I read that book as a kid and I idolised Elvis thanks to my father. I'm glad that I knew the good the bad and the ugly about Elvis as a kid and didn't just think he was a perfect person. I don't easily judge people. We all have struggles.
Yes, your rigtht about that. But no one lives in a vacuum. People around us can get us up or down, please us and hurt us. When you got hurt to much and people expect the most impossible of you, it will effect you. So it was with Elvis to. There were so many predicates around him, he could trust a single soul. All he had trusted turned him down. He was unloved and sick, it was the best for him to die.
No one is perfect. Elvis needed help, he was really hooked. Elvis gave his body guards so much they turned on him, he didn’t have the funds to support them
Exactly there isn’t a person alive who do not have struggles. He was just on the wolds stage where every one could see it. After everything that has been said and all the things over the years people say it has always made me love him more because he was human. I think he did what he did to perform for people to give them the best show he could. I’m sure along the way things could have became addictions but doesn’t make him a bad person at all. From all I have read he gave more than he got and he just couldn’t give anymore.
@@rogerwilhite530 friend, they did not turn on him, they were hoping after he read the book for himself, he would change his lifestyle, he read the book but sadly it was too late
As a recovering addict clean 16 years let me tell you if you have the resources Elvis had, unlimited money, unlimited time, and having whatever you want delivered to you for any addict death is going to come before the bottom that could save you. People don't understand the power of that. Thats why Michael Jackson, Prince, Elvis ,and many more are gone
So very true, all the famous people who have died. They all died very young Elvis was actually an old fart for being a dope feind. Only because he started every day drug use way late in his life. Ten solid years of power doping opiods and pharmaceutical grade speed I can only imagine how high E was every single day of his life. The doctors have the best drugs on planet earth especially American Pain Doctors such as E had several different Docs not just cause he was rich because he was the King and everybody wanted near him.
@@soulfireonfire6423 So what's the truth then ? He had 14 different drugs in his system. He and his buddies were doing all kinds of pills and they liked them. They enjoyed doing them but the guys were able to stop. Elvis couldn't. He didn't want to stop.
Hell yeah, when he was a kid He's Seen his parents being evicted from their différent housses, and later as Elvis as we all know him nowadays, a multimillionaire, he bought houses for his employes, Bodyguards etc ..what a mindset!
Yeah, these guys had it so tough living a celebrity fantasy camp lifestyle - carrying Elvis' bags, partying, getting lavish gifts, cars, doings drugs on his dime, on and on. Then when the money was running out and he couldn't pay them for doing literally nothing anymore they ran off and wrote a tell-all book about an incredibly shy, private person that had them in the first place because he wanted a very tight inner circle to protect him. Bunch of ungrateful clowns that never wanted to grow up.
Elvis had legitimate physical ailments (twisted colon, glaucoma) but make no mistake he was a drug addict. He honestly saw recreational drugs (marijuana, etc) as evil but prescription drugs as safe, something he could control. It doesn't detract from his immense talent or good deeds, but it is part of the big picture of his life.
@@ronniebishop2496 He did NOT gain 200 pounds!!!! I am so sick of all the lies!! He was bloated. He was some overweight, but it was mostly BLOAT! I saw him through the years. I watched when the bloat started. It came and went, according to when you saw him, as bloat does. I saw him 5 months apart in a huge venue and then in Vegas closer to when he died and he looked like two different people. Much bloat had gone in Vegas. He was sick and he was sad when Priscilla left. Leave him alone!!
@@ronniebishop2496 he never gained 200 pounds! He was not that overweight at his last concert! Ridiculousness! He was ill and had health issues but not as overweight as so many people have portrayed over the years!
@@keetonplace LOL what exactly is "bloat" made of? It's called fat. He appeared to gain, or lose 40-60 pounds pretty quickly, and most of it was in his stomach and face. I know this is possible because I've done it a few times. I'm not sure what you think isn't true that is in the book, but let's stop pretending that we as fans have even the slightest clue what he was actually like as a person to be around every day. All you have is the romanticized fantasy in your head of who he was as a human being.
@@KKC70 Firstly, if you don't know what bloat is, compared to fat, you need to go read a little. Bloat is extreme water retention caused by usually some kind of disease. Fat is when you eat too much. Elvis ate the Southern diet just like I and all my family did. Some still do,. He was not fat. I never once saw Elvis fat, but I saw him bloated and there's a huge difference. He had a distended stomach caused by something I don't know. It's worse sometimes than others and all of this was only in the last few years. I believe you could only wish to be half the man Elvis was. He had plenty of faults , but so what? These guys outright lied. or embellished. I have spoken to a number of people who got to be within that circle and saw plenty done by THEM. As well as Lisa. And I have a feeling that you have no clue of what all Elvis gave all these betrayers during their years with him. I have seen some of it auctioned off, as I attend auctions both in person and on line. It is amazing at what all they and their wives got from this generous man, to then go on to diss him for $$$.
I was almost 19 when Elvis died. I was at that time just starting my dark journey through the perils of alcoholism. I am a long time recovered alcoholic. I wish I could have crossed paths with Elvis sharing the knowledge I now have regarding addiction. If Elvis had a better understanding of his addiction and his denial thereof it could have possibly saved him. His story is no different than any other alcoholic/addict who thinks they're in control and eventually meets with death.
The thing that would have given ELVIS quality of life and longevity was to ensure that his insomnia was dealt with properly by his doctor and more importantly the rogue Parker, not through drug use but by ensuring the man was able to properly rest and recuperate. That would mean to ensure his shows were managed properly, doing midnight shows and then expect to go back to his room and go to sleep when on a high from performing would have affected any normal person. Insomnia exacerbated all the other health issues he suffered, notwithstanding the prescription meds he was being prescribed. Sleep deprivation has been linked to: 👉 Cognitive decline and neurodegeneration 👉 Poor memory and decreased reaction time 👉 Mood disorders and depression 👉 Weight gain and stimulation of appetite hormones 👉 Metabolic syndrome, elevated blood sugar and insulin resistance Sleep isn't just about the number of hours you're getting; it's also about the quality of your sleep. ELVIS suffered all these health issues due to his poor sleep habits! And agree these 3 x were angry at being let go, on their part they enjoyed living off ELVIS' generosity and didn't like the fact their cash cow was taken away! I hope that ELVIS is resting in peace now!
@@mariecavuoto319 If the Army didn't introduce Elvis to drugs , maybe he would have never bothered with them..They stationed him over at the Russian border.He had to stay up all night watching..So they had to give him something to Keep him up...When he went to sleep ,they had to give him something so he could sleep..So maybe that's where he got hooked..
@@mariecavuoto319 Thank you for this very good comment. From the moment Dirk Kuijk alias Tom Parker came into Elvis' life he was treated like a serf, who worked his butt off with at least 3 performances a day. Being in the army was better for Elvis' health than going on tour! Tom Parker murdered a former female employer in Breda, the Netherlands and fled under a false name to the U.S A. where he had been living before under his real name. As Tom Parker he was illegal and didn't dare to leave the U.S.A. because he didn't have a valid passport. For this reason the scoundrel sabotaged Elvis' career in Europe, South-America, Canada, Japan, Indonesia, Australia and New-Zealand. Elvis Presley was far too loyal and too kind and was ruthlessly exploited. Not only by Parker but also by many members of the MM. Not only during his life but also after his death. They all made money by publishing books and telling stories about a deceased Elvis Presley, who cannot defend himself. Fike f.i., who lived 19 years on Elvis' pockets, said that Elvis should have taken a long holiday on Hawaii to restore his health. What would that have done for Elvis' glaucoma, his longproblems, his very serious obstipation, his insomnia, his high blood pressure and so on? It illustrates how little Fike knew about Elvis' health problems and the oerson himself. The comments of the MM-members on Elvis often tell more about themselves than about Elvis. They project their own vices on Elvis just like Democrats project their crimes on Donald Trump and other Republicans.
You forgot to mention the "acupuncturist" who was injecting Demerol directly into Elvis as a pain treatment.... The things we know now, he had no chance and nobody would refuse him when he started itching for these meds. People say drug use like he was a street meth or crackhead. He was sick from day one, I'm not we knew the extent of his illnesses until after he died. But the emergent stories have thrown up other illnesses which impacted his mobility and ability to get clean or stay clean. He wanted the meds, but he was also a victim.
As a lifelong Elvis fan since 1956 I must say that I think that Red, Sonny and Dave got a raw deal. Especially Red West who protected him more than once at Humes High School. Not that Elvis was mean spirited, but that the drugs had completely taken over and changed his personality and power of reasoning by the mid ‘70’s. In a desperate effort to keep the drugs away from him they pressured the suppliers. Elvis became aware of that and panicking about his supply, had his dad fire them. Although, I must say that a similar situation happened with Scotty Moore and Bill Black. If not for the two of them Elvis wouldn’t have recorded “Lawdy Miss Clawdy” and perhaps never made it in the record racket, I mean business. Neither one made any significant amount of money with Elvis, merely the standard musicians rate. Moreover, during the 1954-55 tours in the south, they used Scotty’s wife car which they wore out. Elvis never replaced her car although he bought strangers new cars. I never could figure that one out.
Parker AND the drugs…taking effing Diluadid for a teeth cleaning ffs!! Massive medical malpractice on behalf of those Dr’s, especially Dr Nik, that killer!!
That's the price of Fame. You can't pursue fame and enjoy the adulation then turn around and want to be left alone. You can't pick and choose, it's all or nothing with fame.
He set it up the way he wanted. The lawyers should have had all of them sign a NDA. All of this could have been avoided. No one knows what it’s like to be around someone who is on drugs. I know someone who’s on them now and I think he will end up like Elvis. His wife has died sbd he’s miserable. And he does the drugs so much then pours alcohol on top. Elvis didn’t drink so.
@@TheJpep2424 I wonder how many huge celebs you know of who, at their various homes, walked out to the gate where all the fans were all the time and spend time with them. Elvis loved his fans immensely and knew the regulars by name and sometimes missed them and asked about them when they weren't at the gate. He was not just stuck inside. He went among his fans for all of his short life.. So, no, he certainly didn't "turn around and want to be left alone." He even tracked down the wife of a man he noticed missing at one of his LA homes. The man had died and he found her and visited. This from a source who was a gate girl and was eventually let in by Elvis. There's pictures of her and Elvis all over the internet. She knows stories about these guys that are far from flattering. Things that debunk some of their stories.
famous people like Dave Chappelle has said being famous, u cant go no place, no where. let alone, a mall or shopping or to dinner without a monsoon of people. thats why famous people only date other famous people and only hang out at each others places.
In this interview, they first admit to writing the book 'out of bitterness' and it's only after that the 'to help Elvis' gets added in. They were p.o.'d and wrote it out of spite. Did they regret it later...probably, but the damage was already done to a shy, very private person who was no doubt mortified by it. And yet, in the recorded phone call, you can hear Elvis expressing his care & concern for them even knowing that the book was going to be published. They knew he'd be devastated & had it published anyway.
Too late; the damage was already done; it personally hurt Elvis terribly and t spurred on countless books like it after Elvis's death. @@Sergigrinkovvolponyfan
Seems everyone that ever rubbed elbows with Elvis on any level has written a book - wife, every girlfriend/fling, all his buds, body guards, cooks, maids........ and each claims to have been closer and known him better than anyone else. Everyone wanted a piece of him and the circus continues all these years later.
And at the same time doesn't mean what these men were saying wasn't the Truth. Elvis was a great entertainer and a beautiful singer but just like every other entertainer he had flaws and limitations and his was prescription drugs.... Deal with it.
@@preshutchins Can you read? More importantly can you comprehend?? Where did I say he did not have a prescription drug problem or that he was flawless?? I SAID everyone he ever knew has written a book or done interviews each claiming to have know the true Elvis .... truth only there. You deal with it!!
@@preshutchins Oh Good Lord, are you an idiot ? What a stupid response you gave the previous commentator, Carol Crockett. She never at any time denied Elvis had a prescription drug problem. How on earth did you glean that from her statement ?
Of course they all wrote unauthorized books!! Elvis is profitable!! 📈 And most of Elvis cronies were broke!! But I don't believe this book was meant to make them rich! Elvis was still very much alive, when this book came out in May of 1977. I believe this was a last ditch effort to Wake Up Elvis!! And force him to get some serious medical help!! They seem really concerned about what Elvis was doing to his body!!! Unfortunately, it was too little too late!! 😢 Elvis's health was already deteriorating rapidly!! Joe Eposito was the only person that could have saved Elvis from himself!! Joe Eposito was in reality nothing but a hangers on, a precurer of female groupies, illegal drugs or whatever vice Elvis wanted!! Eposito was "double dipping" getting paid by Elvis's greedy, fake, "Col. Parker" to spy on Elvis!! And Elvis was paying Eposito to be a gopher and yes man to get whatever he needed!! After Elvis fired Sonny and his cousin Red West and the other bodyguard David Hebler. Elvis was dead for hours, before his girlfriend found his body laying dead on his bathroom floor! Why do you think Elvis's father Vernon, had Elvis's autopsy sealed for 50 years???!!! What was he trying to hide??! Most autopsies are available to the general public. Even celebrities autopsies. Except for JFK's. Joe Eposito was loyal, as long as Elvis kept him on the payroll!! Eposito did not love Elvis! Joe Eposito loved all the perks i.e. the groupies, drugs, cadillacs, notoriety, money , fame, jewelry and all the worthless materialistic things that came with being a member of Elvis's entourage!! Once Eposito and the rest of the "Memphis Mafia", kicked in the door of singer Wilson Picket's Las Vegas suite! During Picket's Las Vegas engagement at the same hotel and casino Elvis was performing at the time: "The International Hotel,🚪 Wilson Picket alledgley said some derogatory comments about Elvis Presley and I believe Elvis sent the "Memphis Mafia " to Picket's hotel suite to deliver that waring!!⚠️ That pig "Colonel Parker"used Eposito to spy on Elvis too! Keeping Parker in charge of Elvis and ultimately killing him!!! Eposito even sued Elvis for a failed racquetball facility investment! But he loved Elvis?! Yeah right! Joe Eposito was nothing but a "Yes Man!" And he knew better than to question Elvis about his destructive drug abuse and deadly high cholesterol diet , infidelity and deteriorating health!! Joe Eposito along with a maid ,Elvis's late Aunt that worked at Graceland and Elvis's "airhead" girlfriend Jennifer Alden, helped conceal and clean up Elvis's bathroom and bedroom of evidence of drug abuse, before calling the paramedics, the day Elvis died in his bathroom!!! Because there was not one pill bottle found in Elvis's house, the day he died!! They pretty much compromised and contaminated a crime scene! Elvis's bathroom at Graceland, that's why om the tours of Graceland, no one is allowed upstairs period! Elvis was taking around 9,000 prescribed medications at the same time!! 💊 That's the real reason, Elvis never fired him with the rest of the dear departed "Memphis Mafia!!" Joe Eposito cheated on his wife with Elvis groupies, regularly took drugs and was a "bag man" procuring illegal drugs for Elvis when they were both stationed in Germany in the U.S. Army back in the 1960s!! Eposito continued bringing in prescriptions drugs via Dr. Nick, til the day Elvis died!! In reality, if Joe Esposito experienced a religious awakening and gave his life to God, his soul is right down there roasting in Hell, with greedy , fake "Colonel Parker, Elvis Presley and the rest of the leeche$ that lived off Elvis and used him!! "The Elvis Curse" has already snatched Elvis's grandson Benjamin Keough, causing him to commit suicide! He was only 27 years old!! And now Elvis's only child Lisa Marie Presley has succumbed to an heart attack at only 54 years old! Sadly, Lisa Marie also struggled with substance abuse! R.I.P. Very tragic and sad!! All that glitters...Is not gold! 🙏
You can’t blame Sonny and Red for being bitter. They clearly loved Elvis. I think Sonny was being honest. That being said, I think they both regretted the book as the years passed. Elvis didn’t want the book to,come out. That being said, I lost a job after almost 18 years due to a corporate uyout and restructuring. It happens. Yes, they had families to support. It seems like the book had a combination of motives, try to stop Elvis from taking pills, bitterness and for money. I have no doubt that they did love Elvis.
They didn't love Elvis. You're kidding yourself if you really think that. A real friend doesn't go write a book about the worst version of yourself. Cmon man! They were upset because they couldn't be his parasite anymore. Elvis had enough of it. So they had to go and destroy him. Its disgusting. There was no love. Stop distorting the truth. Ethics and morals are from God. What these guys did to Elvis was not from God.
Can't blame them? LOL. These dudes were reckless af😂. They got Elvis sued for millions for uppercutting a dude for no reason ffs. Elvis was also under serious financial strain at the end. These clowns got to live in a fantasy world into middle age, where they partied like rockstars night in and night out then were bitter when the gravy train of gifts, parties and women stopped. And of course instead of just being grateful for the life they were given or even just respectful they decided to hurt Elvis deeply.
Red and Sonny came to regret ever publishing the book. It brought them nothing but grief. George Klein said that years later Red apologized and regretted ever having any thing to do with the book. And Red was like Elvis in the fact he never apologized, so he really did regret it l do believe.
@@ScooterFarts Do some frigging research ffs befoe insulting someone. Joe Esposito's second wife Martha was dying of terminal cancer and he needed money to pay for her medical bills. He at first tried to put together a DVD of some home movies he had and sell them, but Priscilla and EPE threatened to sue him. When they found out why he needed the money, Priscilla didn't offer to help out, she instead drew up a contract to buy them off him and she now claims them as her own and peddles the belief that it was what she filmed during her time with Elvis. As for the books, the only books Joe wrote were full of love and respect. They contained some undeniable home truths but they were never written with hate, or bittnerness or hurt or revenge, they were always revealed with love and respect. I'd've written such books if my Husband had been dying of Cancer and I wouldn't have felt bad about it one iota.
It’s a shame that they wrote that book. I read where he couldn’t believe they would write all that true or not, it was vindictive. Elvis was so kind and gave to everyone. But I am glad he is bigger now than he was then. The charisma and his beautiful voice and he was the greatest entertainer of all time. He was nice to all walks of life. 45 years later he has fans from the very young to the very old. He gave to family friends and strangers alike he was so generous. The poor guy couldn’t go out like us, he would have been mobbed. We love and miss you Elvis. There will never be another Elvis. RIP🙏🙏🙏
Dotmoran, You should read the book. It’s not that bad. Others close to Elvis have said and written far worse. There’s nothing in the book that hasn’t been revealed in other books.
