It was a good meeting. Billy Smith was Elvis' first cousin, the son of Gladys Presley's oldest brother. Billy with Elvis before leaving for Germany & the army in 1958. Can you clarify once & for all whether you saw Elvis being obviously racist in anyway? We had so many memorable times on the set!! EIN: After Elvis fall & concussion before Clambake, The Colonel demanded that Elvis burn all his spiritual books. This entourage included first cousins and several of Presley's friends from his boyhood in a poor Memphis housing project plus junior and senior high school friends and early employees from Memphis such as Alan Fortas, nephew of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Abe Fortas. She adored him. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/elvis-presley-on-set-you-wont-ask-elvis-anything-too-deep-69906/. Smith recalls that the legendary entertainer had some major issues with how his nose looked. Billy: Yes, I was with him on many of the recording sessions. He has a variety of sources of income, which has enabled him to rise to the top of the list of the most prominent celebrities in such a short period of time. Billy: My father Travis was the first Gate Guard that Elvis had. Welcome back. EIN: Did you ever visit the studios for Elvis recording sessions? Joe Esposito served as Elvis' chief road manager and personal aide for 17 years. Joined: Mon Feb 02, 2015 1:57 pm. Billy: Yes, Billy Mann was the one who took the picture in the coffin. All the crew loved him, and they were always so nice to his boys (us). The Beatles were excited about meeting him, but when they first got there they were a little quiet and were just kind of feeling him out. Billy Stanley, her son by a previous marriage, called her and said Elvis was offering $5,000 if she would telephone him, she said. "The Memphis Mafia" was with Elvis almost twenty-four hours a day, at least one or two of them. By accepting "all cookies", including profiling cookies, in addition to supporting our free offer, you will receive advertisements in line with your interests. The wives also continued to go back and forth after Priscilla was gone. Both Elvis and his cousin were born in Tupelo, Mississippi before their families later moved to Memphis, Tennessee. [6][7], At one point, Elvis wanted to speak to President Jimmy Carter about getting George Klein out of some legal trouble. When Elvis bought Graceland Billy's family also moved in and his father Travis worked for Elvis as Chief guard. Click on the topic that interests you to follow it. Some use of "" in your query was not closed by a matching "". She was always close to her family, but Elvis was her heart. TV Shows. Nick Adams and his gang came by the suite all the time, not to mention the eccentric actor Billy Murphy, longtime friend of John Wayne and Robert Mitchum". Nor I him. Please share his story with us. However, he cant put his finger on what the X factor was, to this day. So, that makes him a wonderful source of information as well as stories about Elvis and the goings-on at Graceland and beyond. She said, My Daddys dead, my Daddys dead., I cant even tell you what I felt, I was stunned and paralyzed. During his lifetime, Elvis underwent several procedures having moles removed, and his teeth capped. Billy: Junior Smith was Gene's older brother and his real name was Carroll. You can hear in his tone, in his measured responses, that he adored Elvis. Kalendar Calendario Calendrier.1, Al View Calendar 2022: Landscape view, USA United States of America Noncontiguous State Nature. Check us out on facebook at. But his movies made money, and Colonel didn't want to change the format. As far as I know, that didn't happen. 4.25 avg rating 537 ratings published 1995 7 editions. "[11] noted Buzz Cason. He was there with the rest of the Memphis Mafia when Presley was at his peak. Three bison escape Maine farm, two recaptured. He won four Stanley Cups with the New York Islanders and was the first goalie to be credited with a goal in the NHL. He was there with the rest of the Memphis Mafia when Presley was at his peak. The reason being someone told him his eyes were so blue and all that, [so] if he had dark hair it would make his eyes stand out.. At nearly 800 pages the book is justifiably acclaimed as one of the. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. Billy Smith with his parents Travis & Lorraine Smith, and his brother Bobby on the right. . One family member of Elvis Presley has revealed just how much work and how far the King of Rock and Roll went to make sure he looked his best. The festival takes place in Tupelo, Mississippi where both Elvis and Billy were born. EIN: Your relationship with Elvis is probably best symbolised by 'The Pledge'. What Elvis serious about changing things? Billy: Elvis was southern, and so he joked sometimes. He loved the power of the big voices. Elvis Presleys Graceland upstairs bedroom: Kings hilarious habit, Elvis Presley: Ann-Margret learned King was dead after touching gift, Elvis: How King looked after illiterate uncle when he was too ill to be a Graceland guard, Elvis' uncle Travis Smith, the first Graceland guard, Elvis Presleys generosity 'is thanks to little-known relative Noah', Elvis anniversary: Girlfriend Linda's beautiful new message, Elvis: Priscilla Presley tribute speech at Graceland Candlelight Vigil. So many of the things she did and said as well as the places he went have become iconic. Do you remember Elvis singing to you or the family before he became famous? At the same time, much of the lore of Presley's life has become family history. Occasionally, Travis would give fans a ride and even let them inside the gates of Graceland. 