Interesting view by Marty Lacker on Elvis: What Happened?

[Bodie]

Since Elvis died, Red and Sonny West along with Dave Hebler have been accused of betraying Elvis, even some fans believe that they caused Elvis' death by writing the controversial book Elvis: What Happened?

I know of some fans who feel like this about the three and it was interesting when talking to them to find that they never even read the book or realised that it was in fact Steve Dunleavy that put the words into the book.

Here is the view of Marty Lacker from an interview last year and feels that Steve Dunleavy and Rupert Murdoch are the real villians behind the book.

Marty Lacker Comments to the story 'Will Elvis Presley See Revenge Against Media Mogul Rupert Murdoch?': Posted 2 days ago was the suggestion that the media-rot and the biased tabloid tell-alls of Media Mogul Rupert Murdoch started with the serialisation of 'Elvis: What Happened?' ... Even suggesting "The kind of institutionalized anti-rock company policy may well have been what led to the book that may have helped to kill Elvis Presley".

Marty Lacker has sent EIN this detailed and emotional response.
... I take exception to the Flippo article and his remark that Elvis What Happened helped kill Elvis. That's a crock of sh*t that was started by a couple of other members of the 'Memphis Mafia' who were sycophants and ass kissers and always trying to make others look bad in Elvis' eyes for their own benefit. If anyone helped cause Elvis' demise it was Colonel Parker who ran him into the ground with those damn tours going to the same cities every month and to Vegas just to satisfy his gambling habit and debts.

In addition Elvis partly was at fault for two reasons, he tolerated and didn't confront Parker and didn't get rid of him when he should have years before and his over dependency on his prescribed drugs. He took too many,too often as an escape from the boredom of his life that Parker had created.

Some people,mainly the uninformed media and uninformed fans are quick to pin Elvis' death on the guys around him and neither ever spent one damn minute with Elvis or us. They think it makes them sound good when they mouth off as if they're in the know and protective of Elvis.

Truth is they do more harm then good. They need to get real and understand that Elvis was not G-d, he was a human being just like the rest of us and had human faults and frailties as we all do. The media, especially the tabloids sensationalize stories to make more money.

But it is finally coming to light what kind of greedy, low life scumbag Rupert Murdoch is as the English authorities have discovered his long underhanded and what I consider criminal dealings in furthering his power and influence through his media entities. He saw an opportunity to try to tear down a historical cultural icon in Elvis with no regard to what it did to Elvis, his family or hundreds of millions of fans or for that fact Red & Sonny, however he did see that the disgusting things he allowed Dunleavy to write would bring him millions in sales of the Star and Elvis What happened.

So he assigned someone as nasty as he is to write the book with Red, Sonny and Dave. As I said the guys wrote the book mainly to try to get Elvis to see what he was doing to himself and they did that out of love for him. The other reason they did it is because of the way Vernon Presley let them go. Elvis had told his father to give them each $5,000 as severance pay and let them know they'd be hired back later. Instead Mr. Presley gave them two weeks pay and said nothing about hiring them back. This after Red had been close to Elvis for over 20 years and Sonny for 18 years as his protectors. They had families who now were left with no income to live on.

They were inexperienced about book publishing and certainly about what kind of people Murdoch and Dunleavy were and so they went for the deal that provided them with the most money,as most authors do, so that their families could be taken care of while they searched for employment. Because of their publishing inexperience their deal with Murdoch and Dunleavy did not allow them to change the way Dunleavy wrote the book and they did not know what he wrote until it was finished. And as usual the fans always zero in on the negative things people write about Elvis even if they are a small part of the book. They wrote many good things in EWH but the fans choose to gloss over them.

Murdoch and Dunleavy are the villains in Elvis What Happened and the world is finally finding out what kind of human beings they really are. Murdoch operates the same way here in the US with his Fox News TV Channel, he has the rotten Republicans in his pocket so he allows the Channel to make up lies about everyone else in the other party in US Politics. The British authorities are arresting his executives but what they need to do is put him in prison for the rest of his life along with his minions who did his dirty work. His tentacles, they have revealed, reaches all the way into Scotland Yard and England's government. Put him in prison for what he did to people like Elvis and all the other lives of people he besmirched, all for money.

