November 14, 1972

Long Beach, California

Elvis said to Charlie Hodge:

„That every king needed a court jester and Charlie was his“‘, but Charlie was much more than that, I think out of all of them Charlie loved Elvis the most.

Charlie was the singer with the Foggy River Boys, he used to stand on a crate because he was so small, Charlie and his group and Elvis were both on the Red Foley show in Memphis in 1956. They didn’t meet again till they were stationed at Fort Hood and then on the voyage over to Europe I have read Charlie kept Elvis sane on the voyage and kept his spirits up, you must remember it was a really dark time for Elvis as he had just lost his mother, once in Germany Charlie found out where Elvis was, it wasn’t difficult as the papers were full of it and Charlie became Elvis’s lifelong friend.

Most people think of Charlie as the guy who got the water and scarves, put the cape on, and sang back-up, but most people have no idea how nervous Elvis was about going on stage and some have said without Charlie there to back him up Elvis might not have got back on stage, that is how much Elvis relied on Charlie, in some ways it was like there was a special connection or code between them, whatever Elvis was about to do on stage Charlie was intuitively ready for it, like throwing his guitar to Charlie. When most of the other MMs moved out of Graceland and /or went to L.A. Charlie stayed with Elvis, he was always there for Elvis and Charlie kept true to Elvis’s ethos, he never bad-mouthed any of the people in Elvis’s life in public as some did and he had lots of stories to tell so I have been told.

Charlie always defended Elvis unlike so many of the rest.

In Charlie’s book he tells a story of how one day he told Elvis to get into the car and when Elvis asked why to begin with Charlie he wouldn’t tell him, but after they had driven a bit Charlie told Elvis he was taking him to hospital cause that was where he needed to be, how sad none of the others ever did that for Elvis, only Charlie looked out for Elvis like that. Many have claimed to have been Elvis’s best friend, but I think only Charlie was.

„This is an excerpt from the book Elvis Aaron Presley; The Man, The Truth“

It turned out that Vernon Presley didn't ever have to approach the neighbors with Elvis's counteroffer. While Elvis had been in Los Angeles in March of 1957 filming Loving You, Mr. and Mrs. Presley had looked at an estate off of Highway 51 South in Whitehaven, close to the Tennessee-Mississippi border. It was nearly fourteen acres of wooded land around a beautiful brick mansion. The place was empty and needed a lot of work, but the Presleys felt it would make a perfect, private home for the family. Elvis hadn't seen it yet, but the beauty and peace and quiet of the estate was captured in its name: GRACELAND.

Graceland Kitchen, so interesting to see the ingredients left behind..

November 15, 1972 ~ Elvis performed at the Long Beach Arena in Long Beach, California and wore the Saturn jumpsuit with his Gold Las Vegas Attendance belt, and a silver cape. ⚡️

Elvis wore this suit only once in 1972 November 15th. He wore it again in Las Vegas during the 1973 January/February engagement, with the original belt. Nowdays the suit is owned by a private collector.

On May 30, 1976, Elvis Presley returned to his hotel after completing an afternoon concert in Odessa, Texas, part of his extensive touring schedule that year. The show was a testament to his enduring popularity, as fans gathered in large numbers to see him perform. Known for his distinctive style, even in these later years, Elvis continued to draw enthusiastic crowds who relished the chance to catch a glimpse of the legendary performer, both on stage and off. His return from this show highlighted his continued commitment to his fans across the country.

" When Joe had called me, saying that Colonel Parker would like me to do Elvis wardrobe for Vegas and would I be interested and I said yes. What we wanted to do at the time, was experiment of what would be the best look for him. And, of course, that was really my first time to work in Vegas. Having worked on the stage in New York it's quite different. But the lighting there was still in its early stages. And we found that the color that worked the best was white. It allowed them to change the colors on him, whereas black would absorb all the color. And it was hard to highlight him. And we experimented with blue which was one of his favorite colors. Red. But it just ended up that white was the best thing and, of course, you know, you want the star to be the person, you know, and not the wardrobe."

( BILL BELEW )

J.D. Sumner: “The first thing that comes up in an interview about Elvis is the question of drugs. If Elvis took drugs, that was his business. He was a grown man capable of determining his own destiny and making his own decisions. But the bottom line was that he was in debt to no one and never mistreated anyone. I have no desire to put anyone down or hurt anyone, but there are a few things I have to say because he was my friend and I was his friend. I spent a lot of hours with my boyfriend and I was his. I spent many hours with Elvis, sometimes all night, and we spent most of the time talking about Jesus Christ. We prayed together, laughed, cried. I never saw Elvis Presley in any form of dope. I know he used tops as our schedule was tight and sometimes he felt like a top was a must. Truck drivers use tops all the time to stay awake. Housewives, preachers, lawyers and even doctors use tops to curb their appetites. Me too I know that Elvis took sleeping and painkillers. He was a sick man, sicker than we knew. The Memphis Mafia, as his gang was latterly known, or at least some of its members, could forge a signature that belonged to Elvis or Dr. Nick, and they could also write their own names. You could easily contact Dr. Nick's prescription pads come and get as many medications as they wanted. Drugs were bought for 45 people in Elvis' name, and neither Elvis nor Dr. Nick always knew. There was no way Elvis could have taken all the drugs purchased in his name.

Admin, Dr. Nick was the doctor for everyone on tour, that's why there was so much medication and Elvis wanted to pay for all the medication on tour if anyone was sick.

From the book by J.D. Sumner, Elvis His Love For Gospel Music.

January 6 , 1957 (Part 9)

But the final slot holds some real surprises. Ed's introduction is longer than usual. He says, Now Ladies and Gentlemen, as you probably know, after he leaves here tonight with Colonel Parker, who has done such a magnificent job as his manager, Elvis Presley goes out to Hollywood to do his new Paramount picture, 'Running Wild' for Hal Wallis. While he's out there he's going to do a big Hungarian Relief Show. But because he feels so keenly.... this young man feels so keenly, about Hungarian relief, he urges all of us throughout the country to remember that immediate aid is needed. So, long before his benefit show is put on, he wants to remind you to send in your cheques to your various churches, Red Cross etc. Now he's going to sing a song er.. he feels that this is sort of in the mood that he'd like to create: 'Peace in the Valley'. Here is Elvis Presley!' This time it is a song Elvis has not yet even recorded. Sure, he did a version of it on the Million Dollar session, but that didn't really count then. No-one knew about it. But it marks a major musical departure for him,though later we learn that gospel and religious songs are, in fact, his preferred choice of music. Also, according to Gordon Stoker, He wanted to sing "Peace in the Valley" for his mother, as it was a favourite of hers'. But when he appears on screen, dressed in a light flecked jacket and a black shirt, Elvis stands in front of the Jordanaires who form a semi-circle behind him. This confirms the opinion that Elvis wanted the guys in close, not only to harmonise, but because he felt much more secure with them there. In the background the quiet strains of the guitar opening can be heard. The mood is distinctly sombre now and an earnest Elvis sings a pleasing version of the song, though it comprises only one verse and one chorus. It is all done tastefully to the sedate accompaniment of guitar, bass and drums. The quiet side of The King of Rock 'n Roll. Proving another point. This is the most eloquent answer he could give his detractors. He salutes the audience and bows. (In fact, six days later, while out in Hollywood to film 'Loving You', Elvis records this song and two others, 'I Believe' and 'Take My Hand, Precious Lord'. A fourth religious track, 'It Is No Secret' is cut the following week and the four tracks issued on an EP as Elvis's first religious set). But there's more yet to come. Ed walks on and offers Elvis his hand, placing his left arm around his shoulder preparing to speak again.