Customer Reviews

Me and a Guy Named Elvis: My Lifelong Friendship with Elvis Presley

5 star:		(51)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I've read all the books on Elvis. I've enjoyed them all, but Schilling's book is special because he was there playing football, just before Elvis' became famous. He drove Elvis and Priscilla to the hospital for the birth of Lisa Marie. He was in the room, after Elvis hit his head and Col. Tom layed down the law. In fact, Schilling worked for Col. Tom giving the most in depth look at Elvis' manager, that even the book on Col. Tom didn't.

He was in the room when Barbara Streisand asked Elvis to be in "Star is Born". He was in the oval office when Elvis visited president Nixon. He broke the news to Elvis about the upcoming publication of Red West's book. He was on the set for many of the movies and for the Vegas shows. He was on security when Elvis got his death threat in Vegas. He was in the room when Elvis ordered a hit be put on Mike Stone. He was in the editing room for "Stay Away, Joe". He was on the editing staff for "Elvis on Tour". He cut the "Memories" montage in it. And on and on. So many of my questions about Elvis' choices have been answered in this book, such as why he continued with the movies when they became repeditive. And why he never got to Europe or Japan.

Also it's the story about Schilling himself. His point of view. Things that happened to him. How he needed to break away from Elvis at one point and try a career in film editing. It's about Schilling's relationships with women that sometimes put his friendship with Elvis at risk. His marraige to a girl he met while in Hawaii, his romance with one of the "Sweet Inspirations". How Elvis bought him his dream house. How he immediatly got the cash out of the bank to buy the house before Vernon or the Col. could stop it.

So I think some of reviewers of this book miss the point that this is not only about Elvis, but an auto-biography of a guy that went through the 50's and 60's with a rock icon, yet tried to make a career and life of his own. Schilling spent a lot of time with Elvis alone and recounts those conversations as close as he can remember it, so I think this book captures more than other books do.

I listened to this book on CD, and although Schilling only gives the intro and interview at the end, (because the reader's voice and delivery is better)I kept putting disc after disc in to hear what would come next in Schilling's life and conversations he had with Elvis.

Now that I said the above, I'll take a stand and say, "This is the best book on Elvis."

Jerry Schilling, original member of Elvis's entourage The Memphis Mafia, tells the events surrounding the King of Rock 'n Roll in this unique perspective, and from the opening chapter, you'll find yourself hooked. Schilling tells it all, from the beginning when he found friendship with Elvis by playing football in the park with him just as the rocker had released his first single, to the end, when Elvis passes away and Jerry's life continues. Jerry lived at Graceland and he was beside Elvis throughout the good and the bad, meeting legendary entertainers, taking care of the King, and generally having the time of his life. Jerry comes across as genuine and a true friend as he tells his story, and gives new insight into someone who lived his life inside a fishbowl.

The book isn't without its flaws, however. Do I think Schilling glossed over a few of the major issues at times, including Elvis's drug abuse and the disintegration of his marriage? Certainly. Was Schilling overly careful in his descriptions of his fellow Mafia Members? Absolutely. I personally was very let down at Schilling's lack of information about the actual death of Elvis, though to be fair, he was no longer a regular employee at the time, having chosen to go into management (including managing both Billy Joel and The Beach Boys). I feel strongly that Schilling knows more about the death than he shared, but that's his perogative, and apparently he's not comfortable letting the rest of us know. I also would've liked him to address, at least briefly, the whole "Elvis is alive" myth and lay it to rest permanently. But overall this is a very well-written, well-remembered book, and I enjoyed Schilling's recounting of the life and times the rest of us could only observe from afar. Schilling seems like a decent guy and I enjoyed learning about him almost as much as I liked the glimpse into the side of Elvis the performer tried to keep to himself. If it were possible, I'd give this one 4.5 stars. Fascinating stuff.