VERNON PRESLEY: 1978 GOOD HOUSEKEEPING ARTICLE: TALKING ABOUT THIS SITUATION -- None of his employees, friends or associates ever went without anything they wanted or needed- - be it Cadillacs or diamond rings and furs for their wives. Elvis gave lavishly because it was his nature to be generous. He wanted to share his good fortune with everyone who was close to him. I remember a time not too long ago when I felt that he was carrying too big a crew, so I advised, 'You don't need all of them, especially some who just seem to be out for what they want'. Elvis stopped me cold, answering, 'You see their wants. I look beyond their wants and can see their needs.'
He was too good for them. Vernon was no saint himself, he was a coward who didn't stand up for what was right and he let the greedy ex wife do what she wanted with his will. Shame on all of them. The good thing Vernon did was make Elvis get his will in order in March 1977. He knew his son wouldn't last much longer. I wonder what else the full autopsy will show when we get the full details in 2027
His manager had a lot to do with it, he went from a 7 year movie contract to a long term contract performing in Vegas, he was being over booked and he felt like he was in a prison, the poor guy was miserable.. I read somewhere that he had said once that he’d rather be unconscious than unhappy.. so sad. I felt maybe he was just numbing himself.. I always wondered why he never took control and fired Parker, but I think when he tried to once, he billed him for a few million which he couldn’t afford with his overspending.. so there were so many things that were tragic in his life, I’m sure he felt used and he probably lost himself in his image.
He didn't take the pills over boredom. He thought he needed them to function normally. Thought he needed them to have energy for performances and needed to sleep
I do not do any drugs and seldom drink , I like to drink but I need to watch my weight . I was very sick years ago and the doctor gave me Percs , I liked them , although after a while they were making me sick and I stopped taking the Percs . I could see where Elvis needed the buzz , I did .
I can tell not only from this footage but from other documentaries that these men did truly love Elvis. None of us lived what they lived or had to endure what all these guys had to endure in being Elvis' friends so I personally would never condemn them for doing what they felt would somehow get him to see what he had become. This was their last ditch effort and sadly, what it comes down to is that nothing that they did could've made Elvis stop the drugs. That was something only Elvis could've done. It's too bad that back then there wasn't much help for people struggling with drug addiction.
They didn't "have to endure" anything😂😂. They leeched off of Elvis for their livelihoods then when he cut off the gravy train they wrote a nasty book about him. They could've gotten other jobs at any time. They are losers and did not care about him one bit, only what he could do for them and what knowing him could do for them.
red and sunny were with him from day 1. I believe the book was written as a tough love effort. they were trying to present him with a challenge to clean up and prove them wrong.
They didn’t have to out him. I didn’t know he used cocaine. He was hugely humiliated, that would definitely make me off myself. Because it’s their words against what the critics already insinuate. Sad story, trust no one
@@e2go They were powerless in trying to make Elvis see that he was destroying himself. Nothing they said or did got through to him and as his friends I'm sure that was hard. So, yes they most definitely did endure a lot as most friends and families of addicts do.
It is certainly true that many of the people who criticise this book, have not read it. Females in particular are notorious for this , ie forming an opinion without bothering to perform the basic task of making sure that their opinions are informed ones.
Hi from England I was 12 when ELVIS died. I have never read the book. I have watched lots of videos about ELVIS and his "backstory" and they make me shed tears and make me think so much about the years that have "flown" by This clip of Sonny and Dave (not sure if RED was on this tape but from questions asked by the press they were there and knew how it was I know Davis is still alive as is Jerry Schilling. and Larry Geller Elvis it seems towards that last 18 months was a parody of himself. I think he must have felt disgusted with himself as well. People say why did'nt ALL THE GUYS do more for ELVIS. BUT ONLY ELVIS could help himself. They ALL TRIED THEIR BEST and i hope they went through those pearly gates of heaven with NO REGRETS. They all LOVED ELVIS especially RED having known ELVIS since Humes High School in around 1948/9 As someone who has had family members die of alcohol addiction young you can do as much to help them as you love them so much but sadly this help does not always work😊😊😊🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹♥♥♥🙏🙏🙏🙏😭😭😭😭😭😢😢
I read the book and there wasn’t a long thread of love through it. Besides the drugs there are other stories unrelated to drugs that are negative about Elvis. Let’s be honest. It was a tell all book by an admittedly bitter man because he was hurt and angry. We’ve found out since there were quite a few incidents in which they bullied people, even fans and pushed people around. Even Joe Esposito girlfriend said they used physical tactics on her. So just admit you wanted to hurt him back. That’s a normal response. If Elvis hadn’t let them go, they would have stayed on with him continuing the drugs. Also, many people said when Elvis heard about it and read an early copy of it he was very upset. Jerry Schilling said Elvis couldn’t believe it and stated he hoped his fans wouldn’t desert him.
@@chubby_artist Steve Dunleavy was a slime ball that put it all in a different light than intended probably. This book was child's play compared to what has come out since.
@@chubby_artist Since when is "tough love" getting to ruin someone's character in front of the world? Would you be okay or anyone you know be okay with that? Not "tough love" at all... just vindictive, low class actions from bitter cowards trying to put themselves in a better light after a tremendous amount of damage was done!
I just started to look into Elvis's death and lifestyle. You can tell that his guys were some good old boys that did care for the man dearly and some were haunted by it till there last days. Also starting off on prescription pills you don't think your doing anything wrong...people were not as enlightened to every drug back then...as time passed the addictions set in and as mentioned he (had to have it) and being Elvis and sadly a addict he was going to get it one way or the other. Nothing gets in the way of that i can promise you. The whole things a shame
Elvis was suffering from serious insomnia from early childhood. And when one think how much responsibility he had on his shoulders to keep everything going. They say that Elvis was bored, what an evil thing to say. He had so much to do that he was totally worn out. How much Elvis gave this betrayeders, in cars, bathing in luxury. I liked your answer a lot! ❤️
@@ladyjuliette8004 iv actually done a lot of digging still not done, never done really but he was a pure soul absolutely. The generosity and care for other’s means more then anything to me an this man had it in spades
@@Junior-fd8ux I could be more agree with you about this, he was so kind that a lot of people took advantage of him in the most hurtful and raw ways. He believed to good about people that he had near to him.He had high standards towards himself, he worked and worked. When I said digging in Elvis's life, I didn't mean Elvis himself. It's those who were around him. I have found out things that are hard to believe, but even true. Elvis wrote a beautiful poem about his life once( Maybe there were many), the poem tells how much love means to him, how hard it was to live without it. And that was written while he still was fit, and everything in his life seems ok. So I believe that Elvis was intelligent, intellectual, and he saw people. The thing was that he stood out with to much, because he didn't want to hurt people. It's the people around him, not all, but many of them, that I mean. Even those who was most close to Elvis.
They were honest that they initially wrote the book out of bitterness. Unfortunately, the revelations were new at this time & I'm sure this hurt Presley immensely & he may have started taking more meds to try & calm any anxiety he may have had at the time; he eventually succumbed to a heart attack months later.. Loyalty was definitely important to Presley and although I get the motive of the book, this book was definitely personal and brought a negative spotlight to Presley. Definitely they cared for Presley, but there had to be some internal reasons for their dismissals. If they were still employed at that time, they would have continued covering up for Presley's dependency problems.
They were, working as security-guards, violent towards Elvis' fans. That led to lawsuits which cost Elvis a lot of money. After that they didn't work for Elvis anymore but were still being paid in 1975! Red West played in movies in 1975 but still received his payments from Elvis in return for doing nothing. It was not Elvis' fault that Red, Sonny and Dave had no markable skills that could pay for the luxurious lifestyle they were used to while "working" for Elvis. Red West and Lamar Fike even lived in Germany at Elvis' costs. Doing what while Elvis was in the army? Elvis provided for the livelihood of familymembers, "friends", girlfriends, housekeepers, security, musicians, airplanecrew and so on. About a 100 persons in total! Red, Sonny and Dave, who couldn't even provide for themselves and their nuclear family, call Elvis immature? It's laughable! They totally panicked when daddy Elvis didn't pay their food, bills, houses, cars, medical insurance and schools anymore. Spoiled children that were cut off by their sick "father" who had glaucoma, braindamage (1967 fall), headaches, acute insomnia, a badly functioning colon, auto-immunedisease/arthrose, congenital lung-, liver- and heartproblems and a weak immunesystem. Did they do anything to alleviate Elvis' huge responsibilities, protect him from Parker, urge him to go see the right doctors? No, they couldn't care less about Elvis as long as he paid for their livelihood.
There is no other entertainer since Elvis Presley who gave away so much to fans and everyone. Cars 100’s of them gifted, jewelry, money, etc. This man shared his wealth with the world. You will never see another celebrity, entertainer like him. All entertainers want now is their 100 million dollar mansions. Elvis was never apart of the so called 1% rich people. He was a real human being who gave a shared it all with family, friends, fans people he didn’t know.
I have seen this interview - nice upload However , it is missing a key comment from Dave, when asked "If you loved him so much, why couldn't you protect him?" To which Dave replied, "Of course protect him... How do you protect someone from themselves" Still makes me sad & moves me & gives me chills every time... 😢😢😢😢 I am 53 & a life long Elvis fan.. I still remember the day Elvis died - I was quite young.. We were back home in Italia My father's Elvis LPs & cassettes made me a super fan Love him, always will I listen to him every day Long live the King sempreee!!! ❤❤❤❤ May God Bless Elvis always... 🙏🧡🙏
Sonny was a friend - he enjoyed the perks of course but he loved him. You can tell. Jesus he met the President of the United States on a whim - it’s surreal - Also he looked like a bad ass.
"yOu cOuLd tElL". Yes, one way for sure to tell someone loves another person is when they write sleazy tell-all books about them to clearly destroy their reputation and hurt them after decades of getting paid to live in a celebrity fantasy world and be a glorified errand boy and fake tough guy while partying on the person's dime, receiving lavish gifts, vacations, homes, cars, etc. That screams "love" every time. Especially when they know that person is incredibly private and trusted you to be a part of his inner circle to protect him in the first place.
They were bums. Red was always Elvis's protector and Jerry probably his closet 'real friend' of the crew, but the Memphis Mafia were joe blows lucky enough to have had Elvis as a childhood friend. Vernon didn't respect or like any of them and wanted all their asses kicked out. He called them leeches and shamed Elvis for putting them above his own wife. Look, they all partied with Elvis and snuffed enough speed to kill a horse every night all on Elvis's dime. Now they want to 'help' him? I get they tried to help him because they saw the drugs were killing him, but they'd encouraged his ride on that road from pill number one. Once Gladys died, Elvis didn't care anymore. He tried to be married for a few months before throwing it in because he was a weak man surrounded by weak agreeable people. His homelife was a shambles towards the end and none of his 'friends' tried to help. He wasn't even a good father, what with Lisa literally firing people and running amok whilst her dad was passed out upstairs on Ludes as his 'pals' were playing poker in the kitchen and eating his food.
They should have never aired Elvis' last performance in 1977. It made him look horrible. After 73' nothing was gonna stop his death. They would have had to put him in a drug induced coma to get him off. And even then the damage had been done. He wouldn't have lived very long there after. The only person to blame in any of this is Elvis himself. Elvis will stand before God and give an account not Sonny, Red, Marty, Lamar, Billy, Dee's kids or Priscilla. He made his own cake and ate it too. I love the man on stage. But offstage the man was bat shit crazy with all those drugs. I've been an addict and alcoholic my whole life and it CHANGES YOU as a person. Makes you do unheard of things. Then comes the guilt and condemnation of it so you stay numb not to give AF and face the consequences of your actions. Everyone points the finger at everybody else except their idol. We can't do that, because it will tarnish it. We have to keep it flawless so people continue to worship the image. The more I dig into his personal life the more I have changed my opinion about the man. As far as the image and what he did on stage and in the studio is where his greatness lies. No way in hell could Elvis have lived up to the image he portrayed to the people. If you read the more truthful books especially Alana Nash's book you will see him in a different light. Elvis was a mere man addicted to drugs offstage and America's biggest Idol while onstage.
how you so sure about the judgement you placing on another man, in the afterlife. you a fool, until you meet that afterlife stop putting your fantasy thoughts on others. you know Elvis as much as I know you, you goof
I LOVE ELVIS. I HUNG OUT WITH SONNY IN MEMPHIS FOR 4 NIGHTS AND HE WAS VERY KIND TO ME. I COULD SEE FOR CERTAIN THAT HE TRULY LOVED ELVIS. I THINK MISTAKES WERE MADE ON BOTH SIDES BUT HE LOVED ELVIS!
I never read there book but it really got me to thinking because they saw all that ever happened to Elvis and even his demons that shock Elvis all up to pieces because these guys knew what just happened to Elvis that is why they wrote this book to explain in details all the tragedies that took place when Elvis was still alive from that period of his time and his life until Elvis died which was a Shock indeed threw out The Whole Wide World even I Myself cried in 1977 when Elvis passed away
"THEIR" book..... idiot... maybe you should read THEIR book if you want to have an opinion about it.... otherwise shut your mouth, you have NO idea what you are talking about... I read THEIR book, so I am entitled to an opinion... NOT YOU
I’m a diehard Elvis fan but these men were fired with a week salary over 40 years old and for No good reason. they had to make money. they had families. I’m sure most of you would certainly understand if you were put in that situation. Most people knew Elvis was on drugs. That wasn’t a surprise.the book was about a lot of love for Elvis too 💔
News flash: all of these guys did drugs with Elvis and didn't give af about any of it until the free ride was over. Wahhhhhhhhhhh. The gravy train of gifts, women and drugs was finally over. Cry me a river. Grow up and get a job like the rest of the world has to. And there was plenty of reason to fire them. These dudes got Elvis entangled in lawsuits for jacking people up for no reason. Bunch of sycophant loser man children with no qualifications other than going to school with Elvis. Biting the hand that fed them their whole adult lives. Maybe they should've saved all of that money and all of those houses and gifts that Elvis showered these clowns with for doing absolutely nothing for 20 years. All of Elvis' behavior was all well and good until they finally got cut off.
Red West made films in 1975 and wasn't doing anything for Elvis except cashing in on Elvis' money, letting him pay for health insurance and his children's education. Red West has been hanging around Elvis and parasiting on him since Elvis was 21! Elvis bought him a house, cars, organised movieparts for him, paid his wedding and supplied him with a host of beautiful women, all Elvis' fans. Red West behaved as if Elvis was his sugardaddy. Sonny and Dave didn't leech on Elvis as long as Red did but they also profitted greatly of Elvis' money and fame. The three were removed from Elvis' security team because they were violent towards fans and maybe other people. As a consequence Elvis was sued for the damage caused by their behaviour which cost a lot of money. If they really loved Elvis they wouldn't have published a tell-all book about Elvis but a tell-all book about their own sins. My grandparents and parents always employed people for their business and household. Employees, who talked to outsiders about the private lives of their employers, were considered bad employees, which restricted their job opportunities. Red and Sonny West plus Dave Hebler behaved like no-good men, who were not worth Elvis' friendship. I read that Sonny West ended his life in financial trouble because he couldn't pay his medical bills and sugardaddy Elvis wasn't there anymore to finance his life. That's karma!
They lived off of him… used him😢!!! At 40 after all elvis gave them they should feel ashamed they did not get off their behinds and make a life and do the hard work!!
I’d go deliver pizza, or work at any job that was hiring until something better came along before I’d betray someone who took care of me and my family for decades. Maybe he could have sold all the jewels, cars and furs Elvis gifted him and his wife.
From what I read Elvis was so upset about the book and he said he can't believe that pple that he considered family could do this to him. He was so embarrassed about the book . Poor Elvis done so much good to pple. We all love you Elvis forever. Such a kind down to earth human being. Never had any bad intentions for anybody except good intentons
Agreed! Elvis himself was so kind that he couldn't understand how people near him could betrayed him like this. He was just kind. They wrote the book as a revenge for not bathing in luxury anymore. God knows how much Elvis gave them. And if one looses a job, find another. This was evilness against the kindest most giving man, the world ever seen.
@@sandrap6321Yes, really! They were predicaters all of them, and the two West - guy's was the worse, Sonny and Red. These two was supposed to be Elvis's "childhood friends". He had them hired for 25 years, all of them, and they were bathing in luxury. Then Vernon had to let them go, all of them because Elvis was bankrupt after the divorce from Pricilla. She has been a Sientolog since early 60's, and she was the worst predictor of them all, she and her Sientolog lawyers. So she busted Elvis, and he hadn't been dead to long before she wrote a book about Elvis to, exposed his private life , only from her point of view. Of course Elvis was bad, she was a saint. The book the West- duo wrote, Elvis was a real bad guy, they were " his best friends', as anyone believed them. The only thing they had to say, was that the timing maybe was a little bad. I've never heard of a celebrity that had so many terrible people around his, as Elvis. Even his father talked bad about him behind his back, jealous of his own son while gladly let Elvis fees him and his new family. And then the Colonel! Elvis did belive the best about every one of them, and didn't see what they all ready were because it was to late. All these people digged his grave. Most of the fans worship the dust Pricilla walks in, the truth is that she and her family blackmailed Elvis to marry her, or Elvis would go to jail for childabuse. Witch he never had committed. He cried his eyes almost out then, Pricilla had at that point had at least five lovers, it was not a virgin Elvis married. He knew what she was after just his money and name. After five years she wanted divorce , exactly those years it took to get the right to half of Elvis's estate. She took more! She has much to say about Elvis being unfaithful, not a word about herself that had the one lover after the other. Elvis was kind so he just called her The bitch. Elvis, a good christan, and Sientolog wife, can anyone see that Elvis didn't want her for his wife, because of that at least. But no. I wish that someone would have made a movie about Elvis and all he did in his short life, that was true! The only one that really loved him, was his cousin Billy. The last time the Presley family saw Lisa Marie, was in her dad's funeral. The Presley's was plain and good people, but not good enough for Pricilla. So she took away Lisa's family, her home made into a museum, and raised as a Sientolog. No wonder Lisa has had a differcult life, never any support from her mother, that was occupied by herself and her lovers. But then again, Lisa should be an abortion, as her mother has repeated since Elvis died. So poor Lisa to! This was a long answer.
