ELVIS RUMORED TO BE ALIVE? (They said that about James Dean too!) & LISA MARIE PRESLEY

Though James Dean died instantly, the rumors that he was really alive, disfigured, but in a sanitarium were more alive than Jimmy. It was reported in the newspapers as fact for a while.

My friend Elvis Presley is another man who is rumored to still be alive, though I know for a fact that he did pass into the next life 30 years ago. It's true Elvis had become a prisoner of his fame, but he would have never gone into hiding or undercover because Elvis loved his daughter Lisa Marie Presley dearly. He was family oriented - always. He would have wanted to be there to see her grow up and to know his grandchildren.

So the rumors that Elvis is still alive I think deny the man Elvis really was.

L I S A M A R I E P R E S L E Y

Give Lisa a Listen! We're linking to her site above.

JAMES DEAN OR MARLON BRANDO?

If you could be either

the Next James Dean or The Next Marlon Brando

which would you be?

(13) ACTORS STUDIO : LEE STRASBERG & JAMES DEAN & MARLON BRANDO

United Artists had me audition with Lee Strasberg at the famous Actors Studio in New York City, where James Dean and Christine White and Marlon Brando had studied acting.

Stasberg accepted me and I began to take Method Acting classes. He reported to United Artists that I was "a natural."

I was strong and muscular from home building and I actually thought I was more a Marlon Brando type than a James Dean type. Marlon had taken Method Acting but then switched over to studying with Stella Adler.

I was being groomed to play James Dean in a bio pic, they would call it today, about his life.

Link above to the OFFICIAL WEB SITE OF THE STRASBERG THEATRE INSTITUTE!

http://www.marlonbrando.com
OFFICAL WEB SITE OF MARLON BRANDO!

The Official Web Site of Marlon Brando has links to his biography, pictures and much more.

(12) I'm the first artist signed to UNITED ARTISTS new RECORD LABEL and I meet GLARK GABEL!

United Artists signed me to two contracts, one for acting and the other for making music on their brand new record label! UA's Max E. Youngstein signed me himself. I was their first artist and he headed up the new label. I went to New York City to sign with Max and about that time I became Wes Bryan, the new "Singing, Acting, Sensation."

United Artist held a big bash at the chic 21 Club to launch their new label and my career!


Perhaps the greatest thrill for me was that I met the handsome actor CLARK GABLE, who was the star of "Gone With The Wind," on my way out of my own party! Clark had been a "duster" on the line at a factory making new tires in Akron, Ohio himself. Clark shook my hand and his hand was even bigger than mine! I gave him a BOX of my new single record, "Tiny Spaceman" and "Lonesome Love."

I was glorified and petrified as bags of fan mail started to arrive and UA's publicity drums started beating for me. Several news writers announced my arrival on the scene in their columns, including Walter Winchell.

CLARK GABEL - OFFICIAL WEB SITE link above!

Museum of Broadcast Communications

WALTER WINCHELL

 

RADIO HALL OF FAME   link updated Feb 2014

CLARK GABLE FOUNDATION   new!

(11) CHRISTINE WHITE, JAMES DEAN, & ME

Uncanny as it is, before I was "discovered" to be The Next James Dean, I took my first trip to Hollywood, and it was my fate to meet one of Jimmy's best friends! Dad and I were on a respite from home building. I loved to read all the fan magazines and I wanted to see the streets that all the stars - including James Dean - walked on.

So I headed to Los Angeles, California for the first time.

I was coming out of a department store when I saw a beautiful young blond woman on the street. I recognized her from one of the movie magazines I'd read, an article called "The Girl He Left Behind." He meaning James Dean. The blond was CHRISTINE WHITE, a great actress in her own right. She and James Dean had auditioned together for the famous and prestigious Actors Studio in New York and both got in. James Dean might have been the youngest actor to be accepted there. Like James Dean, Christine White was active in television, live theater, and movies.

I introduced myself and Christine and I spent a few hours talking in a restaurant over tea. I asked her to tell me everything she knew about Jimmy. Christine and I would pick up our friendship years later when I moved to Los Angeles and I am blessed with her friendship to this day. Christine White is a devout Christian. I can tell you that she's played the part of angel in my life!

Christine White is a regular speaker at the James Dean Conventions and has made many appearances in biographical films about James Dean.

CHRISTINE WHITE on IMDb World's Largest Movie Database linked above!

(10) Will The Real JAMES DEAN Please Stand Up?

Ever since the waitress on roller skates told me I looked like James Dean I'd made it a point to learn all I could about him. I saw his movies, "Rebel Without A Cause," and "Giant," and I had become a big James Dean fan. But James Dean had died in a tragic accident, one that shocked my generation.

