Me and a Guy Named Elvis: My Lifelong Friendship with Elvis Presley
by Jerry Schilling
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Description
Ona 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 teenage whose first record, "That's All Right," had just debuted 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 show more 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. But more than anything else he was Elvis's close friend and confidant: Elvis trusted Jerry with protecting his life when he received death threats, he asked Jerry to drive him and Pricilla to the hospital the day Lisa Marie was born and to accompany him during the famous "lost weekend" when he traveled to meet President Nixon at the White House.Me and a Guy Named Elvis looks at Presley from a friend's perspective, offering readers the man rather than the icon-including insights into the creative frustrations that lead to Elvis's abuse of prescription medicine and his tragic death. Jerry offers never-before-told stories about life inside Elvis's inner circle and an emotional recounting of the great times, hard times, and unique times he and Elvis shared. These vivid memories will be priceless to Elvis's millions of fans, and the compelling story will fascinate an even wider audience. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
This is one of the better books about Elvis, written by one of his entourage, Jerry Schilling, who met Elvis as a 12 year old. Being 7 years younger than Elvis, Schilling looked up to him, somewhat as a big brother but I feel more as a father figure. The book is well written with one amazing story after another. I wish there had been more photos. At times Schilling tried to break away from Elvis and work on his own but always seemed to be drawn back into the Presley entourage. The book presents Elvis in a fairly positive light but does touch on his temper. Schilling does not really address the womanizing that went on and as Schilling had three marriages himself, should have examined this lifestyle as one that did not help with permanent show more relationships. The book is certainly a page turner and has a lot of stories I had not read before. Recommended for any fan of Elvis. show less
Don't seek the salacious here. What you will find is an honest, warm appraisal of a complex and largely misunderstood icon but a close friend. A good read!
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Author Information
1 Work 93 Members
Common Knowledge
- People/Characters
- Elvis Presley
Classifications
- Genres
- Music, Nonfiction, Biography & Memoir
- DDC/MDS
- 782.42166092 — Arts & recreation Music Vocal Music, Singing Secular forms of vocal music Songs General principles and musical forms Traditions of secular songs {genres} Rock songs modified standard subdivisions History, geographic treatment, biography Biography
- LCC
- ML420 .P96 .S33 — Music Literature on music Literature on music History and criticism Biography
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 93
- Popularity
- 344,486
- Reviews
- 2
- Rating
- (3.77)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 12