@@ladyjuliette8004 Cilla act just like elvis widow, oh please the were divorced years before elvis died, she even go on her life with another man. And then she created a fairytale love story but I think it just all BS. They called it "true love" but elvis refused to get sexual intimate with her after lisa was born how can someone who love you refused be intimate around with you? Come on man, the dead man can't tell a tell so she created her own fairy tale. He didn't love her that's why he never reconcile with her or begged her back at least. Not as he did to Ann Margret. Elvis want ann to get back with him desperately after years apart, even care about her till he died. That's called love. Oh elvis would have different life if he married Ann Margret, unfortunately.
Sonny West looked bit as Barry Gibb... 👨🏽🦱 I read about the press about Elvis in 1977, that He fired them, I could understand them... On the one side, but on the other side there is the great Elvis..., with His daddy, Tom Parker. Very interesting. The press conference sounds total different than today, very much near, no 😷😷😷😷 Covid 19.... Long time ago. Make Peace. Rest all in Peace. 🌹🌹
This is a book promotion interview. They mentioned "read the book" a thousand book, if they were trying to justify comments in the book they would just quote what the book says instead of saying " read the book"
One thing everyone overlooks is what did the Dentist give Elvis in the wee hours of his death? Elvis was addicted to pills and I'm sure he twisted the Dr's arm to give him something. Elvis was due in Portland Maine the next day for the start of a new tour. A pill addict, I can guarantee you with his stature wanted something strong. Probably the whole reason he went to the dentist in the wee hours of the morning and a accomodating dentist to be present. Pills! Dead within 9 hours. Bathroom cleaned before paramedics arrived and stomch contents drained at hospital.
Great video..thankyou 🤟🏼 Omg "what are we gonna do...40 yr old stunt men...we had families!" THAT IS THE KEY POINT!!! They rode a luxury gravy train..(.remember ur families while taking the pick of Elvis's leftovers!!?) Loved that man....yeah coz he paid all ur bills for decades! Not about the drugs but the drugs changed him...er so it was about the drugs...Sounds like they actually DID see he was bored and creatively frustrated...they didnt help him....they did exactly what he did but Elvis paid for it all...Elvis took it for a reason...what was theirs!!!? None but a freebie... Wanted to see him like in his prime!! Omg THAT WAS THE PROBLEM....He never would be that kid again...they didnt want him growing up...an poor Elvis knew he was stuck in an image, this is the result of letting go just a couple of his workers....angry betrayal disguised as "love" lol yeah right....a real friend wouldve saved and not expected...sound like whinging brats. RIP Elvis...u did all u cud & more...forever loved 🤟🏼💞🕊
@3SeveredHeads… You said it exactly the way most of us feel about these guys!! The sound like spoiled adult men expecting a hand out for life! I have read that Elvis had said that he couldn’t slow down on working because he had to have enough money to pay everyone that worked for him. He felt responsible for them financially! And that is what is so messed up if you ask me, Elvis was getting older and life naturally slows down and we change. But Elvis was forced to keep performing the same thing year after year! It is no wonder that Elvis was lonely! I’m sure most everyone has heard the saying, “It’s lonely at the top!” Elvis was definitely at the top! But these “bloodsuckers” expected him to support them to infinity, that is so unreasonable! If people didn’t care too much for these particular men who wrote that book, then they made their case worse from that interview! One word comes to mind “Greed” and even “Selfish”. They couldn’t see past their own need to see that they were part of what was killing Elvis! The stress and pressure that it all must have caused Elvis! Unbelievable!!
@@donnap.c.886 Amen to that! 🙏🙏 Btw i recently found out that Elvis had had enough...realised his "mates" were just greedy hangers on, it saddened him but he was planning to ditch most of the guys, inc the Colonal (praise be!) And go away to Hawaii for a year to get off the drugs, get fit and he knew it had to be done....sadly he passed beforehand! Even that was strange...he apparently went into the bathroom to read about 9.30AM BUT wasnt found til about 3.15PM!!!!! IN A HOUSE FULL OF PEOPLE who supposidly cared for him....bloody disgusting. Joe Espisito even has said RIGOR MORTIS had already set in or was so!!! Omg that means NOT ONE PERSON HE PAID asked if he was ok for almost the whole day! How fricking sad. Then again there is alot of contradictions from the same people....if I had found ANYONE LET ALONE ELVIS i would DEFINATELY KNOW exactly what happened, where & what! The police shouldve cordoned his house off coz he died suddenly young...couldve been caused by anything or anyone!! Very strange they just saw him an said yep he dead lets move him! But its history now & Elvis is singing with Jesus..RIP beautiful genuine soul 💞🕊
Thts true they got a lot from Elvis and now they turn against him. Elvis bought them houses cars and even paid for their weddings. It seem that was not enough. Such betrayal I say.
These guys go on about Elvis crazy erratic behaviour and his drug taking but most of the guys who worked for him were doing the same stuff. Only Elvis gets talked about because nobody cares about the other guys. Even Joe Esposito has said that none of them were saints on the road. Drugs women getting into fights, they all did it. Before Red and Sonny got fired there were dozens of lawsuits against Elvis because of their hit first and ask questions later attitude. After they got fired there wasnt one lawsuit. They loved touring with Elvis and sponging off him, rubbing shoulders with famous people and meeting women they wouldnt have met otherwise. Its a known fact that a lot of the memphis mafia were either using drugs, whining to Elvis about wanting money and cars, etc, or the outright stole from him when he wasnt around. As for Hebler he was a latecomer who sided with Red and Sonny and from what a lot of people have said, openly shot his mouth off about Elvis' relationship with his father.
GOD BLESS all of you who worked to protect ELVIS from would be assailants and other nuts! Thank you for the book Thank you for loving the king. Best wishes to all of you.
5:03 "When we met him (the Ruppert Murdoch's journalist) he wasn't like that last year" : yes he was, he published in 1976 excerpts from the Elvis' phone call recorded by Red West.
Elvis took prescription drugs. Sonny West is the only one that goes around saying that he took street drugs. In later interviews he contradicts himself. These people are trying to defend themselves for writing this book.
Coke start from 75 and after ,this was the reason why red west threaten to break the legs of ricky and the bass plsyer of voice grouo,becsuse find,this guys give coke to elvis
@@tolistolis8277i think it was Lamar Fike that told a story that they used to soak q-tips in liquid cocaine then put the q-tips in their nose. It would get them high for hours. Never heard that confirmed by anyone else, but I am pretty sure it was Lamar who told that story. Who knows if it is true or not.
Sonny's new book is very good. I felt they were good friends to Elvis and tried to save him. Its sad things turned out like they did. I believe if Elvis got off the drugs he would have made up with his friends. Elvis had his flaws he was not perfect but I don't judge him, we all have flaws. God Bless him, he just could not face it.
Lol these absolute losers leeched off this guy until the end. Did absolutely zero on their own that anyone gave a damn about so they had to sell out their buddy that gave them everything and hurt him terribly... then people take them seriously and legitimize the garbage they're saying lmfao. What a joke. The only ones that should be answering for their flaws and for not being perfect are the clowns in this video that were mad they couldn't rough people up at the shows anymore and cheat on their wives with women there to see Elvis anymore. Complete dirtbags that did nothing but enable and leech off of Elvis then act like they wanted to help him by shitting all over him for a buck.
Of course they were "good friends to Elvis" when he was paying them, buying them cars, lavish gifts, vacations, etc, and letting them live in a fantasy world into middle age ffs😂🤣. They were right there partying with Elvis and doing drugs with him on his dime and getting women from his name. When the gravy train stopped and Elvis had financial issues and couldn't afford to pay fake tough guys to be glorified baggage handlers anymore (especially after uppercutting innocent people and getting Elvis sued) they decided that they weren't friends anymore. Bunch of ungrateful clowns.
@@raven_ous2585 maybe it was tough love that they felt they needed to do to get Elvis off the drugs. As well as maybe some sour grapes over being fired
@@tolistolis8277 You can read it for free online quickly. At the time the stories seemed I think unbelievable. After awhile it doesn’t seemed too embellished. He died a month later
@@chubby_artist omg THEY TOOK THE DRUGS TOO!! Had all of Elvis' cast off ladies, took the FREE homes, cars, horses, 1st class lifestyle....SAVED NOTHING!!!! EXPECTED THE gravy train to keep on a ridding! Elvis was paying everyone on 50%...the colonal kept his 50% paying noone!!! As for Vernon being called 'right'...he could see the excesses Elvis was going to WOULDVE made them broke...he tried to reign him in a bit...nothing wrong with that. As for tough LOVE....YOU GOTTA B S H I TT ING ME 🤣😂😛🙄👍 They wanted him "as he was"...ohhh boo hoo...u stabbed the kindest man in the back...the very same back that CARRIED ALL OF YOU MOST OF UR LIVES!! Treated like a damn donkey... As ive said a true friend accepts BUT DOESNT EXPECT!! NO EXCUESES HERE....
I expected their book to be more of a hatchet job on him than it was, but for the most part, a lot of it was about the good times they all had with him.
The biggest mistake they made, was not reading the book themselves before it was published. They had faith in the wrong man. He took what they said and twisted it. They didn’t know he would do that. Vernon caused the whole thing. If Vernon had done what Elvis said it wouldn’t have happened. lol
Lost people do what lost people do. Personally, I think Elvis might have died anyway even if the book hadn't come out. I don't condone what Red, Sonny, and Dave did. Red actually got a gig on a TV show starring Robert Conrad shortly before or after he was fired and he did okay for himself. No, when you write a book like that . . . you either are trying to wake a person up or you are trying to hurt them. They could have gotten money by other means too, just by being the former bodyguards of Elvis Presley. I do think the Press Conference was a legit case of two men trying to do damage control, because they never expected Elvis to die. I think Sonny was remorseful too, but we are all wicked and depraved people without God's mercy and grace and I've forgiven the Wests and Hebler a long time ago.
Bitter, they were sacked the pair of them. More to do with money than friendship. They lived a privileged life, financed by Elvis. Once the cash cow had left the building, friendship went out the window. Sad really.
Exactly Gary Smith!! Spot on....still trying to justify their greedy annoyance! Didnt they SAVE a penny over the many YEARS Elvis KEPT THEM IN LUXURY!!!? SAD SACKS...
Enjoyed seeing this video in its most entirety. As tough as Sonny was as a bodyguard , if you had an opportunity to have met him, he was a gentle and loving soul who really cared about Elvis Presley, regardless of what the general public thought of the book.
Interesting to hear so much of this press conference. Only ever seen a few snippets before, including one that wasn't in this video: Q. If you loved him so much, why didn't you protect him? A. Of course, protect him. How do you protect a man from himself?
What an amazing interview. Finally we get to hear more about the book and the interview in more depth not just the clips about the drugs. Thank you most interesting xxx 💝
Not really, I guess they felt slighted considering Vernon fired them thinking they were the bad influences, think about it though. The people around the President protect him, they don't cross him in any way, they are loyal. These guys were loyal so feel slighted, These were the guys guarding him. As years went on, you can see they cared but tell an addict anything and that person is done with you. Hell, Parker was the one who booked those crazy shows and got him first hooked on speed. Read all about it. Parker was the bad influence.
They tried to save his dumb ass..!! He was a Drug addict .. period..! To many people put him on a high pedestal.!! He was Human..!! I am one of the biggest fans of Elvis but sometimes the truth hurts..!!!
Oh boy. This argument will never end. 100 years from now. Dave Hebler didn't "love" him. He hadn't been around long enough. Red couldn't appear there. Dilaudid is many times stronger than herion. So it's all ridiculous. They weren't all legal. The coke, according to an FBI memo about a variety of entertainers, came from NY. Some woman he knew from the 1960s was that source. The other source, mentioned here, was Donnie Sumner. And yes, Red broke his toe. His toe! 😱 Weird stuff happened. But they were no angels in terms of drugs; they are being disingenuous about that. Not sure about Red, because he went right into a TV series w/Robert Conrad after a period of mourning. He did okay. But Sonny, Mr. "Anti-drug Public Service Announcement" here, got in trouble in a couple years. I think Red and Sonny wanted to believe they were like the protagonist in The Fray's "How To Save A Life." THIS is a manual of "how to not save a life." Yeah, public humiliation works great, just great! You coulda talked to his Daddy. Vernon wasn't dumb; years before he hired a private eye in the capacity of a double agent to track down the Dr. Feelgoods like Elias Ghanem and "Flash" Newman and that weird old dude "Dr. Painless." Ghanem was horrific! He not only lived right up a hill from a very young Conrad Murray (yes, the Dr. convicted of murdering Elvis' future son-in-law. Ghanem treated a teen Michael Jackson when he and the group played Vegas. (Elvis did a very warm introduction of the "fellas" during his own show, met them backstage, told the youngest kids to "remember, all this you hear on the radio, in my show, EVERYTHING is all black music. Remember that." It was a wonderful moment that Michael heard. A bit later, Elvis' 7-year-old daughter was in town (I think Tahoe). Elvis didn't take her to the show. He did something that can only be described as "radical parenting." He asked Jerry Schilling and Myrna Smith, a couple consisting of a black woman and a white man (both as close as aunt and uncle to Lisa even before Jerry and Myrna got together) to accompany Lisa to their show. It certainly made an IMPRESSION! Close to 20 years later, they married. And stayed together after the official marriage ended. (Long story; not for today.) Elvis "fixed them up." Boy in the business wouldn't be a golddigger, like her final, horrible marriage and the custody battle from hell). Back to the point. They could've talked to Vernon, years before the split. They didn't. So talk of love rings hollow. But again, they knew Vernon didn't like the whole lot of 'em and wanted them away from his son, his only child. Yeah, people knew less in the 1970s about addiction than they do now. But things haven't changed too damn much: it's still a stigma and still people don't know how to save someone. What IS common sense is not to publicly humiliate the afflicted person in front of the world! You don't do that, then or n now. That's not love; t that's vengeance.
I've been wondering where the rest of this interview was for years. Thanks for posting it as it's one of very few things about Elvis I haven't seen as I've only seen the short edited piece of this in the This Is Elvis film. BTW, are their any photos of Dave actually with/near Elvis? I don't recall ever seeing any of him around Elvis...
History has proven Red, Sonny and David's accounts of Elvis to be credible and compassionate. It's clear they loved Elvis and tried to save him. Elvis's untimely death, although heartbreaking, served to vindicate their claims but it's clear that was difficult to reconcile for these gentlemen.
@@kathy-t5q The book was in the works long before Elvis died. If you think these two gentlemen didn't love Elvis, you'd be wrong. Period. The release of this book coupled with Elvis's untimely death gave a public perception that these two were nothing more than money-hungry ex-employees that had "scores to settle." They were hurt/heart broken when Vernon dismissed them but understood the reasons for it, which included Elvis's desire to surround himself with strictly "yes-men." Red & Sonny began to say, "No" to Elvis. "No" to touring, drugs, women, etc... For most of the 1970's, if one were to remain employed with Elvis Presley Inc. ....one did NOT say, "No." Period.
Blah, blah, blah. They got fired, they didn't leave for not wanting to be yes men😂. Absolute clown nobodies that lived in a fantasy world for decades leeching off one of the biggest stars in history. Partying with him, receiving lavish gifts and vacations, on and on and on. Then when Elvis was dealing with serious financial struggles at the end and couldn't afford to pay them for doing absolutely nothing anymore they ran off and turned on him like a bunch of spoiled little brats. Period. He was constantly touring because he needed the money and Vernon was looking out for him, as he should've been ffs. But spoiled little brats don't like it when the gravy train stops so they wrote a tell-all book trying to hurt a very private, shy person that needed an inner circle because he didn't trust many people in the first place.
At first i thought they were traitors. But as the years progress I have understood that the 3 Body guards, were somehow in a certain way also trying to make Elvis aware of his Drug prescription problem. Yes its also clear the book was also written out of bitterness for them getting fired. But it had no affect in that Elvis attempted to stop trying to stop the Prescriptions intake.
It’s true Elvis was using drug but the person was already dead, give him a respect, stop telling bad things to him. If you love this person you don’t need to say bad thing, you was his friend for a long time. Elvis was depressed , he was very sick already. If you really his friend since the beginning he was taking drug, you can telling him what is the effect of using too much drug. Some of the effect of using too much prescription drug they can not think what is right and wrong. He need a person who can love him truly and understand him and telling him what was the effect of using too much prescription drugs. It’s hard to do this sacrifices and understanding but if you really love and care this person you will do everything to help him, but he got worst when his wife left him. If his family just come back to his life maybe he will change.. he love his family, especially his daughter and they can save his life. But right now he is with our God almighty and taking good care of him.
They weren't bad mouthing him, just telling the truth. Elvis needed a hard core intervention, not more enabling. Addiction is a horrible disease, that doesn't mean the person is bad. They need to admit their problem first, then accept help. Poor Elvis, as well as the helpless people around him.
@@fuckhead9194 They were in an hopeless situation, I understand that, and Elvis could be very unpleasant to be around because of the drugs but, they should have just left quietly as friends.
I heard Sonny talking on the phone to E for a long time and you can’t protect someone like him from himself, he was a powerful personality and well like a king, nobody could say no to him even if they wanted too. They just couldn’t do it.
Of course they could, they were just too busy partying and doing drugs themselves on Elvis' dime and leeching a celebrity lifestyle from one of the biggest stars in the world. Colonel Parker certainly didn't have a problem telling Elvis what was up. These clowns just didn't want the celebrity fantasy camp to end along with the gifts, vacations, parties, etc. If they truly cared about Elvis they would've understood he had financial issues at that point in time and couldn't afford to be paying fake tough guys to do carry his bags anymore, at least until his financial situation was better.
So refreshing to hear the truth from these men that were closest to Elvis. We need to know who Elvis really was without all that idolatry. It’s not fair to portray him as something he wasn’t for the sake of keeping his fans in the dark. I can accept the truth, it’s the lies that bother me. I believe what these men have to say about Elvis because it just sounds believable without all the fluff and make believe. It is what it is. He had great attributes and he also had a dark side. Knowing both makes him look real, human.
I watched a ton of documentaries of Elvis from the perspective of the Memphis Mafia. Great stories. Parts of it telling the sad truth, too. But these guys tried so hard to wake him up to make him see what he was doing to himself. All The King's Men was one, Elvis & The Memphis Mafia was another. Elvis, The Final Hours or Last 24 Hours. Maybe more. They all tell the same stories.
