Reply With QuoteWell, a very interesting point you have made KPM...could this very much be the case of Elvis being completely unaware that he was becoming addicted to a hard substance?
Very Nasty.
It is my understanding that the cotton soaked balls were started in Vegas by a certain doctor who catered to big names he said they were to help Elviss sinuses and relax him. The concoction was a derivitive of cocaine and other medications, supposedly Elvis was at first unaware of what was in them. By the time he found out he was hooked. I have read other insiders say the whole thing was untrue.
Well, a very interesting point you have made KPM...could this very much be the case of Elvis being completely unaware that he was becoming addicted to a hard substance?
Very Nasty.
Last edited by NEA; 12-27-2005 at 01:10 PM.
"I oughta break you in half!"...
"If you do, you'll have two very short friends!"
Lets puts Sonny's behavior at the time of the book "Elvis What Happend?" into perspective! his boss and friend of 20 plus years has given you the old heave-ho and not done it face to face but let his Daddy do it! you have no qualifications you have a family to feed and house to run.
You always hurt the ones you love.......... fact!
The other guys are in it for the money pure and simple. Time as they say is a great healer, I'm not 100% sure if Elvis would have forgiven Sonny or Red, but he sure would have been deeply hurt by the book and it's contents and I'm sure that this would have caused irrevocable damage in their relationship.
What Sonny and the boys did was beyond the pale, with the benefit of hindsight and passing of water under bridges lets hope that a true reflection of Sonny's time with Elvis can be put to paper.
I get the feeling from some of the responses on this thread he is dammed if he does and dammed for doing so already.
If Sonny had wrote EWH now I'm sure the impact would be far less influential and devastating than it was back then. Perhaps the new book will be written with less bile, I would hate for this book to over compensate for the last and give a fluffy rose tinted view. Every piece of the jigsaw adds to the rich tapestry and should be seen for what it is, to ignore it would be to deny first hand experiences whatever there slant.
Matt
In order to do a tapestry you have to be able to blend colors, textures, designs and above all balance each. If you go over board on any one thing you get a terrible picture. Now add an artist who is use to going overboard to cash in on whatever sells and you have a picture only the artist loves as he heads to the bank.
OmiGod: Another book that will promise to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. So help him, God. Lord, help us all.
I promised myself that I would not say anything more on the new book coming out but the truth is some of us older Elvis Fans know the truth and that is the book "Elvis What Happened?" was written to destroy him. I do believe that Elvis loved those guys (he did not write a story about them or even go to the press when he knew the story was coming out... he was so hurt to think these three men whom he thought of as brothers... were out to destroy his life) Sometimes the people we love hurt us the most and I truly belive that is what happened.
Do I think Sonny West is sorry for writing the book? Yes, possible he does regret it because Elvis did give those guys the world on a silver platter. (The book surely did nothing to help Elvis!!!)
Will I read his book? To little to late as far as I am concerned.
Do I think Elvis had a prescription drug Problem? (as one person in here keep pounding into the ground) Yes, he did but can anyone really say that they walked a mile in his shoes? He was way beyond anything the world had seen and even he did not believe the effect he and his music had on the world. I am sure the so called doctors were making enough money from him that they did not care... whatever he wanted he got as long as they got their money!!
Just wanted to get those feeling out... I think Elvis was bigger than life then and now and God Bless him for all he gave to us.
If Elvis' three closest companions enjoyed what telling their shocking, bizarre story helped them to feel happy about themself... so be it.
Dovey
First of all I think enough water has passed for Sonny for him to have some sort of perspective he could not reach back then, he has been an outcast of the Elvis world (rightly or wrongly). Sonny was with Elvis for many years and has an insight others just don't have! I think people have pre-judged him for something he has done over 30 years ago.
Whatever the reasons for the book Elvis What Happend and whoever was responsible for the hatchet job that it ended up being, I believe that Sonny is truly sorry and would like to atone in some way.
