In their new home city they shared a house, with the Presleys downstairs and the Smiths upstairs. And it was in 1967 that Elvis suggested they make a personal pledge between the two of them. Several in our group were close to Elvis at one time or the other. One family member of Elvis Presley has revealed just how much work and how far the King of Rock and Roll went to make sure he looked his best. Elvis uncle, who got on well with people, would crowd control the fans and made sure they kept off the neighbours lawns. This article "Billy Smith (Memphis Mafia)" is from Wikipedia. Billy: He was never fond of working. 'He was so wonderful. Nobody checked on him.. We will keep you updated with the news you shouldnt miss. To get inside you need no key. "It's just a simple word, you see, 'It was a very strange telephone conversation. [13] Guralnick adds "The Colonel joked that they looked like a bunch of old men, but the Memphis Mafia had become almost as well known around town as Frank Sinatra's Rat Pack" and that Elvis and his guys were all "living on speed and tranqs". 'He said, 'Dee, I'm sick. "[3], Among "the first to live, travel and play with Elvis" were cousins Red West and Sonny West,[4] as well as Billy Smith (who was with Elvis from the start to the end and the only original member still with Elvis after 1976), Charlie Hodge, Mevlana Hezri, and Joe Esposito. However, in reality, even if Elvis Presley did allegedly fake his own death in 1977, today, he would be a very old man, so the odds are that even so, he most likely would not be alive today. The interesting part will not be the cartoon itself, but the fact that the Elvis character is working undercover as a government spy. Elvis was more understanding, and he wanted someone with him too. Elvis preferred men around him who were loyal, trustworthy and deferential. Billy Smith address of the rumors of facelifts There were a lot of rumors circulating at the time that Elvis was alive. I will never forget that night and I know Elvis really liked them. Later on Elvis told someone and it hurt me a lot, and he knew it. [9] When Elvis died, Smith was a pallbearer at Elvis' funeral, along with Joe Esposito, Charlie Hodge, Lamar Fike and George C. Go to a different show every night, then pick up a bunch of women afterwards, go party the next night. While there is no living person that has spent more time with Elvis, Billy and Jo say they have no contact with Priscilla, Lisa Marie, or any other member of the Presley family. This first referred to their image, as they usually cruised the city in black mohair suits and dark sunglasses. Smith claims that Elvis was always hardest on himself when it came to how he looked, adding that if Elvis thought it would make him better, he did it. After his death, there were still family members living on the Tennessee mansion. Elvis Presleys Graceland upstairs bedroom: Kings hilarious habit, Elvis Presley: Ann-Margret learned King was dead after touching gift, Elvis: How King looked after illiterate uncle when he was too ill to be a Graceland guard, Elvis' uncle Travis Smith, the first Graceland guard, Elvis Presleys generosity 'is thanks to little-known relative Noah', Elvis anniversary: Girlfriend Linda's beautiful new message, Elvis: Priscilla Presley tribute speech at Graceland Candlelight Vigil. Marty Lacker states, "Everyone had assigned responsibilities and they were far from leeches, hangers on or whatever else they were called. He also had not only one but two facelifts in his lifetime, one in 1957 and the other in 1975. I remember him as a fun-loving guy and he hung around a lot with Elvis until Elvis went into the army. Countless fans from around the globe have spent hours digging into the deep lore of the Kings life. Maybe it's because I was where he was before it all happened, and that was the link. I remember them cutting pasteboard to put in their shoes to cover the holes. Eight years younger, Billy Smith is the star's cousin on his mother's side. Elvis and Parker discussed offering the Wests a monetary settlement in return for a written agreement the book would not be published, and their experiences with Elvis, on stage and off would remain confidential. Eight Rare Photos Of Elvis Presley When He Was Serving In The Army, Writing Lines Exploring The Tedious Yet Creative Punishment, Why It Is So Unusual To Find An Original Bob Ross Painting. Aunt Gladys looked after him as long as she lived, and after her death, he lived with us, and then with some of his sisters. Among Memphis natives, he was most known for renting out the entire Memphis amusement park Libertyland in order to ride his favorite roller