(126) JULIET PROWSE and ELVIS / G.I. BLUES

Thanks to YouTube we have this original trailer for the movie "G.I. Blues" emphasizing Elvis' past military service. You could say he was cast as a believable character.

NEW VIDEO NEEDED

Juliet Prowse is one co-star that Elvis did have a romance with,a hot one. Juliet had recently been seeing Frank Sinatra and hadn't quite broken up with him yet and I was out in LA and staying with Elvis in his hotel suite while this was going on.

Here's Juliet with Bob Hope and Dean Martin, another YouTube presentation.

ANOTHER NEW VIDEO NEEDED HERE

Now, we searched for a great Juliet Prowse web site and didn't really find one (so many bios without any photos of her!), so I'll just say a few things about Juliet. She was an easy person to like. She had a positive attitude, was a lot of fun, and she worked hard. She was a professional and so the top talents liked to work with her and have her on their shows. If there is any advice that Juliet would probably give young people starting out in the business, it would probably be to remember that show business is work and to be professional. Her personality and talent set her above so many other dancers and singers and she managed to survive in the business even as the popularity of musicals waned.

She was a talented dancer, first and foremost, though a singer too, and a comedian, known for her especially fabulous shapely legs, and one of the more worldly women that Elvis dated to that point. He was wildly attracted to her and to me living proof that Elvis did not have one "type" of woman he was attracted to. Though in a couple years there would be another dancer and singer he went completely crazy over...

(125) THE BIG GRAPEVINE / ELVIS GOT THE INSIDER INFORMATION

Elvis was one of the most popular stars in the world and as a result he got privileged information. He was attached to what we called "the Big Grapevine," - Inside Information - the real truth - about a great number of stories that hit the press - and the rag sheets - spun a whole other way. We'd be sitting around the house talking and laughing and he'd tell something he learned that was particularly scandalous or strange, like the idiosyncrasies of other top stars. He knew things about everybody.

There was a top star - a singer - who was a kleptomaniac but only for neck ties...

Elvis said that President of Columbia Pictures, Harry Cohn (and his wife), had given millions to charity but didn't want anyone to know about it. So he would threaten to kill anyone who told in such a serious and intimidating manner that even when he laughed people took him seriously.

One time an actor visited Harry personally upset about the budget of a film he was working on. The star wanted to quit. Harry and the star got into it, and the star took a leisurely whizz all over Harry's desk, which was covered with scripts for the film...

We used to laugh and joke about all of this.

(124) SCATTER THE PLAYBOY CHIMP

One member of The Entourage who was also a close personal friend of Elvis' was his pet chimp Scatter! Scatter chased women too! Most of the time the women made a run for it before he could get his nails into them! Elvis thought it was funny when women screamed and yelled at Scatter's approach. Usually he would pick the little guy up in his arms and have the guys take him back to his little residence in the furnace room.

Scatter took off on his own adventures around Bel Air one time too many and the neighbors complained. Elvis had to send him to Graceland TM to live and, banished from all the fun, the poor little guy took it badly and went to Eternal Life. Elvis felt terrible about it.

(123) ELVIS THE ALBUM SELLER and MOVIES

It was our job at American Music to "pitch" our demos to an artist if we had a connection there, but meanwhile Sylvestor Cross, the owner of the company, was always on the phone, making deals for the music we wrote, and despite the staff meetings, it was he who often made the final decision about what songs would go to Bobby Darin, which songs would go to Elvis Presley, and so on.

I was friends with Elvis and attending his house parties every weekend that he threw one, but Cross send demos that my co-workers and I had written by messenger - company mail. He didn't expect me to exploit my friendship with Elvis in that way, and Elvis knew it and appreciated it. So did I. I didn't want to make business an issue between us. That doesn't mean Elvis never entertained any of the songs we at American Music wrote, just that I wasn't showing up at the house with that purpose.

Once Elvis was making movies, and movie soundtracks, it wasn't often that he was looking for music for a single. Elvis was becomming what we called "an album seller" rather than "a single seller." And he had established his own publishing houses, which was a move a lot of singers, be they singer-songwriters or covertune types, took. It was an investment in the songs you recorded to own a peice of them as publisher, and a way to make even more money.

Movies and soundtracks would take him away from the Elvis who sang "Hound Dog." Elvis wasn't concerned. Not yet anyway.

EASTER BLESSINGS!

EASTER BLESSINGS

TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY !

Wes

art courtesey of Dover Samplers

(122) SEXY CO-STARS ? / ELVIS' POLICY ABOUT WOMEN!

In 1960 Elvis made two movies. At Paramount Pictures he made "G.I. Blues" with the beautiful dancer - actress - singer, Juliet Prowse as his co-star, and at Twentieth Century Fox he made "Flaming Star," in which Barbara Eden was featured. (We previously blogged on these films and you can click in our links area to the left and go right to sites that give you more information about the films and the stars!) I can testify that Juliet and Elvis were involved but I can't say for sure about Barbara.

Rumors, rumors, and more rumors.

