I was seeing quite ofer over there that uh her father was on the Air Force and actually they only got over there about 2 months before I left I was seeing her and she was at the train at the air for when I left Elvis Presley’s private confession to his best friend revealed a sight of him rarely seen by the public he opened up about his deepest insecurities and the immense pressure he felt under the spotlight his raw honesty and vulnerability were a shocking Revelation to those who only knew him as the king of rock and roll

Elvis Presley just hearing his name evokes countless images his explosive influence on music and culture reshaped entertainment history from his humble beginnings as a poor country boy to becoming the king of rock and roll Elvis’s journey is a Cornerstone of American Legend despite the extensive attention Elvis has received over the years the real Elvis often seems to be overlooked so who was the genuine and Elvis Presley and what was he like behind closed doors among those who claimed to know Elvis well only a few

were truly close insiders one of these was Joe Esposito Elvis’s loyal friend for nearly 20 years Esposito the highest ranking member of Elvis’s Inner Circle had an exceptional bond with him he recounts with excitement how at Elvis’s request he joined the team I was thrilled Esposito recall calls I couldn’t believe I was going to work for Elvis Presley Just 2 weeks later he found himself in Memphis marking the start of an incredible journey from being an army buddy to serving as an

accountant bodyguard and bookkeeper Joe Esposito was deeply involved in Elvis’s life he was Elvis’s best man at his wedding his Road manager and a close friend through over 6,000 live performances and 26 feature films affectionately known as Diamond Joe he was there for it all and it was indeed a remarkable journey in Elvis his best friend remembers a video scrapbook featuring over 500 rare photographs from Joe Esposito’s Private Collection along with film clips news reels and candid

interviews we get an intimate look at what life with Elvis was truly like Esposito takes us behind the scenes for a revealing view of life on the road on stage and off showcasing Elvis’s everyday moments and private experiences Esposito recalls the buzz when he was drafted and heard rumors that Elvis might be drafted around the same time despite the speculation that a celebrity like Elvis wouldn’t be drafted both ended up at Fort Hood Texas Esposito though he didn’t get a chance to meet

Elvis directly there often saw him around the base later when both were stationed in Germany Esposito was pleasantly surprised to learn that Elvis was being posted there too during his time in Germany Esposito witnessed Elvis navigating the challenges of military life and adjusting to a new environment Elvis rented a house in bad naeim near Friedberg where Esposito recalls Elvis’s grandmother would cook southern meals to his liking despite his concerns about how his military service might affect

his popularity Elvis emerged from it more famous than ever Esposito fondly remembers their final days in Germany and how Elvis invited him to work for him once they returned home I was thrilled Esposito recalls I couldn’t believe I was going to work for Elvis Presley and just like that 2 weeks later Esposito found himself heading to Memphis ready for a new chapter with Elvis I remember when the Hit Parade was on TV just nice easygoing music then suddenly I started hearing rumors about this young guy with exciting totally

different music I first saw Elvis Presley on TV in the late 50s and I was really a struck I couldn’t quite believe what I was seeing this young man doing all these moves and singing rock and roll it was astounding to me at the time I used to be a big fan of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin That’s the kind of music we were into back then but then Elvis came along and he was incredible watching him on stage shaking his legs while girls went wild was something I’d never seen before at first it was

strange to me but as I listened to his music more I started to appreciate him more and more in fact I defended him among my friends in Chicago who were quick to criticize him the more I heard his songs the more I liked him I saw him perform on TV a few times and he really impressed me as a young Entertainer I started buying his records and enjoyed them a lot the girls went crazy over him and my friends and their boyfriends were very upset at that time we were quite possessive of our women and Elvis’s

impact on them made us all very jealous it was thrilling when Elvis came onto the scene he was seen as extremely attractive by the women and the Press didn’t like that the older generation thought his moves were vulgar and had a negative reaction even accusing him of having the Devil in him but kids saw him differently he was something new and exciting they didn’t quite understand why he sang and moved the way he did but he was just being himself people didn’t realize that until later and now he’s

almost seen as an angel on stage compared to today’s standards Elvis’s fan reactions were always tremendous as you can see in this rare news footage the older generation might not have understood his appeal but his devoted fans saw him as a highly attractive and admirable figure worthy of being compared to Clark Gable or Carrie Grant local boy makes good Elvis Presley the king of rock and roll returns to Tupelo Mississippi Advanced sales of his new record were through the roof and the local girls went wild one even tried to

