Aunt Gladys looked after him as long as she lived, and after her death, he lived with us, and then with some of his sisters. [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. 'I called and said, 'Elvis, what in the world is wrong?' Tapir briefly escapes enclosure at Florida zoo. He said how his father worked for the. "[3], Among "the first to live, travel and play with Elvis" were cousins Red West and Sonny West,[4] as well as Billy Smith (who was with Elvis from the start to the end and the only original member still with Elvis after 1976), Charlie Hodge, Mevlana Hezri, and Joe Esposito. The son of Gladys' brother Travis, he grew up alongside Elvis and later lived behind Graceland and then became a. Powerball ticket forgotten in coat pocket turns out to be $1 million winner. He thought it made him look better and that he needed it, Billy reveals. Elvis was always my hero. 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. Currently, Smith runs the Memphis Mafia Kid YouTube channel. She was always close to her family, but Elvis was her heart. But, he never criticized other religions either. Red West, Sonny West, and Elvis himself felt betrayed, and all parties were reportedly upset over the firings. 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. Were they fun or boring as a bystander? She worried a lot, and she was not in good health. I know now he was trying to tell me something -- it was a most touching goodbye.'. "[23], When they rented the Rainbow Rollerdrome in Memphis, Elvis and the "Memphis Mafia" usually played "a game called 'War', of which Elvis was the proud inventor. Unfortunately, it never came to pass. Seen on safari: Crocodile swings from elephant's tail. More Viewers Questions! . [citation needed], Presley and his friends and employees also adopted the acronym TCB which meant "Taking Care of Business". Sonny West was responsible for security at Presley concerts. [16] These threats were kept out of the press for fear of triggering even more.[17]. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/elvis-presley-on-set-you-wont-ask-elvis-anything-too-deep-69906/. Elvis and Aunt Gladys had a very quick temper, and I have seen the bad side of both when they were mad or upset. Elvis' Cousin Billy Smith relates a story that Jesse was drunk at the scene and was 'coochy cooing' the stillborn twin until Vernon shouted at his Father exclaiming that the baby was dead ! He was sullen and disturbed because of what had happened to him when he was in the army in Korea. [10] Besides Ginger Alden, Smith and his wife Jo had been the last people to see Elvis alive. 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. We heard stories about Morning Dove, but not that much talk about her. During his lifetime, Elvis underwent several procedures having moles removed, and his teeth capped. All our wives were there. [2] When Smith was five in November of 1948, his family moved along with the Presley family from Tupelo, Mississippi to Memphis, Tennessee. From this day forward, our minds, our souls, Larry was his hair dresser. We could talk about anything, and we did! As far as I know, that didn't happen. He's dated a lot of beautiful women such as Linda Thompson and Ginger Alden and, of course, Priscilla Presley. Bodyguards, road managers and other employees, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Sonny West of Elvis' Memphis Mafia dies at 79", "Lot Detail - Gold and Diamond TCB and TLC Necklaces", "TCB BAND: ELVIS PRESLEY, JERRY SCHEFF, JAMES BURTON, RONNIE TUTT & GLEN D.HARDIN", "Billy Smith; Part 2 - Interview - Elvis Information Network", The Memphis Mafia: Interviews with just about every member of the Memphis Mafia, Elvis Information: Recent in-depth interviews with the Memphis Mafia including Elvis' cousin, Interviews with the Memphis Mafia by Elvis Australia, From Memphis to Vegas / From Vegas to Memphis, Elvis Sings The Wonderful World of Christmas, From Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis, Tennessee, Amazing Grace: His Greatest Sacred Performances, Command Performances: The Essential 60s Masters II, Suspicious Minds: The Memphis 1969 Anthology, The King of Rock 'n' Roll: The Complete 50's Masters, From Nashville to Memphis: The Essential '60s Masters, Walk a Mile in My Shoes: The Essential '70s Masters, Peace in the Valley: The Complete Gospel Recordings, The Frank Sinatra Timex Show: Welcome Home Elvis, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Memphis_Mafia&oldid=1133531998, Short description is different from Wikidata, BLP articles lacking sources from October 2021, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2021, Articles needing additional references from December 2021, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 14 January 2023, at 07:41. Calendar planner 2022-2023. Each man had specific duties. 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. EIN: Do you remember when Elvis started complaining about the quality of his movies going downhill? Nor I him. Some Elvis Presley fans may find the animated series an insult to the King of Rock and Roll, while many others could find it very interesting. Had Elvis used a trained financial supervisor who knew how to invest then he wouldnt have had to work so hard in his final years. Actually no, we dont. (EIN Note Billys full story about The Pledge is also featured in the book Elvis & the Memphis Mafia) 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.. Among Memphis natives, he was most known for renting out the entire Memphis amusement park Libertyland in order to ride his favorite roller coaster the Zippin Pippin. According to Alan Fortas, an all-Memphis football halfback who became a bodyguard and part of the Presley entourage, "Elvis needed someone to baby more than he needed a sex partner. 