Book Overview and Chapter Features

August 16th is a day that no Elvis fan will ever forget. This exhaustive work celebrates the life of Elvis Presley, the most influencial entertainer of the 20th century. Remember Elvis is an all-encompassing, in-depth look at the life and career of a man whose popularity is unrivalled in the history of show business and who continues to attract millions of new fans each year. This groundbreaking book is brimming with rare interviews, insights and experiences, previously unrevealed ... until now. At the heart of this landmark project are over 200 interviews with many of Presley’s most intimate associates, as well as some of the biggest names in the film and recording industries.

Close Personal Friends like: *Jerry Schilling *Charlie Hodge *Joe Esposito *George Klein *Patty Parry *Richard Davis *D.J. Fontana *Jerry Weintraub *Loanne Parker *Marion Cocke *Sam Thompson *Sam Phillips *Bernard Lansky *Lance Legault and many more Entertainment, Recording and Film Industry notables such as: *Kenny Rogers *Tony Orlando *Patti Page *Mac Davis *Barry Gibb *Tab Hunter *Dick Clark *Phyllis McGuire *Bill Medley *Glen Campbell *Carl Perkins *Eddy Arnold *Donovan *Gordon Stoker *Ray Walker *James Burton *Jerry Scheff *Myrna Smith *Ronnie Tutt *Roy Orbison *Johnny Tillotson *Ray Manzarek *Shecky Greene *Sammy Shore *Jackie Kahane *Gary Lockwood *A.C. Lyles *Hal Kanter *William Campbell *Robert Relyea *Steve Stevens *Alex Romero *Sharon Sheeley *Michael Moore *James Darren *Bill Graham *Anita Mann and many more Memorable costars such as: *Ann-Margret *Stella Stevens *Deborah Walley *Mary Ann Mobley *Sheree North *Barbara McNair *Teri Garr *Celeste Yarnall *Rita Rogers *Cynthia Pepper *Barbara Eden *Jan Shepard *Jackie Joseph *Laurel Goodwin *Vicky Tiu Cayetano *Chris Noel *Marilyn Mason Plus many, many more. Gorgeous girlfriends like: *Connie Stevens *Barbara Leigh *Sheila Ryan *Linda Thompson, plus lifelong friends and members of Elvis’ inner circle share their intimate stories, fresh insight, and reminiscences for the very first time in this historic book. Chapter 1: The Cradle that rocked the world In THE CRADLE THAT ROCKED THE WORLD, you’ll read about a shy young man who would emerge as the most celebrated performer the world has ever known. From his birth in a two-room shotgun shack and his days as a high school outcast to his emergence as the most powerful cultural force of the twentieth century, you’ll get the complete story of Elvis Presley’s formative years as well as his early days as the KING OF ROCK ‘N’ ROLL. You’ll hear from those who knew him best, including high school friends BUZZY FORBES and GEORGE KLEIN, and his high school sweetheart DIXIE LOCKE EMMONS who shares her remembrances here for the first time. The Cradle that Rocked the world is a look back at the times and places in which Elvis Presley lived his life outside of the spotlight, in a city named after the ancient Egyptian metropolis where legend held that the gods themselves were born... MEMPHIS. Chapter 2: A Fine young Man Witness Elvis’ ground breaking television appearances in the 1950’s when he got the establishment all shook up with his “morally indecent” gyrations and raw rock sound. You’ll hear funny and revealing reminiscences about Presley’s impact on America from such notables as DICK CLARK, ED MCMAHON, KENNY ROGERS, and the Doors’ RAY MANZAREK, and extraordinary behind-the-scenes memories from Elvis’ drummer D.J. FONTANA, who was right there with Presley for those controversial appearances on the THE MILTON BERLE SHOW, THE STEVE ALLEN SHOW, and of course THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW, where Elvis was photographed from the waist up “so as not to offend.” You’ll also follow a duet between the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll and the Chairman of the Board from a landmark 1960 FRANK SINATRA special welcoming Elvis home from the army. Chapter 3: Lights, Camera... Elvis LOVE ME TENDER... JAILHOUSE ROCK... KING CREOLE... BLUE HAWAII... These are just a few of the classic Elvis films you’ll read about in this extraordinary look behind the scenes at Presley’s early pictures. Learn the story behind the landmark JAILHOUSE ROCK dance number. Hear previously untold stories