What would you ask Sonny West....

[4THEHEART]

If some of you like Charlie and Jerry's books you really shouldn't pass over the one written by Ed Parker. So little is mentioned about how his friendship was with Elvis but this book shows how much Ed cared and worried about him and there is no doubt that Elvis revered him as a friend and karate master.

Sorry I can't think of the title of the book but it's well worth reading.

Diane

right Diane..I have a great respect for Ed Parker as a human being and his mastership as well.this admiration is not Elvis related but for what I see in him as a person..and also very glad Elvis had him as a friend..he needed more people like him..
his book's name is "Inside Elvis"..though this "inside" thing not a huge interest for some fans and so called old friends ..

[TotallyInsane]

If I had only made it to the back door....he would have had one!!

[ehollier]

If I had only made it to the back door....he would have had one!!

Caught stalking again!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Diane]

Thank you for posting the title of Ed's book Zey...I just couldn't think of it.

Diane

[KPM]

Of course he had the right. Here's what I don't understand....why do some become annoyed that Charlie made the choice to concentrate on the positive? Had he ONLY focused on the bad he would be considered a real friend for "telling it like it is". By leaving out the negative some act as though his IQ is less than triple digits. Some say the same about Jerry and his book. He actually does talk about the drugs, but he tells it the way a friend would tell it. In doing so he is often discarded as being Pris' yes man. If he had told it a little more crudely he would be thought of as a real man.

We have heard that we should be interested in the stories "all these guys have to tell" because they knew him best-they were right there.
Some see it more positive and there point of view comes out-more positive. But because it emphasises the positive things Elvis was, or positive things he did-does that make them any less true? Is Charlie, Jerry whoever- lying if he chooses to stress the good-and not highlight the bad? I do not see Jerrys book, as a whitewash it-but his book does stay more positive-balanced in approach and tone. Thats his view from his inside look since 1954.
IMO Sonny, Red, Lamar Jerry, all- seem to agree on a couple things when you here them talk. They all say they still love & miss him. The good memories seem to now outweigh the bad in their minds. Does this not say something?
Sonny made some comments on FOX news network the other day on a report on conspiracy theories (Elvis faked his death etc)-and he said he thinks of Elvis everyday, remembers the fun everyday.

[Unchained Melody]

I'm gonna miss your radio show since you're doing it at 2:00. This happening is from 3:00-7:00. Maybe you should have an afternoon show and then an evening show!! That should keep you plenty busy!

On Air Gail going all night long so I shall be here when you get on hope you had a great time !

[Unchained Melody]

I would not ask any of the silly questions he has heard before, and has answered in his own routine.

Simply ask for his autograph, and tell him you are delighted to meet him.

See how he is, maybe talkin to him comes very naturally.

The thing is, be yourself when meeting a wellknown person. Always helps!

I always thought of him as a nice person, therefor my username from the past.

Sonny

Agreed Sonny.

Apart from Billy Smith, Red, and Lamar, Sonny is my favorite from the MM.

Nice guy and was a great friend to Elvis imo.

[Unchained Melody]

Getlo, I just don`t think a book about Elvis` personal life was the way to go! I am sure they knew that writing this book about Elvis was not going to change his drug habits. Elvis was so far into drugs by the time they wrote this book,that it would take a miracle to get him off them. I think it written at the time in anger and revenge....

The point was Sonny and them thought it would be the challenge Elvis needed that would get him to kick the drug habit, and get back in top shape and prove them all wrong...thats what Sonny west has said and I fully beleive it.

[Unchained Melody]

He was there with Elvis for years, that's why! He knew Elvis better than most, if not all. If you don't believe Sonny was important to Elvis and his life, think again.



Pointless reference. Sonny was younger than Elvis. What has Sonny's age got to do with anything?



Sonny was one of the best friends Elvis ever had. And still is. To those of you carrying around some sort of grudge against him ... get over it! Sonny never did anything to you.



And they provided him with comfort, friendship and amusement. It was a two-way street. Elvis used the MM as much as they used him.



A free ride? Think again. You're only thinking of money here.



Yes, the book should have ruined his life! He should have read it, got mad, and had his drug-taking, hypocritical life exposed for the whole world to see. It should have broken him down and reduced him to tears. He should have been embarrassed. None of his fans would have cared about the drugs, they only wanted him to get better. They would have waited for him to get his life back on track. What a pity he died before this all happened. Had the book had the desired effect, Elvis would still be with us!

Yes, even the boys say the book was written partly from revenge and bitterness. You know .. you must know ... that these men had been dealing with an out of control drug addict for so long. They were no longer under his influence. They tried on dozens of occasions to get him off the drugs, to no avail. Sure, it was vengeful, but the book (as they said) should have been a wake up call.