For years since his death, James Dean has been idolized by actors around the world. I can't imagine trying to fit in such big shoes now, but as a 20 year old in New York, signed to United Artists as Wes Bryan, I felt up to the challenge. Hollywood was looking for someone to take his place - why not me?

"James Dean; actor, photographer, race driver, artist, ultimate rebel and represented by CMG Worldwide is one of the greatest Legends of the 20th Century."

http://www.jamesdean.com/
THE OFFICIAL SITE OF JAMES DEAN
http://people.smu.edu/shhill/index.html JAMES DEAN Uninhibited

REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE (1955) on IMDb Movie Databasehttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048545/

GIANT (1956) on IMDb Movie Database - NEW LIKE 1/12/2011 click on title.

(9) HOLLYWOOD CALLS THE COVER BOY

Through a series of events I explain in more detail in my memoir, I found myself on the cover of the Roto Section of the Akron Beacon Journal in March of 1957. A photographer in town, Irving Waitzkin, insisted I looked like James Dean. Irving asked a photographer at the Akron Beacon Journal, Bill Samaris, to take some pictures of me.

The result was a call from Hollywood! A production company associated with the movie studio United Artists wanted to give me a screen test. Dad thought I might be chasing a rainbow, but when a follow-up telegram arrived, my friends who hung out at Kippy's Diner were enthusiastic for me. I packed my bags and headed west. I was put up in the Knickerbocker Hotel, the same Hollywood Hotel that Elvis stayed in when he was making his movie "Love Me Tender," with Debra Paget.

In Hollywood I was photographed from every angle to prove my James Dean-ness and read lines with a starlet. Then I played my guitar, and because my brother Junior taught me so well, I was good. I sang a song I'd written and a few others. Soon I would have a United Artists movie contract and, a first, a contract with United Artists to make records and tour as a teen idol.

Link to LOVE ME TENDER - Elvis' first movie on IMDb the worlds largest movie database

http://www.imdb.com/find?s=all&q=Love+Me+Tender

(Some pictures of Elvis and Debra!)

Elvis singing "Love Me Tender" on a You-Tube video presentation!

DO YOU BELIEVE IN FATE?

(8) WINSTON-SALEM DAYS - THE CREW CUTS

I first heard that I looked like the actor James Dean while building with dad in the Winston-Salem, North Carolina area. I didn't go to many movies then and I honestly didn't know who James Dean was. My social life consisted of going to square dances and driving around town in my brand new baby blue Ford that I bought with my earnings from a summer of home building. I drove it pedal to the floor and was a sure ticket.I pulled into a drive-in restaurant one day and a car hop-waitress on roller skates came up to the car window. She insisted I go see "Rebel Without a Cause" which was James Dean's first movie - a hit. "Go to that movie and you'll see yourself," she said.

"Blackboard Jungle" was the big movie then. It was about hoodlums. But it had a song by the CREWCUTS that we called the "Sha Boom" song and to me it was the first rock and roll record. I loved it.

THE BLACKBOARD JUNGLE ON IMBd Worlds Largest Movie DatabaseIMBD BLACKBOARD JUNGLE MOVIE

THE CREW CUTS - FROM THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF MUSIC IN CANADA link above.

CANADIAN ENCYC. CREW CUTS page updated April 2014

 

Video replaced April 2014

MARK TWAIN Quote on Life

"Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest." - Mark Twain

(7) AKRON, THE RUBBER CITY, OHIO I'M DISCOVERED TO BE THE NEXT JAMES DEAN!

I traveled to build homes with my father as his apprentice. I wanted to be a finish carpenter. Dad and I built in several states. We were adding garages and additions to homes in Akron Ohio, The Rubber City, in 1957, when I was discovered to be THE NEXT JAMES DEAN off a cover of the Akron Beacon Journal - Roto Section.

In September of 2003, Akron Beacon Journal write Mark J. Price published an article about my discovery, which the newspaper back in 1957 was so instrumental in. The article was entitled THE AKRON IDOL!

A teaser of Mark J. Price's article is under Cuyahoga Falls History-Kippy Articles on the net. (Down temporarily!) Kippy's was the diner I hung out in where all the Akron Beacon Journal people came to have lunch, and where a photographer named Irving Waitzkin took an interest in me. Irving took me to the staff photographer, Bill Samaris, who shot the cover photo. Once the cover hit the stands my life was changed forever!

