disappointed. According a friend who was in one of the gospel groups that backed him up both in the recording studio and the concert tour told me, Everybody, literally everybody loved him. One of the most admirable events in Elvis' life that really helped form my final opinion of him was when he gave a concert in Atlanta at the now, only a memory, OMNI, there were thousands of counterfeit tickets sold and it left many fans bitterly disappointed because their seats were stolen from them. What did Elvis do? Elvis had another unscheduled concert following the one that he gave. That concert was also sold out, but Elvis himself made sure that those who had their seats stolen from them, had prime seats up front at the second concert. I have never before or since heard of anyone of doing this for their fans.
While it is true that Elvis didn't do as well as we would like in his last year or so, Elvis we must remember was not the perfect human; he had his faults and like so many, he fell victim to his own devices. Elvis died at Graceland on August 16, 1977. Within a day or so after Elvis' death, I was talking to Jim Howell, part of the Jim and John duo at WSB AM 750 before it became all news talk. Howell was the consummate Elvis fan as was John Moore. Jim wept when he heard the bad news of Elvis' death. I wasn't in a very good mood myself. I remember that there were millions of fans in mourning for the King of Rock and Roll. One of the reporters that I worked with at WSBTV News asked me, if I thought Elvis had gone to heaven; that there was no record that he knew of that he had ever been saved and that he was involved in some things that bordered on perversion. I emphatically told him, YES. The reasons I had this opinion were several. First, Elvis was born a poor sharecroppers son in Tupelo, Mississippi, who had a fundamentalist upbringing in the country church. He loved the Lord and you could tell it when he sung his Gospel songs. He would sing them as if he was singing them unto the Lord. A friend of mine who was a member of the Stamps Quartet, a group that frequently backed up Elvis in a number of his secular songs told me, that Elvis loved singing Gospel music. J. D. Sumner, the legendary bass singer for the Stamps quartet and the Blackwood Brothers loved Elvis and the two of them established new audiences for gospel music. It is one of those favorite stories that Elvis' only demand was that he wanted to make sure that J. D. Sumner's voice could be heard in the background. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lMvnWr-51o J. D. knew that Elvis loved Gospel music. By working with Elvis, J. D. Sumner and the Stamps Quartet created a whole new fan base for gospel music. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70WJ4GD7I3Y Even though J. D. Sumner and the Stamps Quartet worked with Elvis, they maintained a full gospel itinerary, which presented the best of both worlds. Records would show that in the time frame they were working both arenas, they had the opportunity to present gospel music to more audiences and a larger number of people than anyone had, before that time. http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/elvispresley After a recording session, he would often invite the backup singers to Graceland and they would sing Gospel music until they couldn't sing anymore; often til daybreak. At all of Elvis' concerts, he would honor the Lord by singing, "How Great Thou Art" and the "Battle Hymn of the Republic." Elvis never won a Grammy for any of his secular music, but he won three Grammies for his Gospel Music.
Elvis did not have a mean bone in his body. Whenever someone would speak ill of another, Elvis would walk away, and the message that he conveyed resonated with everyone that knew him. Elvis' music transcended style by taking what was known as rockabilly, a combo of rock and hillbilly, and turning it into Rock and Roll. Even his rock and roll evolved into something more, that in his final years, he was singing American Trilogy and In the Ghetto.
For me, I don't want to remember any of the bad about Elvis, because I've got those areas of my life that I don't care to remember either. I want to look at the entire life, the man, a patriot, a talented musician and singer, and a lovable human being who was in love with the Lord.
