Elvis friend from way back seeks to restore the artist's reputation:
Jerry Schilling knew Elvis the man before he became Elvis the icon.

Before the jumpsuits. Before Vegas. Before the drugs. Before the impersonators.

Before all that, Schilling was there.Schilling - who will sign copies of his book, "Me and a Guy Named Elvis," at an Elvis art exhibit in Naples on Saturday - knew Elvis was special the moment he met him in Memphis in July 1954.

Elvis Presley's first single, "That's All Right Mama," had just started getting radio play when Schilling joined him and some other guys in a pick-up game of football. Elvis was 19 at the time. Schilling was 12.

Nobody said anything, nobody introduced Elvis by name, but Schilling just knew that charismatic, charming guy had to be the one he'd heard on the radio. Even back then, there was a superstar quality about Elvis.

"It was like James Dean had just walked out of 'East of Eden,'" recalls Schilling, 67, of West Hollywood Hills, Calif. "And it was kind of magical."

More football games would come. And later, when Elvis became famous, he invited Schilling to become a member of the so-called Memphis Mafia, his inner circle of buddies and confidantes.

From then until Elvis' death in 1977, Schilling did everything from promotion to security work to producing to being a movie stand-in. He was there when Elvis met Nixon and The Beatles. He rushed Elvis and Priscilla Presley to the hospital the day their daughter, Lisa Marie, was born.

After Elvis died, Schilling went on to manage other rockers such as The Beach Boys and Billy Joel. But then he decided to write "Me and a Guy Named Elvis" to humanize the legend. He wanted to show the deeply intelligent Elvis, the generous Elvis, the underrated record-producer Elvis.

"He had an ear of gold," Schilling says. "He knew what a hit record was in 20 seconds. And he knew what songs to pass on."

Schilling's book-signing coincides with the opening of "The Art of Elvis" at American Royal Arts gallery. The show features rarely seen photographs of The King, French posters from his movies (including "Love Me Tender"), paintings by noted Elvis Presley artist Joe Petruccio and other Elvis-related items.

The show coincides with what would have been Elvis' 75th birthday this year. It continues through July at the gallery.

"It's an amazing display," promised Jim Lentz, head of the American Royal Arts chain of galleries. "It's pretty cool."

Schilling will sign copies of his book and talk about his old friend. So many people remember the overweight, drug-addled Elvis, Schilling says, but that was how Elvis was only at the very end of his life.

He wants people to know "the real Elvis."

"I wanted it to be a backstage pass," he says of his book. "We all know what happened to Elvis onstage, the good and the bad, and in the movies. But he was a human being. He had struggles.

"I hope this book gives him some of the dignity that he deserves." (News, Source: Charles Runnells, News-Press.com)

danke

die ausstellung klingt interessant

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Hinweis in eigener Sache:
wenn du glaubst, dass ich mich dir gegenüber wie ein Arschloch verhalte, kannst du ziemlich sicher sein, dass du es verdient hast

:traurig:

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*The genius of Elvis Presley was in his music, but the magic was in his voice*

Das buch ist sehr die muhe wert zum lesen. Er probiert so gut wie moglich zu beschreiben wie sein leben mit elvis war. In guten und slechten tseiten. Muss wohl dazu sagen, wenn man die docu von elvis by the presleys gesehen hat, er viele citaten auch im buch gebraucht. Immer hin ein tolles buch

...hmmm, darf man Jerry Schilling auch immer alles glauben !?

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__Elvis - Artist Of The Century__

Das bliebe jedem selbst überlassen. Ich für meinen Teil vertraue Jerry in seinen Äußerungen. Denn er ist in meinen Augen noch mit einer der loyalsten Wegbegleiter von Elvis. Wenn ER sagt, er wäre ein enger Freund und Vertrauter von Presley gewesen, gebe ich dem mehr Gewicht, als wenn eine Marty Lacker um die Ecke kommt - mit solchen Sprüchen

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w w w . f a c e b o o k . c o m / R O S S i m R A D I O 1

is so krass wie die leute unsere werbe botschaften übernehmen front row ..backstage pass....sehr witzig

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Das neue Buch von Praytome Publishing:

"My Years With Elvis And The Colonel" by Charles Stone

jeder dieser leute muss zugeständnisse machen aus kommerz gründen....
(was übrigens vom verlag ausgeht und nicht weil die authoren meinen das müsste so)

nicht nur das jerry sich jahrelang geweigert hatte überhaupt ein buch zu machen ghört er zu den jenigen denen ich noch am meisten abnehme

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Das neue Buch von Praytome Publishing:

"My Years With Elvis And The Colonel" by Charles Stone

Das mit dem Glaubenschenken ist so eine Sache.
Ich finde es ja unendlich schade, dass es von Elvis keine Autobiografie gibt, aber ich bin überzeugt, dass selbst der Wahrheitsgehalt eines solchen Buches angezweifelt worden wäre und vor allem von den Fans. Viele würden sagen, da hat er einiges geschönt und vieles weggelassen.

Klar hätte er das - würde wohl auch jeder so machen.