jump on stage and had to be stopped by the cops from getting near his Blue Suede Shoes his Fame was immense Elvis’s early films were a hit too his first movie was called Love Me Tender and by the time his third film Jailhouse Rock came out he was really hitting his stride in Jailhouse Rock Elvis played a tough guy who ends up in jail and people really enjoyed it the movie was a huge success in England and Germany and catapulted him to Global stardom there’s a memorable scene by the swimming pool

where Elvis sings Looking incredibly handsome and charismatic and that’s where the press and young people around the world really started to appreciate him I realized realized that many of the publicity Stills were from Jailhouse Rock and it was one of the biggest promotional campaigns ever for a movie the film featured a lot of beautiful women and it set the trend for making movies with lots of gorgeous women in them Elvis was deeply involved in the dance sequences particularly enjoying the famous dance number with all the

inmates he actively collaborated with the choreographer offering several suggestions on how the dance could be staged his input was spoton and all his ideas made it to the screen this film was pivotal in launching Elvis into International stardom just before Jailhouse Rock hit theaters Colonel Parker organized a tour for Elvis which included a stop in Tupelo Mississippi Elvis wanted to host a charity event there to raise funds for the Elvis Presley youth project an organization he founded to support the Youth of Tupelo

during the event Elvis appeared relaxed and had a great time which provided a unique glimpse into his more personal side Elvis was always in control and the footage of him performing has been repeatedly viewed showcasing his relaxed stage presence and the enthusiastic reactions from his fans the audience’s energy visibly fueled him creating a dynamic performance Elvis’s parents Gladis and Vernon were in the audience along with Mrs Parker Colonel Parker’s wife Elvis sang with heartfelt intensity

and he was often asked about his distinctive dance moves he would explain that they came naturally to him and were simply a reflection of how he felt in the moment even after achieving Fame Elvis continued to study karate he took lessons from various instructors and was one of the early figures to introduce Kara into Hollywood before Bruce Lee gained prominence Elvis enjoyed demonstrating in karate to celebrities like Ricky Nelson and others he believed in the Arts focus on inner strength and discipline and it gave him confidence

especially in his youth when he often felt targeted by others this passion for karate was evident in his onstage performances where he Incorporated martial arts moves Elvis made 31 feature films over his career and I was involved in 26 of them film making is more challenging than it appears involving long hours of waiting between shots in Blue Hawaii Elvis played a tour guide and there are memorable shots of him with co-star Darlene Thompson he worked with Joan Blackman on two movies and he made three films in Hawaii in Girls

Girls Girls Elvis played a helicopter pilot further cementing His Image as a heartthrob while working on Films Elvis was known for his generosity toward fans on location in Napa California for wild in the country Colonel Parker organized an autograph session for fans during breaks Elvis would interact with fans like the watermelon Queen of the county and take time to chat and sign autographs Elvis’s first movie was the Western Love Me Tender where he played Clint Reena in Jailhouse Rock you can

spot some of his Memphis friends in the background in Harum scarum A lowbudget film where Elvis played a Chic he worked alongside Maryann Mobley a former Miss America from Mississippi and they got along famously I was really nervous because I’m not an actor but director Norman toog chose to include me in one scene my family and friends in Chicago were thrilled to see me on camera one of Elvis’s favorite co-stars was Aunt Margaret from viva Las Vegas and in Speedway he worked with Nancy Sinatra a

good friend of his the shoot for The Trouble With Girls was a lot of fun Marilyn Mason Elvis’s co-star kept things Lively with her jokes and playful Antics Elvis really enjoyed working with her and you could see how much fun he had in the football scene where he’s smiling and running for a touchdown during the filming of staya Away Joe in Sedona Arizona a beautiful place Elvis invited Priscilla and my wife Joan to visit the set it was a rare treat for them to see the area and we had a great

time time together I had a small role in Elvis’s movies from time to time in this case it was in Stay Away Joe there was a scene where I was repossessing Elvis’s car while filming flaming star in California I was practicing Cara and Elvis showed off how tough his knuckles had become from hitting boards and bricks in Sunset and flaming star I chatted with Jerry Schilling and sunny West good friends who worked with Elvis Elvis was great about including family and friends in his movies in Live a

Little Love a Little he used his dad as a model in one scene we shot that at the Los Angeles Music Center and on the beach in Malibu during the filming of Live a Little Love a Little Elvis would sometimes smoke a thin cigar and rehearse his lines between takes I worked on a movie with Mary Tyler Moore called change of habit at Universal Studios Elvis and the guys would occasionally visit the universal Backlot Elvis’s good friend George Baris the custom car King built a Cadillac limousine for spinout while RCA