I have always whole heartedly believed that Red and Sonny tried to help Elvis see what he was doing to himself and they did it because they loved him and still do.

People need to get real and get a life, Marty
(News, Source;MartyLacker/ElvisInfoNetwork)

[Blue River]

Wikipedia -
Rupert Murdoch's political activities in the United States

Four characteristics of his media operations: free market ideology; unified positions on matters of public policy; global editorial meetings; and opposition to a perceived liberal bias in other public media.

On 8 May 2006, the Financial Times reported that Murdoch would be hosting a fund-raiser for Senator Hillary Clinton's (D-New York) Senate re-election campaign. In a 2008 interview with Walt Mossberg, Murdoch was asked whether he had "anything to do with the New York Post's endorsement of Barack Obama in the democratic primaries." Without hesitating, Murdoch replied, "Yeah. He is a rock star. It's fantastic. I love what he is saying about education. I don't think he will win Florida... but he will win in Ohio and the election. I am anxious to meet him. I want to see if he will walk the walk." Murdoch is a strong supporter of Israel and its domestic policies.

In 2010 News Corporation gave $1 million to the Republican Governors Association and $1 million to the conservative U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Murdoch also served on the board of directors of the libertarian Cato Institute. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Murdoch is also a supporter of the Stop Online Piracy Act and Protect Intellectual Property Act.

Murdoch is a supporter of more open immigration policies in western nations generally. In the United States, Murdoch and chief executives from several major corporations including Hewlett-Packard, Boeing and Disney joined New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to form the Partnership for a New American Economy to advocate "for immigration reform – including a path to legal status for all undocumented immigrants now in the United States." The coalition, reflecting Murdoch and Bloomberg's own views, also advocates significant increases in legal immigration to the United States as a means of boosting America's sluggish economy and lowering unemployment. The Partnership's immigration policy prescriptions are notably similar to those of the Cato Institute and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce—both of which Murdoch has supported in the past. The Wall Street Journal editorial page has similarly advocated for increased legal immigration, in contrast to the staunch anti-immigration stance of Murdoch's British newspaper, The Sun. On 5 September 2010, Murdoch testified before the House Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law Membership on the "Role of Immigration in Strengthening America’s Economy." In his testimony, Murdoch called for ending mass deportations and endorsed a "comprehensive immigration reform" plan that would include a pathway to citizenship for all illegal immigrants.

In the 2012 U.S. Presidential election, Murdoch has been critical of the competence of Mitt Romney's team but nonetheless has been strongly supportive of a Republican victory, tweeting: "Of course I want him [Romney] to win, save us from socialism, etc."

[EPA4368]

Elvis partly was at fault for two reasons, he tolerated and didn't confront Parker and didn't get rid of him when he should have years before and his over dependency on his prescribed drugs. He took too many, too often as an escape from the boredom of his life that Parker had created.

I agree with this from Marty's article.

Elvis should have taken care of himself better; solve the drugs problems and let Parker go.

[iplayastrat]

Marty Lacker has sent EIN this detailed and emotional response.
... Red, Sonny and Dave. As I said the guys wrote the book mainly to try to get Elvis to see what he was doing to himself and they did that out of love for him.

This is the lie they keep telling themselves.
Maybe it helps them cope with Elvis' death.

If they wanted to confront Elvis about his lifestyle,
they should have all (at least the ones who really cared)
walked in and told Elvis how it was. Would he have
fired them? Probably, but then at the very least they
wouldn't have to keep telling themselves that same old
lie. They were grown men, right?

They did it out of love makes me want to puke.

[Bodie]

Marty Lacker has sent EIN this detailed and emotional response.
... Red, Sonny and Dave. As I said the guys wrote the book mainly to try to get Elvis to see what he was doing to himself and they did that out of love for him.