Absolutely ungrateful nobodies that got paid to live in a rock and roll fantasy camp, party, go on vacations and receive gifts for decades. Absolute trash.
They were fired because they were too violent with Elvis' fans. Through this book , they went on being violent but with Elvis. Red West almost pretends that Elvis couldn't play guitar and that he was wrong when he thought that Priscilla was having an affair with her dance teacher. In "Elvis and me", Priscilla confirmed that she really had this affair. Elvis was very hurt when he heard about this book, he felt betrayed by his former friends but said to Larry Geller that he knew his fans are too smart to believe what these 3 would wrote in their book. If you love Elvis you will prefer books written by his real friends : Jerry Schilling, Larry Geller, George Klein etc.
Life has its struggles for all of us. Elvis had his and his bodyguards had theirs. They were upset like anyone would be and needed some form of income. Yes Whatever ElViS put in his own body was his business like it is with all of us. Maybe they should not have wrote it but these guys were also his friend and made him happy for just being there. Nobody’s perfect but all are trying to do their best. It’s easy for us to sit on the sidelines and cut other# down who are in there trying their best. These are some tough old boys with a heart of gold or else Elvis would have had nothing to do with them. I read the book in 1977 and I loved it. I had much more of an appreciation for the man for having many sides to him. It made him more exciting to me because that great image he had in public was not all of the man. To me never anything bad just interesting.
So instead of getting a job like adult human beings they wrote a damaging tell-all book to help destroy someone they allegedly loved's reputation and possibly career. Got it.
Rick Stanley told me they were fired because of law suits and Elvis wanted to remind them who was boss! However, his Dad did not follow Elvis' instructions and give them 5,000 to hold them over. Elvis intended to hire them back as Red and Sonny were long time friends. However, they got ahead of him with the book and things got out of hand when Dunleavy got involved. You can blame tight wad Vernon for mishandling this! He always thought Elvis spent too much money!
@@presleyjordan8519 Dee wrote a second book in 93 that was so trashy a lot of publishers wanted nothing to do with it. When she first contacted Elvis she was chasing after him, not Vernon. She left her husband to start an affair with Vernon, then left her boys in a home for 6 months before they moved to Memphis. And she has the nerve to knock Elvis for his behaviour? Makes me sick when she said Elvis ruined her marriage to Vernon. So who ruined your first marriage to Bill Stanley?
Your spot on..!! I've been adding that hugely important part of the firing story to comments. It most likely would have been a completely different reaction if Vernon followed his son's instructions
Other body guards, handlers,close friends,band members even girlfriends of Elvis knew they couldn’t do anything about his self destruction so the just removed their selves from him ,but these men decided to right a book that embarrassed Elvis..Then at least one of them here before he died recently give a speech or talk about being with Elvis as though he was all hunky dory with Elvis..what a crock 🤦🏻♂️
Sonny was a handsome man but next to Elvis, forget it. When you are a TOP fan & really know the story, how could one man carry all this on his shoulders? Elvis carried so many on his back that it hardened into a shell.
They had families 👪 now you're in your late 30's with very little money, they were thinking that book was going to make them some big money 💰 I don't know if it ever did
For some reason, I was looking for the whole interview and finally found it. These guys knew Elvis was headed for self-destruction. All they wanted to do was get his attention and show him what he was doing to himself. Sonny West, Red West were trying so hard to get Elvis to get off the drugs, but they got fired in retaliation. Some time later, Elvis finally lost his life in August 1977.
Really? Did you read the book? Did you hear Red's "Recorded" Phone call without Elvis Knowing? and Red's Attitude and how he downed Elvis so much saying He was a GROWN MAN LIVING IN A LITTLE BOYS BODY!!!! AS IF ELVIS WAS IMMATURE...? AND RED WAS MUCH MORE SMARTER? HE RECORDED THE PHONE CALL AND NEVER TOLD ELVIS HE DID AND PUT IT OUT TO THE MEDIA...... NOT ONE TIME WAS ELVIS MEAN TO RED IN THAT PHONE CALL... AND VERNON SAID IN HIS 1978 GOOD HOUSEKEEPING ARTICLE THAT ELVIS WAS BADLY HURT BY THEM... ELVIS DIDN'T FIRE THEM VERNON HAD TO CUT BACK ON FINANCES THEN BOOM WHAT DID THEY DO... WRITE THAT BOOK...!!! BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT IT WAS "ELVIS" THAT FIRED THEM NOT HIS DAD... LOOK UP THE ARTICLE.... ELVIS TRIED TO GET TO IT BEFORE PUBLISHING BUT HE COULDN'T WAS TOO LATE HE READ IT TOO.... AND PASSED SOON AFTER TO PUT OUT THE MOST FAMOUS ENTERTAINER/ FRIEND / THAT DID EVERYTHING FOR YOU BUT WIPE YOUR A** AND TELL THINGS TO THE WORLD HIS FANS IN SPITE.... IS DOWN RIGHT DISGUSTING.... WHAT KIND OF FRIEND WOULD DO THAT TO ELVIS.... LAY OUT ALL HIS SECRETS ALL THE THINGS HE SHARED WITH THEM!!! FROM THE TIME THEY WERE KIDS!!!! AND TO SAY FOR ELVIS TO STOP TAKING PILLS WELL DID THEY SAY MOST ALL THE PILLS FOUND IN ELVIS'S AUTOPSY WAS FOR HIS HEALTH CONDITIONS HEART BLOOD PRESSURE PRE DIABETIC LIVER COUNT WAS NOT GOOD GLAUCOMA .... AND CHRONIC PAIN MEDICATION ....???? NO THE NUMBER WAS OUT THERE HOW MANY WAS FOUND BUT NOT WHAT ALL THEY WERE THEY ONLY LISTED THE "NARCOTICS" QUADS BARBS ETC ... WHICH BACK THEN WERE USED FOR SLEEP / PAIN AND HE TOOK OPIATES FOR PAIN.... CHRONIC PAIN HE'D HAVE TO SIT DOWN DURING THE END OF HIS LIFE AT CONCERTS BECAUSE OF THE CHRONIC PAIN HE HAD ... HE HAD AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE LIKE HIS MOTHER... AND HER BROTHERS.. HE COULD NOT FIGHT OFF INFECTIONS .. NOR HEAL PROPERLY... QUADS AND BARBS ARE BASICALLY THE SAME THING AS "BENZODIAZAPINES" "VALIUM" - CLONOPIN ATIVAN MANY DIFFERENT BENZO'S THEY ARE JUST AS DANGEROUS AS WHAT THEY CALLED THEM YEARS AGO THEY ARE BEING PRESCIBED CONSTANTLY AND PEOPLE ARE DYING FROM THEM!!!! THEY SLOW DOWN YOUR ORGANS THEY SEDATE YOU THEY ARE TRANQUILIZERS THAT HITS YOUR BRAIN RECEPTORS AND CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM WHICH CONTROLS YOUR "BODY" ORGANS DOCS HAVE FED THESE MEDS TO PATIENTS FOR MANY YEARS AS MYSELF - NOT TELLING PATIENTS THEY ARE ADDICTIVE AND YOU CAN DIE I ALMOST DID && YOU CANNOT JUST STOP THEM!!!!!! IF YOU DID YOU WOULD DIE FROM A SEIZURE OR HEART ATTACK.... BELIEVE ME I'VE BEEN THERE IT WAS HORRID
@@HeavenlyPresley-Tonya - Can you imagine how hurt and frightened these guys were when they were getting a week pay over & kicked out, 40 years old how were they going to ever support their families they could’ve like in most jobs as we do in New York you get eight weeks pay it gives you a little time to get back on your feet, look for a new. job but they threw them away.20 yrs of Yes man so I feel understand the anger. That’s certainly did not make Elvis do more drugs so let’s get real. Again I am a huge Elvis Presley’ 🕺 👑 fan..
@@donnaleigh6535 they also had to sell their house, cars. They were BROKE. I’d be bitter too if I was dropped just like that. I love Elvis but that doesn’t change the fact that he choose the pills over them, yes he had health issues but he also took them because he liked taking them period.
@@donnaleigh6535Oh no! The gravy train of being fake tough guys and Elvis' luggage carriers was over! No more lavish gifts, homes, watches, cars, vacations, etc, for doing next to nothing but partying on Elvis dime and living in a celebrity fantasy world. If they were so good at what they did they would've been highly sought after from other high profile celebrities but since they were just a bunch of goofball sycophants, they weren't. They got Elvis sued for millions ffs, they should've been gone earlier. Elvis had serious money issues and couldn't afford to pay a bunch of ungrateful clowns money to do absolutely nothing.
2 of the so called authors of this tripe knew the man since high school They knew he was proud, shy, driven ,humble, private and yes addicted. He did not reveal everything that went on inside of him to these clowns with regard to his fame, his frustration or his pain whether emotionally or physically. They had to have known this was not going to force him to wake up to their way of seeing. Funny how a book writing coincides with their firing. Didn't feel the pull to "wake him up" with a tell all book before that? Not while the good life was still being enjoyed by all. Vicki
I agree wholeheartedly Vicki. "Clowns" is putting it nicely. They don't get a pass from me either. They were just doing damage control for their own hides! I hope they received the disdain they deserved from his fans. By the looks of it they did... Sunny wearing sunglasses speaks to his own drug and or alcohol use well after being around Elvis. Wonder if they would have been okay with a "tell all" on their bad behavior? Compassion has "left the building", lol. Have a good one Vicki
@@elvistherapy3931 I was pretty young when all this happened but yes they had alot of backlash for this garbage.This book opened the can of worms to the man's personal struggles as well as a flood gate to more and more books, ever changing versions of stories, and more outlandish embellishments as the years went on. After some time they tried to do damage control with more books and interviews talking about all the good he did for people but it was too late. The damage was done and to this day many view him as nothing more than a self indulgent drug addict that died on a toilet. He was so much more and that this is the picture that many have of this phenomenon can be traced back to the beginning...this book. We don't know what this man struggled with and to be honest, it was his life and business. Much has come out since about health issues he had since birth which for obvious reasons were kept hidden as well. These pack of good old boys employees and friends certainly wouldn't have been people he would have discussed such private things with. The dissection of this man has gone on since 1977. Sad. Vicki
@@richardeidemiller6739 Agreed. I was young as well so I don't remember this book being released. It is frustrating to see the pass these 3 are still given to this day. I won't judge their whole lives based on this one action, but this was wrong on a massive scale and they should have spent their lives after, making things right. Pretty sure that didn't happen. Hebler has an interview on a UA-camrs channel and I just can't listen to it... I want to jump through the screen and punch him 40 yrs later hahaha.
@@elvistherapy3931 Well I was right there when it all happened and knew people that lived with E and yes these were very hurt more than anything else but they don’t deserve any disdain and if E hadn’t died so miserable at 42 just after the book came out it would have been just a tabloid type thing but it went viral and there’s the reason people are upset because 90% of his fans at first thought he had faked his death.
@@ronniebishop2496 Thank you for the reply. I can appreciate all opinions and experiences. I believe the word you used was "tabloid" and it fits here. It was sensationalism and spiteful. I will always believe "friends" don't do what those three did to Elvis...they were not under the pressure he lived with for decades supporting all of them. I own a business and the pressure to support the families of employees is daunting... I can't imagine the pressure Elvis was under to keep going even at the cost of his health... he was not well for years and meds were not the whole story! They were wrong pure and simple... the distain from fans was warranted in my opinion. Cheers
I believe these guys with all my heart…t to hey took a LOT of shit off Elvis but stayed because they knew who he was deep down inside of him…underneath all the disappointments and frustrations in his very unique life…I feel for them all including Elvis
From what I’ve read and saw on line…Elvis had TOTAL CONTROL of people he wanted something from. Doctor’s for one! These guys even said they don’t know why there was such a hold. It’s called~~~Controlling Spirit 📖 The Bible has a lot say about this. Due to hiring 3 Step brothers..it almost destroyed them due to drugs as well. Check out their stories. They were young and could easily be manipulated. Vernon said that Elvis would give things to kids when young in order to buy their friendship. Well this continued till his death.
These guys were garbage losers that were bitter that the gravy train was over. They sold out someone they allegedly cared about and tired to hurt him for a buck. Bunch of cry baby zero loser sycophants. Screw them.
@@FLIPPER1439 Get a life and get a grip. Elvis's step brothers were trash that leeched off his name as long as they could. Elvis did tons of nice things for people of all ages because he grew up dirt poor and never forgot what it felt like to have absolutely nothing. It's called generosity. People were infatuated with him because he was the biggest star on the planet with an impossible amount of charisma, obviously🙄. Good Lord, get a grip.
Sorry you don't know about the heart and caring of Elvis the man. He did so much for these hanger's on and they then betrayed him. I would bet you wouldn't want to betrayed and things unflattering said about you, many untrue.
They certainly did take a LOT of shit off Elvis - money, gifts, vacations, cars, on and on and on. Got to live in a fantasy world well into adulthood then acted like spoiled little brats when Elvis was under financial stress and couldn't pay them for doing nothing anymore. Absolute clowns.
I read that book as a kid and I idolised Elvis thanks to my father. I'm glad that I knew the good the bad and the ugly about Elvis as a kid and didn't just think he was a perfect person. I don't easily judge people. We all have struggles.
Inripetibile ..
Saluti dall'italia
Yes, your rigtht about that. But no one lives in a vacuum. People around us can get us up or down, please us and hurt us. When you got hurt to much and people expect the most impossible of you, it will effect you. So it was with Elvis to. There were so many predicates around him, he could trust a single soul. All he had trusted turned him down. He was unloved and sick, it was the best for him to die.
No one is perfect. Elvis needed help, he was really hooked.
Elvis gave his body guards so much they turned on him, he didn’t have the funds to support them
Exactly there isn’t a person alive who do not have struggles. He was just on the wolds stage where every one could see it. After everything that has been said and all the things over the years people say it has always made me love him more because he was human. I think he did what he did to perform for people to give them the best show he could. I’m sure along the way things could have became addictions but doesn’t make him a bad person at all. From all I have read he gave more than he got and he just couldn’t give anymore.
@@rogerwilhite530 friend, they did not turn on him, they were hoping after he read the book for himself, he would change his lifestyle, he read the book but sadly it was too late
As a recovering addict clean 16 years let me tell you if you have the resources Elvis had, unlimited money, unlimited time, and having whatever you want delivered to you for any addict death is going to come before the bottom that could save you. People don't understand the power of that. Thats why Michael Jackson, Prince, Elvis ,and many more are gone
So very true, all the famous people who have died. They all died very young Elvis was actually an old fart for being a dope feind. Only because he started every day drug use way late in his life. Ten solid years of power doping opiods and pharmaceutical grade speed I can only imagine how high E was every single day of his life. The doctors have the best drugs on planet earth especially American Pain Doctors such as E had several different Docs not just cause he was rich because he was the King and everybody wanted near him.
That is true. My first husband had inherited $$$$$ and he died at 43. Same thing.
@@katjo71367
It wasn’t the same thing. It’s weird not one if them has told the truth in this interview
@@soulfireonfire6423 So what's the truth then ?
He had 14 different drugs in his system. He and his buddies were doing all kinds of pills and they liked them. They enjoyed doing them but the guys were able to stop. Elvis couldn't. He didn't want to stop.
No one can survive never hearing the word no & always hearing yes
Elvis was a beautiful human being who paid a great price for all that he gave. And so did the people who loved him. God bless you Elvis. RIP.
Hell yeah, when he was a kid He's Seen his parents being evicted from their différent housses, and later as Elvis as we all know him nowadays, a multimillionaire, he bought houses for his employes, Bodyguards etc ..what a mindset!
Yeah, these guys had it so tough living a celebrity fantasy camp lifestyle - carrying Elvis' bags, partying, getting lavish gifts, cars, doings drugs on his dime, on and on. Then when the money was running out and he couldn't pay them for doing literally nothing anymore they ran off and wrote a tell-all book about an incredibly shy, private person that had them in the first place because he wanted a very tight inner circle to protect him. Bunch of ungrateful clowns that never wanted to grow up.
Yes absolutely Elvis Presley is my favorite singer and I know all my facts about him
Elvis had legitimate physical ailments (twisted colon, glaucoma) but make no mistake he was a drug addict. He honestly saw recreational drugs (marijuana, etc) as evil but prescription drugs as safe, something he could control. It doesn't detract from his immense talent or good deeds, but it is part of the big picture of his life.
A part of his life that should not have been made pubic. No other celeb has been so betrayed by so many. Very sad.
@@ronniebishop2496 He did NOT gain 200 pounds!!!! I am so sick of all the lies!! He was bloated. He was some overweight, but it was mostly BLOAT! I saw him through the years. I watched when the bloat started. It came and went, according to when you saw him, as bloat does. I saw him 5 months apart in a huge venue and then in Vegas closer to when he died and he looked like two different people. Much bloat had gone in Vegas. He was sick and he was sad when Priscilla left. Leave him alone!!
@@ronniebishop2496 he never gained 200 pounds! He was not that overweight at his last concert! Ridiculousness! He was ill and had health issues but not as overweight as so many people have portrayed over the years!
@@keetonplace LOL what exactly is "bloat" made of? It's called fat. He appeared to gain, or lose 40-60 pounds pretty quickly, and most of it was in his stomach and face. I know this is possible because I've done it a few times. I'm not sure what you think isn't true that is in the book, but let's stop pretending that we as fans have even the slightest clue what he was actually like as a person to be around every day. All you have is the romanticized fantasy in your head of who he was as a human being.
@@KKC70 Firstly, if you don't know what bloat is, compared to fat, you need to go read a little. Bloat is extreme water retention caused by usually some kind of disease. Fat is when you eat too much. Elvis ate the Southern diet just like I and all my family did. Some still do,. He was not fat. I never once saw Elvis fat, but I saw him bloated and there's a huge difference. He had a distended stomach caused by something I don't know. It's worse sometimes than others and all of this was only in the last few years. I believe you could only wish to be half the man Elvis was. He had plenty of faults , but so what? These guys outright lied. or embellished. I have spoken to a number of people who got to be within that circle and saw plenty done by THEM. As well as Lisa. And I have a feeling that you have no clue of what all Elvis gave all these betrayers during their years with him. I have seen some of it auctioned off, as I attend auctions both in person and on line. It is amazing at what all they and their wives got from this generous man, to then go on to diss him for $$$.
