5th wheel?

[cutiepie]

Hello!

I have been watching the 1968 special--the "sit down" segment, in particular. Of the guys who are sitting with Elvis, there is Alan Fortas, sitting between JD Sumner and Charlie Hodges. Whole JD is drumming and Charlie is guitar-ing, Alan doesn't seem to be doing...anything! Besides holding a guitar case on his lap. Is there a reason for this?

I've also started to watch bits and pieces of TTWII. I can really understand how Elvis' fans must have been in a state of disbelief when he died. There is no way to imagine that, just a few short years after making these two programs, that Elvis would be gone. I feel like I miss him, and he's already been gone for 30 years!

I don't want to send on a sad note--on the second "sit down" segment, my favorite part was when Elvis stands up and says he can touch himself, then goes woo hoo! :D

One more thing -- in Love Me Tender and Loving You, was Elvis' "accent" real? He doesn't sound like that in later years.

[EnigmaticSun]

Wasn't JD Sumner the lowest bass singer in the world and DJ Fontana one of Elvis' drummers?

[Leroy]

Cutiepie, first of all I would like to add that J.D. Sumner was not a part of the "NBC TV Special". You are probably refering to D.J. Fontana, who used to play drums on stage and recording sessions during the fifties and sixties. J.D. Sumner was Elvis' second bass singer and part of the Stamps during 1971-1977.

The reason for Alan Fortas' presence was the fact that director Steve Binder found in him the typical member of the so called Memphis Mafia. Remember that the reason of the sit down show was to show Elvis as he was during an informal play with his friends just to relax.