Books written by those close to Elvis will always be skewed somewhat (more so with the passage of time) and much has been commented on Elvis over the last 30 years that very little is new and shocking as it once was. Elvis was only human, lived as a human and had human failings as we all do. Elvis had talent beyond many and used it to entertain the masses but just like anything Elvis did he did it to extremes.
I'm not saying Elvis deserved to be stabbed in the back like he was, but lets see if Sonny has a more balanced approach to this book, if he doesn't then let the ground open up and take him to were he belongs!
Matt
Well stated JJ... You have class!!! Dovey
I just want to add something to this thread, as I think an earlier post indicating a poster who continued to comment on prescription drug problems was a veiled hint at me.
If you haven't read What Happened or Revelations then you are really not qualified to comment on them regardless of what someone else tells you.
These books have been written to give the reader, the fan, a better understanding of the human person, Elvis, not the entertainer. You can surmise what kind of entertainer he was by listening to his music, seeing his movies and concerts. You don't need anyone to inform you about that part of his life.
Before you judge any of the guys in terms of thier relationship with Elvis and his with them. He was human, he had his faults and human frailties just as we all do. Loyalty is a two way street, so don't put it all off on Red and Sonny.
The Sun Never Sets On A Legend...
I`ll back it up sweetheart but first let me address some of your points-Originally Posted by NEA
First of all in regards to Lisa I am not the first person to say that she cannot sing and I won`t be the last.
I`m not going to sugar coat it because of who she is.
Her live performances are not good enough and that is my honest opinion.
If you were to put her in Pop Idol then I don`t think she would make the final round.
There is no doubt that her surname has helped her in her career but that could be said about any famous offspring.
In response to your comment about me disliking her and thats why I`m saying she can`t sing well I can say 100% that it has nothing to do with it.
I don`t have time for Michael Jackson but I can still say that he is a great entertainer.
It is true that Lisa has pissed me off on many occasions with her attitude and her foul language but once again I`m not alone In saying that.
I went into details about this on the Lisa Marie thread but I`ll just say this and that is that respect works both ways and in order to be liked you have to be likeable and that means in interviews not getting surly when you are asked questions that you don`t like for instance about her famous ex-husbands in particular Michael Jackson.
She married him and so she must face the fact that people will want to know information and not roll her eyes and complain and moan about this and that because at the end of the day it is all part and parcel of being in the entertainment industry and her father knew that more than anyone.
Some people have said well she didn`t ask to be born famous and that is very true but nobody asked her to go into the music business either but she chose to do it and so she has to live it and not complain that she didn`t sing in tune because she didn`t get to sing to small audiences before she did tv shows.
After all she had enough time.
Many fans myself included are hurt by her actions towards us in particular when she called the fans creepy.
She doesn`t go to Memphis in January or August when she knows the fans are there but instead she goes at the quieter times of the year and before anyone says that she does goes in August oh yes once every five years when she walks on the stage at Elvis The Concert to say thankyou, big deal.
Even people that knew Elvis have expressed similar opinions to mine in particular The Jordanaires who told us in Memphis when we asked why Lisa wasn`t there that "Lisa and Priscilla don`t give a **** about the fans they`re only interested in the money."
It wouldn`t take a lot to turn up at graceland just once a year and mix with the fans or are we just too creepy for that.
She says what she cares about are "her fans" so I guess we`re not included.
She has got to remember that she has a very unique position and so doing interviews talking about lesbianism, enjoying rough sex etc are not appropriate.
As I stated previously she`ll attend the opening of an envelope but she will not accept awards on behalf of her father.
She`ll attend the MTV awards and give out awards to Pink and U2 but when Elvis was inducted into the Hall of fame she sent a note to be read out by Jack Soden.
When Elvis was awarded as a founding member into the UK Music Hall Of Fame a year ago people were outraged that it was his ex-wife Priscilla who accepted the award when it was not appropriate for her to do so.
I applaud her work with Presley Place as its a wonderful thing and I like how she doesn`t milk being Elvis`s daughter but she needs to do a lot more to nurture his legacy.
