The King strutted and swaggered across the world stage for three decades, and then across eternity. But behind the good looks and charisma was a surprisingly sensitive man who was easily hurt.
Elvis Presley’s cousin Billy Smith grew up with him and then spent years by his side as part of the Memphis Mafia. His wife Jo also became part of the trusted inner circle.
In a new video on their Elvis Fans Matter channel, Billy reveals a story “I’ve never told before.” It shows a completely different side of the icon and also the devoted and trusted group around him who fiercely protected and loved him, right to the very end.
Almost as soon as he hit the big time in the mid-1950s, Elvis was known to hire out entire movie theatres so he could watch films in peace and treat his friends, family and girlfriends. It was as much a treat for him as for them.
Right up to his final months, he would do the same, especially when he had become self-conscious about his appearance.
Bill and Jo recalled a horribly upsetting encounter at the Memphian Theater in Memphis in the mid-1970s when the star was dating Linda Thompson.
They said: “It hurt him so bad that she would say the things she said to him. It brought tears to his eyes.”
Billy described how Elvis had gone to the bathroom and then stopped at the concession stand, where a young woman was serving. An older woman standing there aggressively started an ugly scene.
She said to the star: “You give all these things away and you come up to her and she hasn’t even been paid.”
Billy told his viewers: “That was the first lie she told because any time we rented the Memphian Elvis paid upfront.”
Even so, The King politely apologised and asked one of his entourage to sort it out but the woman rudely continued: “Well, it’s a little late now. I had to remind you. All these people wait on you. My daughter waits on you all the time and you don’t pay her no attention.”
When Elvis apologised again, the woman added sarcastically: “Well, you give everybody all these cars,” before making a horrible personal attack.
WATCH BILLY AND JO TELL THE STORY BELOW (FROM 6.06)
Billy said: “I just had to hold my mouth, we all did. If we had done something it would have fallen on Elvis, not us. If I had slapped her, and I would have liked to, he would have had a lawsuit.”
Elvis finally began to lose patience and told the woman: “I’m sorry but you’re not being very nice,” and she immediately shot back, “You’re not very nice. In fact, you know, you’re fat.”
Upset just remembering the scene, Billy said: “You could see the blood drain and he just went white.”
Elvis said, “I’m sorry you feel this way but I can’t listen to this,” and just turned and walked away to get his stuff. Unable to do or say anything back to the woman, everyone else followed him to the car.
Billy and Jo remembered that The King was “in tears” and kept saying, “What did I do?” Incredibly, he still wanted to make an unbelievably generous gesture to the mother and daughter.
Billy said that Elvis wanted one of the Memphis Mafia to drop them home and then return with the same car, a yellow Cadillac, and give it to the girl.
To which Billy told him: “Not in your lifetime or mine. She don’t deserve nothing.”
Jo described how Elvis had become angry back at Graceland and went up to his bedroom and was walking up and down on his bed thinking of what he should have said.
She said: “He was snarling and walking and just mad. Then he stopped all of a sudden and was looking in the mirror behind the bed and said, “Damn, I’m a good-looking son of a b**ch” and Linda said, “You sure are.” And we started laughing at him and got him tickled and out of it.”
In the end, the love and support of his friends and family rallied Elvis’ spirits as they had so often. It is an important reminder that the star’s final years were not the bleak and lonely misery that so many would have us all believe.