(44) GEORGE KLEIN - ELVIS PRESLEY'S BEST HIGH SCHOOL FRIEND - INVITES ME BACK TO MEMPHIS

One day in New York I got a phone call from DJ George Klein. I had met George when I played on his radio program during my tour of the mid-south, the same tour in which I had met Elvis Presley for the first time in 1957.

George was Elvis' best friend in high school in Memphis and he and his family had been very generous to Elvis and the Presley family in those days when Elvis was still wearing hand-me-downs from George. I was staying in New York with Theresa Brandies, the President of the James Dean National Fan Club, at her big flat in New York where many of the rock and rollers and a good number of young actors were always welcome. I was on a respite from the Buddy Knox tour. George said "You should be here when Elvis gets home."

We are all awaiting the day when Elvis Presley would be released from his tour of duty with the United States Army, where he was stationed in Germany.

Now the whole while that Elvis was out of the United States, Colonel Parker, his one and only manager, made sure that records by Elvis were released periodically and that he stayed in the news - the fan magazines as well as the newspapers.

There was speculation that Elvis' career might never the less be damaged by his time away, despite the success of those records and his ongoing presence in the press. Elvis himself was worried about being outdone by Fabian, among other stars. Most of all, there was a concern that Elvis had been tamed by his time in the army, that he would never quite be the "Elvis the Pelvis," we all knew and loved.

Now when I told George I didn't have the funds to travel to Memphis to be there when Elvis came back home, he told me to go over to Western Union. I went over and found that he had provided the funds to buy a first class plane ticket to Memphis. George told me I could stay with him and his mom!

To get to the information on George's book, which came out for the 30th anniversary of Elvis' death, click on the title above!

George has also established a college scholarship for Broadcasting! This is typical of his generosity!

http://www.memphis.edu/newsarchive/jan04/klein.html

Finally, here is a You-Tube presentation of Elvis and George in 1956.