Posted on 01/27/2007 6:27:46 PM PST by bushpilot2
Great voice. Great performer. Its a tragic shame he was so self-destructive.
Nice article.
Elvis is King.
No, really?
I don't know that he was self-destructive. At least not in the sense that modern celebrities are. I think he got hooked on painkillers/drugs at a time when there really weren't warnings out about the dangers. From what I have read about him I've never picked up anything deliberately self-destructive.
What an interesting story. I don't think I've seen this information before.
I once visited Elvis' home/birthplace in Tupelo, MS. It was very humbling to see what little he came from. On the site there is a small museum with some memorabilia, costumes, etc. Adjacent to this is a tiny chapel. When you go in, there is nothing inside but a cross in front, some pews, and a sound system playing recordings of Elvis singing gospel songs. It was a really beautiful experience to be there.
The first Elvis song I remember was "You Ain't Nothin' but a Hound Dog."
The coolest thing was his "cell" phone...the size of a small suitcase.
My 2 daughters and I were going to my parents home south of Tupelo on the day he died or maybe the day after. We went by his house and the front of it was covered with flowers people had brought there. It is really a small house like many way back then. He came to my hometown before he made it big and very few people came to see him. Guess I was too young way back then to be interested in his music.
Something that stood out for me in the story was that he lived with both his parents, and the family stayed together - except for his father's unfortunate stay in jail - until Elvis was an adult. I'm sure that had a major impact on his character.
Not far from here, in the east-side suburbs of Charlotte, NC, there's an area known as "Hood's Crossroads." It was once a plantation owned by an ancestor of Elvis Presley's mother, and there's a historical placque that was posted by an organization of local Elvis fans!
Some of my friends had seen him on the street, and followed him into the store. They had learned that he was playing at a honky-tonk out on the Silsbee (TX) highway that night, but my parents wouldn't let me go!
I think I own just about every song he ever recorded--was listening to one of his spiritual albums in the car today. He truly was the "King". After the 50's era of music was over, I never learned to appreciate any of the new stuff.
The brightest candles never last through the night.
I was a teenager then. We knew the dangers. We had plenty of warnings...from our parents and teachers. Celebrities didn't do drugs because they were unaware of the dangers...they did them because it was cool that they could afford them and their massive egos convinced them they were invincible.
The Colonel (sic) controlled him and never let Elvis reach the heights he could have. Tom Parker was an illegal alien who could not travel back to Europe, so he never let Elvis go there for concerts.
There is a story about Elvis that Parker used to blackmail him. I'm not sure of the source so I won't repeat it.
That is so cool! You've never told us that before. You do know that Mr. TXBubba is the one who really turned me on to Elvis. We even had an impersonater for him at his 40th surprise party. Thought I had pulled that one off well until "Elvis" dedicated one to me and sang one about me being the devil. Darn, I can't remember the title of the song, but you should be able to tell me.....:D
Wouldn't be Devil Woman, would it?
My understanding was that he was hooked on prescription medication and not "drugs". Yes, I realize there has always been a drug culture. But at the time prescribed medication wasn't viewed with the same caution as it is even today. There is nothing else in his history that makes me think he was self-destructive. I've never seen where he publicized or tried to gain publicity for his drug use.
ELVIS PRESLEY - "(You're The) Devil In Disguise"
(Giant - Baum - Kaye)
You look like an angel
Walk like an angel
Talk like an angel
But I got wise
You're the devil in disguise
Oh yes you are
The devil in disguise
You fooled me with your kisses
You cheated and you schemed
Heaven knows how you lied to me
You're not the way you seemed
You look like an angel
Walk like an angel
Talk like an angel
But I got wise
You're the devil in disguise
Oh yes you are
The devil in disguise
I thought that I was in heaven
But I was sure surprised
Heaven help me, I didn't see
The devil in your eyes
You look like an angel
Walk like an angel
Talk like an angel
But I got wise
You're the devil in disguise
Oh yes you are
The devil in disguise
You're the devil in disguise
Oh yes you are
The devil in disguise
Oh yes you are
The devil in disguise
Could be. When he started singing it I knew it right away. It was funny! Was "devil in diguise" a line?
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