MikeFromHolland wrote:This topic was placed in the "Elvis In The Media" section for quite a while already, without getting the attention it deserved according to fellow member
DEH. His suggestion was to place it here.
So here it is for all to enjoy:
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Found on:
http://www.midweekkauai.com/lifestyle/if-you-knew-elvis-as-they-knew-elvis/
Sheri and Beth with a photo of their dad and Elvis | Photo from Sandra Sagisi
If You Knew Elvis As They Knew Elvis
MUFI HVNNEMANN on August 28, 2013 at 3:22 pm
Aug. 16, 1977, forever will be remembered by Elvis fans everywhere as “the day the music died.” I was studying in New Zealand at the time and was bummed beyond comparison as I took a break from classes that day to mourn the loss of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.
Since then, all we have are memories of Elvis Presley, who had a special place in his heart for Hawaii. I certainly have my share of Elvis memories. I enjoyed every one of his films and television specials, know all the words to his songs (even the obscure ones), and sat in awe watching him perform live in Las Vegas in his prime. As president of my high school student council, I arranged to have a contribution made to the Kui Lee Cancer Fund because Elvis was asking, and I even made the pilgrimage to Graceland before Uncle Tom Moffatt (who brought Elvis to Hawaii) made his first trip there.
As fans worldwide commemorate the 36th anniversary of the King’s death this month, not too many can say “Elvis was in the house!” The Parker sisters, Beth Uale of Hawaii Kai and Sheri Pula of Southern California, share many fond memories of Elvis – like when he came rolling into their driveway in a black limousine one summer afternoon in 1974.
“I was really excited that I ran to Elvis Presley’s limo, rolled on his furry floors and I realized I was lying on dark-brown mink,” says Sheri. That was the day Elvis gave her mother Leilani an $11,000 full-length mink coat, which Sheri since has inherited. Elvis was known to share his wealth with ordinary people and gave away cars, jewelry and houses to people he trusted.
“He loved bearing gifts and making people happy,” explains Beth.
Sheri and Beth’s father is the late Ed Parker Sr., who grew up in Kalihi. Parker was known as the Father of American Kempo Karate and Elvis’ martial arts instructor/bodyguard. Says Sheri, “Dad never considered himself a bodyguard. He always said he was a ‘protective companion’ and a friend to Elvis.”
When Sheri was just 8 years old and Beth was sweet 16, Elvis visited the Parker family home in Pasadena, Calif. He played their piano, belting out gospel music.
“It was the neatest thing to hear him sing in our large living room with great big panes. I thought the windows were going to break,” recalls Sheri of Elvis’ powerful singing voice. She remembers sitting on his lap with her younger sister Yvonne. “Elvis asked if I was a good girl, and when I said yes, he gave me $10,” says Sheri, who purchased Tinker Toys and Lincoln Logs with the money.
Their dad, a Kamehameha Schools classmate of Don Ho, wasn’t much of a fan of Elvis’ music, but he was a fan of “Elvis, the spiritual giant,” as he recounted in his New York top five bestselling book, Inside Elvis. The singing sensation was up all hours of the night, such that he needed his sleep during the day. That’s why he wore those dark E.P. (his initials) glasses. Because the two buddies shared the same initials, Ed inherited a couple pair of Elvis’ shades. According to Elvis, both bonded because they were “rebels” – Elvis, a rebel in the rock ‘n’ roll business; Ed, a rebel in the martial arts industry. The men spent many nights conversing about the eternities and subjects of spiritual nature.
“Dad believed that Elvis had a sixth sense, and he would always call on our father when he felt he needed extra protection,” says Beth.
The day Elvis bought Ed Parker a Cadillac Fleetwood, Elvis rode the white, gold trim and top, with gold velvet interior luxury car back to Pasadena with Ed from Las Vegas. It just so happened that they passed the church that Beth and her sister Darlene were attending at 6 a.m. the following morning.
“Dad told Elvis we attended church before we start school every day; he was intrigued and wanted to visit us. We were pulled out of class, and he gave my sister and me a big hug … when I went back to class, I couldn’t even breathe, and nobody believed me that Elvis Presley was outside our classroom until there was a knock at the door,” recalls Beth.
