PERFORMING ARTS

Elvis Remembered: Intimate Interviews from the Elvis International Archives, with the People Who Knew Him Best

by Shelly Powers
Firefly. Sept. 2023. 240p. ISBN 9780228104506. $29.95. MUSIC
COPY ISBN
Elvis superfan Powers offers ten of her previously unpublished interviews with some confidants of the King. She tracks down Cynthia Pepper and Darlene Tompkins, two actresses, who appeared in Presley films, and transcribes her lengthy talk with singer Jimmy Velvet, who knew Elvis in the fifties and became a close friend of Presley’s father. Powers includes lively conversations with backup singer Myrna Smith, photographer Ed Bonja, and even controversial hairdresser-turned-psychic Larry Geller. Most tellingly, she penetrates Elvis’ inner circle with interviews of his longtime road manager Joe Esposito, talkative former bodyguard Sonny West, trusted utility man Jerry Schilling, and the ever-loyal Patti Parry, the only woman member of Elvis’s “Memphis Mafia.”
VERDICT In an oversized volume lavishly illustrated with dozens of photos, Powers successfully portrays Presley as a down-to-earth, generous, caring, and eventually lonely and drug-addicted icon and never bows to the usual sensationalism of most Presley accounts; general readers will find it refreshing, entertaining, and interesting.
Reviewed by Dr. Dave Szatmary , Oct 27, 2023
Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.

RELATED 

NONFICTION

I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This: (But I’m Going To Anyway)
by Devantez, Chelsea
NONFICTION

With Love, Mommie Dearest: The Making of an Unintentional Camp Classic
by Hoff, A. Ashley
NONFICTION

I Can’t Remember If I Cried: Rock Widows on Life, Love and Legacy
by Tucker-Sullivan, Lori
NONFICTION

Rebel Girl: My Life as a Feminist Punk
by Hanna, Kathleen
NONFICTION

Peerless: Rouben Mamoulian, Hollywood, and Broadway
by Jensen, Kurt
NONFICTION

Hollywood Sex Comedies, 1953–1964: A Critical Analysis of 25 Films
by Erickson, Hal
More
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?