I don`t believe she will though.
Last edited by joanne; 12-30-2005 at 04:00 AM.
Now I`ll address EBTP-
You say that a heck of a lot of people rate it well maybe so but I also know that a heck of a lot of people don`t rate it, particularly myself.
The dvd begins with Priscilla stood in the living room and just to her right are framed photographs of her, Elvis and Lisa stood on a table.
She has placed them there.
"I`m standing in front of our music room" she says proudly and "Tonight our family opens our home."
Notice the word "our" she just loves saying that.
As the dvd unfolds one thing becomes very apparent and that is references that she makes towards the book Child Bride "I wasn`t a calculating young girl" "I made a comment like oh yeah I`m gonna go and meet Elvis Presley".
We have the back-up of her parents who confirm her story of how they were very concerned about the relationship and how they argued back and forth about it.
She moped around, she wouldn`t go out with her friends says her mother when we all know that wasn`t true.
Priscilla then discusses how Elvis used to send her records through the mail then we hear the voice of Elvis saying "It makes me feel a little more like I`m there with her" now I don`t know who Elvis is talking about but I don`t believe that it is in connection with sending records to Priscilla.
There were stories about my parents pushing me but "He is the one who kept the relationship going" as she reveals more to counteract the Child Bride book which states that she kept writing to him.
"I fit his ideal woman" she says.
Then we hear Elvis again "You sometimes think that this is it you`ll never find another one you know" now I have heard Elvis saying this before in an interview he did before he even met Priscilla when he was talking about being in love etc but it is made to look like he is saying it about her.
Then she starts moaning about how he wanted her to be, he rarely said sorry according to her.
She doesn`t want people to think that it was horrible though because they had a good relationship but it had to be on his terms she said.
We go back to Child Bride when Priscilla says to her father that there is a rumour out there that he forced Elvis into marrying her.
It improves when Lisa enters the dvd as she can` be told what to say and the part on Elvis`s spirituality was a refreshing change because for the first time we were hearing about Elvis and not just about Priscilla.
"The happiest times I`ve ever had have been with my family" said Elvis when in fact he is talking about his beautiful parents although its made to look like he`s talking about Priscilla and Lisa.
We see his ex-wife inside Graceland opening up a closet full of dog tags "We had so many" she says.
She said she lived Elvis`s life and she didn`t really have a life well if that isn`t cruel then I don`t know what is.
He would send her back to the shops to return clothes if he didn`t like them she said.
Then we hear Elvis`s negative opinion on womens lib. He would put women down she said.
The reason that the relationship started breaking down was according to her because she could no longer accompany him on trips due to having a baby well excuse me when did she ever accompany him before?
On hand is Jerry Schilling who although a nice guy he has always been in the Priscilla camp and only one of the few I might add as most of the guys can`t stand her.
She certainly couldn`t get anymore to come on the dvd to back her up.
We kinda left the wives he says.
We then hear about Elvis and other women which cuts into the bordello scene from the 68 special.
He would always come home after the affairs states Priscilla.
Jerry says that there was no choice for Priscilla well thats where hes wrong because everyone has choice.
Then she relates how she left Elvis "Is it someone else, are you leaving me for someone else?" he said to her and then how conveniant for Priscilla how it cuts to Elvis singing and never returns for her to answer that question.
In fact there was no mention whatsoever about Mike Stone or any other man.
She said she would have never had a life if she wouldn`t of left Elvis.
Then we hear from the old faithful Jerry as he says that he truly believed that Elvis wanted to be back with his family.
Priscilla said that it was then that she truly realized how much his family meant to him and how much he missed them.
We then hear Elvis sing Its Over, how fitting.
She was seeing Elvis as much after the divorce as when they were living together according to Priscilla`s mother.
She wasn`t told what to say by any chance.
After the divorce "He wouldn`t let go" she said.
They talked more after the divorce and they were closer after the divorce.