Over time so many women have claimed to have had affairs with Elvis that I've come to believe that the fact that he went on to Eternal Life years ago and can't speak for himself has created a situation in which anyone can claim anything. In my book I go on a bit more than I will here about this. He was no Saint and neither was I but the fact remains only so much is humanly possible.

I often wonder if Elvis were alive what he would say in response to claims that have been made.

I think some of it would upset him and depress him yet my friend did have a good sense of humor, even a self-depreciating one at times, and he loved a good practical joke and was behind a lot of them.

As I mentioned previously here on this blog, Elvis had a policy that the Entourage and close friends of his followed: "Hands Off" Elvis' women! And there were beautiful women at the house - everywhere. To know who Elvis was very interested in, who to stay "Hands Off" with, you had to be an insider. The policy went the other way too. If Elvis had it for a woman and she slept with someone else in his close circle first he usually gave up on her instantly.

Elvis' policy was about loyalty and trust.

(121) THERE'S A HOUSE PARTY TONIGHT - KEELY SMITH

Keely Smith and Louis Prima were one of the favorite Lounge Acts acts of Frank Sinatra and his Rat Pack in Vegas.

I thought Keely was terrific and had an amazing voice. Make that HAS an amazing voice that has only gotten better with time. Keely performed at J.F.K.'s inauguration and in the 2000's she's recording CD's and making appearances on television shows sans Louie who passed some time ago in 1978. So many of the songs she and Louie recorded were high energy and positive. They were good time party songs, fun in Vegas songs, and "There's A House Party Tonight," is one of my favorites! Now, we searched for a video of Keely and Louie and this song to no avail, but we didn't want to miss posting about them. House parties, be it Vegas, Palm Springs, or Los Angeles, were the rage. They were private parties. Parties of the rich. Elvis' kind of party.

Link above to a NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO site that features an interview with Keely.

From YouTube a Video of Louie and Keely in the mid to late fifties singing "When You're Smiling." Keely's stone face is in direct contrast to Louie and the band's energetic performance, and that's exactly what's so funny about it!

On March 22 2011 we substituted in the below YouTube video, which is not of the song "There's A House Party Tonight," but does document Keely's act with Louis!

PHOTOS ANYONE? "WES BRYAN - MY LIFE IN MUSIC" / RSS FEED AVAILABLE

Friends, if you read our blog a lot, please know that there is a RSS FEED available that will put our frequent posts right in your e-mail. Now as you know you can read this blog like a story, my story, beginning with the August 2007 postings. Christine Trzyna and I have been working on my memoirs and this blog is like our index coming alive. You can click on the links to the sites that have photos, music samples, and videos of many of the people who populate our book and it is our hope that this will help you get situated when it comes to the era this blog and my career covers.

Now, as you see we are not actually posting a lot of photos along with each blog, though it would be easy enough to do so. The reason is that we are very sensitive to fair use and copyright issues of photographic and artistic work. The art we have uploaded is public or by subscription or is directly related to me and my career.

IF YOU ARE THE OWNER OF PHOTOGRAPHY OR OTHER ART THAT IS RELATED TO THE SUBJECTS WE COVER HERE AND YOU WANT US TO POST IT, please contact us for consideration.

THANKS!

Wes

WILL PETE TAMBUNGA PLEASE STAND UP ? !

Pete Tambunga is an old friend of mine who I've lost contact with. He's a prankster who pulled off a few over the top practical jokes in his life, and he has always had an interesting way of putting things.

Pete, where've you been hiding out?

Wes

(120) ELVIS' HOME MY HOME AWAY FROM HOME & THE ENTOURAGE

Working for Elvis could be round the clock, odd hours, long hours, and traveling. It was hard on a man's personal life, his marriage, especially because of the perks and benefits like having beautiful women over to the house so often, the parties. Members of the entourage enjoyed the life of a millionare along with Elvis.

The entourage wasn't the same men through the years. Some men stayed with Elvis from beginnings of his career to his death while others moved on to other jobs or came and went. I suggested a couple men that Elvis hired.

I wasn't one of The Entourage. I can understand that this idea of who or who wasn't in it is confusing. Yes, I was there with them a lot in the early to mid 1960's. The relationships, living with Elvis, paid or not paid to work, could be familial. But I had my own work, singing, songwriting, and eventually producing music. I never actually worked for Elvis Presley and as a result my friendship with him never suffered from the issue of money.

During the Los Angeles party years my social life and therefore my private life and Elvis' were woven together. I stayed hands off the women he called his "girlfriends." He stayed hands off the women who were mine.

But I always knew that if I ever got into real trouble, Elvis would help me.

DAVE TYSON GENTRY Quote on Friendship

"True friendship comes when silence between two people is comfortable."
-Dave Tyson Gentry

(If interested in a collection of quotes about friendship, please use the search feature of this blog and put in the word quotes!)

