why would one of elvis stage bodyguards be armed with a gun during a concert?

[Elvislives72]

you sure have away with words kim..excellent post ...hugs 4 u..;;lets just say there were a couple of rotten apples .. like marty lacker

Marty, Sonny, Red and Lamar were the rotten apples in that group.

[Tony Trout]

i see well some say its common sence that they did carry them i disagree. ...still thumbs to guns..i dont believe it was necessary for ed parker and company to carry loaded weapons onstage in front of loving elvis fans..nobody would ever have killed elvis and nobody did....guns should be banned ..real sad and so tragic fact was that elvis was slowly killing himself and he knew it..its very hard to write those words and comment about elvis but its the truth...well peace to you all

MY REPLIES BELOW HAVE BEEN EDITED BECAUSE I THOUGHT OF OTHER THINGS TO SAY:



I disagree. Elvis, Red & Sonny and the rest of the guys carrying guns were no different than the security guards also carrying guns and you would be surprised at the number of people (guys, mainly) who were jealous of Elvis and wanted to kill him. No celebrity (no matter who they are) is exempt from death threats - and that's the way the cookie crumbles.

The above also could be said for normal folks like you and I. The fact is that this world isn't nowhere near as safe as it was over thirty years ago and being a celebrity makes it a thousand times worse, IMO.

Elvis had been subjected to death threats, so naturally the security had to be armed and ready in case someone tried to bring harm to him.

However, Elvis himself even noted that he was a "squirrel just out of the trees", so in case he decided to run off the stage, one of the guys could plug him in the leg, thus preventing the poor colonel from being sued by the promoter

Agree.

Exactly...it really IS as simple as that.

Yep.

I think it was Marion Cocke or Dee Presley who once said that the Mafia never had permits to carry the guns and that they were illegal but because they worked for Elvis they got away with it. If you think about it, they were no different than thugs as the possee's to these gangster rappers are today.

Actually, I believe the firearms were legal and they had permits. They knew better than to carry illegal firearms.

Marty, Sonny, Red and Lamar were the rotten apples in that group.

Marty does get on my nerves sometimes but he's a straight-shooter that (most of the times) tells it like it is. Sonny and Red? No. Lamar? Well, I do think that Lamar was treated unfairly by Elvis in regards to teasing him about certain aspects of his life (weight and things of that nature).


(Why do I suddenly get the feeling that this is going to turn into another 'West-bashing' thread??

[utmom2008]

(Why do I suddenly get the feeling that this is going to turn into another 'West-bashing' thread??

Have you noticed that MOST of the threads have taken on an ugly, rude tone in the last several days?

[Getlo]

Marty, Sonny, Red and Lamar were the rotten apples in that group.

No way, no how.

[epmoodyblue]

lets just get back to my topic that i posted about the guns thingy and lets not get off topic talking about...marty lacker sonny etc..sorry i mentioned a little thought about lacker.others mentioned west sonnythese peeps mentioned spell trouble ..will before you know it turn into another West-sonny bashing thread..and i dont want my thread i posted to turn ugly..so lets all relax and get back on track ...right now were a little off topic..

[presley31]

lets just get back to mt topic that i posted about the guns thingy and lets not het off topic talking about...mmarty lacker sonny etc..sorry i mentioned lacker these peeps mentioned like west sonnt etc..will before you know it turn into another West-sonny bashing thread..and i dont want my thread i posted to turn ugly..so lets all relax and get back on track ...right now were a little off topic..

you are entiled to your opinions too just like everyone else on this forum, but you are right its off topic.

[Tony Trout]

Hehe,

I have to respectfully disagree.

They did love Elvis, in their own way, in the confines of their individual upbringing, personality characteristics. and how their early lives were nurtured (or not) by others from their childhood.

My opinion is that Mrs Presley happened to be very special, like my grandmother was, so Elvis was lucky, to have felt as loved as he was. He also had a close and caring family around him. Elvis kept searching for answers, he was open to all around him, amongst other things, he also voraciously read books. His friends who have the University Degrees or Higher Education that some of his other friends don't, or those who continued to improve their general knowledge, have a much more objective outlook, whereas some of the MM have a very subjective outlook, altered from the facts, incorrectly, by their own life experiences or tainted memories, or in some cases, because they are more interested in money than the truth, with it's shades of grey (as there should be), outlook. Some of his friends who didn't continue educating themselves, were perhaps closed minded to a lot of things, so their personalities, were a result of their own "input".

It's sad, really, that some people choose certain paths in life, that are about themselves.



That's a nice way of saying, "*&%# plus tax".

You nailed it, Ma'am. Good post.

Have you noticed that MOST of the threads have taken on an ugly, rude tone in the last several days?

Yep, I've noticed that.

[KPM]

After all the assassinations of the 60s and the Manson murders-its no surprise that security around anyone in public view would carry guns.
If the world were perfect it would have not been necessary-but back then (and as it is now) the world is full of crazies. Had John Lennon had armed bodyguards (such as Red and Sonny West) at his side in 1980 he may not have been killed. John was way to easy a target walking the streets of New York.

[JoelD]

kinda strange for me..okay it was elvis he must be protected wherever he went..but i never ever believed abody guard of elvis would actually be armed with a gun on him onstage with elvis..i figured them knowing karate was enough to protect elvis but i guess not.. this really surprised me...this happened at the charlotte february 20concert in 1977...while elvis is singing the last song of show you know the usual we see the fans gathering near the stage..theres the usual guards elvis had in front of the stage kneeling down.in front of elvis ..wow and theres a guard not police one of elvis well know body guard with a gun which accidently gets exposed for a few seconds behind the guards jacket by the rush of the wind while hes trying to accompany elvis offstage who would of known..like i said before i figured there karate expertise was sufficient i never imagined them carrying guns well one of them.dont know about the other guards what they had on them neways peace to you allokay these not good quality pics but heres the pic ed parker charlotte nc feb 20-77 watching over elvis and second piccy we see ed parkers back to camers helping elvis get off the stage.see the gun [/ATTACH][/ATTACH] Attachment 27172

Elvis received a lot of death threats in the period and thats why they carried guns.

[presley31]

weren't they carrying guns in the 60's too?

[jak]

It's common sense that Elvis would have armed people around him.It's very naive to think everybody just loved Elvis back in the day.That wasnt the case.Obviously they ever needed to use them which was fortunate.Somebody of Elvis' magnitude could always be the target for violence however.

[utmom2008]

It's common sense that Elvis would have armed people around him.It's very naive to think everybody just loved Elvis back in the day.That wasnt the case.Obviously they ever needed to use them which was fortunate.Somebody of Elvis' magnitude could always be the target for violence however.

I remember thinking about that and talking about it after the Astrodome concerts in 1974. Talk about a "sitting duck."

[jak]

I remember thinking about that and talking about it after the Astrodome concerts in 1974. Talk about a "sitting duck."

Elvis could have been harmed at any time.Even at Graceland.He was always accessible.If he was still around things would be much different when it came to security.It's a different society today.

[Merry]

you sure have away with words kim..excellent post ...hugs 4 u..;;lets just say there were a couple of rotten apples .. like marty lacker

Thanks Joe

[Patricia Fonseca]

Elvis need be protection for what was a target of husbans or boyfriends jealous Also remember what was in the list black of Charles Manson and his group this come out of them archives secret of the F.B.I. Also I saw him in the dvd "Elvis for them Preleys" and after the same of Manson talk of this topic. Besides Lisa Marie also comment this in a program of T.V INSIDER. Elvis was reason of be paranoid.