Customer Reviews

Elvis: Still Taking Care of Business: Memories and Insights About Elvis Presley from His Friend and Bodyguard

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

I was giving Sonny the benefit of the doubt that this would be an improvement on the last book. I am trying to be forgiving about the first betrayal but, it is difficult. This reads to me like the second episode of..Elvis, What happened. By now, Sonny should know better. His cousin, Red West, has done the respectful thing and kept his mouth shut. I believe Red regrets the first book and really loved his friend, Elvis. I don't feel the same way about Sonny.

I went into this book unbiased as an Elvis fan keeping an opening mind.
But after having read the book I simply cannot recommend this book in good conscience considering the way you threw Elvis under the bus with your previous book.

Sorry all I could think of while I was reading is what Joe Esposito said in his book Elvis Straight Up. Sonny I am not trying to be mean but the fact is who are the fans to trust? You or Joe Esposito?

The fact is that you have a consistent track record for being disloyal and disrespectful to Elvis.

The fact is Joe Esposito, Jerry Schilling, George Klein, Sam Thompson are all still welcome at Graceland why aren't you?

If you want to get on the good side of the fans you should reach out to the fans the way Joe does with his partner Daniel Lombardy in their Celebrate Elvis or Jerry Schilling does by going on the cruise with the fans. As they say you must first earn the trust and respect. In your case you might have to spend the rest of your life making up for your past, but it is a small price to pay if you want to correct your past.

Conclusion save your money for the Elvis is still alive movie Sonny is coming out with this year.

Infuriatingly open and honest, you'll find that you just want to shake some sense into Elvis and into those around him during the pinnacle of Elvis's drug use and his obsession with firearms. Then Sonny reminds us all how human each of us is, including Elvis; and, that no one is the sum total of their mistakes or their choices. Not your typical "Elvis" book, Sonny West offers insight that no one but someone at the side of Elvis can possibly know. Along with biographer Marshall Terrill, Sonny has created an image of Elvis that goes beyond pop culture into the loneliness and humanness of a man thrust into a life that eventually swallows him up. You'll laugh out loud, certainly get ticked off, shake your head in absolute wonder. It's a book not to be missed.

Must be ole Sonny's running outta money and feels the need for another handout from the man he took advantage of many, many times - Elvis.
His collaborative effort with Cousin Red "Elvis What Happened?" was hatched as payback to an employer (Elvis) who had been more than tolerant with Red and Sonny's antics. Their bullying of Elvis fans and resultant law suits led to their dismissal nothing else.
Sonny and Red were as guilty as anyone else in ignoring the fatal reliance of prescription drugs that led to Elvis' demise - becuase they loved the fame and fortune!
If you want to read a truly honest account of the life of Elvis Presley, read Peter Guralnick's masterpieces, "Last Train To Memphis" and 'Careless Love".

This Book was very very good! Lots of new stories in this book.

Sonny tells us about what it was like to work for Elvis and also be his friend. he tells us about when himself Red and Dave were fired.

I have read Sonny's last book on Elvis {Elvis What Happened}

I thought it was written out of anger at being fired but Sonny explains a little better to us about that time and the true reason behind that book I do feel better about Sonny after reading this book. I also loved the section in the back where Sonny tells a little about some of the other guys that worked for Elvis and What they are doing now. This is a very good read!

Great job Sonny and God Bless!

I didn't want to read this as I still held a big grudge after Elvis, What Happened? I did read it and after the introduction I was hooked and couldn't put it down. You can feel the love in every page that Sonny has for Elvis and I think you had to be there to feel the frustration of not beging able to help near the end. Many stories were totally new to me and some were touching bringing me to tears. I hope to meet Sonny West to thank him for setting the record straight about his love and friendship with Elvis. i highly recommend this book to all Elvis Fans.