Executives were on set presenting Elvis with gold albums Elvis was curious about how movies were made often checking out camera shots and learning about the process in the documentary that’s the way it is Elvis is seen here posing with his manager Colonel Tom Parker and Philip Dawn the director Elvis gave his tandem bicycle to the English fan club president who took it back to England to show other fans Elvis was very generous Colonel Parker too was kind-hearted he read that President Roosevelt’s yacht

the US pomac was going to be scrapped Colonel suggested buying it to preserve it as a piece of history and donate it to a charity he approached the March of Dimes but they declined so he gave it to St Jude’s instead when we were in Vegas the colonel set up a press conf conference in Long Beach to present the boat to Danny Thomas he had one side of the boat painted for the Press leaving the other side untouched it was amusing and when we arrived there was a large press turnout and many fans despite

being late for Danny Thomas Elvis took time to sign autographs for everyone always making his fans a priority Elvis and Priscilla had been dating for a long time and when she turned 21 Elvis knew it was time to get married he was deeply in love with her and it was clear that they were meant to be together the marriage license was returned to the hotel and the rest of the family arrived started getting dressed and put on our Tuxedos by around 10: or 10:30 we all went to the suite where the wedding was

set up in Las Vegas it was a wedding for Elvis Presley The Man Who practically invented rock and roll and Priscilla bolu a friend of his for 8 years Elvis the 32-year-old from Mississippi who revolutionized singing gave his bride a 20 karat diamond ring Elvis met Priscilla while stationed in Germany she was a high school student and the daughter of a lieutenant colonel it was the first marriage for both when Priscilla walked into the room she was so beautiful and stunning that it took your breath away she looked absolutely

wonderful though she was very nervous much more so than Elvis who had a great smile on his face you could see how much they loveed loved each other and it was heartwarming to witness their happiness the ceremony was very intimate with only a few people present the judge conducted the ceremony solemnly and the overall mood was quite nice my feelings were of Happiness seeing the two of them so joyful they made a beautiful couple Priscilla was gorgeous and they were both such nice fun-loving people I was

excited to be there and to realize how my life had changed since before the army meeting these people made me feel honored to be there at that moment after the ceremony we immediately went to a press conference where Elvis talked about his marriage then we had a small wedding reception with cake musicians and some nice music and a little party for family and friends we flew back to Palm Springs and Rona Barrett was waiting outside upset because she thought Elvis would get married in Palm Springs it was great to have fooled the

Press Elvis preferred his privacy and it worked out well back in Palm Springs we relaxed and enjoyed the beautiful day we sat outside in the sun and I remember Elvis getting up from his chair to cut a rose for Priscilla from the garden it was a sweet romantic gesture we had a lovely dinner prepared by the maids and spent a few days there before returning to Memphis where Elvis’s real honeymoon took place at his Ranch Elvis enjoyed Hawaii where he often vacationed despite being a big celebrity

he loved the relaxation and privacy it offered he preferred staying at the Hilton Hotel for its security although we would spend days at a rented house on a private beach we’d party at the house relax on the beach and snorkle the locals were respectful of his privacy allowing him to enjoy his vacation one memorable time Tom Jones was performing in Hawaii and we went to see his show we invited Tom to join us at the house and we had a great day with him we even made him a peanut butter sandwich which he

wasn’t too fond of during a press conference in Hawaii Elvis announced a charity concert for the USS Arizona Memorial which he organized to raise money for the Navy we took our wives and the whole group to visit the memorial which Elvis had contributed to it was the first time he saw it after the concert and the visit was very somber and beautiful the Admirals took us on a tour keeping the crowds away and we saw a plaque acknowledging Elvis’s contribution we didn’t always have the time but next we could be home Saab

could sleep easy and we were going to Palm Springs this weekend I remember our trip to New York for Elvis’s concerts at Madison Square Garden he had never played in New York before and had always said that the New York Gardens are tough on performers they really test you he was a bit worried about it so Colonel Parker set up a big press conference at the New York Hilton where we were staying Elvis was surprisingly relaxed when he walked into that press conference with his dad and the rest of

the team he handled the Press superbly they asked great questions and he answered them effortlessly it was a great experience despite his nerves about how the audience would react once he stepped on stage the crowd went wild and he relaxed immediately I don’t criticize other entertainers there’s room for everyone the image is one thing but being a real person is another it’s tough to live up to an image our audience is diverse with a mix of older and younger people finding good material

is challenging these days especially hard rock if I could find good songs I’d perform them I’d like to think we’ve proven ourselves over the past 15 years not just musically but personally as well if people don’t recognize me or ask for autographs it’s just part of the business and I accepted I’d actually miss it if it were gone I remember when Elvis met Priscilla in Germany she was a young 14-year-old girl though neither of us realized her age at the time she was nervous meeting Elvis in his Entourage