(119) TELEVISION, ELVIS PRESLEY and JOHN F. KENNEDY

An event that prooved that television was gaining importance beyond entertainment was the United States Presidential elections of 1960. Richard Nixon, the Republican, and John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the Democrat, debated on television. This brought the campaign from the whistle stops and rubber chicken luncheons into the homes of Americans who were charmed by JFK's more youthful body language, charismatic smile, and optimistic outlook. Historians have since remarked that Nixon's dark beard, uncovered by studio makeup, gave him a dour, dark look.

Now Elvis and me always sided with the poor because we had both grown up poor and come out of nowhere. That made us Democrats, right? Except that we were also self-made men who had made it out of poverty in youth through talent, luck, and damn hard work. That made us Republicans, right? I can't tell you who Elvis voted for when he voted, I can tell you that we were both patriotic and we both believed that John Fitzgerald Kennedy was a President who was going to change the world.

Now the link below is really exciting. It takes you to the JFK PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY and links that can take you to television clips about the campaign and election. You can be sure that Elvis, me, and the guys (and any gals who happened to be around at the time) were fascinated with the machinations of politics and watched some of this coverage.

JFK PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY HOME PAGE link above

Here is the televised debate

http://www.jfklibrary.org/Historical+Resources/JFK+in+History/Campaign+of+1960.htm

RCS DISCOGRAPHY WES BRYAN

If you'll click on the words RCS Discography above, you'll go to the Rockin Country Style page for me. Now, these aren't the only recordings I ever did, but the emphasis here is rockabilly and early country rock and roll. You'll find that a good number of the artists we're talking about in this blog have RCS Discographies.

Christine and I have a great respect for the work that is behind RCS, a volunteer project of many years. They can't take donations of money, but you may be able to help them get more music documented if you have a record collection that you are willing to lend. So get in contact with RCS if you do!

WILLIE NELSON MY HEROS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN COWBOYS

As I mentioned early in this blog, Elvis and I grew up loving cowboys, especially Lash LaRue. We grew up in a part of the United States that had experienced the Trail of Tears, and real cowboys and indian wars, but our imaginations at play were more triggered by what we heard on radio and television.

That Elvis would star in Westerns or take a role in "Flaming Star," a movie that he played a "half-breed," in makes complete sense to me.

Now, as a little variation here, we're posting Willie Nelson singing his song "My Heros Have Always Been Cowboys." Take a pause and enjoy it with us!

(118) BRENDA LEE - ON TV AT ELVIS'

Now, Elvis is known for watching a lot of television. And when you were friends with Elvis being at the house meant watching a lot of television with him. Usually there was a television set on when a party was going on, as well as a juke box, and a turn table.

Elvis was like a walking encyclopedia of music and he made it a point of obtaining the records of other singers, of stocking his home juke box with the Top 40 and some personal favorites, and watching the performances of others on television.

I always enjoyed Brenda Lee. Brenda Lee started out so young.

I once performed with her myself. Here she is in this YouTube presentation circa 1960, still so young, singing "Sweet Nothings." The backdrop and production here signal a movement forward from the 1950's into the "hip" 1960's.

Link above to Brenda Lee's official site and note,

Brenda Lee Rock Hall of Fame

http://www.rockhall.com/inductee/brenda-lee

You can read about BRENDA LEE by using the search feature to this blog and you can also use the LINKS list to locate web sites that feature Brenda.

WES BRYAN's BLOG - Rights Information

WES BRYAN'S BLOG - Rights Information

Every once in a while we'll be posting a notice like this one that reminds readers that the content of this blog is Copyright Wes Bryan and Christine Trzyna with all rights reserved including Internet and International Rights. If interested in speaking to me, Wes Bryan, please contact us at the e-mail address we've provided. We are linking to a good many web sites, favoring the official web sites of various famous and important people as well as reference sites. If we link to your site and you don't want us to, please let us know, and we'll take down the link. The content of other people's sites remains theirs. Thank you for your consideration and courtesy.

Christine Trzyna and Wes Bryan

http://wesbryan.blogspot.com

WES BRYAN - MY LIFE IN MUSIC

Thank you to Google - BLOGSPOT for providing free blog templates and access.

e-mail is wewritethebook@yahoo.com

INTERNET MYSTERIES ABOUND !

Once in a while Christine and I spend some time checking out what various search engines bring up about me and my career. The other day we wondered why our blog was not appearing on Google, when Google is the supplier of Blogger TM and is said to carry 60% of all blogs, when ours appears on Yahoo, and a few others. Christine "pinged" and resubmitted our URL. This morning our blog is appearing, as well as our complaint to Google help groups about it. Whoever or whatever happened, it's one of those Internet Mysteries.

Now, we said this before but one of our reasons for blogging is to help people get out of all that Wes Bryan confusion. Several other Wes Bryan's have Internet presence but they aren't me and I'm not them! I wonder sometimes how many of them have gotten messages for me and visa versa. I wonder if the Christian Minister who wrote a book and has a music CD has ever been asked about his "wild past" as a rockabilly artist, or if the teenage Wes Bryan's out there have been asked how they met Elvis...

We'll carry on here. Thanks, whoever or whatever got us back up on the Google search engine.