This is not only one of the best biographies about Elvis Presley, it's darn fun to read too. Just as Elvis's life really was, in this book you never know what will happen next. A meeting with President Nixon? A sudden skiing trip to Vail, Colorado? Helping out Elvis's handicapped friend Gary Pepper? Ann-Margret suddenly appearing in the parlor? There are lots of great stories here, several of which I had never heard, or contain details I had not heard, though I know quite a lot about the King. Not only that, Schilling provides a good look at Elvis's personality, and it's all told in the level-headed and fair manner that Schilling is known for. I had always admired Jerry Schilling from seeing him interviewed for documentaries about the King, and I admire him even more after reading this. Over and over he writes about the deep friendship between himself and Elvis, and there certainly are few people who were present in the King's life more than Schilling was. The main qualities about Elvis that Schilling emphasizes are his talent, his generosity, and his endless quest for meaning in life.

Some of Elvis's "friends" have written and spoken about him critically to an extent that make me wonder if they were mainly trying to sell their books. In contrast, although Schilling also recounts Elvis's moodiness and bad temper, he puts that in perspective by adding that "what's remarkable to me is not the handful of times that he did let a crazy temper get the better of him - what's remarkable is that, with all that went on in his life, most of the time he chose to be a nice guy." This book is full of apt observations like that, and gives great character portraits of many people. Elvis's manager, "Colonel" Tom Parker, gets his share of vivid vignettes, and while Schilling acknowledges that Parker was often very difficult and thwarted Elvis's creativity, he again attempts a balanced view by noting that "I'd often wondered if anyone less than the Colonel could have handled this powerful, unique talent."

Schilling is also a life-long admirer of Elvis's music, and discusses it to a moderate extent, but ME AND A GUY NAMED ELVIS is primarily a biography of Elvis's personal life, and also is autobiographical about Jerry Schilling himself, although most of the book pertains to his connection to Elvis. I gave this book 4 stars instead of 5 because of what is NOT told, such as the lack of detail about Elvis's music, as well as little told about his political and social beliefs. Incidentally, this book started out rather slowly for me when Schilling was describing his own early life, and only grabbed my attention after he meets Elvis when both were teenagers, so don't give up at the beginning if this is true for you as well. A more comprehensive, but less personal, biography on Elvis is the 2-volume one by Peter Guralnick (Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley and Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley), but they total about 1300 pages, whereas this one is slightly less than 350. ME AND A GUY NAMED ELVIS is a very worthy addition to the books that have been written about Elvis Presley.

Before ordering this book I read the reviews and after reading the negative ones I was pretty sure I would like the book. Schilling waited almost 30 years to write this book and I for one am glad he wrote about what Elvis meant to him. The way I gauge friendship is someone's willingness to support me when I need it, to defend me if necessary, and hopefully remember me with love and respect when I'm gone. Using this definition, I'm sure that Elvis was happy to have Jerry as a trusted friend who even now respects his memory enough that he does not try to boost sales by trumpeting (and possibly embellishing) some of the unhappier moments of Elvis' life.
The book itself is well written and almost feels like you're sitting there with Jerry listening to his stories.
My only regret about the book is that Jerry did not go more deeply into the conversations he had with Elvis. At times I felt there was a lot more to an episode in their lives than Jerry was telling. On the whole, an excellent book.

I have enjoyed most books written by Elvis insiders and this one is no exception. You get the feeling that if you were in the right place at the right time you too could have befriended Elvis Presley, especially in the early days prior to him becoming a worldwide celebrity. The big fun of reading a book like this is to put yourself into the author's shoes as though you were meeting and getting to know Elvis as a person and not as legend, or icon. There's a part in the book where the author is helping Elvis by providing security for him at a huge arena show in Dallas. Being an everyday friend of Elvis he forgets the heights of his popularity but is quickly reminded of who his friend really is as thousands of fans go absolutely beserk around them. At that moment Elvis the icon and Elvis the real person collide together, and the book is written well enough that you can feel it happen.

There are parts of Elvis's life that are missing due to the author leaving to do other things with his life. As in some insider books we don't see the decline of Elvis other than two hospital visits a few years before his death. I personally don't think it important that a book about Elvis should include details about those last depressing years of his life, although I suspect some readers will.