15 distinct works. However, if any of them made a run for the mansion, hed get pretty hacked off according to his son. And, whenever we were able, we always went to see him, especially local. Thompson, a former beauty queen who dated Elvis from July 1972 to late 1976, spoke about her time with Presley at the event. [10] According to Patrick Humphries, they "acted as Elvis' bodyguards, babysitters, drug procurers, girl-getters, mates and car buyers." 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. NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Two weeks before his death, a sobbing Elvis Presley told his stepmother, 'I'm in terrible pain' -- a cry for help Dee Presley says will haunt her until she dies. Feb. 28 (UPI) -- A swimmer visiting a beach in New South Wales, Australia, found a mussel-covered message in a bottle that turned out to have traveled more than 185 miles. In two separate interviews, Billy Smith and Marty Lacker each spoke of the faking of Elvis' death.once regarding Elvis' plan to do so and once recounting that it was actually done. He always told me that he loved me. I dont know why, Billy says in the video. Elvis came up with the phrase after hearing the 1973 hit song Taking Care of Business by the Canadian rock band, Bachman, Turner, Overdrive, also known as BTO. (EIN Note Billys full story about The Pledge is also featured in the book Elvis & the Memphis Mafia) EIN regularly gets asked questions relating to Billy Smith & his life with Elvis, so we sincerely thank him for taking time out of his busy life for this long interview. He left behind an undying legacy. Seven sheep escape from New Jersey slaughterhouse, find new sanctuary home. See Photos. A close friend of Presley's, Jo Smith, talks about the King's past relationships. We could talk about anything, and we did! I lived on Circle G ranch at that time, when we were not in Los Angeles. Right: Billy Smith, The Colonel and Elvis all looking jovial in June 1967- about three months after the 'Clambake' incident. From an outsiders view she often appears sad, as she has that particular look in the photos after Elvis became famous. Towards the end of his life Elvis was probably closer to Billy than anyone else and he was one of the last to see him alive. He would watch The Student Prince which was set in Heidelberg, over and over again. Enjoy a few stories about Elvis from Billy and Jo Smith. From this day forward, our minds, our souls, That's the reason I've never remarried. However, he was just a boy at the time. Following his August 16, 1977 death, Thompson received a heartbreaking call from Presleys daughter. Corral. Elvis Presley's Cousin Billy Smith talks about growing up with Elvis 2019 13,614 views Jan 7, 2019 please LIKE "THUMBS UP" and COMMENT on this video. EIN: What are your chief memories of the times working on the movies? EIN: Billy, you had a particularly special relationship with Elvis and were closer to him than any of the other members of the Memphis Mafia. Billy: He was never fond of working. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. At the same time, much of the lore of Presleys life has become family history. 'I could. After her last conversation with Elvis, Dee Presely said she had a premonition and she warned Elvis' father that something 'terrible' was going to happen to one of her boys or his son. EIN: Elvis was a gorgeous looking man. However, the best sources for information about Elvis Presley are the people who knew him while he was alive. Recently, Billy Smith opened up about what it was like watching Elvis Presley work in the studio back in 1958. He had a pretty good bump on the back of his head. Can you confirm the story? These two interviews were done years apart. Did Elvis ever comment to you about the terrible movie-songs - or did you see his bad reactions for yourself? Reading seemed to have been a major preoccupation of his. Billy Smith address of the rumors of facelifts There were a lot of rumors circulating at the time that Elvis was alive. Billy Smith was just a kid but he knew that he was witnessing greatness. Billy Smith is known for Elvis (1979), Elvis: Tortured Soul (2022) and Elvis: The Final Hours (2018). He wanted stronger roles. I spoke to him about how sorry I was and he invited me to coffee.'. [3], After Elvis became famous, Smith's father Travis worked for him as Chief Guard, and the family moved into Graceland. Elvis Presley died Aug. 16, 1977. Posts: 1808. However, the distance didnt change what he was seeing. [2] When Smith was five in November of 1948, his family moved along with the Presley family from Tupelo, Mississippi to Memphis, Tennessee. The Memphis Mafia members themselves say on their website that Elvis liked the name and it stuck. Idaho man breaks world record for fire sword throws and catches. [citation needed], Peter Guralnick writes that Elvis spent all day and night with the members from the Memphis Mafia: "For Elvis and the guys Hollywood was just an open invitation to party all night long. Seen on safari: Crocodile swings from elephant's tail. Elvis Presleys cousin and right-hand man Billy Smith spent almost every waking day beside The King but has no contact with anyone in the Presley family these days. We havent been in contact with any of them, Jo adds. EIN: Theres a lot of rubbish printed about Elvis being racist, some coming from that faked quote that was printed in a newspaper in the fifties. 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