The only negative thing about the book is that it was published too late! Should've been published months earlier, and with a less tabloid journalist helming it.



The Wests and Hebler made very little money from the book. That has been documented and confirmed.



And I'm sure Elvis would have been the first person to forgive Red and Sonny and taken them back into the fold, although they would have been fools to go back into that lfie had Elvis lived beyond August 1977.

Fact: Elvis firing the guys like he did was cowardly and just plain wrong. You can accuse Red, Sonny et al of being "bad friends" but that is exactly what Elvis was being at the time.

As for Lisa, she may be Elvis' daughter. But, contrary to what some fans think, she didn't know her own father even half as well as the MM did. She was only nine when he died, and her own judgments on the MM are clouded by her vulture of a mother, an expert in brainwashing.

The fact is, without the MM, you wouldn't have Elvis as he was. He would have been a very different person altogether.

Finally, as much as some fans (thankfully, they are in the minority) won't admit it, but What Happened told the truth about Elvis' drug-taking, his life and the insanity that had enveloped him.

Getlo you put everything in perfect words my friend and I feel the exact same way about this as you do !! Well said

[4THEHEART]

book the saviour! first this "nobel operation" is just a fantasy, second was there any idea in their mind what they were saving him from?to do this,they needed to know about his problems and needs.. did they know?..why to consider those guys(helpers)themselves clean of drugs and sick behaviours is another question.. writing that book was no where near a helping attitude let alone they weren't capable of helping..Elvis was supposed to be the bad guy, who desperately needed that bunch and also was the one who did everything wrong..what a simple concept of such a person..They missed a lot of opportunity for helping him first of all by not showing true interest in knowing and respecting their friend who let them enjoy an enourmous life along with himself.. a life none of them would have been a part of it,not in a million years if it wasn't for Elvis's way of looking at individuals and his sharing quality..not because he was in need of them or he was a miserable person without the guys.Elvis too needed friends as everyone does but not these men..if the intention was help(which I never believe)then why they didn't give Elvis that magical,amazing book before it was published and warn him that it's going to be published,we want this and that and bla,bla..cause their attidude in life is "first shoot, then ask" the only way they know..as long as he fit their wishes and till they lost their job,nothing was wrong..they were fired by Mr Presley,no one has a right to call him coward cause Elvis didn't fire them as he was going to hire them back eventually against his father's wish as he did many times..I suppose Elvis needed to get some breath, a refreshment,a time away from his life,I don't mean as some of you think he was a spoiled simple junkie without any health issues and a drug rehab was all that he needed..no!He needed peace,serenity,to be healed spiritually as well..needed to clear his mind for being organized for the future in his own way,being away from low minded crowd and their arguments and needed being left alone as long a while as he needed, mature,wiser friends who share, not bite,and much more space for his capacity as an entertainer and a human being who always desired to walk into a higher level..I trust and believe Elvis knew what he really needed and how long it would take and how much of it was possible in his environment at that time..so the best happened I guess..though it's hard and painful to say ..

[Kentucky Rain]

4theHeart..I am in 99.9% in complete agreement in your post. When I said earlier "couldn't someone put him in rehab", I neglected to add w/counselling to begin to obtain everything you said in your post. ehollier, thank you for pointing out how it is "not that simple" to place someone w/o their desire.

4theHeart said it much better than I ever could.

I still think it is so wrong for that "group of companions" to stand before people to this very day and tell/weave stories of good times/bad times/whatever times. They had their "say" in that rag novello. They should say no more. Elvis can't.

I do believe I'm going to look for the book written by Charlie.

[SweetCaroline]

If I had only made it to the back door....he would have had one!!

You are his friend whether you made it to the back door, or not. A dedicated, loyal, and good friend.

[Tony Trout]

In regards to rehab....there weren't those kind of things in those days and one had to be willing to go on their own for it to work.

Sonny is one of my favorite members of the MM.

[utmom2008]

In regards to rehab....there weren't those kind of things in those days and one had to be willing to go on their own for it to work.

Dr. Nick claims in one interview that the only one he knew of was in Arkansas.

[Unchained Melody]

I remember reading O Grady was talking to Elvis after he seen him in Lake Tahoe in May of '76 after seeing how bad Elvis looked and sounded, tried talking to him about a rehab facililty he should check himself into, and Elvis told them they all could go die.

He obviously was not going to go, and was not going to listen to anybody because he always got his way and what he wanted and no one was going to change that.

[Getlo]

was there any idea in their mind what they were saving him from?to do this,they needed to know about his problems and needs.. did they know?..