The author seems extremely proud of his association with Elvis and the book is written in a respectful, heartfelt way. For the most part his writing is in a friendly, well, Memphian style. At times though he succumbs to incessant celebrity name-dropping, especially near the end of the book. This leads one to believe he puts a lot of his personal sense of self worth in letting people know what celebrities he has met. He sure got upset when Mick Jagger ignored him on an elevator ride they took alone together...no celebrity buddy to be claimed there.

This is a must read for any Elvis fan, and I also think it is a great way for young people to be introduced to Elvis. My teenaged daughter plans on reading it before our trip to Graceland this summer.

I have read this book awhile back and feel it's a nice story but alittle reserved for someone that was very close to Elvis. I like Jerry's honesty but prefer the reality packed Joe Esposito books like Remember Elvis and Elvis Straight UP. I have the sense that since Jerry is very close with the Estate , it might have had something to do with how careful he writes. At least he did not stoop down to the level of a Sonny West, Lamar Fike or that insane idiot Marty Lacker.

I'd actually hate to say anything bad about his book but it's not like how some people wrote it's hard to put down. I am only jumping around in it because it's kinda boring. He seems very grateful to be a friend of Elvis'. It does seem he is trying hard not to say the wrong thing in it. But I also think it's just the way he was raised. (He seems to be a nice guy). I wish there were some more pictures in it. What I've read so far that I can say IS interesting is hearing what it was like to grow up in Memphis in the 50s because times have changed SO much. I'm glad he wrote his memoirs for everyone to read.

Schilling tells not even half the story and, if you are an Elvis fan, you know it already, and unsanitized at that. The word "drug" is never spelled in more than 300 pages: why Elvis died remains to him, apparently, a mystery. But I think the most ridiculous point of the book is the one (not) made about Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk. You look invain for this name too. So one wonders who is responsible if Elvis never made an international tour: a fact that could have contributed (according to Schilling: and everybody agrees on that) to keep Elvis away from his path to self-distruction. The portrait of the Colonel Schilling offers us is doomed from the start by his refuse to admit that the Colonel was more interested in his side of business than Elvis's: no use here enumerating all the fatal decisions made about Elvis's career which were also relevant as to his fatal excesses caused from boredom and lack of self-esteem. That Schilling refrains from a critical attitude also toward Vernon and Priscilla is, I think, secondary. The book is worth for some details on episodes which saw Schilling as a direct witness. Still, when he relates how Jerry Reed was mistreated because he had dared to offer a song to Elvis (U.S Male) without consent from Hill & Range representatives (one being Lamar Fike) one wonders if he was such a good friend not explaining to Elvis (who lamented that good songs weren't offered to him anymore) how things around him worked.

