Thoughts on Sonny West's Latest Book & DVD

[Jungleroom76]

I was just curious what everyone thought about Sonny West's new book "Still Taking Care of Business" and his DVD "Up Close and Personal"?

I've read the other thread that was started about Sonny's book but that discussion took place before his book came out. I was just curious...now that it has been out for a while, what people who have read it think about it?

Also...Sonny has a DVD out that I just recently discovered entitled "Up Close & Personal" which has Sonny telling various stories about his time with Elvis. Does anyone have this DVD, and if so, what did you think of it? It sounded kind of interesting...

TCB!
Mike

[Tony Trout]

Mike,

To put it bluntly....both the book and DVD are worth reading and watching! I've always had a high amount of respect for Sonny and this book and DVD just made me like him more. I hope that someday I'll get to meet him in person and thank him for "still taking care of business" regarding Elvis's legacy.

Sonny is a hero in my eyes simply because he had the guts (as did Red) to stand up to Elvis and try to make him see what he was doing to himself with the drugs...he and Red and Dave got unceremoniously dumped for trying to help Elvis and I don't blame him or Red or Dave one second for writing the first book.

In a nutshell....GET THE BOOK AND DVD--IT'S DEFINITELY WORTH IT!

[tilly01]

i thought the book was really interesting and i got a chance to meet sonny last year at derby football club and again i had no time for sonny but i went with an open mind and my god i am glad i did what a deent man he is and clearly loves elvis maybe too much he such a nice guy and he turned me round completely i know understood why he wrote the book with red and dave he was trying to help elvis.

[franny]

I have Sonny's book, but I haven't started it yet I've heard it was very good!

I don't have the DVD, Up Close and Personal...When did that come out?

franny

[Tony Trout]

I have Sonny's book, but I haven't started it yet I've heard it was very good!

I don't have the DVD, Up Close and Personal...When did that come out?

franny

The copyright date on the back of the DVD says "2006"

[franny]

Thanks, Tony.

franny

[cameron]

IMO, Sonnys' book was still full of anger and still trying to defend himself.
He doesn't have too nice of things to say about Lisa and others either .

Sorry, I don't believe EWH was trying to help EP in any way.
They were mad and broke. Read or listen to Red and Elvis' phone conversation. Red, at least says how they really felt.

[utmom2008]

IMO, Sonnys' book was still full of anger and still trying to defend himself.
He doesn't have too nice of things to say about Lisa and others either .

Sorry, I don't believe EWH was trying to help EP in any way.
They were mad and broke. Read or listen to Red and Elvis' phone conversation. Red, at least says how they really felt.

Cameron...I agree with you 100% with this post. IMO, Dave Hebler hadn't even been around long enough to know or care about what Elvis did. They saw a fast dollar, and a means at getting back at Elvis and embarrassing him in front of the public. Red is the only one that even comes close to being honest about it. Interesting to me that Lisa has never seen this book as his friends trying to help him......I have EWH, but I won't give Sonny any more of my money.

[cameron]

Cameron...I agree with you 100% with this post. IMO, Dave Hebler hadn't even been around long enough to know or care about what Elvis did. They saw a fast dollar, and a means at getting back at Elvis and embarrassing him in front of the public. Red is the only one that even comes close to being honest about it. Interesting to me that Lisa has never seen this book as his friends trying to help him......I have EWH, but I won't give Sonny any more of my money.

Try the library. It's where I got it to read.
Had it been what some said, I might have bought it.

In their News Conference in '77; Red appeared upset to me about Elvis. Sonny has always just seemed defensive and full of excuses ...and himself.

[Lonniebealestreet]

If we're talking about the same thing, Red wasn't present for that news conference, cameron. He was racked with guilt about what the book had turned into and his good friend had just died -- which he knew may have had something to do with the book, so he passed on that event. I think that took place on 8/17 or 8/18.

If we are talking about the same thing, that was Dave Hebler with Sonny.

[JDD]

I enjoyed the stories he told about Elvis, even the "bad" stuff IMO wasn't that bad. The only part I didn't like was as with Jerry Schillings book the stuff he said that was just about him . I really don't care about Sonny or Jerry's life. I didn't mind it was in there as their lives are intertwined in Elvis story and it was their book, but it didn't interest me.

Now Red thats a different Story, I'd be interested in hearing his story with and aside from Elvis.

JD

[cameron]

If we're talking about the same thing, Red wasn't present for that news conference, cameron. He was racked with guilt about what the book had turned into and his good friend had just died -- which he knew may have had something to do with the book, so he passed on that event. I think that took place on 8/17 or 8/18.

If we are talking about the same thing, that was Dave Hebler with Sonny.

Sorry, I'm bad ...here's the press conference.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkWds8YuCAU

This is one I was thinking of them together , but can't get it anymnore, Maybe someone else can

http://www.mininova.org/tor/191072

[SweetCaroline]

Cameron...I agree with you 100% with this post. IMO, Dave Hebler hadn't even been around long enough to know or care about what Elvis did. They saw a fast dollar, and a means at getting back at Elvis and embarrassing him in front of the public. Red is the only one that even comes close to being honest about it. Interesting to me that Lisa has never seen this book as his friends trying to help him......I have EWH, but I won't give Sonny any more of my money.

My feelings are 100% in line with you two. I would not walk across the street to say hello to these people. No "friend" does what these men did to Elvis, and saying it was to "help" him is the poorest EXCUSE I have ever seen for bad behavior.

[franny]

I enjoyed the stories he told about Elvis, even the "bad" stuff IMO wasn't that bad. The only part I didn't like was as with Jerry Schillings book the stuff he said that was just about him . I really don't care about Sonny or Jerry's life. I didn't mind it was in there as their lives are intertwined in Elvis story and it was their book, but it didn't interest me.

Now Red thats a different Story, I'd be interested in hearing his story with and aside from Elvis.

JD

Other than EWH, has Red ever wrote his own book?

franny

[Diane]

Not as far as I know Franny. Would be interesting though.

Cameron, I also saw that interview in which Red was present but I have no idea how to find it either.

Diane

[presley31]

My feelings are 100% in line with you two. I would not walk across the street to say hello to these people. No "friend" does what these men did to Elvis, and saying it was to "help" him is the poorest EXCUSE I have ever seen for bad behavior.

I agree carole who needs friends like that

Sonny will never get my money or my respect.

[franny]

Not as far as I know Franny. Would be interesting though.

Diane

Yes, it would be Diane..

franny

[JDD]

Yes, it would be Diane..

franny

I heard him say He might someday but he doesn't have a lot of free time. He actually has quite a long list of roles he's appeared in in TV and films dating back to Elvis, but they didn't end with him, wrote songs a couple of pretty good ones IMO and ran an acting school of some kind. What I find interesting though and it could just be an over site but he , nor Sonny seem to mention each other much
these days. I always have been curious why, maybe they went "Separate Ways".

JD

[presley31]

I heard him say He might someday but he doesn't have a lot of free time. He actually has quite a long list of roles he's appeared in in TV and films dating back to Elvis, but they didn't end with him, wrote songs a couple of pretty good ones IMO and ran an acting school of some kind. What I find interesting though and it could just be an over site but he , nor Sonny seem to mention each other much
these days. I always have been curious why, maybe they went "Separate Ways".

JD

wasn't Red in that movie glory road??

[Gary1]

IMO, Sonnys' book was still full of anger and still trying to defend himself.
He doesn't have too nice of things to say about Lisa and others either .

Sorry, I don't believe EWH was trying to help EP in any way.
They were mad and broke. Read or listen to Red and Elvis' phone conversation. Red, at least says how they really felt.

I couldn't agree more.