This is the lie they keep telling themselves.
Maybe it helps them cope with Elvis' death.

If they wanted to confront Elvis about his lifestyle,
they should have all (at least the ones who really cared)
walked in and told Elvis how it was. Would he have
fired them? Probably, but then at the very least they
wouldn't have to keep telling themselves that same old
lie. They were grown men, right?

They did it out of love makes me want to puke.

Like the way Elvis should have told them they were sacked to their faces instead of getting his Dad to do it. Sonny tried to contact Elvis after he was fired and Elvis refused to see him.

[iplayastrat]

Like the way Elvis should have told them they were sacked to their faces instead of getting his Dad to do it. Sonny tried to contact Elvis after he was fired and Elvis refused to see him.

I'm not absolving Elvis of anything.
It just doesn't change the lie they
keep telling themselves.

[Bodie]

Like the way Elvis should have told them they were sacked to their faces instead of getting his Dad to do it. Sonny tried to contact Elvis after he was fired and Elvis refused to see him.

I'm not absolving Elvis of anything.
It just doesn't change the lie they
keep telling themselves.

Its not a lie. They did love Elvis.

[Xaykev]

1. The tried to confront Elvis face to face.
2. Red and Sonny approved the book; If you read Marty Lacker's own book they said they did read EWH and approved it before it got released.

[eligain]

Marty Lacker has sent EIN this detailed and emotional response.
... Red, Sonny and Dave. As I said the guys wrote the book mainly to try to get Elvis to see what he was doing to himself and they did that out of love for him.

This is the lie they keep telling themselves.
Maybe it helps them cope with Elvis' death.

If they wanted to confront Elvis about his lifestyle,
they should have all (at least the ones who really cared)
walked in and told Elvis how it was. Would he have
fired them? Probably, but then at the very least they
wouldn't have to keep telling themselves that same old
lie. They were grown men, right?

They did it out of love makes me want to puke.

Red did do that!

[memphisound]

Marty Lacker has sent EIN this detailed and emotional response.
... Red, Sonny and Dave. As I said the guys wrote the book mainly to try to get Elvis to see what he was doing to himself and they did that out of love for him.

This is the lie they keep telling themselves.
Maybe it helps them cope with Elvis' death.

If they wanted to confront Elvis about his lifestyle,
they should have all (at least the ones who really cared)
walked in and told Elvis how it was. Would he have
fired them? Probably, but then at the very least they
wouldn't have to keep telling themselves that same old
lie. They were grown men, right?

They did it out of love makes me want to puke.

Red did do that!

Red did talk to him man to man, face to face, and you know what, in rage Elvis pulled a damn automatic gun in his face.
You guys are acting like Elvis was jesus and the red and sonny were judas.

[Blue River]

You guys are acting like Elvis was jesus and the red and sonny were judas.

Well, according to what you wrote, it looks like Elvis' name was the only one worthy of a capital letter.

[jinjoe]

In defence of Red & Sonny they did all they could for Elvis but as Dave Hebler mentioned in the news conference "How do you protect a man from himself" says it all does it not.

For anyone who says those guys did not love Elvis are mistaken and biased

Walk a mile in those guys shoes

[Simon1]

I don't approve of the way Elvis had them fired, there's no excuse for that, but I also think that people who work for a superstar, especially Red and Sonny who were extremely close should never, after leaving employment, tell the dirties about that particular superstar.

Big stars need bodyguards and so they let people in their personal lives and subsequently these people see a lot of personal affairs. I always find it cheap to later come out with a book and tell about all these inside affairs. No matter what the circumstances. If they felt they should warn Elvis about his life, they could have written him personal letters. They did it for money and money alone, they should be the big guys they are and just let go of the 'we wanted to save Elvis'.
Again I'm not saying Elvis was perfect but I've never liked those tell-all stories from employees of superstars. And Elvis probably would not have lived a long life anyhow, the way he was medicating himself, but I'm sure this book did lead to a quicker death.

[iplayastrat]

They wrote the book out of love for him = lie.