from the producers, directors and co-stars who were right there on the set. See memorable clips and rare photographs from these early classics. Be there as Elvis gets his best acting notices ever, only to put his promising career on hold when he’s drafted. And share Elvis triumphant return to Hollywood for G.I. BLUES and BLUE HAWAII. BLUE HAWAII set the tone for many frothy, featherweight films to come, pushing Elvis’ hopes of becoming a legitimate dramatic actor further away. But the talented people who directed and worked on those lightweight flicks still have fabulous, behind-the-scenes stories and insight to share, including, JERRY SCHILLING, CHARLIE HODGE, GEORGE KLEIN, DEBORAH WALLEY, SHEREE NORTH, BILLY BARTY, STELLA STEVENS, DIANE MCBAINE, MARY ANN MOBLEY, CELESTE YARNALL, MICHAEL MOORE and Elvis’ sexy VIVA LAS VEGAS co star, ANN-MARGRET. In this chapter You will also find out the true story behind the film that would’ve changed the course of Elvis’ motion picture career; the Barbara Streisand version of a Star is Born. Chapter 4: G.I. Shuffle In 1958, Elvis Presley was the world’s biggest entertainer: GIRLS, CADILLACS, GRACELAND, movie contracts, and a million dollars a year were all his for the asking... and then suddenly, it all came to a grinding halt. In G.I. SHUFFLE, we examine just what happened when Uncle Sam took the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll and made him into a buck private. You’ll hear from Elvis’ girlfriend ANITA WOOD about how America’s foremost rebel reacted to the news that he would soon be drafted, and from his lifelong friends, JOE ESPOSITO and CHARLIE HODGE about the shy young superstar they met while serving out their own two-year hitch in the U.S. ARMY. You’ll hear about Elvis’ trips to Paris and the wild times shared by him and his friends in the world famous nightclubs of that city. FROM GRACELAND TO GERMANY and back again, G.I. SHUFFLE is the definitive look at the military career of Private Elvis Aron Presley US SERIAL NO. 53310761. Chapter 5: The Memphis Mafia In the mafia there is a code of silence that is considered unbreakable... so it was with the men who surrounded Elvis Presley every minute of every day. The Memphis version of the mafia was much more easygoing than the organized crime syndicates that gave them their name, but no less secretive. IT WAS THEIR JOB TO PROTECT THE KING OF ROCK ‘N’ ROLL from the various dangers that are associated with celebrity... from the death threats, the fans, the kooks and ultimately himself. Here they break that code of silence, many for the first time, and give you an inside story of the man they knew as “THE BOSS,” a man who regarded them as friends and brothers. You’ll hear from JOE ESPOSITO, the so-called “FOREMAN” whose 18-year friendship with Elvis started in the army, and PATTY PARRY, a fan who became the only female member of the exclusive boys only club. You’ll hear about the parties, the girls, meeting Nixon, the shows and the non-stop roller coaster that was life with Elvis Presley. Chapter 6: The King and his Queen Evey king needs his queen, and ELVIS PRESLEY was no exception... During his army years in Germany, Elvis met pretty, fourteen-year-old PRISCILLA BEAULIEU, the “woman” who would eventually become Mrs. Elvis Presley. This is the most comprehensive look ever into the very private lives of one of the most misunderstood - and controversial - couples in the history of entertainment. For the first time, the real story behind this extraordinary romantic pair will be told through previously unheard stories from Memphis Mafia members JOE ESPOSITO, JERRY SCHILLING, CHARLIE HODGE along with others that were really there, such as The Righteous Brothers’ BILL MEDLEY, GLEN CAMPBELL, SANDY MARTINDALE, and car-customizer-to-the-stars GEORGE BARRIS, just to name a few. Find out what really went on behind closed doors during on of the twentieth century’s most celebrated romances in this powerful and revealing chapter. Chapter 7: My Boy Was Col. Tom the best thing that ever happened to a truck driver named Elvis Presley? Or, was he simply a money mad former carny whose mismanagement and greed ultimately robbed the King of his dreams of becoming a legitimate actor? No other relationship in Elvis’ life is as