You must be kidding. Of course they knew. They tried many times to get him off the stuff, and every time he rebuffed them!

why to consider those guys(helpers)themselves clean of drugs and sick behaviours is another question..

And who exactly said they were clean? No one, and certainly not them! Sonny, especially, was always honest about his own drug taking. And none of the MM had drug problems as bad as Elvis' were!

writing that book was no where near a helping attitude let alone they weren't capable of helping..Elvis was supposed to be the bad guy, who desperately needed that bunch and also was the one who did everything wrong.

They were capable of helping. Elvis was incapable and unwilling to accept their help. And not once do the boys (in EWH or anywhere else) say Elvis was a bad person, or an a-hole. Get your facts right before casting aspersions on the MM.

then why they didn't give Elvis that magical,amazing book before it was published and warn him that it's going to be published,we want this and that and bla,bla..cause their attidude in life is "first shoot, then ask"

Er, Elvis was well aware of the book and what it was going to say. He was being fed galleys (transcripts) for months in advance. He was scared of the book - not because it was crap, but because it was all true!

they were fired by Mr Presley,no one has a right to call him coward cause Elvis didn't fire them as he was going to hire them back eventually against his father's wish as he did many times..

It was cowardly. What else could getting your father to do the firing be? After over 20 years, Red and Sonny deserved better than that, no matter what their alleged discretions.

I trust and believe Elvis knew what he really needed and how long it would take and how much of it was possible in his environment at that time
..

Please. At the end, Elvis Presley didn't even know what bloody day it was, let alone what he really needed!

[4THEHEART]

Getlo I'm not on a mission to change your views on Elvis cause it's the way you look at the whole life and people generally..it's just amazing you could put effort for those guys,Sonny etc..you couldn't realized the real treasure in people cause your filters are so thick.. it must be hard to judge someone when they don't fit any of the known patterns which causes more mistakes..Elvis wasn't like that and he endured too much for the sake of a tat of good in anyone..I only wish you a clearer vision just like Elvis had till his last moment..

[Getlo]

it's just amazing you could put effort for those guys,Sonny etc..you couldn't realized the real treasure in people cause your filters are so thick..

Er, you are the one who seemingly jumps to blindly defend Elvis against his "evil" friends, and all the negativity around him. You are the one with filters and blinders set on thick. My filters, thank you, are almost non-existent: I assess each situation based on any evidence at hand, and make my judgements accordingly.

it must be hard to judge someone when they don't fit any of the known patterns which causes more mistakes..Elvis wasn't like that and he endured too much for the sake of a tat of good in anyone..

Mmm-hmm. He was almost like a god, wasn't he? He could do no wrong. It was everyone else's fault.

Known patterns? The man was the poster boy for classic drug addiction!

[MissyM]

4th, I'm sorry but you are just wrong. I may not agree with all Getlo says but there are things that he is correct on. Billy tried to talk to Elvis. He loved him and didn't want to loose him. He was his family. He wasn't just someone he worked for. Elvis was he and Jo's kin, and their son's kin. And his mother's kin. They adored him, even with his faults. He was an important part of their lives not just for being a boss. That actually was the least of their relationship. Billy knew the path Elvis was on was distructive and had lost others. Do you think it was easy for any of them to watch? Could you? Elvis was the type of person that if you pushed him to change to hard you would be gone. How are you going to be there for him if you are gone. Yes, he often hired people back but each time, they came back more careful about how they approched the subject matter.
If Elvis himself could not find the strength, and will-power to change for the love he had for his daughter (his greatest love at that time) then what makes anyone think he would get help from mere words from friends.
I have mixed feeling on Sonny, Red, and Dave and therefore can be objective. But one thing I know, unless you have been there, the desparation, heartache, and frustration one feels watching anyone you know slowly kill themselves, makes you do things you normally would not. I do believe that they acted out, in that mode and perhaps thought it was their last ditch attempt. Maybe it didn't matter if they would be asked back, maybe they would rather try one last time and loose any chance they had.
It's so easy to say what we would have done. In our imagination I think we'd all like to think we would have done differently. But I tell ya, I would not want to bare the burden, had I attempted and failed, and then have to live with the what if's.
Elvis was a person, and a human being. He had strengths and weaknesses, good and not so good in him. Some choose to relate their story in a more easy going way, some bring more of the less pretty to their stories. It is all part of the uniqueness of the person and if we didn't have the vast array of stories, we'd get pretty bored.

[May]

The question I would ask Sonny is how could he live with himself after writing "E-WH" and subsequently trying to make a dollar off his friends name after his death. Wonder if I would get an honest answer.........

Have you guys seen this u-tube clip ?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9K9a...eature=related