^ This is the lie I'm talking about. It has nothing to do
with what Elvis did or didn't do. And for that matter, neither
what the bodyguards/friends did or didn't do.

Right or wrong they did it for the money.

[memphisound]

They wrote the book out of love for him = lie.

^ This is the lie I'm talking about. It has nothing to do
with what Elvis did or didn't do. And for that matter, neither
what the bodyguards/friends did or didn't do.

Right or wrong they did it for the money.

Anyone who says they did it for the money is only stating there opinion.
Its not a fact.
you don't know, your are not those guys,!

[jinjoe]

So let's all do a Charlie Hodge & Joe Esposito and look the other way and pretend nothings wrong, i have no time for those two f**ks and yet people bang on about the Wests and that book makes me wonder, Like Marty Lacker said "get a life"

[iplayastrat]

So let's all do a Charlie Hodge & Joe Esposito and look the other way and pretend nothings wrong...

It's a little late for that.

[drjohncarpenter]

Right on, Marty.

[Simon1]

All three knew how fond Elvis was of his all American guy sort of image. They knew how he reacted on stage in '74 about the drugs rumours ('break your goddamn neck, tear tongue out by the roots'), there's no way they wouldn't know he'd be destroyed by reading his 'friends' turn out stories how he disfigured a young woman by throwing a pool cue into her chest, how he loved to visit the morgue in the dead of night looking at corpses etc. etc. etc.
Friends don't stab a friend in the back, not even when that friend fires you unceremoniously.

[memphisound]

You guys need to see there were groups in the MM.

The ones that thought they were better than everyone like Joe, charlie, Jerry, Dr. Nick etc.

Then there was Marty, Lamar, Billy, Red, And Sonny.

I take the bottom ones there than the other guys any day of the week.

Even to this day even someone Like Joe, says no friend loved Elvis as much as Red West did.

[iplayastrat]

Even to this day even someone Like Joe, says no friend loved Elvis as much as Red West did.

Memphis,
My point is that they didn't write the book because they loved Elvis.
Yes, it is just my opinion. But I'd bet all of Doc's money that I'm right.

[YDKM]

Marty has stated the facts absolutely perfectly well done Marty!~

[memphisound]

Even to this day even someone Like Joe, says no friend loved Elvis as much as Red West did.

Memphis,
My point is that they didn't write the book because they loved Elvis.
Yes, it is just my opinion. But I'd bet all of Doc's money that I'm right.

Why is it so hard to believe that after 20 years of friendship that Red and Sonny West saw it the last try at attempt to wake up Elvis out of his downward spiral, that he needed to clean his act up before he died.

And just like Diamond Joe said, instead of proving them wrong that last year, Elvis just took more medication and more.
I know it sucks and its heartbreaking but its the truth.

[EPA4368]

Even to this day even someone Like Joe, says no friend loved Elvis as much as Red West did.

Memphis,
My point is that they didn't write the book because they loved Elvis.
Yes, it is just my opinion. But I'd bet all of Doc's money that I'm right.

Why is it so hard to believe that after 20 years of friendship that Red and Sonny West saw it the last try at attempt to wake up Elvis out of his downward spiral, that he needed to clean his act up before he died.

And just like Diamond Joe said, instead of proving them wrong that last year, Elvis just took more medication and more.
I know it sucks and its heartbreaking but its the truth.

Why? Because a good friend is someone you can trust totally with your deepest and darkest secrets, knowing full well that they would not share it with anyone else. A good friend will not break your trust and gossip behind your back. A good friend is absolutely loyal to you through thick and thin. A good friend doesn't betray you when the going gets tough. A backstabbing friend is no friend.

[drjohncarpenter]

Why? Because a good friend is someone you can trust totally with your deepest and darkest secrets, knowing full well that they would not share it with anyone else. A good friend will not break your trust and gossip behind your back. A good friend is absolutely loyal to you through thick and thin. A good friend doesn't betray you when the going gets tough. A backstabbing friend is no friend.

You don't know what you're talking about.