Elvis.
His name “triggers” a flood of emotions, memories, thoughts, that is…neverending.
Elvis was the GREATEST Entertainer who ever lived…period. Elvis was the GREATEST Singer. Elvis was the most successful Hollywood Movie Star…ever (everyone 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, Aloah 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, physcial 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 physcial prowness 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 Riveria 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 Charties in Memphis. Elvis not only paid his “inner circle” but he took care of thier 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. Personally my system “shuts down” if I go into a Hotel in our own town (i.e. the bed is different, the bathroom is odd, the shower works differently, the noise is wierd, you have LIMITED food options because Elvis would get TRAMPLED if he tried to eat out) so I can only NIGHTMARE IMAGINE the toll it took on Elvis - mentally, physcially, emotionally, etc.
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 “bi-polar” therefore predisposed for Depression and/or “great highs” and/or “great lows”. Elvis was allergic to Penecillin and on one occassion he was accidently given Penecillin and had a reaction and almost died.
During his time Penecillin 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. In these SPECIFIC issues I can FULLY UNDERSTAND the effects that these have on Elvis (i.e. sleep disorder, bi-polar, penecillin reaction, etc.) because I have had the EXACT SAME medical diagnosis, some since birth, and some since childhood and I would NEVER welcome it on…anyone.
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 unevitable. 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, jewerly, 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).
Take care and may God bless you.
Jeff Schrembs
http://www.elviscollector.info/
