Reds cousin sonny west and a third bodyguard david hebler, also got the axeofficial reason. Elvis presleys fiancee and last love finally tells her story authored by ginger alden. The memphis mafia was the nickname given by rock n roll icon elvis presley to a group of friends, associates, employees and cousins whose main functions were to accompany, protect, and serve elvis from the beginning of his career in 1954 until his death in 1977. As a human being i cant say i want anything bad to happen to red and sonny, i knew they loved elvis but should have looked a second time at the book before it was published, before they put it out, as i still think the stress of the book,and the new tour starting that day,elvis obviously having to face his fans for the first time since the publication, all this must have contributed to stress. Elviss brother reveals a tellall book pushed king of rock and roll. Several members filled practical roles in the singers life. This was the memoir that unveiled the superstars drug abuse. Wests cousin red west worked for elvis as a friend, driver and bodyguard from 1955 onwards. Red and sonny west, friends of elvis who spoke out about the singers drug. Red west, elvis presleys boyhood bestie and longtime co. Elvis presley with bodyguard red west on right on july 28th, 1976. The authors styles of reminiscing about the goodoledays are direct, crude and simple.
His death, only two weeks after the books publication in july 1977, made it highly topical and helped boost its sales to over 3 million. Linda and elvis leaving the plane with images elvis. Lisa marie presley, the daughter of rock legend elvis presley, looks back on april 18, 1995, while walking with her husband michael jackson as they go to greet children at his neverland ranch in. Trusted bodyguards sonny and red west had for years begged elvis to seek help for his constant pillpopping. They were catapulted to further fame primarily due to their expose on the king a tellall book that was to be published in an attempt to save elvis from personal destruction. The book, which is based on the personal accounts of three of elvis former bodyguards, went into detail on the singers dangerous drugdependence. The trio went on to write a controversial tellall about the kings downward spiral, titled, elvis. The bodyguards, the cousins red west and sonny west and dave. They contend this is what kept elvis holed up in his bedroom. Presleys personal life as seen through the eyes of red, sonny. The following year, west cowrote the first of the presley tellall books, elvis. West played football for the memphis tigers high school football team, boxed in the golden gloves and played football for the jones county junior college bobcats playing center. Another negative aspect of the book is that the narrative is heavily slanted in favor of elvis exbodyguards who agreed to tell all here. Remembering red and sonny west, members of elvis famous.
Elvis pushed to edge before death by his bodyguards tellall book elvis bodyguards sonny and red west published elvis. Without the kings consent is a new bit of history on elviss early years and a story of conflict arlington, texas music producer andy jackson was intrigued when a woman looking to make a deal on his used car lot in 1977 in a dallas suburb mentioned her fathers. The search for hamburger james the traveling twosome. When i read the book as a teen, i didnt really fall in love with elvis that was a done deal. A personal memoir by one who knew him by chris hutchins who worked as a music reporter and went on to befriended the beatles who called him crispy hutch in 1962 he was assigned to travel with them on all their tours.
Red west, sonny west and dave hebler were sacked from presleys. The first and best of the elvis tellall books, what happened is a lean, powerfully written narrative that has its own. Presleys father, vernon presley, fired red west in 1976, supposedly as a costcutting measure. Elvis presley fans have waited a long time to hear this incredible personal story. Robert red gene west was a close friend of elvis presley and a member of presleys inner circle, known as the memphis mafia. International rokenrol party on tour 8 days a week.
The book was released two weeks before elvis death on aug. The book came out 10 days before elvis was found dead on the toilet in graceland. Head of the memphis mafia, esposito was elvis best man after meeting him in the army in germany he worked for him for seventeen years. Red west, elvis presleys friend and film and tv actor. The bodyguards, the cousins red west and sonny west and dave hebler, felt betrayed after being summarily dismissed after years of what they regarded as. The tabloid the star, author of red, sonny, and daves book deal, publishes excerpts of the phone conversation in an attempt to prove that elvis is addicted to drugs.
Tellall book exposed elvis presleys drug problem days. Elvis s brother reveals a tell all book pushed king of rock and roll over the edge after he couldnt face being exposed as a drug addict share or comment on this article. The books origins can be traced to july 1976 when presleys three bodyguards school friend red west, his cousin sonny west and karate expert david hebler were fired by vernon presley, elviss. No, man, i fell in love with red, sonny, and dave hebler. This book is the one elvis didnt want to get out but it doesnt matter he still would have been the best had he been with us today this book is a great read and gives you a great insight what elvis was like behind closed doors no worse than anybody else in his position but a really nice guy shame hes still not here with us today to tell us in. Scandalous tellall book revealed elvis presleys drug addiction just. Here you find a number of interesting anecdotes about elvis, but relatively little idea of why he behaved in such a bizarre manner.