It was Elvis, who wanted to know if he could briefly say hi to the class. With Beth’s seminary teacher weakening at the knees, shaking like a leaf and the jaws of students dropping to the floor, Elvis addressed the group: “I want to commend you kids for doing this and getting up so early … and I believe in Jesus Christ, too. Take care and thanks for letting me interrupt your class.” Because of that experience, nobody missed early morning seminary classes for months in hope that their idol might drop by again. “The students who slept in that day regret not attending.”
And there was the , when Elvis sent a limousine to fetch the Parker family.
“My recollection of the concert is it was past my bedtime so I fell asleep,” says Sheri, who was age 6 at the time.
“After the concert, we all hung out with Elvis at his penthouse, when we met a shy Lisa Marie for the first time. He gave us some of the scarves that he threw out into the audience, he kissed us, and we hung out with him as we saw dozens of screaming fans from a bird’s-eye view,” adds Beth.
Elvis came one last time to Hawaii in 1977, when he rented a house in Kailua and Beth’s dad took her to visit with him. Sheri and Beth say Elvis clearly loved the people of Hawaii. He felt more at home in the Islands, according to them, because local fans, by and large, were “respectful” of his privacy. In fact, their father often said that Elvis was “Polynesian at heart.” That’s why he enjoyed the company of Ed Parker and his ‘ohana. They knew him for who he was and not for what he had. They respected him for more than being a rock star, and knew him as a compassionate and gentle soul.
To the Parker sisters, Elvis will live forever in their thoughts and hearts.
That was a cool read, thank you. Some thoughts:
It seems
Ed Parker and his family were Mormons, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). I found another article, which I have included below, that includes more of Elvis' various Mormon-related activities. For example, famous fan
"Cricket" Butler [sic] apparently handed him a copy of the Book of Mormon. It's sad Elvis never lived long enough to see the Broadway musical.
Overall,
Danielle Beckstrom's piece is a little "Mormon-heavy," but it's redeemed by some of the interesting reader comments. I've included the best three, two of which were posted by Ed's youngest daughter,
Sheri.
You know, Parker had a big family. At the time of his death at the Honolulu International Airport on
12-15-1990, he left a wife,
Leilani, daughters
Darlene, 33,
Beth, 32,
Edward, 30,
Yvonne, 27, and
Sheri, 22. It was an unexpected heart attack that struck him down at the age of 59.
730000_w Ed Parker.jpg
With Ed Parker, leaving Las Vegas - Thursday, March 8, 1973
https://www.facebook.com/edparkersr/photos/a.590464667724275.1073741827.202902089813870/626830730754335/?type=3&theater
I'll bet Elvis did indeed visit Ed's teenaged daughters, Darlene and Beth, at their early morning church class, circa 1974. But I am sure that
Priscilla wasn't with him. It's possible
Linda Thompson was the woman some saw with Elvis at the class. I determined that this greeting to the students happened at the LDS South Pasadena Ward, located on 1919 Huntington Drive in South Pasadena, CA:
https://www.google.com/maps/uv?South+Pasadena+Ward+LDS+South+Pasadena+Ward++1919+Huntington+Drive+in+South+Pasadena,+CA
Finally, there was no "Disneyland concert experience in Anaheim." Elvis played the Anaheim Convention Center on
4-23-1973,
4-24-1973 and
11-30-1976, that's the history. However, the building sits
across from Disneyland. Maybe the girls went to the amusement park the same day as the concert.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anaheim_Convention_Center
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disneyland_Resort
130821_Sheri_Beth_Parker children.JPG
The Day Elvis Presley Attended Early Morning Seminary
by Danielle Beckstrom | January 28, 2015
Deeply religious and a heavy reader of spiritual topics, Elvis showed considerable interest in the LDS Church and maintained many close connections with Mormons. In fact, after his death, a copy of the Book of Mormon was found in his room with the message, “Priscilla needs to read this” written within the well-worn cover (Brother Paul’s Mormon Bathroom Reader, Paul B. Skousen, 2005).
Elvis received his first Book of Mormon through the gates of Graceland, his home in Memphis. A young LDS woman and ardent Elvis fan, Cricket Butler [sic], often sat vigilantly outside his home or hotel—coming early in the morning and staying late in the night—waiting for a chance to speak with her idol. Butler’s persistence finally paid off when late one evening Elvis walked out to his gates to visit with Butler. During their conversation on life and its purpose, Butler handed him a copy of the Book of Mormon.