I was almost 19 when Elvis died. I was at that time just starting my dark journey through the perils of alcoholism. I am a long time recovered alcoholic. I wish I could have crossed paths with Elvis sharing the knowledge I now have regarding addiction.
If Elvis had a better understanding of his addiction and his denial thereof it could have possibly saved him. His story is no different than any other alcoholic/addict who thinks they're in control and eventually meets with death.
His friends hopefully tried to tell Elvis about his drug habit.
He knew what was going on possibly Red West and his other friends hopefully asked Him to quit the prescriptions he didn't need
@@itravisoniThey were too busy doing drugs also and partying on Elvis' dime night in and night out to give af.
The thing that would have given ELVIS quality of life and longevity was to ensure that his insomnia was dealt with properly by his doctor and more importantly the rogue Parker, not through drug use but by ensuring the man was able to properly rest and recuperate. That would mean to ensure his shows were managed properly, doing midnight shows and then expect to go back to his room and go to sleep when on a high from performing would have affected any normal person. Insomnia exacerbated all the other health issues he suffered, notwithstanding the prescription meds he was being prescribed. Sleep deprivation has been linked to:
👉 Cognitive decline and neurodegeneration
👉 Poor memory and decreased reaction time
👉 Mood disorders and depression
👉 Weight gain and stimulation of appetite hormones
👉 Metabolic syndrome, elevated blood sugar and insulin resistance
Sleep isn't just about the number of hours you're getting; it's also about the quality of your sleep. ELVIS suffered all these health issues due to his poor sleep habits! And agree these 3 x were angry at being let go, on their part they enjoyed living off ELVIS' generosity and didn't like the fact their cash cow was taken away! I hope that ELVIS is resting in peace now!
@@mariecavuoto319 If the Army didn't introduce Elvis to drugs , maybe he would have never bothered with them..They stationed him over at the Russian border.He had to stay up all night watching..So they had to give him something to Keep him up...When he went to sleep ,they had to give him something so he could sleep..So maybe that's where he got hooked..
@@mariecavuoto319 Thank you for this very good comment. From the moment Dirk Kuijk alias Tom Parker came into Elvis' life he was treated like a serf, who worked his butt off with at least 3 performances a day. Being in the army was better for Elvis' health than going on tour! Tom Parker murdered a former female employer in Breda, the Netherlands and fled under a false name to the U.S A. where he had been living before under his real name. As Tom Parker he was illegal and didn't dare to leave the U.S.A. because he didn't have a valid passport. For this reason the scoundrel sabotaged Elvis' career in Europe, South-America, Canada, Japan, Indonesia, Australia and New-Zealand. Elvis Presley was far too loyal and too kind and was ruthlessly exploited. Not only by Parker but also by many members of the MM. Not only during his life but also after his death. They all made money by publishing books and telling stories about a deceased Elvis Presley, who cannot defend himself. Fike f.i., who lived 19 years on Elvis' pockets, said that Elvis should have taken a long holiday on Hawaii to restore his health. What would that have done for Elvis' glaucoma, his longproblems, his very serious obstipation, his insomnia, his high blood pressure and so on? It illustrates how little Fike knew about Elvis' health problems and the oerson himself. The comments of the MM-members on Elvis often tell more about themselves than about Elvis. They project their own vices on Elvis just like Democrats project their crimes on Donald Trump and other Republicans.
You forgot to mention the "acupuncturist" who was injecting Demerol directly into Elvis as a pain treatment....
The things we know now, he had no chance and nobody would refuse him when he started itching for these meds. People say drug use like he was a street meth or crackhead. He was sick from day one, I'm not we knew the extent of his illnesses until after he died. But the emergent stories have thrown up other illnesses which impacted his mobility and ability to get clean or stay clean.
He wanted the meds, but he was also a victim.
As a lifelong Elvis fan since 1956 I must say that I think that Red, Sonny and Dave got a raw deal. Especially Red West who protected him more than once at Humes High School.
Not that Elvis was mean spirited, but that the drugs had completely taken over and changed his personality and power of reasoning by the mid ‘70’s.
In a desperate effort to keep the drugs away from him they pressured the suppliers. Elvis became aware of that and panicking about his supply, had his dad fire them.
Although, I must say that a similar situation happened with Scotty Moore and Bill Black. If not for the two of them Elvis wouldn’t have recorded “Lawdy Miss Clawdy” and perhaps never made it in the record racket, I mean business.
Neither one made any significant amount of money with Elvis, merely the standard musicians rate. Moreover, during the 1954-55 tours in the south, they used Scotty’s wife car which they wore out. Elvis never replaced her car although he bought strangers new cars. I never could figure that one out.
I never did blame the bodyguards for his death. I blame Tom Parker, the manager.
Gotta add Vernon too!
Exactly he was the whole reason why everything was so bad
Parker AND the drugs…taking effing Diluadid for a teeth cleaning ffs!! Massive medical malpractice on behalf of those Dr’s, especially Dr Nik, that killer!!
Wrong...Elvis credited parker for his success..parker didn't make Elvis use drugs
you cant blame NOBODY but ELVIS
We love you Elvis rest in peace good sir🙏🏻❤☝🏼
Above everything this should be all of our sentiment
I’ve only ever seen a few minutes of this interview. Thank you very much for posting this amount of footage from this historic press conference.
yes!!! absolutely!
Same!!!
Elvis lived in a prison ... that after years of it he became sick of it.
Most of it was people who wouldn't stop leaving him alone.
That's the price of Fame. You can't pursue fame and enjoy the adulation then turn around and want to be left alone. You can't pick and choose, it's all or nothing with fame.
He set it up the way he wanted.
The lawyers should have had all of them sign a NDA. All of this could have been avoided. No one knows what it’s like to be around someone who is on drugs. I know someone who’s on them now and I think he will end up like Elvis. His wife has died sbd he’s miserable. And he does the drugs so much then pours alcohol on top. Elvis didn’t drink so.
@@TheJpep2424 I wonder how many huge celebs you know of who, at their various homes, walked out to the gate where all the fans were all the time and spend time with them. Elvis loved his fans immensely and knew the regulars by name and sometimes missed them and asked about them when they weren't at the gate. He was not just stuck inside. He went among his fans for all of his short life.. So, no, he certainly didn't "turn around and want to be left alone." He even tracked down the wife of a man he noticed missing at one of his LA homes. The man had died and he found her and visited. This from a source who was a gate girl and was eventually let in by Elvis. There's pictures of her and Elvis all over the internet. She knows stories about these guys that are far from flattering. Things that debunk some of their stories.
famous people like Dave Chappelle has said being famous, u cant go no place, no where. let alone, a mall or shopping or to dinner without a monsoon of people. thats why famous people only date other famous people and only hang out at each others places.
In this interview, they first admit to writing the book 'out of bitterness' and it's only after that the 'to help Elvis' gets added in. They were p.o.'d and wrote it out of spite. Did they regret it later...probably, but the damage was already done to a shy, very private person who was no doubt mortified by it. And yet, in the recorded phone call, you can hear Elvis expressing his care & concern for them even knowing that the book was going to be published. They knew he'd be devastated & had it published anyway.
I knew Sonny very personally. He regretted that book.
Too late; the damage was already done; it personally hurt Elvis terribly and t spurred on countless books like it after Elvis's death. @@Sergigrinkovvolponyfan
Gosh.. he took that regret and hurt to his grave..
And a daddy worrying about the effect of that book for his daughter
@@Sergigrinkovvolponyfan he MAYBE was the only one who did hebler was a lowlife POS and red,,, another scm bg
Elvis was a wonderful human being. He had faults but his good outnumbers his flaws 10/1
Seems everyone that ever rubbed elbows with Elvis on any level has written a book - wife, every girlfriend/fling, all his buds, body guards, cooks, maids........ and each claims to have been closer and known him better than anyone else. Everyone wanted a piece of him and the circus continues all these years later.
And at the same time doesn't mean what these men were saying wasn't the Truth.
Elvis was a great entertainer and a beautiful singer but just like every other entertainer he had flaws and limitations and his was prescription drugs.... Deal with it.
@@preshutchins Can you read? More importantly can you comprehend?? Where did I say he did not have a prescription drug problem or that he was flawless?? I SAID everyone he ever knew has written a book or done interviews each claiming to have know the true Elvis .... truth only there. You deal with it!!
@@preshutchins Oh Good Lord, are you an idiot ?
What a stupid response you gave the previous commentator, Carol Crockett. She never at any time denied Elvis had a prescription drug problem. How on earth did you glean that from her statement ?
And his personal nurse, too.
Of course they all wrote unauthorized books!! Elvis is profitable!! 📈
And most of Elvis cronies were broke!!
But I don't believe this book was meant to make them rich!
Elvis was still very much alive, when this book came out in May of 1977.
I believe this was a last ditch effort to Wake Up Elvis!!
And force him to get some serious medical help!!
They seem really concerned about what Elvis was doing to his body!!!
Unfortunately, it was too little too late!! 😢
Elvis's health was already deteriorating rapidly!!
Joe Eposito was the only person that could have saved Elvis from himself!!
Joe Eposito was in reality nothing but a hangers on, a precurer of female groupies, illegal drugs or whatever vice Elvis wanted!! Eposito was "double dipping" getting paid by Elvis's greedy, fake, "Col. Parker" to spy on Elvis!!
And Elvis was paying Eposito to be a gopher and yes man to get whatever he needed!!
After Elvis fired Sonny and his cousin Red West and the other bodyguard David Hebler.
Elvis was dead for hours, before his girlfriend found his body laying dead on his bathroom floor!
Why do you think Elvis's father
Vernon, had Elvis's autopsy sealed for 50 years???!!!
What was he trying to hide??!
Most autopsies are available to the general public. Even celebrities autopsies. Except for JFK's.
Joe Eposito was loyal, as long as Elvis kept him on the payroll!!
Eposito did not love Elvis! Joe Eposito loved all the perks i.e. the groupies, drugs, cadillacs, notoriety, money , fame, jewelry and all the worthless materialistic things that came with being a member of Elvis's entourage!!
Once Eposito and the rest of the "Memphis Mafia", kicked in the door of singer Wilson Picket's Las Vegas suite!
During Picket's Las Vegas engagement at the same hotel and casino Elvis was performing at the time: "The International Hotel,🚪
Wilson Picket
alledgley said some derogatory comments about Elvis Presley and I believe Elvis sent the
"Memphis Mafia " to Picket's hotel suite to deliver that waring!!⚠️
That pig "Colonel Parker"used Eposito to spy on Elvis too! Keeping Parker in charge of Elvis and ultimately killing him!!!
Eposito even sued Elvis for a failed racquetball facility investment!
But he loved Elvis?! Yeah right!
Joe Eposito was nothing but a "Yes Man!"
And he knew better than to question Elvis about his destructive drug abuse and deadly high cholesterol diet , infidelity and deteriorating health!!
Joe Eposito along with a maid ,Elvis's late Aunt that worked at Graceland and Elvis's "airhead" girlfriend Jennifer Alden, helped conceal and clean up Elvis's bathroom and bedroom of evidence of drug abuse, before calling the paramedics, the day Elvis died in his bathroom!!!
Because there was not one pill bottle found in Elvis's house, the day he died!!
They pretty much compromised and contaminated a crime
scene! Elvis's bathroom at Graceland, that's why om the tours of Graceland, no one is allowed upstairs period!
Elvis was taking around 9,000 prescribed medications at the same time!! 💊
That's the real reason, Elvis never fired him with the rest of the dear departed "Memphis Mafia!!"
Joe Eposito cheated on his wife with Elvis groupies, regularly took drugs and was a "bag man" procuring illegal drugs for Elvis when they were both stationed in Germany in the U.S. Army back in the 1960s!!
Eposito continued bringing in prescriptions drugs via Dr. Nick, til the day Elvis died!!
In reality, if Joe Esposito experienced a religious awakening and gave his life to God, his soul is right down there roasting in Hell, with greedy , fake "Colonel Parker, Elvis Presley and the rest of the leeche$ that lived off Elvis and used him!!
"The Elvis Curse" has already snatched Elvis's grandson Benjamin Keough, causing him to commit suicide! He was only 27 years old!!
And now Elvis's only child Lisa Marie Presley has succumbed to an heart attack at only 54 years old! Sadly, Lisa Marie also struggled with substance abuse!
R.I.P. Very tragic and sad!!
All that glitters...Is not gold!
🙏
You can’t blame Sonny and Red for being bitter. They clearly loved Elvis. I think Sonny was being honest. That being said, I think they both regretted the book as the years passed. Elvis didn’t want the book to,come out. That being said, I lost a job after almost 18 years due to a corporate uyout and restructuring. It happens. Yes, they had families to support. It seems like the book had a combination of motives, try to stop Elvis from taking pills, bitterness and for money. I have no doubt that they did love Elvis.
Elvis died only 2 weeks after their book was published in USA, more betrayed than loved by these guys
yeah red ''loved'' hm so much that not only he wrote that sht book THEN recorded Elvis on a two hour conversation w/o Elvis knowing it on the phone
Just snakes
They didn't love Elvis. You're kidding yourself if you really think that. A real friend doesn't go write a book about the worst version of yourself. Cmon man! They were upset because they couldn't be his parasite anymore. Elvis had enough of it. So they had to go and destroy him. Its disgusting. There was no love. Stop distorting the truth. Ethics and morals are from God. What these guys did to Elvis was not from God.
Can't blame them? LOL. These dudes were reckless af😂. They got Elvis sued for millions for uppercutting a dude for no reason ffs. Elvis was also under serious financial strain at the end. These clowns got to live in a fantasy world into middle age, where they partied like rockstars night in and night out then were bitter when the gravy train of gifts, parties and women stopped. And of course instead of just being grateful for the life they were given or even just respectful they decided to hurt Elvis deeply.
Red and Sonny came to regret ever publishing the book. It brought them nothing but grief. George Klein said that years later Red apologized and regretted ever having any thing to do with the book.
And Red was like Elvis in the fact he never apologized, so he really did regret it l do believe.
Yes, Red seem to have deep regret about that “Tell All” book. Red never wrote or associated himself with any other book written about Elvis!
They certainly must have, however the temptation to milk money even
many years later remained. Joe Esposito the worst.
@@ScooterFarts Do some frigging research ffs befoe insulting someone. Joe Esposito's second wife Martha was dying of terminal cancer and he needed money to pay for her medical bills. He at first tried to put together a DVD of some home movies he had and sell them, but Priscilla and EPE threatened to sue him. When they found out why he needed the money, Priscilla didn't offer to help out, she instead drew up a contract to buy them off him and she now claims them as her own and peddles the belief that it was what she filmed during her time with Elvis.
As for the books, the only books Joe wrote were full of love and respect. They contained some undeniable home truths but they were never written with hate, or bittnerness or hurt or revenge, they were always revealed with love and respect. I'd've written such books if my Husband had been dying of Cancer and I wouldn't have felt bad about it one iota.
Yet still went on to trash him for a buck throughout the years.
Drugs don’t discriminate Elvis Presley-Michael Jackson- Prince- Marilyn Monroe- Anna Nicole Smith- Judy Garland- Heath Ledger- Chyna -
lol u put chyna here . "which one of these isnt like the other"
what's your excuse
But Marilyn was murdered
Whitney Houston, Amy whinehouse
Whitney Houston, Amy whinehouse
It’s a shame that they wrote that book. I read where he couldn’t believe they would write all that true or not, it was vindictive. Elvis was so kind and gave to everyone. But I am glad he is bigger now than he was then. The charisma and his beautiful voice and he was the greatest entertainer of all time. He was nice to all walks of life. 45 years later he has fans from the very young to the very old. He gave to family friends and strangers alike he was so generous. The poor guy couldn’t go out like us, he would have been mobbed. We love and miss you Elvis. There will never be another Elvis. RIP🙏🙏🙏
I guess they hoped his drug addiction being made public would make him realise he needed help.
It’s not all bad… they had to speak out in hopes to get him until he died… I didn’t know he used cocaine..
@@lisamccutcheon48 Они не об Элвисе думали, а о своей шкуре.Настоящие друзья нож в спину не всаживают
Dotmoran, You should read the book. It’s not that bad. Others close to Elvis have said and written far worse. There’s nothing in the book that hasn’t been revealed in other books.
@@TV-np9yp I’m reading it now… it’s really not that bad so far
VERNON PRESLEY: 1978 GOOD HOUSEKEEPING ARTICLE:
TALKING ABOUT THIS SITUATION -- None of his employees, friends or associates ever went without anything they wanted or needed- - be it Cadillacs or diamond rings and furs for their wives. Elvis gave lavishly because it was his nature to be generous. He wanted to share his good fortune with everyone who was close to him. I remember a time not too long ago when I felt that he was carrying too big a crew, so I advised, 'You don't need all of them, especially some who just seem to be out for what they want'. Elvis stopped me cold, answering, 'You see their wants. I look beyond their wants and can see their needs.'
Muy bueno.Very Good.
He was too good for them. Vernon was no saint himself, he was a coward who didn't stand up for what was right and he let the greedy ex wife do what she wanted with his will. Shame on all of them.
The good thing Vernon did was make Elvis get his will in order in March 1977. He knew his son wouldn't last much longer. I wonder what else the full autopsy will show when we get the full details in 2027
His manager had a lot to do with it, he went from a 7 year movie contract to a long term contract performing in Vegas, he was being over booked and he felt like he was in a prison, the poor guy was miserable.. I read somewhere that he had said once that he’d rather be unconscious than unhappy.. so sad. I felt maybe he was just numbing himself.. I always wondered why he never took control and fired Parker, but I think when he tried to once, he billed him for a few million which he couldn’t afford with his overspending.. so there were so many things that were tragic in his life, I’m sure he felt used and he probably lost himself in his image.
He didn't take the pills over boredom. He thought he needed them to function normally. Thought he needed them to have energy for performances and needed to sleep
I do not do any drugs and seldom drink , I like to drink but I need to watch my weight . I was very sick years ago and the doctor gave me Percs , I liked them , although after a while they were making me sick and I stopped taking the Percs . I could see where Elvis needed the buzz , I did .
He needed the pills because he needed the pills. Your words.
