So many of the things she did and said as well as the places he went have become iconic. He was amazed at some of his findings, and he made sure that we all were aware of them. After a while, Smith decided to give the superstar some space. 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, Its not true: from UN call to decriminalize pedophilia to BlackRock behind Tucker Carlson's firing, SYFY ends 'The Magicians' with current season 5, Emperor Palpatine is a clone according to upcoming 'Rise of Skywalker' novelization. He would watch The Student Prince which was set in Heidelberg, over and over again. He made it a good time. Missing dog found 6 years later, 470 miles from home. Before Elvis Presley passed away on August 16, 1977, he spent his last night and early morning with his cousin Billy Smith.. Billy is arguably one of the last people ever to have a conversation with Elvis. He hated how wide it was and the way it flared. And you place yours on mine. When asked to check his ego at the door, Elvis pauses, nods his head and says, "Yep, it's still there!" I know that Elvis loved Colonel, but he also had resentment toward him for holding him back on certain things that he really wanted to do. Elvis' cousin Billy Smith, the last surviving original Memphis Mafia member, is portrayed in the biopic and he and his wife Jo - two of the last people to see the singer alive - feel the lack of . Billy Smith was Elvis' first cousin, the son of Gladys Presley's oldest brother. 'I could hardly understand him because he was crying,' she said. By accepting "all cookies", including profiling cookies, in addition to supporting our free offer, you will receive advertisements in line with your interests. . Billy: My father Travis was the first Gate Guard that Elvis had. When she and Vernon returned from their honeymoon, Elvis had redecorated their quarters -- even putting pictures on the walls for her three boys. One explanation: The casket was outfitted with a cooling systemthe kind youd use to keep a wax dummy of a beloved celebrity from melting on a hot summer day. The critically panned album makes its debut at No. When we die, if youre cremated the hole is gonna be the same size for everybody, so take it.. Elvis is treated for deep bruising, and a doctor decrees that he stay overnight for observation. But he knew it from memory, and we went over it several times so I could memorize it. Blasting SA, IDI CHE-247.845.224, Via Carlo Frasca, 3 - 6900 Lugano (Switzerland) Billy: I don't know about Joe being paid by Colonel. For reference, the family refers to the fact that fans must pay in order to visit the singers grave. As a result, he is one of the only people left alive who knew the true man the star was. He read a lot too. In the clip, a gray-haired dude in a baseball cap and Elvis Week T-shirt fusses with some wire and holds up two fingersapparently some type of numerological clueas he walks past the camera. 'It was a very strange telephone conversation. Billy Smith, is the son of Travis Smith who was the brother of Elvis' Mother, Gladys. It still hurts that hes gone. 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. Did you know of this when you were young and were there any family stories of Morning Dove White your gt-gt-gt-gt Grandmother? Elvis Cousin Billy Smith and his . $109,000 lottery jackpot won on Kentucky couple's 44th anniversary. Once married he & his wife Jo lived behind the main Graceland house except for a few years when Billy worked on the railroad. He had his expressions and he even had a bad eye like Elam. She worried a lot, and she was not in good health. Elvis Presley: How Muhammad Ali inspired The Kings show preparation, Elvis Presley:The King's wife Priscilla senses his 'spirit'. EIN: When you first arrived in Memphis you lived in the same house as The Presleys in Washington Street. The less he had to think about that better he felt. Danny later admitted that for his wife Teresa, he would return to Graceland one final time. Billy: With Elvis, all the movies were fun. He loved Elvis, and Elvis provided for him. EIN: There are tales of Joe Esposito being paid by both Elvis and Colonel Parker and that The Col used him to spy on Elvis. A group of ostriches are caught in the act as they dance around in circles, competing amongst themselves. Elvis and Gene were close to the same age and were close, especially in the early years. So I thought, Well yknow people are holding on to that., So I made this story up, me and Marty Lacker [another Memphis Mafia member]., DON'T MISSElvis Presley's bodyguard on TERRIFYING motorbike ride with The King[INTERVIEW]Elvis Presley pilot CAUGHT sleeping in his bed: Guess King's reaction[INTERVIEW]Elvis Presley will: Who did Elvis leave his HUGE fortune to? Elvis never changed his belief in God or Jesus Christ. Here, in Part One, Billy talks about his family, the Memphis Mafia, the Movie Years, meeting The Beatles and much much more. EIN: Do you remember any build up to Elvis recording his first record or practising with Scotty Moore & Bill Black? As I said, everyone had a job to do. On the afternoon of August 16, 1977, a man bearing a striking resemblance to Elvis is said to have purchased a one-way ticket from Memphis International Airport to Buenos Aires. And, whenever we were able, we always went to see him, especially local. His account, Memphis Mafia Kid contains a multitude of videos posted by the family of Elvis Presley. Elvis saw me as he passed and pulled me out! I don't know where it came from or if Elvis just made it up. 