Not according to Linda Thompson who lived with Elvis and said that Priscilla wasn`t really on the scene after the divorce.
Elvis rarely dedicated songs but he did to Priscilla after the divorce.
Then we hear about Elvis taking pills and Priscilla saying that he gave her dexedrine when she was 14 but she was always told never to take any pills whatsoever.
Well he didn`t give her pills when she was 14 he gave her A PILL.
She has recounted this tale on various british tv shows whilst plugging the dvd "He gave me my first sleeping pill" she said.
Back to the dvd and Priscilla said that toward the end Elvis`s appearances weren`t doing well. What on earth is she talking about.
Then we move on to Elvis`s temper "He had a temper, we all kinda learned to live with his moods and his behaviour.
You did not want him to be upset with you he would take you to tears.
It would take you a while to pick yourself back up."
Near the end of his life according to Priscilla "I`m sure he looked at himself in the mirror and thought where is he going to go with this, he was so bloated and out of proportion."
I could say the same about her considering the amount of plastic surgery shes had.
"He should have taken responsibility for his own actions." she said.
Then at the very end we hear the words that are unbelievable-
"It`s hurtful for a man that has given so much for others to pick him apart, I`ll die defending him and his legacy because he deserved it."
ha ha.
In my opinion it is a one-sided account and Priscilla has let her bitterness towards Elvis show for all the world to see.
It was done for a couple of reasons no.1 was for money and no.2 was to counter claims that were made in Child Bride.
But according to Priscilla it was done for the new generation of fans coming to Graceland who didn`t know who Elvis was, excuse me while I laugh.
The Child Bride book has obviously rattled her because she continued making references to things said in it throughout the dvd.
She even roped her parents in on it so that they could come across as ordinary people who weren`t starstruck or pushing of the relationship between Elvis and Priscilla.
Her mother even said she was against him, what a crock.
Its a real coincidence how her parents only came out of the woodwork after Child Bride came out.
The dvd consists of her sister, brother-in-law, mother and father who will always slant the story pro-Priscilla and Jerry will back her up.
It is unfair to talk about Elvis this way when he isn`t here to defend himself.
Lisa although I have been critical will always be very honest in her opinions and she did good in it as we heard memories of her father.
It should not have been called Elvis By The Presleys though as it was more like Elvis By The Beaulieus.
Also Priscilla will have had total control of the editing and could make it anyway she liked.
Cutting conversations, removing things she didn`t like to suit her it was all under her control.
Cutting up Elvis`s audio interviews to slant them and make them look like he was talking about her was also an opportunity for her to make their relationship more than it was.
We didn`t hear about Priscillas faults or affairs but Elvis`s were open for all the world to see and so Priscilla hoped to come out saintly.
She talked about her life with him as if it was torture.
She said she was free when he was away but when he came back it all changed.
It hurts me that someone who is new to Elvis could see this and get an unfair observation of the man just like if they watch the Elvis and Me movie and take that as being true.
I`ll sum up by saying that far from Elvis being the one who wouldn`t let go it is she who can`t let go, milking the Elvis cash cow one more time and not just with the dvd but with the book and cd.
Shes been on every tv show she can get on plugging it.
Even on the Oprah show she called graceland her home "They`re opening up our home" she said as she talked about the opening of Graceland.
She just can`t except that she is the ex-wife and she will continue to play the widow until the day she dies as I don`t believe she will ever stop.
Last edited by joanne; 12-30-2005 at 04:12 AM.
Joanne, doll, I'm not patronising you by saying this, but you have certainly done some extensive research regarding your opinions in your posts...a good read!
And, even though I do like "EBTP" and I do agree on a lot of your points regarding 'butter wouldn't melt' Priscilla, I feel that Sonny West will now probably give a better perspective of Elvis the man as Sonny is not going to make himself out to be 'sugar-coated' just like Priscilla does herself when involved in an 'Elvis Project'.
Cheers,
NEA.
