Elvis.
His name "triggers" a flood of emotions,
memories, thoughts, that is...never-ending.
Elvis was the GREATEST Entertainer who ever
lived...period. Elvis was the GREATEST Singer. Elvis was the most successful Hollywood
Movie Star...ever (every one of Elvis' movies made money and no other
"actor/actress" can make the same claim).
Elvis was the GREATEST Gospel Performer...ever. When
Elvis was on TV (i.e. Milton Berle, Ed Sullivan, Comeback Special, Aloha from Hawaii,
etc.) he was the RATINGS KING! Elvis was the CONCERT SELL OUT KING of all time
from 1969 through 1977. NO ONE will ever touch Elvis' Concert attendance
records...ever!
Elvis had style, swagger, desire to reach out of his
"monetary challenged" existence and use the ONE "tool" that
he could count on for success...himself. Elvis wanted to provide for his Mother
and man he looked the part, acted the part, played the part, and just flat out
BLEW everyone away onstage, and was just as "exciting" offstage.
Elvis was a loving son, husband, father, and a
wonderful friend who gave of himself as he truly cared.
Elvis was gifted by God with a face, stance, physical
presence, that was COMMANDING and there was NO ONE who looked like him before,
then, after, now, as he was similar to a "Greek god statute" with the
physical prowess of a Tiger.
If Elvis wanted it...he got it. He absorbed it. He
turned it inside out and outside in. He read, he asked questions, he prayed, he
kept a dialog with his Mother (after her passing) as well as to his twin
brother (who died at birth) and he constantly questioned WHY did God allow him
such success?
WOW not many people realize/know how HUMBLE a person
Elvis was and it was NOT an act. Yeah, sure he could/would "yes mam"
and be very respectful and some people (like you Geraldo Rivera give Elvis his
PROPS!) thought it was an "act"...but it was as real as that
perfectly defined nose and that jet black hair and those grey-blue-auburn
colored eyes that Elvis had.
Elvis was the HIGHEST PAID ENTERTAINER for the
majority of his life, excluding when he was mandated to complete the
"movie contracts" that went from (approximately) 1961-1968, in a time
when the HIGHEST income tax bracket was 90% (which is UNHEARD of today).
Elvis always took care, monetarily, of those within
his "inner circle". Elvis would, and did, give away TENS OF THOUSANDS
of dollars every year to Charities in Memphis. Elvis not only paid his
"inner circle" but he took care of their expenses/food/etc. If you
were "in" with Elvis...you were in.
Most of the Memphis Mafia, as Elvis' "inner
circle" were called, were men. However, there was one SPECIAL lady named
Patty Perry who was very much in Elvis' "inner circle".
There is no doubt that each of these individuals
(truly) cared for Elvis. There is also no doubt that, beginning in late 1971,
Elvis had some health issues that needed to be addressed.
Many of the "inner circle" tried to
provide Elvis with "good advice/options", concerning his health
issues, and sometimes the advice was given "face to face" and just
before Elvis died it was released in a book entitled "Elvis what happened?”
There is NO DOUBT that Elvis' health declined, with
a few good months here and there, beginning in late 1971 but really began to
deteriorate in 1976 and went FULL FORCE deterioration in 1977. No one can put
themselves in his "shoes" as that man (literally) felt like he had
the World to carry. He had to make money so he had to perform. He could not eat
right, sleep well, go to the bathroom well/often, he had stomach issues,
reactions, digestive problems, and (among other things) an enlarged heart.
Elvis continued on performing NOT because he
necessarily wanted to (note: in fairness Elvis loved to perform but we are
talking about 200 shows a year for a man over the age of 40) but he HAD to
I am NOT a "doctor" but based up all of
the "insiders" books, articles, interviews, products that I have read
for OVER 40 years now (and continue to read vicariously daily) I believe that
Elvis was predisposed for Depression and/or "great highs" and/or
"great lows".
Elvis was allergic to Penicillin and on one occasion
he was accidently given Penicillin and had a reaction and almost died. During
his time Penicillin was the NUMBER 1 drug to fight infections for most of
America...except Elvis and others who had the bad reactions. Elvis had a MAJOR
sleeping disorder and had to take medication to even TRY to get some sleep.
Elvis' natural body was ALWAYS moving and ready to go. Elvis stayed up until
the sun came up and went to bed and slept until late afternoon - sometimes
Elvis would sleep for days and stay in his bedroom.
One FACT stayed with Elvis ever since he was a
little boy and that was that he would not outlive his Mother's age. Elvis often
talked about that during his lifetime and several times PRIOR to his Mothers
passing.
Elvis TRULY BELIEVED, in his heart and soul, that it
was inevitable. When Elvis' Mother died Elvis believed that she was 42 years
old. Factually she was 46 years old and she had kept her true age from Elvis
all of his life. Therefore Elvis, going into 1977, knew that the first month of
1977 (January) he would in fact turn 42 (1/8/77). We can only imagine how that
REALITY played in Elvis' head and in his attitude and in his decisions.
Elvis was a COLLECTOR of fine/unique items: clothes,
cars, jewelry, shoes, horses, furniture, buses, motorcycles, 3wheelers, etc.
Elvis also owned the FIRST "cell phone" (we have a photo of it and it
is encased into a wooden box but it worked). Elvis also owned the FIRST VHS
player (we have a photo of it as well that we took in 1977) here in the United
States. If it was "cool", cutting edge, etc. then Elvis would get it.
Elvis had a PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORY. Elvis also had a
great ability to put his thoughts down on paper including designing things.
Elvis was a "multi-faceted" man who was multi-talented and a giving
caring human being.
Elvis was the MOST PHOTOGRAPHED person who ever
lived. Elvis was also the MOST PRODUCT FRIENDLY Entertainer of his time meaning
that you could get an Elvis doll, lunchbox, shirt, hat, coat, shoes, etc. Thus
there are MANY MANY Elvis Collectibles (we define as Elvis items made AFTER his
death of August 16, 1977) and Elvis Memorabilia (we define as Elvis items made
during his lifetime of January 8, 1935 until August 16, 1977).
Well, that's the end of this article but, God willing, I will share some more stories/facts with you online and during the interim "take care and may God bless you".
Jeff Schrembs