To me, the most fascinating story from this book comes, not from Jerry Schilling's time with Elvis, but just a few years ago: Jerry just happened to be at some function with Bono- yes, from U2!- and Bono kept taking Jerry around to his friends, always, proudly, introducing Jerry as "the ONLY guy Elvis knew who never wrote a book!" This is untrue, of course, since Charlie Hodge (R.I.P. as of 2009) never wrote one, either. Finally, someone said, "Hey, Jerry- You mean you didn't tell Bono that you've got a book about Elvis coming out?" Jerry blushed crimson, and was uncomfortable, because he'd never once corrected Bono's admiration-filled intro. Jerry writes that Bono was so upset, he stormed out of the room in a huff; a sure sign that he felt this book was a betrayal. Later, though, he comes back and says (grudgingly) to Jerry, "Well, I guess you'd be the one to write it...", thus giving his tacit approval.
Priscilla and Lisa Marie gave their stamp of approval, too- and they actually wrote endorsements for it, which appear on the back cover. Lisa, in particular, says that Jerry did a great job of "capturing the beauty of my Father's spirit." Lisa told Jerry (when he asked her to read it)that, if she DID read it, it would only be the second book about her Dad that she'd ever read. The only other one, naturally, was her Mom's "Elvis and Me". She explained that she hadn't read the others(good girl!), because she never wanted her admiration of her Daddy to be tainted or distorted by other people's perceptions of Elvis. Lisa Marie (or "Memphis" as Jerry always calls her), read it, and made J.S. promise not to change a single word of the manuscript, which he didn't.
I wrote all of that, because, while J.S. seems like a nice guy, I DO wish that Lisa Marie had read a bio about Elvis that was a little better written( Peter G.'s "Last Train to Memphis", or Pat Broeske's faultless "Down At the End of Lonely Street", anyone?). Make no mistake- "slow-moving" plot line aside,ANY book about Elvis is much appreciated by me. No matter who writes it, I always carry away something wonderful about Elvis, some long buried gem, that I never knew- and this book contains dazzling little glimpses. Jerry was the first person Elvis talked to that fateful Vegas night, after Priscilla told Elvis she wanted out of their marriage. Elvis, ever the gentleman, ever the man with the tender heart, called Jerry into the hotel room after he and his wife had agreed to separate, and asked Jerry to please walk Priscilla back to her room. Even in his excruciating emotional pain, Elvis still showed concern for Priscilla's safety. What a wonderful man!
As true Elvis fans know, there are two distinct camps in the Elvis World: there are the Memphis Mafia members who say (or write), that Elvis was in love with Priscilla, was just dying to marry her, and didn't cheat nearly as much as has been asserted. Think Esposito, Patsy Presley (Elvis' double first cousin), and now, J.S. himself. THEN, there's the other side, who say (or write), that Elvis didn't want to marry Priscilla, she made him miserable, and he cheated on her like Highway #70, going East. This camp includes Sonny and Red (the West cousins), Lamar Fike, and Billy Smith (Elvis' first cousin). If you look at the two sides, the ones who said the former, that he was in love with Pris, were invited to the wedding, and still associate with EPE and are welcome at Graceland . The OTHER camp, barred from the ceremony (save Billy Smith) are all persona non grata. "The Wedding",( tactlessly executed by "Colonel" Tom Parker) caused hurt feelings, bitterness, and animosity that still exists to this day. Schilling writes about Elvis and Priscilla in a positive way, and I understand why. However, he holds NO HOLDS BARRED when describing the times he fell out with "E". He even relates to us that Elvis slept with his girlfriend, one night, while Jerry was down the hall, fast asleep! Elvis avoided Jerry for a week, then told him the truth. Jerry forgave him, because the girlfriend was the woman he'd left his wife for; therefore, there was really no high moral ground that anyone could take.
Jerry spends alot of time writing of his childhood, his family history, and his dreams and accomplishments. Unlike Joe Esposito's tales, which basically just dive headfirst into the "juicy" stuff,(yay!) J.S. builds his life for you, step by step. If you like life stories, from people in general, you will probably like that. If you do not care, like 99% of us, you may want to skip ahead.
Pet Peeve time: I don't know what Elvis individually told his "boys", but, I've read all of the bios, and each one of these guys seems to think that the whole operation was on his shoulders alone- that, were he disposed of, it would collapse in chaos- a theory that Elvis himself disproved, on wheels, in the year before his passing. J.S. writes of encouraging Elvis to take on projects, editing the movie "Elvis On Tour" (with just a little help from a guy named Martin Scorcese), and flying to Washington to orchestrate Presley's historical meeting with Pres. Nixon. Each "Mafioso" paints Elvis as a lost, helpless little man who leaned heavily on their big, strong chests. I just want to scream "You guys-- Elvis was the coolest, handsomest, most talented man that's ever lived. He needed no help to be that way! Stop portraying him as a helpless soul!"
Aside from all of that: Elvis fans will appreciate this book, because we're interested in anyone who shared the inner court with the King. I love being sprinkled with Elvis dust, no matter who's hand is doing the sprinkling. With a little abridgement magic, a stream-lined version of this book would make a fascinating read.

