For both his security needs and touring support, Presley hired people chosen from among those he could trust and depend on to manage his public appearances. Red and Sonny West were Elvis' bodyguards (although Red West also had a talent for writing songs, including some recorded by Elvis such as "If Everyday Was Like Christmas" and then "Separate Ways"). By that point, Elvis and Priscilla had divorced. Moreover, a serious drug habit had contributed to his death. He asked her if Smith was the love of her life, and she answered “Yes.” Indeed, Ann-Margret and Smith would remain together until he passed away, aged 84, in the summer of 2017. “Our vows were taken and we were now husband and wife,” Priscilla wrote in her People piece. Within a short time Elvis’ sensitive nature brought him back to his senses.

They drove bumper cars in Las Vegas Valley, rode horses in California and hung out at Graceland. I found that I liked her and I decided to ignore the rumors.”, There were other problems, however. That happened a lot of times, and we thought nothing of it. And a rediscovered interview finally reveals the truth about their covert romance on and off the screen. Elvis apparently responded violently to this. Known for his generosity (attributed by Presley himself to an impoverished childhood), he bought some of these employees homes as wedding gifts and frequently bought new Cadillac automobiles for employees, relatives and friends.[11]. When Elvis bought Graceland Billy’s family also moved in and his father Travis worked for Elvis as Chief guard. Go to a different show every night, then pick up a bunch of women afterwards, go party the next night.

Sometimes they would hang out with Sammy Davis, Jr., or check out Bobby Darin at the Cloister. “Elvis assured me that I was just being oversensitive because of my condition. Charlie Hodge harmonized with Elvis, played background acoustic guitar, and gave him scarves and beverages during concerts, as well as being responsible for inspecting each stage layout before the concert. Elvis Presley reportedly spent days and nights with his friends and employees from the Memphis Mafia. There are a few reasons this might happen: To request an unblock, please fill out the form below and we will review it as soon as possible. If Elvis had ended up with Thumper, this whole story might have ended differently.”. "For the first time in his life, he had a group of male friends to pal around with, and he relished being the leader of the pack. “I was seven months along and could not believe what I was hearing. He divulged, “My personal desire was for Elvis to marry Ann. He’s an American original.”. “Elvis returned from the studio one afternoon, carrying a newspaper and fuming. The Memphis Mafia members themselves say on their website that Elvis liked the name and it stuck. In 2014 she was in the television show Ray Donovan. For that they were often shouted at, abused and belittled by the King when he felt like it. “I was quick to cry,” Priscilla remembered. With Elvis' cousin Billy Smith also in the hospital room, the elder Presley lashed out at his already reeling son, blaming him for the heart attack and shouting, "I can thank you for this." But as it turns out, there was another woman in the late King of Rock’s life. She says that she "was with him and the guys all the time." [8], William Otterburn-Hall describes the men as close around the star "like a football scrum after a loose ball". Red West, Sonny West, and Elvis himself felt betrayed, and all parties were upset with one another in the manner in which they were fired. These original Memphis Mafia members at the time the phrase was coined were Billy Smith, Sonny West, Marty Lacker, Lamar Fike, Joe Esposito, Red West, Charlie Hodge and Alan Fortas. Instead of cherries or jokers, it had three guitars that lined up for the jackpot. According to one account,[6] a crowd of people in front of the Riviera Hotel watched as two big black limousines arrived. And then in 2018 she joined the cast of Happy! a top-200 site as rated by Alexa. Mrs. Elvis Presley. He divulged, “My personal desire was for Elvis to marry Ann. It seems, then, that Elvis and Ann-Margaret were destined to meet. ‘I’ve heard a lot about you,’ we said at the same time, which made us laugh and broke the ice.”, This first encounter was, in its own way, a meet-cute. One of the book’s authors, Elvis’ close friend Marty Lacker, revealed, “I knew Elvis had to make a decision between them. "[11] "They all had jobs to do so that Elvis could do his and as far as being there for the money, that's laughable because there really wasn't much in that area to be there for. Yet despite everything, Elvis and Priscilla eventually married in May 1967. Billy Smith in Memphis, TN We found 47 records for Billy Smith in Memphis, TN. “He loved his family, loved his parents, he loved his little daughter so much. on the Syfy network and featured in The Kominsky Method. "[1] The group began with Elvis' first cousins Junior and Gene Smith (Gladys Presley's sister Levalle's children) who accompanied Elvis everywhere, along with Elvis' high school friend Red West and rockabilly singer Cliff Gleaves. Priscilla never understood that.”, According to Lacker, Ann-Margret wasn’t pleased when Elvis went back to Priscilla. Charlie Rose told Ann-Margret, “It seems that there was about the two of you, kindred souls, something deep inside that you both knew that you both had. Moreover, in the interview Rose also brought up Ann-Margret’s “extraordinary” relationship with her husband Roger Smith, star of 77 Sunset Strip. "[23], When they rented the Rainbow Rollerdrome in Memphis, Elvis and the "Memphis Mafia" usually played "a game called 'War', of which Elvis was the proud inventor. At the beginning of her singing career, you see, she had been marketed as a feminine version of Elvis – due to their similar vocal qualities. “Every major newspaper in America’s picked it up,” Elvis told Priscilla. Indeed, when Elvis and Priscilla had first met back in 1959, he was 24 years old and she’d been a mere 14. This secret lover was one of Elvis’ co-stars. And it’s almost now as if you were trying to protect that.” The actress answered, “Oh yes, it was extremely special. ... we were all three there talking for hours about everything in the world! Elvis’ buddy Marty Lacker had the last words in that chapter of the book. Marty Lacker and Elvis' cousin, Billy Smith, were probably the closest true friends of Elvis according to some in the group. [13] For Joe Esposito, "it was a party like you wouldn't believe. Billy’s family also went with the Presleys when they first moved to Memphis. Snackable content that delights, informs and entertains. She’d split with him towards the end of 1973, in fact, although they had joint custody of their daughter Lisa Marie. As you were browsing www.whitepages.com something about your browser made us think you were a bot. It was very strong.”, “We went together for one year, and he trusted me, and I do not want to betray his trust even in death,” Ann-Margret continued. In it, Billy Smith recalled, “She had a slot machine made for him. She made his life easier because she understood him and didn’t make any demands on him. Those guys were always around". I read in her book that she and Roger announced their engagement in ’66. “And I think that’s what connected them to each other during the duration of Elvis’ life… I think my understanding of it is we should all be so lucky to have a friendship that’s as meaningful as the one between Ann-Margret and Elvis Presley.”.

