When and how did Elvis invent the tcb necklace?

[Nicole Presley]

When did Elvis invent the tcb necklace? How did he get the idea? I will soon have one. And I wanna tell everyone who asks me about the necklace the story of it.

[May]

I remember seeing an interview with Priscilla and she said it was in the 70's when they were flying back from LA to Memphis. Elvis said something along the lines of wanting a symbol of his own to 'represent' him and his work. They came up with Taking Care of Business ... quickly (in a flash) and spent time on the Lisa Marie plane sketching out designs. By the time they had landed they came up with the TCB design with the lightening and Elvis wanted the design on jewellry asap!

[Tigerman1975]

This is what I have.......

Taken from Elvis and the Memphis Mafia by Alanna Nash.

Marty Lacker:
"The date that's usually given for the start of the TCB jewelry is '72, but my recollection is that it started around '70.'Take care of business' was a black expression. Elvis would say it in a sort of ethnic way, with a black accent. It was just a hip saying. Aretha Franklin sang,'Take care/TCB' on her version of 'Respect' for example. Elvis came up with the jewelry after he met this young guy named Paul, who was a stone cold killer. He was a bodyguard for Mayor Sam Yorty of Los Angeles, and he worked undercover on drugs. He broke the Hollywood High School drug ring years ago, and the mafia put out a contract on him. Shortly after that, he met this girl. He started liking her alot and he went to bed with her. And in the middle of the passion, he looked down, and he saw she was wearing the lightning bolt around her neck. And he said he froze. The lightning bolt has two meanings. One is 'in a flash'. But the lightning bolt was the insignia for the West Coast Mafia. The girls father was the head of the West Coast Mafia and the one that had put the contract out on him.He said that after the initial shock, he just played it cool. He took the girl him because he thought thst she might have been planted by her father. Well, Paul told that story to Elvis and he loved it. Thats why he put the lightning bolt in the design for the TCB jewelry. He liked the idea that the West Coast Mafia used it."

[Nicole Presley]

I know by now that it was 1970 for sure,

[Tigerman1975]

How so? By what we all said above or from another source?

[Wibi08]

I also think the TCB stuff started before 1972 as i have a picture with Cillas Mum wearing a TLC Neckalce.
The picture was taken at Graceland so presumbly before Elvis and Cilla seperate.

From Priscillas looks it could be 1971....

[Raised on Rock]

I had the idea that he once dreamed about the lightning bolt or something like that! lol I don't know where did I get that.

P.S. To bad Elvis actually never took care of business in a flash.

[hounddog]

I remember Priscilla said that he and her roughed out a sketch on a plane trip it's in a doc somewhere along with a image of the sketch that she said they did. I have read that the necklaces were first made in 1970. He was wearing it at George and Barbara Kleins wedding.

Also wearing it October 17,1970 in this pic