He needed rehab
He was a junkie
@@Nochancet.v and you are a turd
Yeah all of us addicts seem to think that 💯🙏🙏🙏💯💔💔💔
I can tell not only from this footage but from other documentaries that these men did truly love Elvis. None of us lived what they lived or had to endure what all these guys had to endure in being Elvis' friends so I personally would never condemn them for doing what they felt would somehow get him to see what he had become. This was their last ditch effort and sadly, what it comes down to is that nothing that they did could've made Elvis stop the drugs. That was something only Elvis could've done. It's too bad that back then there wasn't much help for people struggling with drug addiction.
They didn't "have to endure" anything😂😂. They leeched off of Elvis for their livelihoods then when he cut off the gravy train they wrote a nasty book about him. They could've gotten other jobs at any time. They are losers and did not care about him one bit, only what he could do for them and what knowing him could do for them.
red and sunny were with him from day 1. I believe the book was written as a tough love effort. they were trying to present him with a challenge to clean up and prove them wrong.
They didn’t have to out him. I didn’t know he used cocaine. He was hugely humiliated, that would definitely make me off myself. Because it’s their words against what the critics already insinuate. Sad story, trust no one
They tried to ruin him for money
@@e2go They were powerless in trying to make Elvis see that he was destroying himself. Nothing they said or did got through to him and as his friends I'm sure that was hard. So, yes they most definitely did endure a lot as most friends and families of addicts do.
Thank you for sharing this whole interview.
What an awesome upload, man. Terrific.
It is certainly true that many of the people who criticise this book, have not read it. Females in particular are notorious for this , ie forming an opinion without bothering to perform the basic task of making sure that their opinions are informed ones.
You have no idea how many years I have searched for this. Thank you, Thank you, God bless you.
Sonny has deep love for Elvis as you can see. The last couple of years for Elvis was extremely tough . The Col pushed him over the edge.
They both loved him
I hv a family member who needs mental health problems. Never gets help. It's frustrating trying to help someone who doesn't want to be helped!
@K W lm very sorry to hear that. I hope your family member find some peace and support to get through this 🙏
@michaelsouthward7152 thank you very much! Blessings to you and your family! 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾
You are right but they should not have written that book. I believe that they had a bad conscience until the end of their lives.
Hi from England
I was 12 when ELVIS died. I have never read the book. I have watched lots of videos about ELVIS and his "backstory" and they make me shed tears and make me think so much about the years that have "flown" by
This clip of Sonny and Dave (not sure if RED was on this tape but from questions asked by the press they were there and knew how it was I know Davis is still alive as is Jerry Schilling. and Larry Geller
Elvis it seems towards that last 18 months was a parody of himself. I think he must have felt disgusted with himself as well. People say why did'nt ALL THE GUYS do more for ELVIS. BUT ONLY ELVIS could help himself. They ALL TRIED THEIR BEST and i hope they went through those pearly gates of heaven with NO REGRETS. They all LOVED ELVIS especially RED having known ELVIS since Humes High School in around 1948/9
As someone who has had family members die of alcohol addiction young you can do as much to help them as you love them so much but sadly this help does not always work😊😊😊🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹♥♥♥🙏🙏🙏🙏😭😭😭😭😭😢😢
If you did not read the book, shut up, you cannot talk about it
Damn bro I disappear for one day and come back to more content than I can handle! Thanks man!
I read the book and there wasn’t a long thread of love through it. Besides the drugs there are other stories unrelated to drugs that are negative about Elvis. Let’s be honest. It was a tell all book by an admittedly bitter man because he was hurt and angry. We’ve found out since there were quite a few incidents in which they bullied people, even fans and pushed people around. Even Joe Esposito girlfriend said they used physical tactics on her. So just admit you wanted to hurt him back. That’s a normal response. If Elvis hadn’t let them go, they would have stayed on with him continuing the drugs. Also, many people said when Elvis heard about it and read an early copy of it he was very upset. Jerry Schilling said Elvis couldn’t believe it and stated he hoped his fans wouldn’t desert him.
I agree.
I’ve read the book too. It came across to me as tough love but the thing is it’s all down to our own interpretation now
@@chubby_artist Steve Dunleavy was a slime ball that put it all in a different light than intended probably. This book was child's play compared to what has come out since.
@@chubby_artist Since when is "tough love" getting to ruin someone's character in front of the world? Would you be okay or anyone you know be okay with that? Not "tough love" at all... just vindictive, low class actions from bitter cowards trying to put themselves in a better light after a tremendous amount of damage was done!
@@elvistherapy3931 Bulls eye.
I just started to look into Elvis's death and lifestyle. You can tell that his guys were some good old boys that did care for the man dearly and some were haunted by it till there last days. Also starting off on prescription pills you don't think your doing anything wrong...people were not as enlightened to every drug back then...as time passed the addictions set in and as mentioned he (had to have it) and being Elvis and sadly a addict he was going to get it one way or the other. Nothing gets in the way of that i can promise you. The whole things a shame
Elvis was suffering from serious insomnia from early childhood. And when one think how much responsibility he had on his shoulders to keep everything going. They say that Elvis was bored, what an evil thing to say. He had so much to do that he was totally worn out. How much Elvis gave this betrayeders, in cars, bathing in luxury. I liked your answer a lot! ❤️
@@ladyjuliette8004 you said it. He’s a legend!
Please, digg very deep in Elvis history. And your conclusion will be totally different. He was addicted, that's true.
@@ladyjuliette8004 iv actually done a lot of digging still not done, never done really but he was a pure soul absolutely. The generosity and care for other’s means more then anything to me an this man had it in spades
@@Junior-fd8ux I could be more agree with you about this, he was so kind that a lot of people took advantage of him in the most hurtful and raw ways. He believed to good about people that he had near to him.He had high standards towards himself, he worked and worked. When I said digging in Elvis's life, I didn't mean Elvis himself. It's those who were around him. I have found out things that are hard to believe, but even true. Elvis wrote a beautiful poem about his life once( Maybe there were many), the poem tells how much love means to him, how hard it was to live without it. And that was written while he still was fit, and everything in his life seems ok. So I believe that Elvis was intelligent, intellectual, and he saw people. The thing was that he stood out with to much, because he didn't want to hurt people. It's the people around him, not all, but many of them, that I mean. Even those who was most close to Elvis.
Thanks for this upload, never seen so much of this interview, just on This Is Elvis and that was only a bit, often wondered where it was in full.
They were honest that they initially wrote the book out of bitterness.
Unfortunately, the revelations were new at this time & I'm sure this hurt Presley immensely & he may have started taking more meds to try & calm any anxiety he may have had at the time; he eventually succumbed to a heart attack months later..
Loyalty was definitely important to Presley and although I get the motive of the book, this book was definitely personal and brought a negative spotlight to Presley.
Definitely they cared for Presley, but there had to be some internal reasons for their dismissals.
If they were still employed at that time, they would have continued covering up for Presley's dependency problems.
They were, working as security-guards, violent towards Elvis' fans. That led to lawsuits which cost Elvis a lot of money. After that they didn't work for Elvis anymore but were still being paid in 1975! Red West played in movies in 1975 but still received his payments from Elvis in return for doing nothing. It was not Elvis' fault that Red, Sonny and Dave had no markable skills that could pay for the luxurious lifestyle they were used to while "working" for Elvis. Red West and Lamar Fike even lived in Germany at Elvis' costs. Doing what while Elvis was in the army? Elvis provided for the livelihood of familymembers, "friends", girlfriends, housekeepers, security, musicians, airplanecrew and so on. About a 100 persons in total! Red, Sonny and Dave, who couldn't even provide for themselves and their nuclear family, call Elvis immature? It's laughable! They totally panicked when daddy Elvis didn't pay their food, bills, houses, cars, medical insurance and schools anymore. Spoiled children that were cut off by their sick "father" who had glaucoma, braindamage (1967 fall), headaches, acute insomnia, a badly functioning colon, auto-immunedisease/arthrose, congenital lung-, liver- and heartproblems and a weak immunesystem. Did they do anything to alleviate Elvis' huge responsibilities, protect him from Parker, urge him to go see the right doctors? No, they couldn't care less about Elvis as long as he paid for their livelihood.
@@jannekedevries2360Well said!
There is no other entertainer since Elvis Presley who gave away so much to fans and everyone. Cars 100’s of them gifted, jewelry, money, etc. This man shared his wealth with the world. You will never see another celebrity, entertainer like him. All entertainers want now is their 100 million dollar mansions. Elvis was never apart of the so called 1% rich people. He was a real human being who gave a shared it all with family, friends, fans people he didn’t know.
He also donated a lot of money to charities every year which nobody ever talks about.
This channel is just too damn awesome! Keep up the great work you do Mr. H!!
I have seen this interview - nice upload
However , it is missing a key comment from Dave, when asked
"If you loved him so much, why couldn't you protect him?"
To which Dave replied,
"Of course protect him... How do you protect someone from themselves"
Still makes me sad & moves me & gives me chills every time... 😢😢😢😢
I am 53 & a life long Elvis fan..
I still remember the day Elvis died - I was quite young.. We were back home in Italia
My father's Elvis LPs & cassettes made me a super fan
Love him, always will
I listen to him every day
Long live the King sempreee!!! ❤❤❤❤
May God Bless Elvis always... 🙏🧡🙏
Sonny was a friend - he enjoyed the perks of course but he loved him. You can tell. Jesus he met the President of the United States on a whim - it’s surreal - Also he looked like a bad ass.
"yOu cOuLd tElL". Yes, one way for sure to tell someone loves another person is when they write sleazy tell-all books about them to clearly destroy their reputation and hurt them after decades of getting paid to live in a celebrity fantasy world and be a glorified errand boy and fake tough guy while partying on the person's dime, receiving lavish gifts, vacations, homes, cars, etc. That screams "love" every time. Especially when they know that person is incredibly private and trusted you to be a part of his inner circle to protect him in the first place.
Thank you for posting the interview been a long time since I have seen this interview
Inripetibile ...
Saluti dall'italia .
Man I tell you. These men including Red cared about Elvis and his well being. These were good men who truly cared and protected Elvis Presley.
They were bums. Red was always Elvis's protector and Jerry probably his closet 'real friend' of the crew, but the Memphis Mafia were joe blows lucky enough to have had Elvis as a childhood friend. Vernon didn't respect or like any of them and wanted all their asses kicked out. He called them leeches and shamed Elvis for putting them above his own wife. Look, they all partied with Elvis and snuffed enough speed to kill a horse every night all on Elvis's dime. Now they want to 'help' him? I get they tried to help him because they saw the drugs were killing him, but they'd encouraged his ride on that road from pill number one. Once Gladys died, Elvis didn't care anymore. He tried to be married for a few months before throwing it in because he was a weak man surrounded by weak agreeable people. His homelife was a shambles towards the end and none of his 'friends' tried to help. He wasn't even a good father, what with Lisa literally firing people and running amok whilst her dad was passed out upstairs on Ludes as his 'pals' were playing poker in the kitchen and eating his food.
His hairdresser seemed like a real snake..iv seen some interviews with him and u could see right tru him.
@@eire3215 well yeah he was different and definitely a character I would agree
Thanx Hezakya. Always wanted to see the whole press conference. Excellent.
They should have never aired Elvis' last performance in 1977. It made him look horrible. After 73' nothing was gonna stop his death. They would have had to put him in a drug induced coma to get him off. And even then the damage had been done. He wouldn't have lived very long there after. The only person to blame in any of this is Elvis himself. Elvis will stand before God and give an account not Sonny, Red, Marty, Lamar, Billy, Dee's kids or Priscilla. He made his own cake and ate it too. I love the man on stage. But offstage the man was bat shit crazy with all those drugs. I've been an addict and alcoholic my whole life and it CHANGES YOU as a person. Makes you do unheard of things. Then comes the guilt and condemnation of it so you stay numb not to give AF and face the consequences of your actions. Everyone points the finger at everybody else except their idol. We can't do that, because it will tarnish it. We have to keep it flawless so people continue to worship the image. The more I dig into his personal life the more I have changed my opinion about the man. As far as the image and what he did on stage and in the studio is where his greatness lies. No way in hell could Elvis have lived up to the image he portrayed to the people. If you read the more truthful books especially Alana Nash's book you will see him in a different light. Elvis was a mere man addicted to drugs offstage and America's biggest Idol while onstage.
how you so sure about the judgement you placing on another man, in the afterlife. you a fool, until you meet that afterlife stop putting your fantasy thoughts on others. you know Elvis as much as I know you, you goof
I LOVE ELVIS. I HUNG OUT WITH SONNY IN MEMPHIS FOR 4 NIGHTS AND HE WAS VERY KIND TO ME. I COULD SEE FOR CERTAIN THAT HE TRULY LOVED ELVIS. I THINK MISTAKES WERE MADE ON BOTH SIDES BUT HE LOVED ELVIS!
I never read there book but it really got me to thinking because they saw all that ever happened to Elvis and even his demons that shock Elvis all up to pieces because these guys knew what just happened to Elvis that is why they wrote this book to explain in details all the tragedies that took place when Elvis was still alive from that period of his time and his life until Elvis died which was a Shock indeed threw out The Whole Wide World even I Myself cried in 1977 when Elvis passed away
"THEIR" book..... idiot... maybe you should read THEIR book if you want to have an opinion about it.... otherwise shut your mouth, you have NO idea what you are talking about... I read THEIR book, so I am entitled to an opinion... NOT YOU
I’m a diehard Elvis fan but these men were fired with a week salary over 40 years old and for No good reason. they had to make money. they had families. I’m sure most of you would certainly understand if you were put in that situation. Most people knew Elvis was on drugs. That wasn’t a surprise.the book was about a lot of love for Elvis too 💔
❤ Thank you Donna, that's the truth.
News flash: all of these guys did drugs with Elvis and didn't give af about any of it until the free ride was over. Wahhhhhhhhhhh. The gravy train of gifts, women and drugs was finally over. Cry me a river. Grow up and get a job like the rest of the world has to. And there was plenty of reason to fire them. These dudes got Elvis entangled in lawsuits for jacking people up for no reason. Bunch of sycophant loser man children with no qualifications other than going to school with Elvis. Biting the hand that fed them their whole adult lives. Maybe they should've saved all of that money and all of those houses and gifts that Elvis showered these clowns with for doing absolutely nothing for 20 years. All of Elvis' behavior was all well and good until they finally got cut off.
Red West made films in 1975 and wasn't doing anything for Elvis except cashing in on Elvis' money, letting him pay for health insurance and his children's education. Red West has been hanging around Elvis and parasiting on him since Elvis was 21! Elvis bought him a house, cars, organised movieparts for him, paid his wedding and supplied him with a host of beautiful women, all Elvis' fans. Red West behaved as if Elvis was his sugardaddy. Sonny and Dave didn't leech on Elvis as long as Red did but they also profitted greatly of Elvis' money and fame. The three were removed from Elvis' security team because they were violent towards fans and maybe other people. As a consequence Elvis was sued for the damage caused by their behaviour which cost a lot of money. If they really loved Elvis they wouldn't have published a tell-all book about Elvis but a tell-all book about their own sins. My grandparents and parents always employed people for their business and household. Employees, who talked to outsiders about the private lives of their employers, were considered bad employees, which restricted their job opportunities. Red and Sonny West plus Dave Hebler behaved like no-good men, who were not worth Elvis' friendship. I read that Sonny West ended his life in financial trouble because he couldn't pay his medical bills and sugardaddy Elvis wasn't there anymore to finance his life. That's karma!
They lived off of him… used him😢!!! At 40 after all elvis gave them they should feel ashamed they did not get off their behinds and make a life and do the hard work!!
I’d go deliver pizza, or work at any job that was hiring until something better came along before I’d betray someone who took care of me and my family for decades. Maybe he could have sold all the jewels, cars and furs Elvis gifted him and his wife.
From what I read Elvis was so upset about the book and he said he can't believe that pple that he considered family could do this to him. He was so embarrassed about the book . Poor Elvis done so much good to pple. We all love you Elvis forever. Such a kind down to earth human being. Never had any bad intentions for anybody except good intentons
Agreed! Elvis himself was so kind that he couldn't understand how people near him could betrayed him like this. He was just kind. They wrote the book as a revenge for not bathing in luxury anymore. God knows how much Elvis gave them. And if one looses a job, find another. This was evilness against the kindest most giving man, the world ever seen.
Put yourself in there position
It had to be hard on these guys to realize that their actions led to horrible, unforeseen consequences. It was a tragedy all the way around.
@@sandrap6321Yes, really! They were predicaters all of them, and the two West - guy's was the worse, Sonny and Red. These two was supposed to be Elvis's "childhood friends". He had them hired for 25 years, all of them, and they were bathing in luxury. Then Vernon had to let them go, all of them because Elvis was bankrupt after the divorce from Pricilla. She has been a Sientolog since early 60's, and she was the worst predictor of them all, she and her Sientolog lawyers. So she busted Elvis, and he hadn't been dead to long before she wrote a book about Elvis to, exposed his private life , only from her point of view. Of course Elvis was bad, she was a saint. The book the West- duo wrote, Elvis was a real bad guy, they were " his best friends', as anyone believed them. The only thing they had to say, was that the timing maybe was a little bad. I've never heard of a celebrity that had so many terrible people around his, as Elvis. Even his father talked bad about him behind his back, jealous of his own son while gladly let Elvis fees him and his new family. And then the Colonel! Elvis did belive the best about every one of them, and didn't see what they all ready were because it was to late. All these people digged his grave. Most of the fans worship the dust Pricilla walks in, the truth is that she and her family blackmailed Elvis to marry her, or Elvis would go to jail for childabuse. Witch he never had committed. He cried his eyes almost out then, Pricilla had at that point had at least five lovers, it was not a virgin Elvis married. He knew what she was after just his money and name. After five years she wanted divorce , exactly those years it took to get the right to half of Elvis's estate. She took more! She has much to say about Elvis being unfaithful, not a word about herself that had the one lover after the other. Elvis was kind so he just called her The bitch. Elvis, a good christan, and Sientolog wife, can anyone see that Elvis didn't want her for his wife, because of that at least. But no. I wish that someone would have made a movie about Elvis and all he did in his short life, that was true! The only one that really loved him, was his cousin Billy. The last time the Presley family saw Lisa Marie, was in her dad's funeral. The Presley's was plain and good people, but not good enough for Pricilla. So she took away Lisa's family, her home made into a museum, and raised as a Sientolog. No wonder Lisa has had a differcult life, never any support from her mother, that was occupied by herself and her lovers. But then again, Lisa should be an abortion, as her mother has repeated since Elvis died. So poor Lisa to! This was a long answer.
