or. Billy: The pledge came about because we had an incident as kids and were never to talk about it. Eight Rare Photos Of Elvis Presley When He Was Serving In The Army, Writing Lines Exploring The Tedious Yet Creative Punishment, Why It Is So Unusual To Find An Original Bob Ross Painting. I don't know where it came from or if Elvis just made it up. What Elvis serious about changing things? According to one account,[6] a crowd of people in front of the Riviera Hotel watched as two big black limousines arrived. ", "For a dead man, Elvis Presley is awfully noisy. But Elvis had all kinds of people working for him - black, white, Jews, Italians, Mexicans. He lived in a separate home with his family on the grounds of Graceland. That's the reason I've never remarried. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one. See Photos. He never betrayed me again. These two interviews were done years apart. Log In. These original Memphis Mafia members at the time the phrase was coined were cousins Sonny West,[7] and Red West, as well as Billy Smith, and Charlie Hodge, among others. I guess they dont like us, I dont know, youd have to ask them. See today's front and back pages, download the newspaper, order back issues and use the historic Daily Express newspaper archive. Billy: Well for one thing, we had inside plumbing! [8], In the last year of Elvis' life, he became more reclusive and withdrawn, along with abusing medications. Gene died a few years ago. Elvis and Billy were both born in Tupelo, Mississippi, before their families moved to Memphis, Tennessee. However, many of the people who were close to him are still here. I know now he was trying to tell me something -- it was a most touching goodbye.'. I dont know how you can look any better, but he did., RELATED: Eight Rare Photos Of Elvis Presley When He Was Serving In The Army, Elvis also dyed his hair jet black often. He was my hero. He had his expressions and he even had a bad eye like Elam. Elvis Presley's cousin Billy Smith reveals singer's most intimate secrets on his cosmetic surgeries, Elvis Presley's cousin reveals singer's most intimate secrets on the singer's surgeries, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck enjoy during family dinner in Malibu, 'Shameless' season 11 spoilers: countdown to saying goodbye to the Gallaghers has begun, Elvis Presley affection once turned down by Mary Tyler Moore, SYFY ends 'The Magicians' with current season 5, Emperor Palpatine is a clone according to upcoming 'Rise of Skywalker' novelization. Elvis uncle, who got on well with people, would crowd control the fans and made sure they kept off the neighbours lawns. Elvis Presleys Cousin Remembers Shocking Sight From the King in the Recording Studio, more than willing to share a little Elvis knowledge with the public, they have some stories to tell about the legendary rocker, Billy Smith opened up about what it was like. That was in 1960. Subscribe to our newsletter for new stories, tips & events. She was in Germany where Elvis was stationed in the Army. Has thanked: 296 times. Tel: We use cookies and similar technologies to personalize contents and ads, to provide social media features and to analyze our traffic. Elvis Presleys Cousin Says He Has No Contact With Priscilla, Lisa Marie: Heres Why, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7T7QKcIrE8, Was Elvis at Jo and Billys Wedding? That seems very strange. Elvis with his Memphis Mafia - Billy Smith is on the far left (Image: GETTY) Danny, who was a teenager when he knew The King, replied: "Yes, Elvis liked it dark and he liked it very, very. Feb. 28 (UPI) -- Dictionary.com is adding 313 new terms and 130 new definitions to keep up with the ever-changing modern lexicon. Occasionally, Travis would give fans a ride and even let them inside the gates of Graceland. Elvis: How Lisa Marie's name was chosen and what a boy would be called, Dusty Hill dead: ZZ Top star's mother had inspiring Elvis encounter, Elvis: How King overcame his fear of flying according Memphis Mafia, Elvis ex Linda Thompson on unique language she had with The King. EIN: What about Gene Smith, he seemed to come & go within the group? EIN: Cousin Billy Mann. Marty Lacker, another aide, also served as Elvis' chief personal aide for several years. Billy: One thing Uncle Vernon was good at was numbers, especially if dollar signs were in front of them! Elviss cousin grew up with him in Tupelo, Mississippi and says that it could be true. Billy says that Elvis likely got them separated since people often take that route. I missed a few due to sickness in my family. Elvis was well known for his incredible generosity and had other extended family members come and live at Graceland with him. She was always close to her family, but Elvis was her heart. 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. He wanted to know why I didn't come to Graceland (Elvis's Memphis home) anymore. Later on Elvis told someone and it hurt me a lot, and he knew it. [16] These threats were kept out of the press for fear of triggering even more.[17]. EIN: Did you always travel with Elvis to film the movies? EIN: Is it true that in 1977 Elvis asked you to become Chief foreman and that he considered getting rid of The Colonel once again and even Joe Esposito? We lived in a big-white house that was on the property. This article "Billy Smith (Memphis Mafia)" is from Wikipedia. Even though the famous couple broke up 8 months before Elvis Presley passed, Thompson stayed close to his nine-year-old daughter, Lisa Marie. Thus family members and friends of his youth were very important to him. I remember my family went to his house to hear it on the radio for the first time. Smith was part of The King's Memphis Mafia entourage for decades. When Presley was rushed to the hospital, Billy Smith and his wife were the first to know. Priscilla sketched out the design on note paper; positioning the letters and lightning bolt in various ways before they found what they liked. He lived with us in that house behind Graceland. Can you clarify once & for all whether you saw Elvis being obviously racist in anyway? Each man had specific duties. we were all three there talking for hours about everything in the world! Smith went on to recall how Presley decided to have his nose trimmed down. Smith said, I feel like so many of Elvis fans know exactly what Im talking about. If he had to try to nail it down, he said, I think he put his heart and soul into every song he recorded, good or bad.. I dont know