A True Friend of the King

books:


	• Me and a Guy Named Elvis: My Lifelong Friendship with Elvis Presley Jerry Schilling, Chuck Crisafulli Gotham, 2006 - 368 pages average customer review:based on 62 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

A True Friend of the King

Jerry Schilling, original member of Elvis's entourage The Memphis Mafia, tells the events surrounding the King of Rock 'n Roll in this unique perspective, and from the opening chapter, you'll find yourself hooked. Schilling tells it all, from the beginning when he found friendship with Elvis by playing football in the park with him just as the rocker had released his first single, to the end, when Elvis passes away and Jerry's life continues. Jerry lived at Graceland and he was beside Elvis throughout the good and the bad, meeting legendary entertainers, taking care of the King, and generally having the time of his life. Jerry comes across as genuine and a true friend as he tells his story, and gives new insight into someone who lived his life inside a fishbowl.

The book isn't without its flaws, however. Do I think Schilling glossed over a few of the major issues at times, including Elvis's drug abuse and the disintegration of his marriage? Certainly. Was Schilling overly careful in his descriptions of his fellow Mafia Members? Absolutely. I personally was very let down at Schilling's lack of information about the actual death of Elvis, though to be fair, he was no longer a regular employee at the time, having chosen to go into management (including managing both Billy Joel and The Beach Boys). I feel strongly that Schilling knows more about the death than he shared, but that's his perogative, and apparently he's not comfortable letting the rest of us know. I also would've liked him to address, at least briefly, the whole "Elvis is alive" myth and lay it to rest permanently. But overall this is a very well-written, well-remembered book, and I enjoyed Schilling's recounting of the life and times the rest of us could only observe from afar. Schilling seems like a decent guy and I enjoyed learning about him almost as much as I liked the glimpse into the side of Elvis the performer tried to keep to himself. If it were possible, I'd give this one 4.5 stars. Fascinating stuff.

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So-So

Good addition to the bookshelf of Elvis fans, but as much as Elvis was a true legend, the phenomena has been a little over-done. This book does, however, offer a slightly different view on life with Elvis.

Real Life Dramas - Volume One

Darren G. Burton

reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Commemorating the thirtieth anniversary of Elvis?s death, an intimate memoir of a friendship with the greatest artist in rock and roll history, taking you from late-night parties at Graceland to the bright lights of Hollywood sets and glittering stages of Vegas.

On a lazy Sunday in 1954, twelve-year-old Jerry Schilling wandered into a Memphis touch football game, only to discover that his team was quarterbacked by a nineteen-year-old Elvis Presley, the local teenager whose first record, ?That?s All Right,? had just received its first play on Memphis radio. The two became fast friends, even as Elvis turned into the world?s biggest star. In 1964, Elvis invited Jerry to work for him as part of his ?Memphis Mafia,? and Jerry soon found himself living with Elvis full-time in a Bel Air mansion and, later, in his own room at Graceland. Over the next thirteen years Jerry would work for Elvis in various capacities?from bodyguard to photo double to co-executive producer on a karate film.

Me and a Guy Named Elvis looks at Presley from a friend?s perspective, offering readers the man rather than the icon. Spanning Elvis?s meteoric rise to those later troubled years, Jerry?s story offers never-before-told stories about life inside Elvis?s inner circle, and an insightful, emotional recounting of the great times, hard times, and unique times he and Elvis shared. Schilling?s vivid memories will be priceless to Elvis?s millions of fans, and his compelling life story will be fascinating to an even wider audience.

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