Elvis Presley (1935-1977): Echoes of Love

LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM: The fact that he was still doing it at all, getting up there and giving out that much energy per show, is amazing. Whether he was overweight or wearing white suits or whatever was superficial compared to the fact that he was still doing it...

PAT BOONE: The first time we met was at a record hop in Cleveland where Elvis was my supporting act. Which was the only time that happened. I never again wanted to follow Elvis. I was very glad I had this big hit record going for me so that when I came onstage it wasn't totally anti-climactic.

About a year ago, we met in Memphis at the airport. This black limousine was sitting on the runway as we were going to the gate. The airline people said, "That's Elvis sitting out there. This is the third time he's been here. The other two times he's driven away at flight time. He's afraid to fly and he keeps canceling, but he has to catch this one because he opens tomorrow night in Vegas." So we just waited, and eventually he got out of the car and came across the runway and up the ramp to the waiting area. We just laughed and hugged and slapped him on the stomach and kidded him about gaining weight. He said, "I'll sweat it off in Vegas."

He said, "Where are you going?" I said, "I'm going to Orlando." He said, "Man, that's the wrong direction. But then, you were always going the wrong way, weren't you?" We all laughed, and I said, "Well, Elvis, that all depends on where you're coming from."

FELTON JARVIS: He was a great, great man, and a very dear friend. I'm saddened, I can't believe it. I thought nothing could ever happen to him. It's like someone just came up and told me there aren't going to be any more cheeseburgers in the world.

He stuck by me when I needed him most. When RCA wanted to record him live at Madison Square Garden, I was flat on my back with kidney problems. When they asked Elvis and Colonel Parker whether they could record the show, they said, "Yes, but only if you pay Felton Jarvis as if he were there." My whole life itself, my home, my jewelry, everything I've got is owed to him.

PAUL SIMON: I never saw him in the earlier years...he never played in New York until a few years ago when I saw him at the Garden. He was in good shape, looked real good. The first time I ever heard his music, back in '54 or '55, I was in a car and heard the announcer say, "Here's a guy who, when he appears onstage in the South, the girls scream and rush the stage." Then he played "That's All Right, Mama." I thought his name was about the weirdest I'd ever heard. I thought for sure he was a black guy.

Later on I grew my hair like him, imitated his stage act — once I went all over New York looking for a lavender shirt like the one he wore on one of his albums. I did stop liking his music pretty early, though.

I felt wonderful when he sang "Bridge over Troubled Water," even though it was a touch on the dramatic side — but so was the song.

GLEN CAMPBELL: It was just incredible. In Vegas, I was kidding him. He introduced me and said, "Campbell, I understand you're doing an imitation of me. I just want you to know it will always be an imitation." And I said, "I'm not gonna do it no more, I got to gain some weight first." He laughed, and the audience went, "Oooh, hey, booooo." I said, "Can't you take a joke?" Elvis could take it, but the audience just got on my ass. And Elvis said, "Well, when you're down here next, I'm coming down and I'm gonna sit in the front row and read a newspaper and heckle." The audience laughed, and I said, "Elvis, if I'm singing as good as you are, I won't care!"

But backstage we were talking, and I said, "Did you believe the way, you know, the people reacted?" Elvis said, "Yeah, I know, it's like everything is supposedly taboo because people are afraid they will say something that will upset you or make you feel bad, so they tell you something that isn't true." He didn't say "lied," he said, "They tell you something other than the facts. That makes life so much harder to deal with than if people tell you what they think. People are afraid to say, 'Hey Elvis, you're fat.'"

I didn't say, "Hey Elvis, you're fat." I just said, "You better back away from the table." I mean, there are cool ways of handling it. In fact, I was teasing and I said, "Can I have some of your old clothes?"

He said, "You ain't gettin' 'em, Campbell, I'm gonna grow back into them."

[From Issue 248 — September 22, 1977]