@@ladyjuliette8004 Cilla act just like elvis widow, oh please the were divorced years before elvis died, she even go on her life with another man. And then she created a fairytale love story but I think it just all BS. They called it "true love" but elvis refused to get sexual intimate with her after lisa was born how can someone who love you refused be intimate around with you? Come on man, the dead man can't tell a tell so she created her own fairy tale. He didn't love her that's why he never reconcile with her or begged her back at least. Not as he did to Ann Margret. Elvis want ann to get back with him desperately after years apart, even care about her till he died. That's called love. Oh elvis would have different life if he married Ann Margret, unfortunately.
I have never seen the complete press conference before. Thanks!!
Sonny West looked bit as Barry Gibb... 👨🏽🦱 I read about the press about Elvis in 1977, that He fired them, I could understand them... On the one side, but on the other side there is the great Elvis..., with His daddy, Tom Parker. Very interesting. The press conference sounds total different than today, very much near, no 😷😷😷😷 Covid 19.... Long time ago. Make Peace. Rest all in Peace. 🌹🌹
Bee Gees were huge then, probably a fan. Elvis did record at least one Gibb song.
I also thought the same Sonny had a resemblance to Barry G. at the same time
This is a book promotion interview. They mentioned "read the book" a thousand book, if they were trying to justify comments in the book they would just quote what the book says instead of saying " read the book"
One thing everyone overlooks is what did the Dentist give Elvis in the wee hours of his death? Elvis was addicted to pills and I'm sure he twisted the Dr's arm to give him something. Elvis was due in Portland Maine the next day for the start of a new tour. A pill addict, I can guarantee you with his stature wanted something strong. Probably the whole reason he went to the dentist in the wee hours of the morning and a accomodating dentist to be present. Pills! Dead within 9 hours. Bathroom cleaned before paramedics arrived and stomch contents drained at hospital.
Great video..thankyou 🤟🏼
Omg "what are we gonna do...40 yr old stunt men...we had families!" THAT IS THE KEY POINT!!!
They rode a luxury gravy train..(.remember ur families while taking the pick of Elvis's leftovers!!?)
Loved that man....yeah coz he paid all ur bills for decades! Not about the drugs but the drugs changed him...er so it was about the drugs...Sounds like they actually DID see he was bored and creatively frustrated...they didnt help him....they did exactly what he did but Elvis paid for it all...Elvis took it for a reason...what was theirs!!!? None but a freebie...
Wanted to see him like in his prime!! Omg THAT WAS THE PROBLEM....He never would be that kid again...they didnt want him growing up...an poor Elvis knew he was stuck in an image, this is the result of letting go just a couple of his workers....angry betrayal disguised as "love" lol yeah right....a real friend wouldve saved and not expected...sound like whinging brats.
RIP Elvis...u did all u cud & more...forever loved 🤟🏼💞🕊
Inripetibile .
Saluti dall'italia Nello
@3SeveredHeads… You said it exactly the way most of us feel about these guys!! The sound like spoiled adult men expecting a hand out for life! I have read that Elvis had said that he couldn’t slow down on working because he had to have enough money to pay everyone that worked for him. He felt responsible for them financially! And that is what is so messed up if you ask me, Elvis was getting older and life naturally slows down and we change. But Elvis was forced to keep performing the same thing year after year! It is no wonder that Elvis was lonely! I’m sure most everyone has heard the saying, “It’s lonely at the top!” Elvis was definitely at the top! But these “bloodsuckers” expected him to support them to infinity, that is so unreasonable! If people didn’t care too much for these particular men who wrote that book, then they made their case worse from that interview! One word comes to mind “Greed” and even “Selfish”. They couldn’t see past their own need to see that they were part of what was killing Elvis! The stress and pressure that it all must have caused Elvis! Unbelievable!!
@@donnap.c.886 Amen to that! 🙏🙏
Btw i recently found out that Elvis had had enough...realised his "mates" were just greedy hangers on, it saddened him but he was planning to ditch most of the guys, inc the Colonal (praise be!) And go away to Hawaii for a year to get off the drugs, get fit and he knew it had to be done....sadly he passed beforehand! Even that was strange...he apparently went into the bathroom to read about 9.30AM BUT wasnt found til about 3.15PM!!!!! IN A HOUSE FULL OF PEOPLE who supposidly cared for him....bloody disgusting. Joe Espisito even has said RIGOR MORTIS had already set in or was so!!! Omg that means NOT ONE PERSON HE PAID asked if he was ok for almost the whole day! How fricking sad. Then again there is alot of contradictions from the same people....if I had found ANYONE LET ALONE ELVIS i would DEFINATELY KNOW exactly what happened, where & what! The police shouldve cordoned his house off coz he died suddenly young...couldve been caused by anything or anyone!! Very strange they just saw him an said yep he dead lets move him!
But its history now & Elvis is singing with Jesus..RIP beautiful genuine soul 💞🕊
Thts true they got a lot from Elvis and now they turn against him. Elvis bought them houses cars and even paid for their weddings. It seem that was not enough. Such betrayal I say.
These guys go on about Elvis crazy erratic behaviour and his drug taking but most of the guys who worked for him were doing the same stuff. Only Elvis gets talked about because nobody cares about the other guys. Even Joe Esposito has said that none of them were saints on the road. Drugs women getting into fights, they all did it. Before Red and Sonny got fired there were dozens of lawsuits against Elvis because of their hit first and ask questions later attitude. After they got fired there wasnt one lawsuit. They loved touring with Elvis and sponging off him, rubbing shoulders with famous people and meeting women they wouldnt have met otherwise. Its a known fact that a lot of the memphis mafia were either using drugs, whining to Elvis about wanting money and cars, etc, or the outright stole from him when he wasnt around. As for Hebler he was a latecomer who sided with Red and Sonny and from what a lot of people have said, openly shot his mouth off about Elvis' relationship with his father.
This is AWESOME BRO!!! I have wanted to see this press conference FOREVER!!!!
GOD BLESS all of you who worked to protect ELVIS from would be assailants and other nuts! Thank you for the book Thank you for loving the king. Best wishes to all of you.
The mistake they made was not reading the final book before it was put out.
Sonny wrote a second book to say the first book was a mistake.
@@gracieg7601 NO..HE WROTE ANOTHER FOR MORE MONEY
@@janetbrowntlc this statement is bullshit Janet Brown---they would have died for him
5:03 "When we met him (the Ruppert Murdoch's journalist) he wasn't like that last year" : yes he was, he published in 1976 excerpts from the Elvis' phone call recorded by Red West.
Elvis took prescription drugs. Sonny West is the only one that goes around saying that he took street drugs. In later interviews he contradicts himself. These people are trying to defend themselves for writing this book.
Coke start from 75 and after ,this was the reason why red west threaten to break the legs of ricky and the bass plsyer of voice grouo,becsuse find,this guys give coke to elvis
@@tolistolis8277i think it was Lamar Fike that told a story that they used to soak q-tips in liquid cocaine then put the q-tips in their nose. It would get them high for hours. Never heard that confirmed by anyone else, but I am pretty sure it was Lamar who told that story. Who knows if it is true or not.
"bUt SoNnY lOvEd HiM"
Sonny's new book is very good. I felt they were good friends to Elvis and tried to save him. Its sad things turned out like they did. I believe if Elvis got off the drugs he would have made up with his friends. Elvis had his flaws he was not perfect but I don't judge him, we all have flaws. God Bless him, he just could not face it.
Lol these absolute losers leeched off this guy until the end. Did absolutely zero on their own that anyone gave a damn about so they had to sell out their buddy that gave them everything and hurt him terribly... then people take them seriously and legitimize the garbage they're saying lmfao. What a joke. The only ones that should be answering for their flaws and for not being perfect are the clowns in this video that were mad they couldn't rough people up at the shows anymore and cheat on their wives with women there to see Elvis anymore. Complete dirtbags that did nothing but enable and leech off of Elvis then act like they wanted to help him by shitting all over him for a buck.
Perfectly said. Period!
Of course they were "good friends to Elvis" when he was paying them, buying them cars, lavish gifts, vacations, etc, and letting them live in a fantasy world into middle age ffs😂🤣. They were right there partying with Elvis and doing drugs with him on his dime and getting women from his name. When the gravy train stopped and Elvis had financial issues and couldn't afford to pay fake tough guys to be glorified baggage handlers anymore (especially after uppercutting innocent people and getting Elvis sued) they decided that they weren't friends anymore. Bunch of ungrateful clowns.
Wow!!! Definitely the best channel on UA-cam! Been trying to find this for years. Salute
This man Sonny West...you can tell loved Elvis.
The very same Sonny West that wrote that book, slating Elvis, along with Hebler, and the Other West ? You call that love ? 🔪🔪🔪🔪
@@raven_ous2585 maybe it was tough love that they felt they needed to do to get Elvis off the drugs. As well as maybe some sour grapes over being fired
They write lies or truth in the book?
@@tolistolis8277 You can read it for free online quickly. At the time the stories seemed I think unbelievable. After awhile it doesn’t seemed too embellished. He died a month later
@@chubby_artist omg THEY TOOK THE DRUGS TOO!! Had all of Elvis' cast off ladies, took the FREE homes, cars, horses, 1st class lifestyle....SAVED NOTHING!!!! EXPECTED THE gravy train to keep on a ridding! Elvis was paying everyone on 50%...the colonal kept his 50% paying noone!!! As for Vernon being called 'right'...he could see the excesses Elvis was going to WOULDVE made them broke...he tried to reign him in a bit...nothing wrong with that.
As for tough LOVE....YOU GOTTA B S H I TT ING ME 🤣😂😛🙄👍
They wanted him "as he was"...ohhh boo hoo...u stabbed the kindest man in the back...the very same back that CARRIED ALL OF YOU MOST OF UR LIVES!! Treated like a damn donkey...
As ive said a true friend accepts BUT DOESNT EXPECT!! NO EXCUESES HERE....
Always wanted to see this interview. Thanks for sharing it.
I expected their book to be more of a hatchet job on him than it was, but for the most part, a lot of it was about the good times they all had with him.
The biggest mistake they made, was not reading the book themselves before it was published. They had faith in the wrong man. He took what they said and twisted it. They didn’t know he would do that. Vernon caused the whole thing. If Vernon had done what Elvis said it wouldn’t have happened. lol
It’s too bad Sonny and Red aren’t around to see what was written in DESTINED TO DIE YOUNG.
Sonny wrote another book saying what had happened with the book from before. He regretted the earlier book.
and it was all true.
Thank you so much for uploading the complete interview/press conference I've been wanting to see this for years
Liz you are so right drugs not discriminate
Elvis wasn’t the only one using. MM was using too.
Elvis had depression and wasn’t treated for it.
Lost people do what lost people do. Personally, I think Elvis might have died anyway even if the book hadn't come out. I don't condone what Red, Sonny, and Dave did. Red actually got a gig on a TV show starring Robert Conrad shortly before or after he was fired and he did okay for himself. No, when you write a book like that . . . you either are trying to wake a person up or you are trying to hurt them. They could have gotten money by other means too, just by being the former bodyguards of Elvis Presley. I do think the Press Conference was a legit case of two men trying to do damage control, because they never expected Elvis to die. I think Sonny was remorseful too, but we are all wicked and depraved people without God's mercy and grace and I've forgiven the Wests and Hebler a long time ago.
Red West I find to be a person of mystery , he wrote hit songs , while working for Elvis as a bodyguard .
Bitter, they were sacked the pair of them. More to do with money than friendship. They lived a privileged life, financed by Elvis. Once the cash cow had left the building, friendship went out the window. Sad really.
Exactly Gary Smith!! Spot on....still trying to justify their greedy annoyance!
Didnt they SAVE a penny over the many YEARS Elvis KEPT THEM IN LUXURY!!!?
SAD SACKS...
I post this on every video
Rip Elvis Presley, 🕊️🤍
Enjoyed seeing this video in its most entirety. As tough as Sonny was as a bodyguard , if you had an opportunity to have met him, he was a gentle and loving soul who really cared about Elvis Presley, regardless of what the general public thought of the book.
That's odd because he sounds like a whiney ass clown bitter about losing his job here.
Sonny loved him. They all had regrets they couldn't save him from his addictions
Interesting to hear so much of this press conference. Only ever seen a few snippets before, including one that wasn't in this video:
Q. If you loved him so much, why didn't you protect him?
A. Of course, protect him. How do you protect a man from himself?
What an amazing interview. Finally we get to hear more about the book and the interview in more depth not just the clips about the drugs. Thank you most interesting xxx 💝
There will never be another Elvis and there will never be another Memphis Mafia.. The King and his court.. Long Live the King.
A bunch of hillbilly hanger-oners.
They judged Elvis with malice writing that salacious book.
They were trying to save him . These guys loved him.
Not really, I guess they felt slighted considering Vernon fired them thinking they were the bad influences, think about it though. The people around the President protect him, they don't cross him in any way, they are loyal. These guys were loyal so feel slighted, These were the guys guarding him. As years went on, you can see they cared but tell an addict anything and that person is done with you. Hell, Parker was the one who booked those crazy shows and got him first hooked on speed. Read all about it. Parker was the bad influence.
They tried to save his dumb ass..!! He was a Drug addict .. period..! To many people put him on a high pedestal.!! He was Human..!! I am one of the biggest fans of Elvis but sometimes the truth hurts..!!!
Oh boy. This argument will never end. 100 years from now.
Dave Hebler didn't "love" him. He hadn't been around long enough. Red couldn't appear there.
Dilaudid is many times stronger than herion. So it's all ridiculous. They weren't all legal. The coke, according to an FBI memo about a variety of entertainers, came from NY. Some woman he knew from the 1960s was that source. The other source, mentioned here, was Donnie Sumner. And yes, Red broke his toe. His toe! 😱 Weird stuff happened. But they were no angels in terms of drugs; they are being disingenuous about that. Not sure about Red, because he went right into a TV series w/Robert Conrad after a period of mourning. He did okay. But Sonny, Mr. "Anti-drug Public Service Announcement" here, got in trouble in a couple years.
I think Red and Sonny wanted to believe they were like the protagonist in The Fray's "How To Save A Life." THIS is a manual of "how to not save a life." Yeah, public humiliation works great, just great! You coulda talked to his Daddy. Vernon wasn't dumb; years before he hired a private eye in the capacity of a double agent to track down the Dr. Feelgoods like Elias Ghanem and "Flash" Newman and that weird old dude "Dr. Painless." Ghanem was horrific! He not only lived right up a hill from a very young Conrad Murray (yes, the Dr. convicted of murdering Elvis' future son-in-law. Ghanem treated a teen Michael Jackson when he and the group played Vegas. (Elvis did a very warm introduction of the "fellas" during his own show, met them backstage, told the youngest kids to "remember, all this you hear on the radio, in my show, EVERYTHING is all black music. Remember that." It was a wonderful moment that Michael heard. A bit later, Elvis' 7-year-old daughter was in town (I think Tahoe). Elvis didn't take her to the show. He did something that can only be described as "radical parenting." He asked Jerry Schilling and Myrna Smith, a couple consisting of a black woman and a white man (both as close as aunt and uncle to Lisa even before Jerry and Myrna got together) to accompany Lisa to their show. It certainly made an IMPRESSION! Close to 20 years later, they married. And stayed together after the official marriage ended. (Long story; not for today.) Elvis "fixed them up." Boy in the business wouldn't be a golddigger, like her final, horrible marriage and the custody battle from hell).
Back to the point. They could've talked to Vernon, years before the split. They didn't. So talk of love rings hollow. But again, they knew Vernon didn't like the whole lot of 'em and wanted them away from his son, his only child.
Yeah, people knew less in the 1970s about addiction than they do now. But things haven't changed too damn much: it's still a stigma and still people don't know how to save someone. What IS common sense is not to publicly humiliate the afflicted person in front of the world! You don't do that, then or n now. That's not love; t that's vengeance.
This channel is one of the best
I've been wondering where the rest of this interview was for years. Thanks for posting it as it's one of very few things about Elvis I haven't seen as I've only seen the short edited piece of this in the This Is Elvis film. BTW, are their any photos of Dave actually with/near Elvis? I don't recall ever seeing any of him around Elvis...
Wow. I believe Elvis was a very generous person way before celebrities gave to promote an image.
History has proven Red, Sonny and David's accounts of Elvis to be credible and compassionate. It's clear they loved Elvis and tried to save him. Elvis's untimely death, although heartbreaking, served to vindicate their claims but it's clear that was difficult to reconcile for these gentlemen.
The book wasn’t trying to save him. They were mad. Period. Revenge. Period.
@@kathy-t5q The book was in the works long before Elvis died. If you think these two gentlemen didn't love Elvis, you'd be wrong. Period. The release of this book coupled with Elvis's untimely death gave a public perception that these two were nothing more than money-hungry ex-employees that had "scores to settle." They were hurt/heart broken when Vernon dismissed them but understood the reasons for it, which included Elvis's desire to surround himself with strictly "yes-men." Red & Sonny began to say, "No" to Elvis. "No" to touring, drugs, women, etc... For most of the 1970's, if one were to remain employed with Elvis Presley Inc. ....one did NOT say, "No." Period.
@@12345682900they were trashy money grubbers, they were not his true friend
Blah, blah, blah. They got fired, they didn't leave for not wanting to be yes men😂. Absolute clown nobodies that lived in a fantasy world for decades leeching off one of the biggest stars in history. Partying with him, receiving lavish gifts and vacations, on and on and on. Then when Elvis was dealing with serious financial struggles at the end and couldn't afford to pay them for doing absolutely nothing anymore they ran off and turned on him like a bunch of spoiled little brats. Period. He was constantly touring because he needed the money and Vernon was looking out for him, as he should've been ffs. But spoiled little brats don't like it when the gravy train stops so they wrote a tell-all book trying to hurt a very private, shy person that needed an inner circle because he didn't trust many people in the first place.
At first i thought they were traitors. But as the years progress I have understood that the 3 Body guards, were somehow in a certain way also trying to make Elvis aware of his Drug prescription problem. Yes its also clear the book was also written out of bitterness for them getting fired. But it had no affect in that Elvis attempted to stop trying to stop the Prescriptions intake.