Last edited by NEA; 12-29-2005 at 12:16 PM.
"I oughta break you in half!"...
"If you do, you'll have two very short friends!"
for what it's worth, one of Elvis' doctors, when asked about the liquid cocaine swabs, stated it was lidocaine, not cocaine.
"They poisoned you with compromise; At what point did you realize; Everyone loved your life but you...
...No one learned from your mistakes; We let our profits go to waste. All that's left, in any case, is Advertising Space"
Well, minni1 has given us yet another version of the so-called 'cocaine habit'....very intriguing!
"I oughta break you in half!"...
"If you do, you'll have two very short friends!"
Is that all I get my fingers are killing me.Joanne, doll, I'm not patronising you by saying this, but you have certainly done some extensive research regarding your opinions in your posts...a good read!
And, even though I do like "EBTP" and I do agree on a lot of your points regarding 'butter wouldn't melt' Priscilla, I feel that Sonny West will now probably give a better perspective of Elvis the man as Sonny is not going to make himself out to be 'sugar-coated' just like Priscilla does herself when involved in an 'Elvis Project'.
Cheers,
NEA.
I feel the Wests were wrong in writing the first book, but can see why they did it. Love and hate are a fine line -You always hurt the one you love as was stated before. They picked a terrible guy to write it, he is worse than an ambulance chaser IMO. He heard they were thinking of writing a tell all book and like a vulture swooped in to scavange. They needed money and were mad at Elvis, the vulture had up front money and they went for it. The bad(prescription drug abuse, temper tantrums, sex habits) took up the bulk of the book. Thats what sells-SEX DRUGS ROCK-IN-ROLL! He knew how to frame it to make Elvis look like crap. I'm sure a lot of it is based on true incidents, but framed to make it look worse. If you never read another Elvis book you would come away thinking he did nothing 24 hours a day but sit totally spaced out or in a stupor without a lucid thought.
He made 33 movies and not one account I have read, from a director, producer or co-star ever said he was stoned on a set. He did over 700 recordings and until the mid 70s I never heard anyone say he acted stoned or was on something at the sessions. He met in the 60s with people from all walks of life and no hint of a huge drug problem was ever there, he had a modem of control and restraint. In the 70s Elvis and his life began to get out of balance and the drug dependency magnified into a huge problem. But to stress those troubled years and downplay everything which did not paint the picture the vulture wanted was unfair and wrong. That they allowed him to do it was wrong. But listen it happened and I'm sure they regret it to some extent and wish it was done differently. I wish I had not done a lot of things- so do you. Life happens not as we want but as it unfolds.
I hope the new book helps him in every way he needs it to and hope it is more balanced in every way.
I think that sums it up very well. One of the things I remember from the book was that they said that when Elvis was making Jailhouse Rock playing Vince Everett he became that character in real life, yeah right.
Hi Joanne
Thanks so much for your empasioned messages. You have given me something to think about with regard to EBTP. I hadn't really considered all of the "pieces" of EBTP the way you presented it. Thanks for your honesty. I do appreciate the opportunity for each of us to feel free to share openly in this forum. I still enjoy Lisa's music, howeverAND I'm still not buying Sonny's new book.
IM
Yes, Joanne really loves 'our man' you can just sense her passion in her posts. I'm sure she has given a number of us something to consider in the thinking behind "Elvis By The Presleys".
Guys, this has been a cracking thread - it has taken something by the name 'West' to stir something in all of us...if ever there was a name to get us going on this, then that was going to be the name.
A big Thank You to 'mistymorning' - the creator of this topic, and long may the opinions come flooding in...
Elvis Forever!
NEA.
"I oughta break you in half!"...
"If you do, you'll have two very short friends!"
I believe that Lamar Fike reported in the Revelations book that Dr. Nick called it that. The way I took that, and I could be wrong, is that Lidocaine is how he referred to it in the presence of others. I don't think that he was keeping the true identity of the drug from Elvis.
...you won't forget me when I go.
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