(107) CLIFF GLEAVES - THE PIANO MAN AT ELVIS' PARTIES

Funny man Cliff Gleaves, who had been with Elvis since he quit his personality DJing and traveled to Germany to be with Elvis, was the piano man at Elvis' Los Angeles parties. He played a mad piano and had a quick sense of humor. To be the entertainer at the parties of one of the most famous entertainers in the world was a honor, and Cliff took to it, and received about a hundred dollars an evening from Elvis.

Cliff never played pool with us. He was usually off somewhere with a starlet.

If there's a hereafter and there's a Cliff Gleaves, here he is and you know what he's after! He was one of a kind - in an arena all by himself. Everyone - even Colonel Parker - stole his lines. Everyone tried to copy his quick witted comedy.

Cliff, like a lot of people who surrounded Elvis, moved to Los Angeles to be near him, but never lived with Elvis. He was not a member of the entourage but was a long term friend.

Cliff spoke his mind and never changed his opinions to please Elvis, which Elvis respected. He often asked Cliff for advice - and got it! Cliff answered to no man but himself.

RCS Discography CLIFF GLEAVES link above!

New update 2011: Cliff Gleaves on Youtube !

(106) ACTOR JOHN ASHLEY : ANOTHER PARTY INTIMATE

John Ashley, the actor, was also a great friend of Elvis' and me and the guys in the early 1960's. He had a zany cut-up personality and liked to pull pranks so he fit right in. John, Elvis, Nick Adams, and Bill Murphy and I played a lot of home pool tournaments together. John was married to actress Deborah Wally at the time who had been "the next Gidget." Like Frankie Avalon, he was in a lot of beach party type movies in his early career. John didn't seem to mind that he wasn't The Next James Dean, and made a good living acting in "B" pictures. He also financed some films.

The connections between us all continued for years. John eventually took five of my songs for the successful television series he performed in, "Straight Away."

BRIANS DRIVE IN THEATRE on JOHN ASHLEY link above!

(105) BILL MURPHY THE REAL GI JOE DOLL!

William "Bill" Murphy, sometimes called "Red", who had been in a number of films where he played service men was the model for the famous GI Joe Doll!

Check out this IMBd database for Bill's filmography and you'll see what I mean about military roles. His acting career began in the 1940's and went on 30 years.

He was friends with Robert Mitchum, who had written a script especially for Elvis that Colonel Parker turned down, as well as the actor associated most with Westerns, John Wayne. He was a great friend to Elvis and me and the guys and a lot of fun to be around. Fashions come and go but Bill was most often dressed in Western clothing - black and a big black cowboy hat. If you looked at him cross eyed he'd come over and part your hair right quick.

Linking here to the IMBd database BILL MURPHY filmography

I can still see Bill dancing with all the women at the house parties. I can still see Bill wearing his big cowboy hat as we rode down to the Sunset Strip to hear Johnny Rivers play at the Whiskey.

(104) THE ACTOR NICK ADAMS, A PARTY REGULAR IN THE EARLY 1960's

Nick Adams, the actor, a good friend of the real James Dean's and Natalie Woods, was a regular at Elvis' parties in the early 1960's. Elvis was interested in Nick because of his connection with James Dean, but he could also relate to the man, who came from humble beginnings in rural Pennsylvania. Nick used to say, "Other men bet on horses, I bet on myself." He was a good actor and he enjoyed some success beginning with his role in "Rebel Without a Cause." Nick tended to get typecaste as a rebel after that, which is reflected in his roles in television as well.

Nick's sense of humor and ability to imitate others fit with Elvis and the entourage. But he was also passionate about a number of issues and could pontificate.

Link above to Video Detective bio to Nick Adams with some film clips - replaced January 12, 2011. CT

Nick Adams and actor John Ashley and Elvis and me played a lot of home pool tournaments together.

(103) MARIO LANZA - AN AMERICAN TENOR and INSPIRATION TO ELVIS

Here is a YouTube Video of Mario Lanza in 1954. I'm not sure how Elvis first knew about opera or this American tenor, but wouldn't be surprised it was on television. Elvis loved television and he watched it a lot (even watching several sets at a time in the 1970's). This is The Chrysler sponsored show "Shower of Stars," and possibly Elvis even saw this show which featured Mario.

Americans were (and are) so accustom to opera singers being European because it's often sung in Italian and so it's a surprise to hear Mario's American speaking voice and to hear him sing a song in English in operatic voice.



Marios on this blog because Elvis, "the Walking Encyclopedia of Music," told me that he had studied Lanza's vocal techniques, in order to hit the high notes of a song he is very famous for, "It's Now Or Never" and "Surrender."

(102) ELVIS'S MEN, HIS GUYS, THE ENTOURAGE

The men Elvis surrounded himself with were called "his guys," or "the crew," or "the entourage." The whole idea of this entourage of ever changing men being a "mafia" came later, and in my opinion was an unfortunate connotation. Elvis wasn't the only celebrity with his own people surrounding him for security or for companionship either. Frank Sinatra was known for his "Rat Pack," and aviation pioneer and filmmaker Howard Hughes, known for keeping starlets as mistresses, had his "Mormon Mafia."

Well, in any case, some of these men started out as friends of Elvis Presley and other were hired in, and they were considered in some way to be "family," because of the many hours they were around Elvis in his employ. They were on payroll and they were there to make the busy and complicated professional and personal life of a superstar easier and more secure. They were there to do things Elvis' way. And he was very much in charge.