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. He was rocking a white jumpsuit, naturally, and purchasing an electrical fuse. To date, numerous reports say fans believe that Elvis Presley did not die in 1977, but was placed in witness protection. Right: Billy Smith, The Colonel and Elvis all looking jovial in June 1967- about three months after the 'Clambake' incident. Two weeks before his death, a sobbing Elvis Presley But stranger things have happened. He lived in a separate home with his family on the grounds of Graceland. EIN: Whats your earliest memory of Elvis? Billy Smith was interviewed by Piers Beagley for EIN, January 2006. So, he watched from a distance. Larry was his hair dresser. At the time I knew he was pissed at Colonel about something, but he never said what it was. Elvis always took great pride in his hair. Elvis Presley's Cousins Recall Spending The Holidays With Him Billy Smith Reveals The Truth Of Elvis's Facelifts - DoYouRemember? . He said he would see me on his next tour. Elvis girlfriend Linda hits back at Baz Luhrmann biopic 'I know the They engage in minor conversation before getting into sharing their memories of Elvis. ", "Absolute id crashed into absolute superegoas the uptightset man in America shook hands with just about the loosest. But, he never criticized other religions either. We grew up around him and moved to Graceland as young teenagers. Whatever Happened To Marla Gibbs, Florence Johnston From The Jeffersons. Elvis' cover of Paul Revere & the Raiders' 1966 hit Kicks ("You don't need kicks/To help you face the world each day") becomes his first top-five hit since 1972's Burning Love. To find out in detail which cookies we use on the site, read our. 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. That was a lot different and I remember that it took a while for everyone to get jobs, and one of my daddy's cousins stole all the money we had, and my daddy's new socks. Traditionally, you cant have a funeral without a death, and what killed the King is another major source of controversy. Thats you, thats not somebody else., So he said, I could swap places with this person and nobody would ever know the difference., And I said, Again, I know the difference. A great deal of Elvis is alive intrigue centers on August 18, 1977, the day of Presley's funeral. 6. I was little, and I was trying to get some bananas out that the man from the fruit stand had thrown away. They have a little trouble finding material at first, since Elvis has already sung most of the great American songbook, but they widen the scope to include more recent standards. However, some close friends and family of The Kings were nowhere to be seen. 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.. So when he fell and got concussion, I stayed with him day and night. Presleys cousin Gene Smith thought the body looked a little strange. That was in 1960. Is it going to be crazy? In my life, its been one disappointment after the other in terms of people portraying my father in various films or attempts tobless their heartsbut let me just tell you something. Can you tell us if this is true? "I know him and Linda [Thompson] were in there a lot. He seems to remember his importance more than some of the other guys remember it. See today's front and back pages, download the newspaper, order back issues and use the historic Daily Express newspaper archive. In an interview with Larry King, Elviss good buddy Joe Esposito suggested it was another Presley associate, Al Strada, in the photo. And a much-heralded return to rock in the form of the Rolling Stones' Start Me Up is equally unsuccessful. When Elvis bought Graceland Billy's family also moved in and his father Travis worked for Elvis as Chief guard. Hes left the realm of popular entertainers and joined the ranks of Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, and to some, Jesus. Sound crazy? Round-the-clock demonstrations outside MTV's New York headquarters by Elvis fans, some attired only in multihued headbands and sweatpants, cause MTV to reconsider, and Physical leaps into the top 10. For some reason, I always looked up at his office window because I felt like he was calling me and he was looking out the window. However, he felt more at ease once Elvis was buried. And I would hear him calling me.. ", "If you're an Elvis fan, no explanation is necessary; If you're not an Elvis fan, no explanation is possible. She was always close to her family, but Elvis was her heart. What did you see of his personal quest at the time and his visits to the Self Realization Park? How did it come about? He was talking about how scattered the family was. In the end, a leather-clad Elvis, looking impressively buff at 53, revisits his classic hits of the late '60s and '70s, including In the Ghetto, Burning Love and Suspicious Minds. It wasnt like he constantly had to have somebody, but he preferred it.. Supposedly some of his characteristics were due to Cherokee Indian being in your side of the family. July 1985: The Colonel had been persuaded, reluctantly, to see the benefits of Elvis' singing on We Are the World, but when Bob Geldof approaches him about Elvis performing at Live Aid, the enigmatic manager tells him, "Sure thing.