controversial - or misunderstood - as the one he had with COLONEL TOM PARKER. For starters, he wasn’t really a Colonel, his first name wasn’t really Tom, and his last name wasn’t even really Parker! The misconceptions, half-truth, and out-and-out lies are finally cleared up, thanks to the people who where there to witness this relationship firsthand. People like Road Manager and friend JOE ESPOSITO; COLONEL PARKERS’S WIFE, LOANNE; Elvis’ close friends GEORGE KLEIN and RICHARD DAVIS; celebrity pals such as GLEN CAMPBELL and HUGH O’BRIAN, and singing legend EDDY ARNOLD, who was, himself managed by Parker. Some loved the Colonel; some hated him. Discover the truth behind THE UNIQUE PARTNERSHIP OF ELVIS PRESLEY AND COLONEL TOM PARKER. Chapter 8: King of Hearts When the world is at your feet and you’re the biggest star on the planet, what’s left for you to conquer? Women, and lots of them... in KING OF HEARTS, you’ll read how the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll managed to date almost every woman in his life, and still wind up with their affection and devotion despite the fact that they knew he was seeing other women at the same time. You’ll read about how his pals in the Memphis Mafia kept one girl with “The Boss” and one girl on the back burner in an attempt to keep them separated. You’ll also hear from CO-STARS AND FRIENDS about what it was like to live in a world where Elvis’ dates walked through an ever revolving door with one going in as the other went out. Interviewed for the first time are co-stars VALERIA ALLEN, CONNIE STEVENS and 50’s pin-up girl JEANNE CARMEN, plus many, many more, all of whom share their remembrances of what it was like to love and be loved by Elvis Presley. You will also find out about Elvis the human being, the man. Also in this chapter you will also hear from the women who knew Elvis best, from those who shared his most private thoughts, his darkest fears, and his deepest desires. They are commonly referred to as “The LIFERS.” You’ll get a good look behind the macho King of Rock ‘n’ Roll image, and into the soul of a man who was adored by millions, but whose loneliness threatened to consume him. You’ll also hear from former girlfriend BARBARA LEIGH as she talks about her intimate relationship with Elvis, also SHEILA RYAN and MINDY MILLER who talk about what life was like with the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll in his declining days. You’ll also hear from superstar ANN-MARGRET about her doomed relationship with Elvis, as well as LINDA THOMPSON who was his live-in girlfriend for over four years. Elvis had many love affairs throughout his life, but none were so important as these, the women who loved the man behind the myth. Chapter 9: Comeback of the Guitar Man In 1968, THE BEATLES WERE THE BIGGEST STARS IN THE MUSIC BUSINESS and times had changed from the innocent atmosphere in 1956 when a young truck driver named Elvis Presley shook up the world. Many people wondered if Elvis, with his movie career and fluffy soundtracks was still relevant... and then in 1968, HE SHOWED UP ON TELEVISION, in black leather with his Rock ‘n’ Roll fire burning just as strongly as ever, leaving no doubt in anyone’s mind as to just whose party the bands of the late sixties had crashed... They may have been big, but ELVIS WAS STILL THE KING. He followed his success on TV by beginning the work that would keep him busy for the rest of his life, performing live in front of his millions of fans. THE COMEBACK OF THE GUITARMAN is a look at the last phase in Elvis Presley’s storied career, the phase that cemented him forever as the greatest entertainer in the history of the world. Chapter 10: LIVE and On Stage In 1969, Elvis Presley began what would become a run of performances at the International Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. Throughout the rest of his career, Elvis and Las Vegas would be inextricably linked together in the public’s mind. In LIVE and On Stage, we examine the impact of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll on the city of sin. You’ll read about the people who knew Elvis at this time in his life, including legendary performers BILL MEDLEY, KENNY ROGERS and CONNIE STEVENS just to name only a few. You’ll share in remembrances