coaster the Zippin Pippin. Did Elvis comment or realise that he was back making great music again, or didnt his feelings turn around until the American Studios sessions? In 1957, The King bought Graceland and moved his family onto the gated property where Travis was the first guard. He won four Stanley Cups with the New York Islanders and was the first goalie to be credited with a goal in the NHL. There were a lot of lonely days and nights until Jo started to travel with us. It's no secret that Elvis Presleyhad many relationships throughout the years. Billy Smith is one of those great sources of Elvis Presley information. Was it talked about within the family or was it a surprise for you when your cousin was suddenly on the radio? And he loved big orchestras. Were they fun or boring as a bystander? Billy Smith is one of those great sources of Elvis Presley information. About Elvis Presley, Smith said, When Elvis was on stage, somehow he had a way of bringing you into his world. That was also true when he performed in the studio. According to Alan Fortas, an all-Memphis football halfback who became a bodyguard and part of the Presley entourage, "Elvis needed someone to baby more than he needed a sex partner. It has been speculated that Elvis Presley was forced to fake his death in order to protect himself and his family after allegedly outing some pretty powerful mafia members. Elviss cousin grew up with him in Tupelo, Mississippi and says that it could be true. Billy says that Elvis likely got them separated since people often take that route. "[12] "They all had jobs to do so that Elvis could do his and as far as being there for the money, that's laughable because there really wasn't much in that area to be there for. . After learning that his mother, Gladys, had died, she said she decided to call Elvis and express her sympathy. I spoke to him about how sorry I was and he invited me to coffee.'. What Elvis serious about changing things? He decided to prove to me that it would never happen again, and that's how the pledge came about. Billy was 8 years younger than Elvis and grew up with him in Tupelo. In 2007, Sonny West released Elvis: Still Takin' Care of Business, which was a softer look at his relationship with Presley. . Over the years they were joined on the payroll by Alan Fortas, Richard Davis, Marty Lacker, Jimmy Kingsley, "Chief" Ray Sitton, Jerry Schilling, Mike Keeton, Dave Hebler, Sam Thompson and numerous others. I was little, and I was trying to get some bananas out that the man from the fruit stand had thrown away. I realized I had done the impossible -- called up Elvis. He relates that they were a "friendly bunch" who, when Elvis began to sing just for fun during his interview, followed "suit, singing, clowning, all on their feet". Billy Smith talks about some of the movies he was in with Elvis. Idaho man breaks world record for fire sword throws and catches. Gene died a few years ago. Some use of "" in your query was not closed by a matching "". Sometimes he would have a bad dream and come looking for me to talk to, and he would actually fall asleep in our bed with us. Been thanked: 730 times. Billy: Elvis enjoyed the Nashville "Guitar Man" sessions with Jerry Reed. Billy Smith. We were like brothers. However, he was just a boy at the time. Elvis saw me as he passed and pulled me out! They've been married for years. Billy: With Elvis, all the movies were fun. But The Colonel tried to get information out of us all. Smith would assist Elvis Presley with day-to-day needs at home and would also go on tour with him. Elvis was always my hero. He trusted us. Can you clarify once & for all whether you saw Elvis being obviously racist in anyway? He loved Elvis, and Elvis provided for him. Among "the first to live, travel and play with Elvis" were cousins Red West and Sonny West, [4] as well as Billy Smith (who was with Elvis from the start to the end and the only original member still with Elvis after 1976), Charlie Hodge, Mevlana Hezri, and Joe Esposito. He never betrayed me again. This entourage included first cousins and several of Presley's friends from his boyhood in a poor Memphis housing project plus junior and senior high school friends and early employees from Memphis such as Alan Fortas, nephew of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Abe Fortas. We grew up around him and moved to Graceland as young teenagers. She said, Yes he is, yes he is. He always seemed to want me around him and was very protective of me. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. EIN: Few fans know the story of your uncle, Tracy Smith. He was talking about how scattered the family was. Billy: I was always close to Elvis, but I was his family. Unfortunately, it never came to pass. And we were always close, even with the eight year age difference. EIN: After Elvis got back from the army and you married your wife Jo, how did you balance your months in Hollywood with your relationship back home? EIN: I believe that you brought Jerry Schilling into the group. But stranger things have happened. There, he shares some of those stories with the public. Presleys cousin is eight years younger but spent 34 years of his life in the company of the famous singer before he passed away in 1977. Elvis was on military maneuvers when she came to the hotel where his father and grandfather were staying, but Vernon and Dee hit it off 'from day one,' she said. Elvis Presley's cousin Billy Smith reveals singer's most intimate secrets on his cosmetic surgeries, Elvis Presley's cousin reveals singer's most intimate secrets on the singer's surgeries, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck enjoy during family dinner in Malibu, 'Shameless' season 11 spoilers: countdown to saying goodbye to the Gallaghers has begun, Elvis Presley affection once turned down by Mary Tyler Moore, SYFY ends 'The Magicians' with current season 5, Emperor Palpatine is a clone according to upcoming 'Rise of Skywalker' novelization. When Presley was rushed to the hospital, Billy Smith and his wife were the first to know. by. ", (Mark Feeney on the 'Elvis meets Nixon' meeting), "especially in the South, they talk about Elvis and Jesus in the same breath", "The image is one thing and the human being is anotherit's very hard to live up to an image", (Elvis Presley, Madison Square Garden press conference, 1972), "Elvis was a major hero of mine. "Elvis's idea of an exciting game was that it should be as dangerous as possible", such as the game that involved fireworks. A scene from the very rare documentary "Rare Moments with the King" from the early 80s. We were in the den when Elvis came out and said to us, "I fell and hit my head. He took rat poison. For we who know, know it well, According to the Express, Elvis Presley's cousin, Billy Smith has revealed some of the King's biggest secrets. He was Junior's brother. By accepting "all cookies", including profiling cookies, in addition to supporting our free offer, you will receive advertisements in line with your interests. Billy: Yes, Elvis was a handsome man. Want to listen to your favourite artists and the latest songs? Priscilla sketched out the design on note paper; positioning the letters and lightning bolt in various ways before they found what they liked. So when he fell and got concussion, I stayed with him day and night. So, that makes him a wonderful source of information as well as stories about Elvis and the goings-on at Graceland and beyond. Many people were employed with the group through the years but some of the more prominent members were Joe Esposito, Lamar Fike, Alan Fortas, Marty Lacker, Billy Smith, Richard Davis, Red West, Sonny West, Dave Hebler, Al Strada, Dr. Nick, Larry Geller, Charlie Hodge, Jerry Schilling, Sam Thompson and Gene Smith. . Then, when the King would take a break, Billy would go get him water. This article has been curated and verified by, This area provides transparent information about Blasting News, our editorial processes and how we strive for creating trustworthy news. Was he really as lazy as often portrayed - and can you comment on your quote (in the book Elvis & the Memphis Mafia) that "Vernon always wanted more of everything, except responsibility"! And, the singer bought 'truckloads' of toys for her sons. That's the reason I've never remarried. Billy Smith Elvis Cousin is a billionaire and one of the world's wealthiest individuals. That was a lot different and I remember that it took a while for everyone to get jobs, and one of my daddy's cousins stole all the money we had, and my daddy's new socks. I had so much respect for him. As I said, everyone had a job to do. More Viewers Questions! Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one. [12], When Graceland reopened to the public in June of 1982, Smith and his family moved back to Memphis and he took a job at Graceland as tour guide. "[12], The Memphis Mafia had specific jobs. , all the movies were fun that his mother, Gladys, died... Married for years loved Elvis, all the movies he was before it all happened, Elvis! Copied from Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one was not closed by a matching ``.... I know Elvis really liked them he passed and pulled me out a goal in the den when was! 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