why, Billy says in the video. New Elvis projects will include Hound dog treats for dogs and a Netflix original series in 2021. I remember them cutting pasteboard to put in their shoes to cover the holes. Thats it. [5], Around 1960, the media dubbed these people the "Memphis Mafia". And, whenever we were able, we always went to see him, especially local. In 2007, Sonny West released Elvis: Still Takin' Care of Business, which was a softer look at his relationship with Presley. As I place my hand upon your heart, Junior looked like the actor Jack Elam. Marty Lacker states, "Everyone had assigned responsibilities and they were far from leeches, hangers on or whatever else they were called. Menu. Greeks.. . Elvis was more understanding, and he wanted someone with him too. Elvis' grandfather got my father out of jail and left Vernon there when it first happened. More info. Professional handlers and celebrity security experts had not yet evolved. In these cases Presley paid salaries, but most lived off fringe benefits such as gifts, cars, houses and bonuses. Did you know of this when you were young and were there any family stories of Morning Dove White your gt-gt-gt-gt Grandmother? Elvis tried to see to it that we all worked in his movies. It was a very strong bond, and Elvis was the center of it all. Elvis Presley died Aug. 16, 1977. He had a pretty good bump on the back of his head. Copyright 2023 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. DON'T MISSElvis: Priscilla Presley tribute speech at Graceland Candlelight Vigil[PRISCILLA]Elvis death: Is Gracelands upstairs preserved just as King left it? Billy Smith is one of those great sources of Elvis Presley information. There were two teams, and the object of the game was to knock over as many members of the opposing team as possible by any means." When The King became famous in 1956, the family had moved to Audubon Drive where they asked Travis to be a guard out front. After all, there are several books and documentaries out there that detail large portions of his life and exploits. Copyright Elvis Information Network 2006. Eight years younger than The King, Billy grew up with his own family in a home in. When Billy was old enough he started working with the Memphis Mafia team. Elvis' father Vernon increasingly distrusted and disliked many members of the Memphis Mafia as Elvis' financial condition deteriorated in 1972. She adored him. She also opened up about the devastating phone call relaying his death to her. Feb. 28 (UPI) -- Firefighters in Georgia came to the rescue of a dog who fell into a storm drain and ended up stranded about 12 feet underground. Afterwards we both cried like crazy and I'll remember it as long as I live. I'm always looking for another Vernon Presley.'. He hated how wide it was and the way it flared. Aunt Lavelle and Uncle Tracy looked like their Daddy . When Elvis Presley shot to fame he needed security so ended up hiring his mother Gladys brother, Travis Smith, to be his first Graceland guard. At the same time, much of the lore of Presleys life has become family history. Refresh and try again. I had so much respect for him. According to the Express, Elvis Presley's cousin, Billy Smith has revealed some of the King's biggest secrets. You can hear in his tone, in his measured responses, that he adored Elvis. 'I could hardly understand him because he was crying,' she said. 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. It then gets swung around by the elephant until it lets go. Billy: Yes, Billy Mann was the one who took the picture in the coffin. He wanted stronger roles. This article has been curated and verified by, This area provides transparent information about Blasting News, our editorial processes and how we strive for creating trustworthy news. A scene from the very rare documentary "Rare Moments with the King" from the early 80s. People said that he uses cosmetic surgery to improve his appearance and look his best. To find out in detail which cookies we use on the site, read our. The Memphis Mafia was the nickname given by the media to a group of Elvis Presley's friends, associates, employees and cousins whose main functions were to accompany, protect, and serve Presley from the beginning of his career in 1954 until his death in 1977. His cousin, Billy Smith, has revealed the truth behind those ongoing rumors. "[1] The group began with Elvis' first cousins Junior and Gene Smith, who accompanied Elvis everywhere, along with Elvis' high school friend Red West, and rockabilly singer Cliff Gleaves. He was the only member of the Memphis Mafia to last from beginning to end of the group. [citation needed], Presley and his friends and employees also adopted the acronym TCB which meant "Taking Care of Business". He also had not only one but two facelifts in his lifetime, one in 1957 and the other in 1975. It was a good meeting. Blasting SA, IDI CHE-247.845.224, Via Carlo Frasca, 3 - 6900 Lugano (Switzerland) He was talking about how scattered the family was. He was the only member of the Memphis Mafia to last from beginning to end of the group. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. That happened a lot of times, and we thought nothing of it. To hear more about Billy Smiths time growing up with Elvis Presley back in the day, take a look at the interview video below! Elvis always liked to be the "Main Event." Marty Lacker and Elvis' cousin, Billy Smith, were probably the closest true friends of Elvis according to some in the group. 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Him - black, white, Jews, Italians, Mexicans were to... Of Wikipedia and not main one members and friends of his life and exploits he knew.... Had inside plumbing press for fear of triggering even more. [ 17.... Missed a few due to sickness in my family detail which cookies we use cookies similar! Or whatever else they were called when Billy was old enough he started working with the Memphis ). 8 ], in his tone, in his lifetime, one in and..., the media dubbed these people the `` main Event. crazy and i remember... Facelifts in his lifetime, one in 1957 and the other in 1975 to see to it that all. Elvis fans know exactly what Im talking about know exactly what Im talking about was on the Namespace... As gifts, cars, houses and bonuses Lacker states, `` Everyone had assigned responsibilities and were. Elvis projects will include Hound dog treats for dogs and a Netflix original series in 2021 rushed the.
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