I would like to respond to the reviewer who describes as an "ommission" Elvis' political and social views. Firstly, listen to the music. From 1968 to mid-August 1970, Elvis recorded a steady stream of "topical" (if you must) type songs. "If I Can Dream" was sung, in the version on the single, while Elvis was curled up in a fetal position on a concrete studio floor. After that, he had a hit record with "In The Ghetto" as everyone knows, and then he combined a lovely "Luke the Drifter" commentary (making it STRONGER thank Williams' original in saying "no matter where HE starts, which takes the focus off the "helper" and on to society's victims, and says to extend compassion to absolutely ANY human being) with "Walk a Mile in My Shoes" (I don't think Joe South has heard or seen this version because he comments on a bad version in a bad book called "Writing for the King" which is mostly about SONY protecting its Tree Publishing assests and perhaps others, and South's song is among many included on the "Elvis sings 'em" disc, and it's not the worst, but close. He should hear the other versions, especially the combo with Hank Williams, which is beautiful. He recorded a religious/topical song for his last film about THREE times because it struck such a strong chord in him. There are at least 5 more, all during this time.
The problem with many biographers is that they tend to have tunnel vision on Elvis, while ignoring the world around him. By late 1970, Nixon, under pressure from those around him (not just Agnew, who Elvis "interviewed," in my take on it: he lived right down the street, but Art Linkletter and his daughter who died, and Linkletter blamed it on a BAD TRIP: well, you know Elvis did Acid, but we'll never quite know how many times: the stories keep changing, for obvious reasons: they can't remember it all that well {grin} and others), and started a "Was On Drugs." Elvis read ALL the newspapers: believe it. And then, in between the first two tours, first Jimi Hendrix (who Elvis admired, and who saw Elvis in concert in '57: the admiration was mutual), then shortly thereafter, Janis Joplin, a white blues singer from Texas. Say that again to yourself, and then think back to when an adolescent Elvis barnstormed across Texas when Janis was just the right age to be affected by SOMETHING that would get her out of her town, which she loathed. "Elvis is My Man," she once gushed. Elvis kept track of such gushings. Well, not only was he disturbed to hear of their early deaths, but they happened within less than two weeks of one another. The media went nuts. Just nuts. For those too young to remember (I was a child at the time, but I was old enough to remember the media hysteria). So, you can imagine that Elvis' family (his father mainly, his wife, too [though they were having a lot of problems anyway], and for everyone in the business who did drugs, it was a terrifying time. Elvis was a street kid: face it. And he was not going to be pushed around. So, Elvis' Most Excellent Adventure happened in D.C. at the very end of the year. But he was acting strangely - boasting, even, at an L.A. concert! Elvis NEVER boasted: something was terrribly wrong.
Anyway, listen to the music, ok?
And, in 1956, he made the biggest mistake of his life. He endorsed Stevenson, said "there should BE NO draft," and the next thing he knew, he was on a bus to nowhere. His mother died while he was in Basic Training. Do you think he FORGOT????????? Jerry was too close to him to take it all in objectively. He was, along with G.K. (and, surprisingly, Lamar at times! Yeah.), a real friend with a real life. Elvis had so few. Or he was a close as Elvis was ever gonna get, I guess. (Even if he had people he knew in the business, Elvis' instinct was generally to flee in fear. Excepting, say, Jackie Wilson . . ., etc.)
But wait up. I'll have more to say about this somewhere else. If I'm lucky, you might be able to buy it here on Amazon. (No, not a vanity book.)

As far as his racial views, Guralnick wrote an article in a major newspaper that's all around the web. Best thing he ever did. Usually, he likes to practically "waterboard" his witnesses rather than listen to them, but this article is beautiful, respectful and true. Oh, and read what B.B. King has to say in recent years. Elvis was a beautiful person. Just mixed-up and very alone. Jerry left, and returned sporadically. G.K. became a D.J. and so on. He was left with a lot of guys who felt like they couldn't do anything else and glommed on to him. Elvis sang about it.
My God, I think Esposito has about THREE books by now. And now Sonny is a "friend" and we can forget all about August, 1977. Hey, you don't help somebody by scaring them to death. Literally. Elvis needed scaring back in 1970/71: not when he was so physically ill, he should have been in intensive care. No matter the cause. He needed TLC, ok? Jerry was a decent sort. He would never do that.

Best to All,
Dr. M.