It’s true Elvis was using drug but the person was already dead, give him a respect, stop telling bad things to him. If you love this person you don’t need to say bad thing, you was his friend for a long time. Elvis was depressed , he was very sick already. If you really his friend since the beginning he was taking drug, you can telling him what is the effect of using too much drug. Some of the effect of using too much prescription drug they can not think what is right and wrong. He need a person who can love him truly and understand him and telling him what was the effect of using too much prescription drugs. It’s hard to do this sacrifices and understanding but if you really love and care this person you will do everything to help him, but he got worst when his wife left him. If his family just come back to his life maybe he will change.. he love his family, especially his daughter and they can save his life. But right now he is with our God almighty and taking good care of him.
THE BOOK CAME OUT BEFORE HE DIED!!
They weren't bad mouthing him, just telling the truth. Elvis needed a hard core intervention, not more enabling. Addiction is a horrible disease, that doesn't mean the person is bad. They need to admit their problem first, then accept help. Poor Elvis, as well as the helpless people around him.
Sometimes telling the truth is also telling the bad things about the person. The truth is the truth.
Sonny and Red West crossed the line when they wrote that nasty book , they could give all the excuses they wanted, they did it for MONEY.
There was spite involved...
@@fuckhead9194 They were in an hopeless situation, I understand that, and Elvis could be very unpleasant to be around because of the drugs but, they should have just left quietly as friends.
I read some where that Elvis was having trouble with Red and Sonny ruffing fans up ,
And to get back at him for firing/letting them go again. They kind of admit that as Sonny said "It was out of bitterness and hurt to start with"
@@georgehorner1578 yeah!! It ain't like the hells angels were in attendance...
I heard Sonny talking on the phone to E for a long time and you can’t protect someone like him from himself, he was a powerful personality and well like a king, nobody could say no to him even if they wanted too. They just couldn’t do it.
Of course they could, they were just too busy partying and doing drugs themselves on Elvis' dime and leeching a celebrity lifestyle from one of the biggest stars in the world. Colonel Parker certainly didn't have a problem telling Elvis what was up. These clowns just didn't want the celebrity fantasy camp to end along with the gifts, vacations, parties, etc. If they truly cared about Elvis they would've understood he had financial issues at that point in time and couldn't afford to be paying fake tough guys to do carry his bags anymore, at least until his financial situation was better.
Elvis truly was the King of Rock 'n' Roll.
He was a Gospel singer at heart who sang R&R to pay the bills.
So refreshing to hear the truth from these men that were closest to Elvis. We need to know who Elvis really was without all that idolatry. It’s not fair to portray him as something he wasn’t for the sake of keeping his fans in the dark. I can accept the truth, it’s the lies that bother me. I believe what these men have to say about Elvis because it just sounds believable without all the fluff and make believe. It is what it is. He had great attributes and he also had a dark side. Knowing both makes him look real, human.
I watched a ton of documentaries of Elvis from the perspective of the Memphis Mafia. Great stories. Parts of it telling the sad truth, too. But these guys tried so hard to wake him up to make him see what he was doing to himself. All The King's Men was one, Elvis & The Memphis Mafia was another. Elvis, The Final Hours or Last 24 Hours. Maybe more. They all tell the same stories.
Snitches, and money grubbing hangers on.
Absolutely ungrateful nobodies that got paid to live in a rock and roll fantasy camp, party, go on vacations and receive gifts for decades. Absolute trash.
If the book told the truth, and the facts couldn’t be disputed, then there is no problem.
It's true. Our factory foremen gave us speed to get out production. I totally believe some military people did it too.
My Dad was in Army, he worked two jobs and they gave him uppers and downers to sleep.
I remember this interview when it aired. I felt at the time that they betrayed Elvis. I was upset about that book.
You had good instincts.
Out on the streets? I doubt these guys would of been homeless in an alley. Of course they made the book for the money
They were fired because they were too violent with Elvis' fans. Through this book , they went on being violent but with Elvis. Red West almost pretends that Elvis couldn't play guitar and that he was wrong when he thought that Priscilla was having an affair with her dance teacher. In "Elvis and me", Priscilla confirmed that she really had this affair. Elvis was very hurt when he heard about this book, he felt betrayed by his former friends but said to Larry Geller that he knew his fans are too smart to believe what these 3 would wrote in their book. If you love Elvis you will prefer books written by his real friends : Jerry Schilling, Larry Geller, George Klein etc.
Life has its struggles for all of us. Elvis had his and his bodyguards had theirs. They were upset like anyone would be and needed some form of income. Yes Whatever ElViS put in his own body was his business like it is with all of us. Maybe they should not have wrote it but these guys were also his friend and made him happy for just being there. Nobody’s perfect but all are trying to do their best. It’s easy for us to sit on the sidelines and cut other# down who are in there trying their best. These are some tough old boys with a heart of gold or else Elvis would have had nothing to do with them. I read the book in 1977 and I loved it. I had much more of an appreciation for the man for having many sides to him. It made him more exciting to me because that great image he had in public was not all of the man. To me never anything bad just interesting.
@ It's Glen Eaton, they needed vengeance. So they wrote the book to hurt Elvis.
Exactly
So instead of getting a job like adult human beings they wrote a damaging tell-all book to help destroy someone they allegedly loved's reputation and possibly career. Got it.
Rick Stanley told me they were fired because of law suits and Elvis wanted to remind them who was boss! However, his Dad did not follow Elvis' instructions and give them 5,000 to hold them over. Elvis intended to hire them back as Red and Sonny were long time friends. However, they got ahead of him with the book and things got out of hand when Dunleavy got involved. You can blame tight wad Vernon for mishandling this! He always thought Elvis spent too much money!
I don't believe anything from the Stanley brothers!
Stanley's and Dee used Elvis like milking a cow. Don't believe a word they say.
I believe nothing any of those brothers ever said. What bad luck for Elvis to have has father marry such a witch, and three slime balls as sons. UGH.
@@presleyjordan8519 Dee wrote a second book in 93 that was so trashy a lot of publishers wanted nothing to do with it. When she first contacted Elvis she was chasing after him, not Vernon. She left her husband to start an affair with Vernon, then left her boys in a home for 6 months before they moved to Memphis. And she has the nerve to knock Elvis for his behaviour? Makes me sick when she said Elvis ruined her marriage to Vernon. So who ruined your first marriage to Bill Stanley?
Your spot on..!! I've been adding that hugely important part of the firing story to comments. It most likely would have been a completely different reaction if Vernon followed his son's instructions
OHHH and then they say "Later" They were Not In Control Of what was written in the BOOK........... LMAO.......It was CHANGED UP TOO LMAO
Other body guards, handlers,close friends,band members even girlfriends of Elvis knew they couldn’t do anything about his self destruction so the just removed their selves from him ,but these men decided to right a book that embarrassed Elvis..Then at least one of them here before he died recently give a speech or talk about being with Elvis as though he was all hunky dory with Elvis..what a crock 🤦🏻♂️
Rest in Peace Sonny, thank you for the stories and the truth.
I believe him as much as reading that garbage from the national enquirer
Sonny was a handsome man but next to Elvis, forget it. When you are a TOP fan & really know the story, how could one man carry all this on his shoulders? Elvis carried so many on his back that it hardened into a shell.
@@TEXASLOYAL He was there, you weren't.
@@giraffesareselfish9563 No shit peanut, what's your point? Please, enlighten me with your intellect!
He was a bum.
They should have never written aby book.
They had families 👪 now you're in your late 30's with very little money, they were thinking that book was going to make them some big money 💰 I don't know if it ever did
For some reason, I was looking for the whole interview and finally found it. These guys knew Elvis was headed for self-destruction. All they wanted to do was get his attention and show him what he was doing to himself. Sonny West, Red West were trying so hard to get Elvis to get off the drugs, but they got fired in retaliation. Some time later, Elvis finally lost his life in August 1977.
no man the book was published AFTER they got fired!
BS
Any worker who's been fired has one thing in mind : how can I help my ex boss 😅
He lived in a gilded cage. He loved his boys.
At 1:11, I was surprised to see Barry Gibb was one of Elvis’ bodyguards. He must have needed work pre-Saturday Night Fever.
That’s what I said…”why is Barry Gibb in this?”…..
@@paradisedreaming6363 he could’ve been a Gibb impersonator in Vegas no problem.
That’s not Berry Gibb it was the style back then
I think these guys did a great job in bringing us an insight into Elvises life
deselect - They certainly did.
Really? Did you read the book? Did you hear Red's "Recorded" Phone call without Elvis Knowing? and Red's Attitude and how he downed Elvis so much saying He was a GROWN MAN LIVING IN A LITTLE BOYS BODY!!!! AS IF ELVIS WAS IMMATURE...? AND RED WAS MUCH MORE SMARTER? HE RECORDED THE PHONE CALL AND NEVER TOLD ELVIS HE DID AND PUT IT OUT TO THE MEDIA...... NOT ONE TIME WAS ELVIS MEAN TO RED IN THAT PHONE CALL... AND VERNON SAID IN HIS 1978 GOOD HOUSEKEEPING ARTICLE THAT ELVIS WAS BADLY HURT BY THEM... ELVIS DIDN'T FIRE THEM VERNON HAD TO CUT BACK ON FINANCES THEN BOOM WHAT DID THEY DO... WRITE THAT BOOK...!!! BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT IT WAS "ELVIS" THAT FIRED THEM NOT HIS DAD... LOOK UP THE ARTICLE.... ELVIS TRIED TO GET TO IT BEFORE PUBLISHING BUT HE COULDN'T WAS TOO LATE HE READ IT TOO.... AND PASSED SOON AFTER TO PUT OUT THE MOST FAMOUS ENTERTAINER/ FRIEND / THAT DID EVERYTHING FOR YOU BUT WIPE YOUR A** AND TELL THINGS TO THE WORLD HIS FANS IN SPITE.... IS DOWN RIGHT DISGUSTING.... WHAT KIND OF FRIEND WOULD DO THAT TO ELVIS.... LAY OUT ALL HIS SECRETS ALL THE THINGS HE SHARED WITH THEM!!! FROM THE TIME THEY WERE KIDS!!!! AND TO SAY FOR ELVIS TO STOP TAKING PILLS WELL DID THEY SAY MOST ALL THE PILLS FOUND IN ELVIS'S AUTOPSY WAS FOR HIS HEALTH CONDITIONS HEART BLOOD PRESSURE PRE DIABETIC LIVER COUNT WAS NOT GOOD GLAUCOMA .... AND CHRONIC PAIN MEDICATION ....???? NO THE NUMBER WAS OUT THERE HOW MANY WAS FOUND BUT NOT WHAT ALL THEY WERE THEY ONLY LISTED THE "NARCOTICS" QUADS BARBS ETC ... WHICH BACK THEN WERE USED FOR SLEEP / PAIN AND HE TOOK OPIATES FOR PAIN.... CHRONIC PAIN HE'D HAVE TO SIT DOWN DURING THE END OF HIS LIFE AT CONCERTS BECAUSE OF THE CHRONIC PAIN HE HAD ... HE HAD AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE LIKE HIS MOTHER... AND HER BROTHERS.. HE COULD NOT FIGHT OFF INFECTIONS .. NOR HEAL PROPERLY... QUADS AND BARBS ARE BASICALLY THE SAME THING AS "BENZODIAZAPINES" "VALIUM" - CLONOPIN ATIVAN MANY DIFFERENT BENZO'S THEY ARE JUST AS DANGEROUS AS WHAT THEY CALLED THEM YEARS AGO THEY ARE BEING PRESCIBED CONSTANTLY AND PEOPLE ARE DYING FROM THEM!!!! THEY SLOW DOWN YOUR ORGANS THEY SEDATE YOU THEY ARE TRANQUILIZERS THAT HITS YOUR BRAIN RECEPTORS AND CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM WHICH CONTROLS YOUR "BODY" ORGANS DOCS HAVE FED THESE MEDS TO PATIENTS FOR MANY YEARS AS MYSELF - NOT TELLING PATIENTS THEY ARE ADDICTIVE AND YOU CAN DIE I ALMOST DID && YOU CANNOT JUST STOP THEM!!!!!! IF YOU DID YOU WOULD DIE FROM A SEIZURE OR HEART ATTACK.... BELIEVE ME I'VE BEEN THERE IT WAS HORRID
@@HeavenlyPresley-Tonya - Can you imagine how hurt and frightened these guys were when they were getting a week pay over & kicked out, 40 years old how were they going to ever support their families they could’ve like in most jobs as we do in New York you get eight weeks pay it gives you a little time to get back on your feet, look for a new. job but they threw them away.20 yrs of Yes man so I feel understand the anger. That’s certainly did not make Elvis do more drugs so let’s get real. Again I am a huge Elvis Presley’ 🕺 👑 fan..
@@donnaleigh6535 they also had to sell their house, cars. They were BROKE. I’d be bitter too if I was dropped just like that. I love Elvis but that doesn’t change the fact that he choose the pills over them, yes he had health issues but he also took them because he liked taking them period.
@@donnaleigh6535Oh no! The gravy train of being fake tough guys and Elvis' luggage carriers was over! No more lavish gifts, homes, watches, cars, vacations, etc, for doing next to nothing but partying on Elvis dime and living in a celebrity fantasy world. If they were so good at what they did they would've been highly sought after from other high profile celebrities but since they were just a bunch of goofball sycophants, they weren't. They got Elvis sued for millions ffs, they should've been gone earlier. Elvis had serious money issues and couldn't afford to pay a bunch of ungrateful clowns money to do absolutely nothing.
His whole team worked him to death. Fake grief. 🙄
THEY LOVE THIS GUYS Real friend s don't turn on friend It's the money 100%
Sonny and Red loved Elvis.
@@gracieg7601 sure about that NEVER went to his wake
2 of the so called authors of this tripe knew the man since high school They knew he was proud, shy, driven ,humble, private and yes addicted. He did not reveal everything that went on inside of him to these clowns with regard to his fame, his frustration or his pain whether emotionally or physically.
They had to have known this was not going to force him to wake up to their way of seeing. Funny how a book writing coincides with their firing.
Didn't feel the pull to "wake him up" with a tell all book before that? Not while the good life was still being enjoyed by all. Vicki
I agree wholeheartedly Vicki. "Clowns" is putting it nicely. They don't get a pass from me either. They were just doing damage control for their own hides! I hope they received the disdain they deserved from his fans. By the looks of it they did... Sunny wearing sunglasses speaks to his own drug and or alcohol use well after being around Elvis. Wonder if they would have been okay with a "tell all" on their bad behavior? Compassion has "left the building", lol. Have a good one Vicki
@@elvistherapy3931 I was pretty young when all this happened but yes they had alot of backlash for this garbage.This book opened the can of worms to the man's personal struggles as well as a flood gate to more and more books, ever changing versions of stories, and more outlandish embellishments as the years went on. After some time they tried to do damage control with more books and interviews talking about all the good he did for people but it was too late. The damage was done and to this day many view him as nothing more than a self indulgent drug addict that died on a toilet. He was so much more and that this is the picture that many have of this phenomenon can be traced back to the beginning...this book. We don't know what this man struggled with and to be honest, it was his life and business. Much has come out since about health issues he had since birth which for obvious reasons were kept hidden as well. These pack of good old boys employees and friends certainly wouldn't have been people he would have discussed such private things with. The dissection of this man has gone on since 1977. Sad. Vicki
@@richardeidemiller6739 Agreed. I was young as well so I don't remember this book being released. It is frustrating to see the pass these 3 are still given to this day. I won't judge their whole lives based on this one action, but this was wrong on a massive scale and they should have spent their lives after, making things right. Pretty sure that didn't happen. Hebler has an interview on a UA-camrs channel and I just can't listen to it... I want to jump through the screen and punch him 40 yrs later hahaha.
@@elvistherapy3931 Well I was right there when it all happened and knew people that lived with E and yes these were very hurt more than anything else but they don’t deserve any disdain and if E hadn’t died so miserable at 42 just after the book came out it would have been just a tabloid type thing but it went viral and there’s the reason people are upset because 90% of his fans at first thought he had faked his death.
@@ronniebishop2496 Thank you for the reply. I can appreciate all opinions and experiences. I believe the word you used was "tabloid" and it fits here. It was sensationalism and spiteful. I will always believe "friends" don't do what those three did to Elvis...they were not under the pressure he lived with for decades supporting all of them. I own a business and the pressure to support the families of employees is daunting... I can't imagine the pressure Elvis was under to keep going even at the cost of his health... he was not well for years and meds were not the whole story! They were wrong pure and simple... the distain from fans was warranted in my opinion. Cheers
I believe these guys with all my heart…t to hey took a LOT of shit off Elvis but stayed because they knew who he was deep down inside of him…underneath all the disappointments and frustrations in his very unique life…I feel for them all including Elvis
From what I’ve read and saw on line…Elvis had TOTAL CONTROL of people he wanted something from. Doctor’s for one!
These guys even said they don’t know why there was such a hold.
It’s called~~~Controlling Spirit 📖 The Bible has a lot say about this.
Due to hiring 3 Step brothers..it almost destroyed them due to drugs as well.
Check out their stories. They were young and could easily be manipulated.
Vernon said that Elvis would give things to kids when young in order to buy their friendship. Well this continued till his death.
These guys were garbage losers that were bitter that the gravy train was over. They sold out someone they allegedly cared about and tired to hurt him for a buck. Bunch of cry baby zero loser sycophants. Screw them.
@@FLIPPER1439 Get a life and get a grip. Elvis's step brothers were trash that leeched off his name as long as they could. Elvis did tons of nice things for people of all ages because he grew up dirt poor and never forgot what it felt like to have absolutely nothing. It's called generosity. People were infatuated with him because he was the biggest star on the planet with an impossible amount of charisma, obviously🙄. Good Lord, get a grip.
Sorry you don't know about the heart and caring of Elvis the man. He did so much for these hanger's on and they then betrayed him. I would bet you wouldn't want to betrayed and things unflattering said about you, many untrue.
They certainly did take a LOT of shit off Elvis - money, gifts, vacations, cars, on and on and on. Got to live in a fantasy world well into adulthood then acted like spoiled little brats when Elvis was under financial stress and couldn't pay them for doing nothing anymore. Absolute clowns.
Yeah.!!
Get everyone together...
Down in Memphis..
We'll all..
Mass-debate under one roof..
With Elvis on our minds.