LINK TO ARTICLE REMOVED - EXPIRED on JAN 11, 2011

THE AKRON BEACON JOURNAL has an archive of articles written by Mark J. Price, who frequently mines the archives for old stories as inspiration for new articles.

*** Here's Mark's Article on My Discovery and Kippy's Restaurant

LINK TO ARTICLE REMOVE -EXPIRED on JAN 11, 2011 CT

PLEASE NOTE THAT MARK J. PRICE IS STILL WORKING ON THE AKRON BEACON JOURNAL and is working on a BOOK of his own right now!

(6) WE FOLLOWED THE BUILDING TRADE TO COTTAGE GROVE, OREGON

My father expertise was home building. Like Elvis Presley's father, Vernon, my father had to travel for work quite a bit. When I was about ready to start high school we moved from Murphy, North Carolina to Cottage Grove, Oregon following a building trade boom.

My brother Junior had a Fender TM guitar - the best! He taught me to play. I idolized my brother Junior. He had a Country Western band that played all around Oregon and had a deep voice like Tennessee Ernie Ford. Junior loved to sing "Dark as a Dungeon."

My daydreams as a teenager were about joining Junior's band, making out with girls, and driving fast cars. I loved speed! I had a few accidents that shook me up but I always walked away without a scratch.

Link above to Tennessee Ernie Ford's official web site, so you can read up a bit on him.

(5) GOSPEL ROOTS - MINE and ELVIS PRESLEY'S

Growing up dad read to us from the Bible which was our Sunday School. I grew up with Gospel music and the Baptist Church. I like to listen to the Black Baptist choirs harmonizing down by the river as they baptised their people. Sometimes I made my way into their churches to listen too. They welcomed me. They had tambourines clapping and it was all exciting.

Elvis loved Gospel music and when he sang it, it was as if he became a different entity. He was reaching deep into his Southern spiritual roots.

GOSPEL MUSIC ASSOCIATION link updated January 18, 2011

This site includes the Billboard Top Christian Albums

What's your favorite Elvis Presley Gospel song?

WES BRYAN - There's A Few Wes Bryan's Out There

Friends,

A few years ago a friend showed me my name on the Internet for the first time. I have to tell you, I was shocked to see that there was information about me and my music career on the net! It took me a bit to get used to the idea.

Fast forward to 2007.

At this point people who put the name "Wes Bryan" into the Google or Yahoo search engines found that there were many Wes Bryans - dozens of links. They started asking me if I was the Christian Minister who wrote about divorce and produced a CD. (I'm not.) They wanted to know if I played baseball, football, or ran track. (I played football in highschool in Oregon and I was on Elvis Presley's football team called E.P Enterprises but I'm past my athletic days!) They wanted to know if I was a radio DJ (I performed live on many radio and television shows), owned a shopping center, and well - you get the idea.

One of the reasons I'm blogging is to help people out of their Wes Bryan Confusion!

Thanks for listening,

Wes

(4) LASH LARUE - MY FAVORITE COWBOY STAR !

The greatest entertainment for kids in Murphy, North Carolina when I was growing up there in the Smokeys was when the cowboy shows came through town - a caravan of horses and cowboys - bad guys and good. They performed shoot outs and stunts. We loved to race to the stage to help the good guys take care of the bad ones.

My favorite cowboy was always LASH LARUE, who always dressed in black. He was Tommy Smothers and Elvis Presley's favorite cowboy too!

Lash LaRue and I became friends in Los Angeles in the late 1970's. He still wore all black, his pants embroidered with the initials L.L., but he left his hat at home when he was having lunch with his friends.

Lash had a speech impediment that he'd learned to tackle by talking out of one side of his mouth. Despite this, he was a gifted and clever voice-over artist in his later years, the voice behind many radio and television commercials. I enjoyed Lash thoroughly.

LASH LARUE Fan Club, P.O. Box 2484, Sanford, NC 27330.

Click on the title above to read about Lash in THE INDIAN READER

Here's a You-Tube video of a Lash LaRue


This "Trailer" that also shows Al "Fuzzy St. John, his side kick.

PHOTOS ANYONE? Do you own original photos you would like to post here?

If you have personally taken photos that you own and would like to post on Wes Bryan's blogspot on Google, please contact us. We are interested in photos of the famous people and places mentioned in this blog. E-mail us please!

T H A N K S !

ANAIS NIN Quote on Friendship

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." -Anais Nin

(3) THE SMOTHERS BROTHERS IN MURPHY NORTH CAROLINA and LASH LARUE

As a kid in Murphy, my older brother Junior and I ran around town playing Cowboys and Indians with two navy brats who lived in Murphy only a short while. We had shoot outs behind the Henn theatre! They were to become the folk singer comedians, The Smothers Brothers - Tommy and Dickie!