of what it was like to be with Elvis Presley, both on stage and off. You’ll also travel back in time to 1956 and be there when Elvis opened in Las Vegas for the very first time in his career... and flopped. In this chapter you will hear from Bill Belew who speaks about the legendary jumpsuits he created, you will hear about the planes, the parties, the girls, the fun and the legendary performances of the King in HIS FAVORITE PLAYGROUND... LAS VEGAS. Chapter 11: Soul behind the music This extraordinary chapter examines ELVIS AND HIS AMAZING RELATIONSHIP TO MUSIC: His childhood influences, his early rockabilly sound, his coronation as the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, the stories behind some of his biggest hits, the astonishing diversity in the music he created, and much, much more. You’ll hear from the Jordanaires, who backed Elvis up throughout his career about the genesis of the Presley sound. You’ll also hear funny and revealing stories from RIGHT INSIDE THE RECORDING STUDIO, told by the musicians who played alongside Elvis, as well as previously untold anecdotes and insight from such notables as MAC DAVIS, TONY ORLANDO, BARRY GIBB, RAY MANZAREK, JACKIE DeSHANNON, PATTI PAGE, KENNY ROGERS, GLEN CAMPBELL, BILL MEDLEY, and Connie Stevens, just to name a few. And you’ll get to hear about the fantastic, in-depth look at the historic jam session between THE KING AND THE FAB FOUR WHEN THE BEATLES PAID ELVIS A VISIT IN 1965. Chapter 12: Sweet Sweet Spirit Everyone knows that Elvis Presley was the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, but what most people don’t know is that HIS FAVORITE MUSIC...WAS GOSPEL. Elvis was raised in an environment that encouraged people to sing out in their devotion, and it was something that he carried with him into all of his music. Ask anyone who has ever heard Elvis sing and they will tell you of the amount and depth of feeling that he poured into his songs...All of that came from the person inside, the soul of Elvis Presley. In this chapter, you’ll hear from JOE ESPOSITO, his close confidant and road manager about his constant battle to make sense out of the life that would be scrutinized by millions. You’ll also hear from the people closest to Elvis about the man within the legend, and his search for spiritual growth and fulfillment that started when he was a young boy in Tupelo and didn’t end until his untimely death at the age of 42 at his beloved Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee. Elvis is gone, but his soul is still alive... in the music he left for us. Chapter 13: The Impossible Dream For millions of fans, August 16, 1977 is truly “the day the music died.” Follow the decline and fall of the King in this intimate and emotionally charged chapter. Hear from people that where actually at Graceland the day Elvis left us, which includes Elvis’ personal physician, George “DR. NICK” NICHOPOULOS and private nurse MARION COCKE. Read for the first time ever, music legend TONY ORLANDO’S incredible but true story of an eerie premonition he had about Elvis’ death. You will also hear about the thousands of grief-stricken fans who descended on Graceland, unable to cope with the passing of Their King. The Impossible Dream was very painful to write, but the truth needs to be told so that we can lay to rest all of the untrue rumors that have evolved into galaxy sized lies you may have heard over the years. The Impossible Dream tells the emotional gripping story of the untimely end of the twentieth century’s most important cultural force, but also gives birth to a man’s rich legacy, one that would reach beyond his life and into all eternity. Chapter 14: Undying Love When Elvis Presley passed away in 1977 no one could have predicted the impact his death would have on the fans who have supported him throughout his incredible career. After a period of profound grief, they simplycarried on... as if he never left. Undying love is the chapter that will serve as a tribute and monument to all of the loyal and devoted Elvis fans that have supported Elvis throughout the years. Show your undying love and support to the man who has touched and affected your life so profoundly by entering your deepest and innermost feelings about Elvis on the next page.