NancyB

I was so disappointed with this book. I thought for sure it was going to be different from his last. In a way it was, this one was somewhat less hostile. I just think that Mr. West is trying once again to make money off of his association with Elvis. I just can't refer to him as a friend to Elvis, because friends like this who needs enemies. Mr. West would be of retirement age and I think he was just looking to make his retirement a little more secure and what better way than for him to once again live off of Elvis. I wonder where Mr. West would be today if he had not ever known Elvis. I'm sure his life would have been far less interesting and glamorous. If only he could have been a more sincere and honest friend like Joe Esposito, George Klein, Jerry Schilling and so many more. I think we can all tell the real truth about Elvis just by the so many true and wonderful friends and the legions and legions of fans he has today and he continues to create even more fans and many of them were not even born when Elvis passed away. I think we can safely say that Elvis will be remembered and loved for many generations to come and in the not too distant future people will be saying, 'Sonny who? Oh that guy that took advantage of Elvis in life as well as after he died.' Sorry Mr. West you lack credibility. Go away and please stop trying to make a buck off of Elvis.

The answer? No one. And even though he disparaged him in "Elvis: What Happened?," and even though he continues that trend in this bleak volume, the bottom line is that Sonny keeps his association with Elvis front and center. Why? I would guess that its because his dead friend continues to feed his family, a reality that should remind all of us just what exactly we're dealing with here.

What galls me most is that I recently saw Sonny at a Big Elvis show out in Las Vegas. All he could do was talk reverently about the King, and at that point it hit me. This man has no pride, and the only difference in what he and a hooker does is minimal, there's really no difference at all. Pass this book up and let Mr. West survive in some fashion other than riding the coattails of the King!

I purchased this book thinking that the author might be atoning for his previous sin of "Elvis, What Happened?" My mistake. It's nothing more than a re-hash of stories from that book and others, told from his warped point of view.

There's nothing new here, apart from an updated barrage of badmouthing.

This no good bloodsucking leech badmouths (among others) Elvis, his loyal fans, Priscilla, Vernon, Joe Esposito, Jerry Schilling, George Klein, his previous co-writer Steve Dunleavy and even Lisa Marie!

What a shame that a guy who lived off of Elvis' generosity for years, accepted places to live, paid expenses, gifts of cash and countless cars, would continue this assault. I am by no means in denial that Elvis had problems, but to continue raking the goodness of his name and spirit through the mud (for profit) is obscene.

The book is also rife with factual errors and typos. Plus, you can also guarantee that any of the words over two syllables were contributed by his co-author. Some of the passages seem incredibly out of place and must have been written by someone else.

Sonny relishes the beat downs he has given "bullies" over the years. It's too bad no one has taken him outside and taught him a lesson for the bullying he has done to Elvis' memory in print and on camera.

Don't waste your time and money on this character assassin.

I'M AN ELVIS FAN IN MY LATE 60'S. I BUY ELVIS DVD'S, BOOKS, & MUSIC CD'S. I'VE ENJOYED ALL THE ELVIS BOOKS. THIS REVIEW IS BEING WRITTEN IN 2010. AFTER HAVING READ ABOUT SIX BOOKS ABOUT ELVIS I DECIDED TO FINALLY READ BOOKS BY RED & SONNY WEST (I STAYED AWAY FROM BUYING AFTER READING SOME NEGATIVE THINGS). I FINALLY PURCHASED "ELVIS, WHAT HAPPENED?" IN 2010. I ENJOYED THE BOOK AND ITS INSIGHTS. KNOWING WHAT THE GENERAL PUBLIC KNOWS ABOUT ELVIS, FROM OTHER BOOKS, I THOUGHT THIS BOOK WAS NOT AS BAD AS WAS PORTRAYED. I THEN BOUGHT SONNY WEST'S BOOK "STILL TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS". I DIDN'T HAVE GREAT EXPECTATIONS BUT JUST CURIOSITY. BOY WAS I SURPRISED. I THOUGHT THIS BOOK WAS "GREAT". WELL WRITTEN, GOOD FLOW, MANY INTERESTING INSIGHTS AND SOME TOUCHING MOMENTS. I'M SURE TO READ THIS BOOK OVER AGAIN, SEVERAL TIMES MORE. GOOD JOB SONNY & GOD BLESS. BOB FROM MICHIGAN.