Tommy liked to dress all in black like his favorite cowboy, the same cowboy Elvis and I also idolized - LASH LARUE! All the kids in Murphy went around with brooms under them and ropes for whips!

The Smothers Brothers OFFICIAL WEB SITE is linked above!

Click below to hear a Real Audio OF A COUPLE OF THE BROTHERS ROUTINES

Including their famous Sibling Rivalry!

http://www.smothersbrothers.com/realaudio/bestof.html

Vintage Smothers Brothers from an undated You Tube presentation:



Tommy and Dick are still going strong!

UPDATED January 19, 2011

(2) THE CHEROKEE SCOUT NEWSPAPER : MURPHY NORTH CAROLINA

Linda Miller, a reporter for The Cherokee Scout in Murphy North Carolina interviewed me a few years back. I was honored to be the subject of article called "FROM THE HILLS OF MURPHY TO THE HOLLYWOOD HILLS." The article recounted my discovery as the Next James Dean, and had pictures of me looking like Dean, as well as my version of Marlon Brando, pictures I took back about 1957-1958.

Mayor Billy Hughes says he'll award me the Keys To The City when I get back home, and it's always on my mind. Life keeps intruding on my plans to go. But it's like old times when Billy and I talk.

The Smokey Mountains are rich with excellent musicians. People there have a long memory. But I'm still surprised to learn that I'm still a star in Murphy.

http://www.thecherokeescout.com

THE CHEROKEE SCOUT

ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON Quote on Friendship

"A friend is a present you give yourself!

- Robert Louis Stevenson

THE ORIGINAL ROCKABILLY HALL OF FAME!

The Original Rockabilly Hall of Fame®, created March 21, 1997 and is self described as "dedicated to honoring the pioneers of rock and roll and to today's artists who are keeping the music alive."

Check out this amazing site!

ROCKIN' COUNTRY STYLE -RCS DISCOGRAPHY - MUSIC SAMPLES

If you're curious about some of my early music, you may want to check out ROCKIN' COUNTRY STYLE, also called RCS Discography. The volunteer team there headed up by Terry Gordon has done a great job of supplying music clips and a great many of my friends are listed with them, including Elvis insider and funny man Cliff Gleaves' records.

This site WAS is made possible by the Hugh F. MacMillan Law Library of Emory University.

Here's the links, friends!

RCS MAIN PAGE
NEW LINK January 13, 2011 Click on the title above!

Terry and Friends took RCS independent of the University at the University's request about a year ago. RCS is an excellent research/educational site!

*****

WES BRYAN's PAGE (That's me singing!)

http://rcs-discography.com/rcs/artist.php?key=brya2600

*****

CLIFF GLEAVES PAGE

http://rcs-discography.com/rcs/artist.php?key=glea1000

*****

When Elvis first heard "Long Black Hearse" he said,

"Man Cliff, you sound like an undertaker!

August 18th 2007 The 30th ANNIVERSARY of ELVIS PRESLEY's DEATH !

Friends,30 years ago on August 16th, I was driving down the Hollywood Freeway when the news that Elvis Presley had died came out of the radio. I was shocked. I had to pull over to the side of the road and I cried like a baby.

Elvis was one of the best friends I ever had.

A lot of people have claimed the same, and some of them are confusing business relationships with friendship or simply met him once. I was friends with Elvis from 1957, when I met him in Memphis, to 1977 when he died - twenty years.

Our friendship was never mixed up with money.

I was never his employee, on payroll or otherwise.

I never asked for or took a loan from Elvis.

But as a friend I always knew that if anything bad happened to me and I needed help he would be there for me.

And through the years he gifted me a few things - no never a car - but the point is the gift of Elvis Presley's friendship meant everything to me - and it lasted because we had a lot in common, beginning with being born and raised in the South.

I've had a life and career that enterwinned with some of the music greats and was profoundly effected by my youthful resemblence to the late great actor, James Dean. In this blog I hope to share a lot of that with you!

You may love Elvis or hate him, but I would love to hear from you! How has Elvis Presley effected your life?

Talk to you soon!

Wes Bryan

The 30th Anniversary of my friend ELVIS PRESLEY'S DEATH...

Mission Statement for the Wes Bryan TM C blog.

Writing by Christine Trzyna and Wes Bryan C 2007 - 2011

This blog is founded on the 30th anniversary of Elvis Presley's death.
While this blog will also be about my own career in the music business and how it interwinned with some of the greats, I hope to talk about Elvis a bit...

This Blog Originates in The Great UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!