One year after he was fired by presleys father and two weeks before elvis death on aug. This foundation was a venture discussed by elvis and myself. Alden relates the inside story of the last year of life with elvis with love, grace, compassion, and charm of a true southern belle. First of six interview sessions with the coremembers of elvis presleys team of minders, known as the memphis mafia. Scandalous tellall book revealed elvis presleys drug. As one elvis colleague surmised, that was what opened everything up. The books very title seemed to echo the question all of america was asking. Red said elvis summoned him to his room, where he had a huge arsenal of automatic weapons, pistols, rifles and rockets strewn all over the floor. For instance, they were employed to work for him as bodyguards or on. The books origins can be traced to july 1976 when presleys three bodyguards school friend red west, his cousin sonny west and karate expert david hebler were fired by vernon presley, elvis s. Red west and two other members of thememphis mafia, sonny west and david hebler, were ultimately fired by elvis father, vernon presley, in 1976. His death, only two weeks after the books publication in july 1977, made it highly topical and helped boost its. Red west interview for the elvis information network. The first headline read, new book tells of his decline in drug nightmare.
West played football for the memphis tigers high school. Do read this book, but dont finish and even think you know elvis. As elvis friend, driver and bodyguard, red west was among presleys closest associates during the singers meteoric rise, army tour of duty, hollywood stardom, late 1960s socalled comeback and 1970s decline. Elviss brother reveals a tellall book pushed king of rock and roll over the edge after he couldnt face being exposed as a drug addict share or comment on this article. Elvis and anita wood arrive late for red and pat boyds wedding. David, who has written his own book, my brother elvis the final years, added.
The most famous of them are certainly red west and sonny west lifelong friends of presley. What happened is your classic tellall from a trio of body guards who had been fired by elvis. He first met elvis in high school, where he was a year behind him. Red west was a close longtime elvis friend who penned a controversial book about the king. The book even refers to red west as the genius behind elvis music. Elvis calls red and attempts to reconcile without actually asking him back into the fold. Published by ballantine books, elvis what happened.
What set all the drug talk in motion was a tellall paperback, published just 15 days prior to elvis death. I suspect most elvis fans will find this section of linda thompsons story unpleasant, but for those who want to know it all, its there. The book compiled the experiences of former presley bodyguards red west. Every loser teen should have a friend like red west. I would just like to say to all of the people who call sonny west, and try to portray him as some evil man, that you dont even know the him, i have been fortunate,over the past 4 years to have met sonny, and stayed in contact with him, sonny west is a caring, honest, and genuine man, it makes me mad, when i read articles by people, who talk about elvis, as if they knew him, when all he was to. In the middle of 1977 a tellall paperback landed liked a bomb on. Lisa marie presleys recently announced tellall book is expected to be a doozy and if theres anyone who is most anxious about what she is going to write in it, its mom priscilla presley. A few days ago, we featured a news report about a new book, elvis. In my opinion, the most useful books on elvis are by jerry schilling, billy stanley, dr. What happened red west, sonny west, dave hebler, steve. That is why i can say it was all prescription stuff except for the cocaine. The first and best of the elvis tell all books, what happened is a lean, powerfully written narrative that has its own unique voice. The next year he was fired from working for elvis by the kings father, vernon presley. In england and australia, the yettobe published tellall book by elvis presleys bodyguards sonny and red west, titled elvis.
Red would say to elvis, you are doing too much, buddy you are on a path that will cost you your life. Red west, his cousin sonny, and another man named dave hebler, wrote a tellall book about elvis called elvis what happened. She finally moved out of graceland for good in december 1976. Proceeds from the billy miller kids foundation will go to the childrens hospital in memphis, saint judes and 50% of the proceeds will be to provide food, shelter, toys for kids at. It laid out all of elvis dirty laundry that you didnt want or need to know. Red west, along with his cousin sonny west and more recent memphis mafia member dave hebler were fired and wrote the first tell all lurid book, known as the bodyguard book, actually written by an australian tabloid reporter. When they published a tell all book lifting the lid on his drug shame days before he died, aged 42, it drove the king to the brink. I feel bad that this in fact was the last thing elvis read before he died after all he gave those men and did for. In an unearthed interview from 2008, elvis friend red west revealed how he saved the star that day, telling elvis australia. Elvis presley friend red west on saving the king from. Presley died of drug complications two weeks after the books publication. Sonny, can you tell us what elvis was like when you first met him, i mean.
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