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. [8], In the last year of Elvis' life, he became more reclusive and withdrawn, along with abusing medications. EIN: As most people know, Elvis father Vernon went to jail for forging a cheque. Copyright Elvis Information Network 2006. EIN: Did you ever visit the studios for Elvis recording sessions? Most of all, Elvis was concerned his daughter Lisa Marie, would be adversely affected by the contents of the book. Click to buy "Elvis and the Memphis Mafia", (the eagerly anticipated re-issue of "Elvis Aaron Presley: Revelations of the Memphis Mafia", Click to view the "Memphis Mafia" website, Click to read Marty Lacker's interview with EIN, Click to read Lamar Fike's interview with EIN, Click to read EIN's article 'Elvis was Not a Racist', "Elvis Presley is the supreme socio-cultural icon in the history of pop culture", " Elvis is the 'glue' which holds our society together.which subconciously gives our world meaning", "Eventually everybody has to die, except Elvis", "He is the "Big Bang", and the universe he detonated is still expanding, the pieces are still flying", "I think Elvis Presley will never be solved", "He was the most popular man that ever walked on this planet since Christ himself was here", "When I first heard Elvis' voice I just knew I wasn't going to work for anybodyhearing him for the first time was like busting out of jail", "When we were kids growing up in Liverpool, all we ever wanted was to be Elvis Presley", Elvis would be alive and all the impersonators would be dead", (EIN Note Billys full story about The Pledge is also featured in the book Elvis & the Memphis Mafia), Subscribe to EIN's FREE weekly newsletter, Selected back issues of EIN's FREE weekly newsletter, DVD: A Tribute To The King (Scotty Moore), Book: Elvis Aaron Presley: A Candle In The Wind, Elvis That's The Way It Is: 1970 vs. 2001, The man who bought Elvis (Robert Sillerman), Elvis on The Creative Edge - Part 2 - The CD, 'Elvis Seriously'- Why is Elvis' voice too often ignored, How & where to sell your Elvis collection, Elvis & other major artists miss out on Grammy Awards, Listen to the Elvis "strung out" in Vegas audio, View video of "All Shook Up" opening night on Broadway, Billy Smith, Marty Lacker & Lamar Fike have all recently been involved in the re-issue of the excellent book Elvis & The Memphis Mafia. Billy Smith talks about some of the movies he was in with Elvis. He liked real dramatic things", (Marty Lacker in 'Elvis and the Memphis Mafia'), "If life was fair, Elvis would be alive and all the impersonators would be dead". We also share some information about the way you use our site with our partners who deal with web analytics, advertising and social media content: our partners may combine it with other information that you have provided them or that they have collected from the use of their services. Elvis was well known for his incredible generosity and had other extended family members come and live at Graceland with him. At the same time, much of the lore of Presley's life has become family history. In 2007, Sonny West released Elvis: Still Takin' Care of Business, which was a softer look at his relationship with Presley. Billy Smith tells all on rumors about Elvis Presley Elvis Presley / Keystone/Stringer Sign Up. EIN: Cousin Billy Mann. 'It was love at first sight,' she said in an interview. EIN: Did you always travel with Elvis to film the movies? Did Elvis understand? He won four Stanley Cups with the New York Islanders and was the first goalie to be credited with a goal in the NHL. (2002) Live in Las Vegas is a four-disc box set by American singer and musician Elvis Presley, released in July 2001 on RCA Records, catalogue 07863 69354-2. Marty Lacker and Elvis' cousin, Billy Smith, were probably the closest true friends of Elvis according to some in the group. Gene died a few years ago. I guess they dont like us, I dont know, youd have to ask them. [9], Rolling Stone journalist William Otterburn-Hall describes the men as close around the star "like a football scrum after a loose ball". "Billy Smith, Elvis' cousin and Memphis Mafia member talks candidly to EIN", "LAMAR FIKE DIES AGED 75 (Member of Elvis Presley's entourage, the Memphis Mafia)", article "Billy Smith (Memphis Mafia)" is from Wikipedia, https://en.everybodywiki.com/index.php?title=Billy_Smith_(Memphis_Mafia)&oldid=1915493, Pages using citations with accessdate and no URL, Portal templates with all redlinked portals. According to one account,[6] a crowd of people in front of the Riviera Hotel watched as two big black limousines arrived. I lived on Circle G ranch at that time, when we were not in Los Angeles. EIN: Can you tell us a little about Junior Smith your other cousin? So, he watched from a distance. We were all handpicked by Elvis, and he was very protective of us. Smith was part of The King's Memphis Mafia entourage for decades. Feb. 28 (UPI) -- Serial world record breaker David Rush reclaimed a Guinness World Records title when he threw and caught a fire sword 135 times in 1 minute. "[12] Marty went on to say, "Most of us were not there for the money, we were there because we all cared about Elvis and each other like brothers. We always thought he made great music whatever he did: EIN: Everyone knows about The Beatles visit to see Elvis at home, but you were really there! Ukrainian drone crashes 60 miles from Moscow, prompting Putin military order, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot loses re-election bid, concedes defeat, Couples consider third and fourth partners in 'Seeking Brother Husband' coming soon to TLC, Musician Ben Kweller announces death of 16-year-old son. He was amazed at some of his findings, and he made sure that we all were aware of them. Travis son Billy Smith, Elvis cousin who was a Memphis Mafia member, shared the story of his father in the latest YouTube episode of Memphis Mafia Kid. More info. This first referred to their image, as they usually cruised the city in black mohair suits and dark sunglasses. [22] According to Presley's cousin Billy Smith, Elvis got into bed with Smith and his wife Jo "many times at Graceland when we would spend the night there in Lisa's room, or on tour in the hotel, and at the trailer on the property at Graceland. The Beatles came to Elvis' house at 525 Perugia Way in Bel Air, and we all sat around and talked, and they were extremely nice. One thing was to tour Europe. Billy: I was always close to Elvis, but I was his family. "[21] Even the girls he dated lamented, "Whenever you were with Elvis for the most part you were with his entourage. Tel: We use cookies and similar technologies to personalize contents and ads, to provide social media features and to analyze our traffic. I called and said, 'Elvis, what in the group hair.... Stanley Cups with the New York Islanders and was the first goalie to be credited with a goal in NHL! In black mohair suits and dark sunglasses was trying to tell me something -- it was most. 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