The Members of the Memphis Mafia had specific jobs. and a newspaper reporter picked up the story. Nancy was very friendly and very supportive. “She doesn’t say it in so many words, but she says it in enough words. After that interview, Ann-Margret more or less stopped speaking about her relationship with Elvis. "[21] Even the girls he dated lamented, "Whenever you were with Elvis for the most part you were with his entourage. She describes herself as having been like a sister to Elvis, a companion, confidante and keeper of secrets in the exciting days of his early career. Copyright © 2019 Pub Ocean – All Rights Reserved. Elvis and his friends got out of the two cars and someone in the crowd yelled, "Who are they, the Mafia?"

[22] According to the singer's cousin Billy Smith, Elvis got into bed with Smith and his wife Jo "many times at Graceland when we would spend the night there in Lisa's room, or on tour in the hotel, and at the trailer on the property at Graceland. In these cases Elvis paid salaries, but most lived off fringe benefits such as gifts, cars, houses and bonuses. Presley had the tail of his private jet painted with the initials "TCB" and a lightning bolt and gave away gold and diamond chain necklaces with TCB (and TLC) logos as gifts. Indeed, Ann-Margret received plenty more flowers from him as her career continued. “After all, this was Elvis – a man who had captured the heart of almost every woman in America.

This time, it was Nancy Sinatra. The idea of a trial separation was never mentioned again.”, Meanwhile, Ann-Margret got hitched to somebody else. "There wasn't a crowd then, just a few guys," and she emphasizes that she "had nothing to do with being a yes man for him and obviously he trusted me. Over the years, the number of members grew and changed, but for the most part there was a core group who spent much time with the singer. He won’t even take my calls.”, Moreover, Priscilla was also furious at the situation. Since 2015, (which was first published on July 12, 1977), he worried that his reputation would be adversely affected. And they clearly meant a great deal to each other. This so-called Bodyguard book came from the West cousins and Dave Hebler. “I knew him very, very well.” Asked what she meant, the actress said, “There’s been so much written that has been negative about him, I want to celebrate his life, the man that I knew.”, Ann-Margret then added, “[Elvis] was so gifted. Even though Ann-Margret will no longer speak about Elvis, the book Elvis and the Memphis Mafia provides an invaluable insight into that period of their lives. Priscilla Presley said these employees were paid an average of $250 per week during the 1960s, which rose to $425 per week in the 1970s, however one pay stub does exist that showed a weekly pay of only $35 for the '63-65 era. Several members filled practical roles in the singer's life. When they were all dressed up, they divided themselves into Blue and Red teams, and started hurling fireworks at the other team; Elvis was left with a big scar on his neck from one firework, and one of his friends nearly lost an eye."[24].



Snakes In Wisconsin, The Betrayal Knows My Name Season 2, Belinda Owusu Husband, James Thurber Short Stories Pdf, Big Sean Kids, Asteroid To Hit Earth In September 2020, Nia Dennis Zeta Phi Beta, Philips 50 Inch 4k Uhd Smart Tv Review, How To Use Custom Squads In Fifa 20 Kick Off, Alienware Aw3420dw Settings, Frank Marshall Davis, Michael Underwood Masterchef, Honda Crf 100 Specs, Freddie Dredd Merch Hoodie, Faith Of The Heart Mp3, Teacup Goldendoodle Rescue, Khamse W Noss, Honda Monkey Vs Grom, Wdt Meaning Coffee, Alexia Umansky Age, Is Reddy Kilowatt Copyrighted, Villa Rica Gold Dust Park, Candy Candy Full Episodes, Black Betty Drug, How To Make Acrylic Charms, Bioshock Ionic Gel, Gta Sa Mods, Lord Of The Rings Mla Citation, What Happened To Alix Steel On Bloomberg ?, Colorado History Paper Topics, Peter Michael Escovedo Net Worth, Taraji P Henson Age, Atm Error Code 3 Da000(90), Port Of Savannah Container Tracking, Lil Agss Smoking, The Lesson By Toni Cade Bambara Tone, Strelitzia Root System,