Is Elvis what happened worth reading?

[Gitchops83]

Im not spending money on it if alot of members dont advise it

[elvislennon]

Well, I don't know what others will say about this book. We all have our own opinions of those guys. They are called Memphis Mafia. Some calls them "Yes-Men". Which ever the case may be. I would recommend the book to read. Get a first printing of the book if you able to. EPE and others paint Elvis as a Saint. That he had no problems. Fine whatever. He had problems. We all know this. We can see it by looking at photos. Hear concerts of his. See video footage of him like Elvis In Concert. These guys do agree that Elvis should of not been filmed for that show at all. They wonder why would he agree with such a thing to do. To me, they did what they could of done for Elvis during the time. I think without question Linda Thompson was the best thing in his life during the time she was with him. She saved his life at times. Because he was high on those drugs. Hell, look at Michael Jackson. Same story different man. I am not a huge fan of Michael Jackson to say the least. But the drugs took both of these guys life. Read the book. Get your own opinion about it. That is what I say about it. If others says don't get it. I say get it and read it and get your opinion about it. I recommend the book myself for you to read. Watch All The King's Men if you haven't already. Watch The Elvis Mob if you haven't already. Get you own opinion about those guys. That is all I have to say.

[Gitchops83]

Thanks EL its hard to find a copy in any library or bookshop.
Yes i do remember watching those doco's some truth im sure maybe some not....you know

[MissClawdy]

"Nothing is useless. It can always serve as a bad example!"

There where times I read everything on Elvis that I could get my hands on.

So all in all I'm reading and learning about Elvis since 34 years by now.

You just learn what the "truth" is - once you understand that talking about Elvis is some peoples only claim to fame. Most of the "friends" failed to find their own lifes. It's like linking everything they do to the ELVIS tag to get a little stardust sprinkled on your own miserable and boring being.

Just imagine you are a very good musician yourself and spend an entire life as "Elvis" drummer, bassplayer, guitarist, backgroundsinger... and so on.

Or imagine, you spend about 10-20 years with Elvis as an employee and you have to tell everyone, you where soooo close as a friend (even though you haven't been around him for ages before he died).

Elvis died 37 years ago. That's just short to the 4th generation after Elvis time!

Someone of Elvis band members brought it to a point once: "Come on. Most of the poeple writing book about their memories hardly know what they had for dinner last Wednesday."

For me the truth is simple: All of them depended on Elvis and he didn't "work" like the circus horse any more. He ended up losing all his "friends" and was very aware of it. That's why he hardly knew what was going on downstairs (specially with David and Rick taking "streed drugs", wich he was totally against). Knowing all these desciptions of his last years, it was not just these medications that killed him but the illoyalty of people who he thought where always remain friends. There was nothing left in the end. It must have been living hell for someone who was always the center of attention and formerly shrouded in the love of his mother.

I think, we as Elvis fans can be emphatic with Elvis, but nobody would be able to really understand. Nobody of us has ever been in his shoes.

I would never ask anyone not to read books like that. Elvis was angry about it. That doesn't mean it's all a lie. But it also doesn't mean I belive them when they say it was written to save Elvis. You don't write things like that. There could have been other ways.

[Gitchops83]

Nice post Lamar pisses me off at the end of "all the kings men" it states most of those guys are divorced twice divorced ect....and you can tell some of them are just empty beings. I just dont understand wanting a group of guys around you 24/7.

[MissClawdy]

Nice post Lamar pisses me off at the end of "all the kings men" it states most of those guys are divorced twice divorced ect....and you can tell some of them are just empty beings. I just dont understand wanting a group of guys around you 24/7.

Something, that I truely understand. I was overhearing a talk between one of Elvis mates from 1958 and some of his band members from the 70s that had met Elvis in entire different phases of Elvis life and both parties agreed, that Elvis was very ingratiating towards the people surrounding him. There was no limit to anything - not even to the time he wanted to spend together or working together when they where recording. He didn't really care for their wifes and families attached in the background that wheren't always with "the gang" all the time. Some people still had to care for their their families and "serve" Elvis like he wanted them to do. So it was often kind of a balancing act for them and often it didn't work, so couples separated and got devorced in the end.

But there was always a choice. Being an employee for Elvis was a life-task you had to manage to adjust to. And as anyone can see, sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't for some marriages.

Besides that I'll never forgive Lamar for his involvement in helping Goldman with "Elvis". That book seems to be standart for all articles around the globe on Elvis and left the worsed inpact on Elvis history. Worse than "What happened" in my point of view.

[Gitchops83]

It goes to show you how much control you can have over others. People with charisma have enourmous power over people be it for good or evil.

But realy he needed some security,someone to look after finances and maybe joe as the road manager what did the other leaches do? Laugh on demand i mean get a job and earn your own money,some people will do anything or be willing to put up with anything to be in a group or feel wanted.

Gitchops83.

[MissClawdy]

It goes to show you how much control you can have over others. People with charisma have enourmous power over people be it for good or evil.

But realy he needed some security,someone to look after finances and maybe joe as the road manager what did the other leaches do? Laugh on demand i mean get a job and earn your own money,some people will do anything or be willing to put up with anything to be in a group or feel wanted.

Gitchops83.

Steve Binder was someone who made him think. He was also a danger to the system build around Elvis. But I think Elvis didn't have the courage and as a lot of "huge" stars he had no self-awereness. God knows what tricks the Col. used to keep his circus horse on track. Toghether with Vernon's permanent scare to lose everything it is a lot of presure for someone who hasn't experianced his own boundaries musicalwise. The years far away from something like a "reality" made Elvis the perfect vicitm for anything Parker would plan. So the Col. chose the save way to make money, no matter what musical diamond he held in his hands. The things Elvis could have done instead of these movies... The "NBC Special" was just a glimps of it. If anyone would have had the courage to strengthen Elvis in decisions and talked to him about new ideas. He could have had the best Managers, Securities, Advisors... But what good is it, to find out today?

[Gitchops83]

Insightful.

[Gitchops83]

Just ordered a copy shoud be an interesting read.

[elvislennon]

I don't blame those guys at all. In their mind that what the only way they could help Elvis was writing that book. These guys were fired so what else could they have done? They did make up placebos in place of the real drugs but Elvis wasn't getting the high off of them. There isn't a whole lot of things they could of done really. When a man like Elvis who has money, he could do what he wants, when he want to. Elvis wasn't giving the things that could of help him (A World Tour), A Star Is Born and so on. Elvis was his own worst enemy. Do I blame the guys? Of course I do. But I blame Elvis just as equally as the guys, Colonel Parker, and others around Elvis. Elvis was a drug addict and when you are one, you will do anything to get that high. So I don't blame the guys 100%. Elvis was just as guilty as they are.