As his companions, they benefited, living the life of a millionaire with Elvis, not because their pay was high, not at all. It was because of the benefits - including women, beautiful women.

(101) ELVIS - A WALKING ENCYCLOPEDIA OF MUSIC

My friend Elvis Presley was like a walking encyclopedia of music. He made it a point to know about everyone in the business. He studied some of his favorites, like the American tenor Mario Lanza, whose voice inspired him. He often told me about other singers' voices - what problems they had with meter, breathing, phrasing. Elvis thought his talent was a God-given gift and he was determined not to loose his voice through misuse.

His juke box at the house was frequently renewed with the latest Top 40 as well as some of his favorites all time hits. And at parties he invented dances to a variety of songs. When party guests saw him moving, those legs and arms going, the house went crazy.

Because Colonel Parker kept Elvis from talk shows and interviews, he honed a mystique about his star. But Elvis was also thought to be less intelligent than he was, even inarticulate. Part of the problem Elvis had was a problem I had too - the stereotype that Southerners just weren't as smart as Northerners. We were considered hillbillies- hicks; I once decked a song writer in the Brill building for calling me names.

Maybe Colonel Parker knew that too - the prejudice - and decided that on that basis not to expose Elvis to ridicule.

(100) ELVIS DANCES and THE ROOM GOES WILD!

At his parties, sometimes Elvis would let loose and dance using his very own innovative, on the spot choreography! When people saw his arms and legs going, they went wild. His living room could be like Grand Central Station, with a juke box on one end, a record playing on the other, and live entertainment in between.

Elvis showed off his dancing skills early on in his movie, "Jail House Rock." This is a YouTube video that shows off Elvis dancing.

(99) ELVIS - THE PARTY YEARS - JOHNNY RIVERS

About the time that I moved to Los Angeles to work for the songwriting factory, American Music, I began to attend Elvis' private parties at his home in Bel Air. Johnny Rivers and I used to get up to the house about three on a Saturday afternoon, because Elvis liked to play demos for us and ask our opinions. He played demos that he made and demos he had been sent by various publishing houses and individuals. Elvis believed that there was "room for us all."

Johnny wasn't Mr. Secret Agent Man - not yet anyway!

See our previous blogs that mention Johnny Rivers by searching this blog and also, go to Johnny's own personal web site (which should be in our LINKS section) to learn more about Johnny Rivers. as a person, entertainer, and an early friend of mine in the music business. There will be more about Johnny as we progress in this blog!

(98) ELVIS and FLAMING STAR : MY FIRST PARTY AT ELVIS' LOS ANGELES

The first party I attended at Elvis' he was in the process of making the film "Flaming Star" at Twentieth Century Fox. The film also stared Barbara Eden who would become famous for her long runing TV series "I Dream of Jeannie." The script was about a "half breed" Indian (Native American) and was originally written with Marlon Brando in mind.

Elvis came home wearing the heavy makeup that the studio artists had put on him to give this "half breed" effect. He welcomed me into his home and went off to remove the makeup which must have taken a couple hours.

Link above to the IMBd datebase information on "Flaming Star." The makeup looks heavy and fake to me now.

(97) 2008 A NEW YEAR and a NEW ERA IN MY LIFE - THE PARTY YEARS

Friends, Christine and I are working on that slide show presentation, a new thing, but with a few gliches for us. As soon as we have the new one up and running we will delete the one that's presently at December 28th 2007.

It's early January 2008, and we are taking our story of my life in music through what I'll call The Party Years because through the early 1960's whenever Elvis was filming in Los Angeles, I was a regular at his private parties at his home in Bel Air.

Elvis attended almost no parties thrown by other celebrities. He did invite many co-stars to his parties but he like to be the host and have that control.

During the years that I attended Elvis' parties I never saw or knew of any illegal drug use. Elvis most often walked around with a glass of water or soda. He rarely drank and I rarely saw him get pie-eyed. His living room was like Grand Central Station.

People told jokes, had serious discussions - sometimes Elvis spoke about Jesus - and we danced, laughed, played and listened to music. Practical jokes were especially appreciated by Elvis, his men, his friends. I was honored to be there.

The Party Years with Elvis and his friends were some of the best of my life.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELVIS PRESLEY

As millions of fans know, today is the birthday of the great Elvis Presley. And when I say he was great, I don't just mean that he was a great entertainer. I mean that Elvis was a great human being. So much has been said and written about Elvis, who was a friend of mine from when I met him in 1957 while on my first tour for United Artists, and performing live on the Wink Martindale show in Memphis, Tennessee. I'll never forget the one time years into our friendship when I was feeling stalled out in my career, and this is what Elvis said to me;

"You're successful as a human being and that's all that counts in my book."

We love you, Elvis!

Wes

CARL PERKINS on ELVIS PRESLEY ( HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELVIS !) PRESLEY

Carl Perkins said...

"This boy had everything. He had the looks, the moves, the manager, and the talent. And he didn't look like Mr. Ed like a lot of the rest of us did. In the way he looked, way he talked, way he acted… he really was different."

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELVIS!

HENRY FORD Quote on Friendship

"There are three things that grow more precious with age. Old wood to burn, old books to read, and old friends to enjoy." -Henry Ford