Elvis being kind jumped up to introduce himself and they started talking we left them alone to get to know each other it was tough being Elvis’s girlfriend with all the Temptation around but Priscilla was strong when Priscilla was pregnant with Lisa Marie Elvis was thrilled he loved children and animals and having his own child was a dream come true seeing him so excited and happy about being a father was heartwarming it wasn’t just Elvis Presley it was the joy of becoming a dad this is

1174 Hill Crest Drive Trousdale estates this house holds many memories Elvis and Priscilla lived here when they got married and it was Lisa Marie’s first California home I recall that Elvis almost bought the lot next door before Danny Thomas built his house there but he missed out by just two weeks instead he bought this beautiful home which became the site of many family gatherings and Easter egg hunts this is 144 monaville Drive the house Elvis and Priscilla moved into after Hillcrest they needed more space and this house

had a large backyard for Lisa Marie to enjoy they lived here until 1977 Lisa Marie was such a sweet kid and my daughters Debbie and Cindy who were a bit older than her spent a lot of time together we had Easter egg hunts birthday parties and vacations Lisa Marie had a wonderful personality always cheerful and playful she was definitely spoiled by Elvis who would buy her anything she wanted even things she didn’t really need I was simply Amazed by his talent somehow how it never reached me through records as it did for

everyone else in person it was magical and to this day I’ve never seen a performer quite like him I knew at the time it was something special there was always this awareness that something extraordinary was happening Looking Back Now that feeling is magnified a billion times everyone associated with him felt the sense of being meant to be together it was a strange experience after my divorce he met a girl named Linda Thompson from Memphis in introduced by George klene Linda had a great personality always upbeat happy

joking around and beautiful she was perfect for us at the time we all loved her and she and Elvis spent a lot of time together she was a very positive person and that was a great thing about her however as time went on Linda wanted to pursue her own life the constant traveling and hectic lifestyle were too much for her she wanted a more settled normal life so they went their separate ways it was tough for all of us but Linda was wonderful for us I’m standing here in front of the old MGM Studios

where Elvis made most of his movies we had a lot of fun here with great times and fantastic parties celebrities shooting other films on the lot would visit us Elvis would talk with them get acting tips and it felt like one big party for many years Elvis didn’t get to know many stars well and he didn’t feel comfortable around Hollywood Elites he was basically a shy individual and felt more at ease with his friends he’d invite co-stars to the house where we just hang out talk and play music I

remember when Don Sutton the pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers visited Elvis He was a big fan and we all posed for a photo together Elvis was also a huge football fan and heard Jim Brown was filming a movie at 20th Century Fox he contacted a friend named Rick custody who brought Jim Brown over to meet Elvis we have a photo with Jim Brown in the middle surrounded by Billy Smith Elvis’s cousin Alan foris Richard Davis myself Marty lacer and James Kingsley Governor Buford Ellington declared Elvis Presley

day and we posed for a picture with the governor and his beautiful daughter I also spent time with Tuesday Weld Elvis’s co-star from Wild in the country she was a great person and became like one of the gang I even dated her for a while celebrities often came to see Elvis curious about the new rock and roll star they would watch his films and stand in the background during breaks I’d talk to them and they were very nice just like Ordinary People which was nice to see traveling with a big star like

Elvis meant we had to be very concerned about security we had a top-notch security team that meticulously planned our routes in and out of hotels and concert venues we had to fool the press and fans to avoid problems and our security team including Red West Sunny West and Dick grob was highly professional we were recommended for security setups but we kept it private it wasn’t easy as fans didn’t make it any easier Elvis didn’t like pushing his friends away he’d sign autographs for

hours even though we often needed to Rush him in and out to keep to our schedule unfortunately we only saw the back of hotels and concert venues people would comment on how wonderful it must be to travel and see beautiful places but we saw nothing of the sort our travels were through loading docks kitchens and freight elevators later we were dubbed the Memphis Mafia because Elvis liked us to do things differently we’d arrive in Black mohair suits white shirts and black ties in a big limousine

and that was how we made our entrance