Found in his room after his death, this ordinary 1976 version of the Book of Mormon took quite the journey, passing from the hands of Cricket Butler to Alan Osmond before finally ending up at Church headquarters (“Elvis Almost LDS?” Lynn Arave).
Inside this well-traveled Book of Mormon were a series of hand-written notations reportedly made by Elvis. During an interview for a 2007 documentary entitled “Tears of a King,” Butler claims she became good friends with Elvis following their late night discussion, and even sat in on missionary discussions at Graceland. In fact, Butler claims to know the date Elvis planned on being baptized (“Elvis Almost LDS?” Lynn Arave ).
Whether Elvis’ baptismal date is fact or fantasy, there is no doubt that Elvis had many close ties with LDS families.
Elvis’ good relationship with Mormons was due in large part to Latter-day Saint and martial arts expert Ed Parker. After training Elvis in self-defense, Parker became Elvis’ personal body guard. Knowing Elvis’ affinity towards religion, Parker gave Elvis a series of LDS books, one of which is still on display at Elvis’ Graceland home. Elvis read these books avidly, asking Parker all kinds of questions on limo drives to and from concerts.
One night, after giving Parker a brand new Cadillac, Elvis drove with his body guard from Las Vegas to Pasadena--who knows what kind of conversations the two men shared along the long drive. Elvis and Parker arrived in California early in the morning, and Parker invited Elvis to meet his two girls who were attending early morning seminary.
Elvis met with and embraced Parker’s daughters outside the seminary building. Then, he surprised everyone with his own request: could he speak with their whole seminary class? Elvis complimented these young faithful Saints for taking the time to learn more about the one, true King and provided his own witness of the Savior, Jesus Christ.
While Latter-day Saints like Butler and Parker influenced Elvis’ beliefs and understanding of the Church, Elvis also had a significant impact on the young members in Pasadena. After the early morning witness Elvis gave during seminary, the attendance record for seminary classes remained at 100 percent for years, aided no doubt by rumors that Elvis might return for another visit.
COMMENTS - LDS Living
Anonymous • a year ago
Thank you for this article. Ed Parker was my father, the actual building they visited my two older sisters at was the South Pasadena Ward. I never recall my dad saying Elvis was close to a baptism date but I do know he really had a genuine interest in the church. There were countless hours spent between my father and Elvis in conversation about the church. Elvis actually wanted to attend our ward but was concerned that there may be more attention on him rather than the service. I also remember my dad saying he was interested in his daughter Lisa Marie attending Primary with me since we were only a year a part in age. Unfortunately, the visit never came to be.
Anonymous • a year ago
I also met Elvis that day at the South Pasadena/San Marino Ward early morning seminary class. I remember it well: I was late, as always, and had on my Mickey Mouse sweatshirt, Levi's and pink fluffy slippers that I always used to wear. I walked in and was met by Ed Parker and he said, "How would you like to met Elvis Presley?" I said, "Sure!" He walked me over to where Elvis and Priscilla were standing. I remember Elvis wearing a gorgeous long white coat and he looked tired, but he was very nice and so was Pricsilla. I'll never forget that day and neither will anyone else who was there.
Anonymous • a year ago
Hi Paul, so good to see your feedback. Yes I heard he had given that book of your father's "The First 2,000 Years." I too am in possession of my father's copy of that book as well as many others your father authored. I absolutely love reading his books! One of my fondest childhood memories of my father was that of him teaching gospel doctrine at our Pasadena Stake Center. The way he commanded attention while he taught was always an amazing site to me. I'll never forget seeing him mark his scriptures and peer through your father's books in preparation to teach. Coincidentally, my sister Beth Parker Uale and I did recant the story recently in the following article: http://www.midweek.com/hawaii-.... We also have a site for my dad www.edparkersr.com which was specifically put up with missionary work in mind as my father did have an unabiding testimony of the gospel he desired to share through the Martial Arts world. I will talk with my family about perhaps putting something together for LDS Living. Thank you for everything. With warmest aloha -- Sheri Parker...
http://www.ldsliving.com/The-Day-Elvis-Presley-Attended-Early-Morning-Seminary/s/77866
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great story and (sadly) so many Hawaiian people have short lives due to bad hearts 
