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Elvis spoke up and said, "If you guys aren't going to say anything, I'm going to bed." Billy: Yes, l remember when he was discouraged about the quality of his movies. She was always laughing & carrying on. He was my hero.. Billy: Elvis enjoyed the Nashville "Guitar Man" sessions with Jerry Reed. I just think its unacceptable for his fans or any of his family or friends to have to pay to go and pay their respects at his graveside, Jo said. Click on the topic that interests you to follow it. German man breaks record for assembling Mr. Gene worked for Elvis for a number of years and was one of the original Memphis Mafia members, along with Red West & Junior. 'We're getting ready to do another show,' she said. At the same time, much of the lore of Presleys life has become family history. "Elvis always . 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. September 1982: The commercial instincts of the Elvis camp seem increasingly erratic. Fans continue to praise her dignity and discretion, while Elvis' cousin Billy Smith has paid tribute to their devoted relationship and how Linda "kept Elvis alive." So her latest post is. [WILL]. He had the intelligence of a twelve year old but he was a kind man. Supposedly some of his characteristics were due to Cherokee Indian being in your side of the family. When she and Vernon returned from their honeymoon, Elvis had redecorated their quarters -- even putting pictures on the walls for her three boys. These were consistent with the notion that hed faked his own death to escape the public eye (or the mafia, as one theory holds) and return to his humble roots. 'He was so wonderful. During his lifetime, Elvis underwent several procedures having moles removed, and his teeth capped. It's raining, and Billy remarks that he's sick of it. What Elvis serious about changing things? Being both family, and also a member of the Memphis Mafia, Billy Smith was probably the closest friend that Elvis ever had. The family sits and discusses Elvis last night, Graceland, and why theyre not satisfied with how some things are currently run. Billy was also one of the few who actually spent a lot of time with Elvis near the end of his life. Blasting SA, IDI CHE-247.845.224, Via Carlo Frasca, 3 - 6900 Lugano (Switzerland) Please share his story with us. He wanted to know why I didn't come to Graceland (Elvis's Memphis home) anymore. And, the singer bought 'truckloads' of toys for her sons. New Elvis projects will include Hound dog treats for dogs and a Netflix original series in 2021. Tel: We use cookies and similar technologies to personalize contents and ads, to provide social media features and to analyze our traffic. EIN: I believe that you brought Jerry Schilling into the group. "I turn 60 this month. And Elvis trusted him. Since then, Dee Presley has worked as a sales clerk in a department store -- a job she described as 'the best therapy in the world -- and now does public relations in Nashville. Curiously, director Chris Columbus went into Home Alone having just made Heartbreak Hotel, a 1988 flop about some kids who try to kidnap Elvis. Billy: The pledge came about because we had an incident as kids and were never to talk about it. May 1 (UPI) -- Firefighters in Pennsylvania came to the rescue of a deer spotted stranded in a Montgomery County canal. As the years went on, Smith then lived with his wife, Jo, on the same grounds. He had a pretty good bump on the back of his head. January 1980: The tour over, Elvis spends most of his time in the gym. There, he shares some of those stories with the public. Billy, had a heart attack on January 27th and he had 4 stints put in. Its almost like, youre not good enough, youre not sophisticated enough, youre not their Hollywood type, you dont need to be there. Well, all those people had as much right as any of the rest of the family to be there. Today the stars close relative has a YouTube channel with his wife Jo and the couple answers fans questions about their private times with him. On August 16, 1977, something momentous happened in Memphis, Tennessee. Recently, Smith appeared on his son Danny Smith's YouTube channel known as the Memphis Mafia Kid. Billy: Yes, my older brother Bobby died in 1968. He never betrayed me again. Guide spots rare pink pachyderm in South Africa. Thirty-six years ago Friday, owing to pressures we can hardly imagine and self-indulgences we can imagine only too well, Elvis Presley died. Elvis Presley's cousin Billy Smith reveals singer's most intimate He always had a love for music even at very young age. Were they fun or boring as a bystander? Can you tell us if this is true? One of the most popular of these is that The King took another identity after swapping places with a doppelgnger who was terminally ill. Interestingly, Elvis cousin and Memphis Mafia member Billy Smith has revealed how The King once told him how he could swap places with a lookalike. We will keep you updated with the news you shouldnt miss. He was sullen and disturbed because of what had happened to him when he was in the army in Korea. Billy: Being married was not easy at times. Can you clarify once & for all whether you saw Elvis being obviously racist in anyway? Dee Presley was married to the famed singer's father, Vernon, from 1960 -- at the height of Elvis's stardom -- until 1974 when they were divorced. 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. Billy: Yes, Billy Mann was the one who took the picture in the coffin. Elvis is alive theories cant go on forever. In the summer of 2016, video of a Graceland groundskeeper purported to be Elvis got the internet all shook up. ", (Mark Feeney on the 'Elvis meets Nixon' meeting), "especially in the South, they talk about Elvis and Jesus in the same breath", "The image is one thing and the human being is anotherit's very hard to live up to an image", (Elvis Presley, Madison Square Garden press conference, 1972), "Elvis was a major hero of mine. Elvis had a hard time hiding it if something was bothering him. Billy: Junior Smith was Gene's older brother and his real name was Carroll. The critically panned album makes its debut at No. When he lived at Graceland from 1957 until his death, Presley had an open-door policy with his Memphis Mafia. Elvis was very open-minded. I'm always looking for another Vernon Presley.'. When asked about the stories, Smith revealed he was not too sure about that one. She also travels with Elvis impersonator Elvis Wade and introduces him when he performs. Elvis and Gene were close to the same age and were close, especially in the early years. Billy Smith also claims that Elvis underwent two face life procedures, the first one being in 1957, and the second in 1975 just two years before his untimely death on August 16, 1977. Photo right - Actor Jack Elam, a regular bad guy actor in westerns of the 1950s and 1960s including Gunfight at the O.K. Later on Elvis told someone and it hurt me a lot, and he knew it. And his hairline looked like a hairpiece or something was glued on. Smith was also troubled by the smoothness of Presleys typically calloused hands and the sweat on his brow. RCA suggests working with Jim Steinman of Meat Loaf and Bonnie Tyler fame. EIN: When you first arrived in Memphis you lived in the same house as The Presleys in Washington Street. Billy: Larry Geller was okay. One thing was to tour Europe. Tuesday, 2nd May 2023See today's front and back pages, download the newspaper, order back issues and use the historic Daily Express newspaper archive.