#Elvis: in the twilight of memory

[vintagepresley]

If in the twilight of memory we should meet once more, we shall speak again together and you shall sing to me a deeper song.

[hooked-on-elvis]

hi lally! i wanted to know what books about elvis you have read so far, if that's okay. which ones are your favorites? have you read priscilla's book? i wanna read it, but with the way people speak of it makes me apprehensive cuz i like elvis a lot i'm scared of getting disappointed or something like that lol. anyways, i just wanted to know your opinion :D

Hi, friend! I'm honored you considered listening to what I think on this matter. Thank you.

Well, first of all, on fearing feeling disappointed at Elvis, I had that fear too - and at the first bad story I heard about him I was shocked and I thought my adoration for him was over. That's what Elvis feared, actually... that people would not love him anymore if they knew everything about who he was... but fortunately his life doesn't let us hate or feel sorry for him or whatever... His life, him... he was a lovable person and that couldn't change by anything we hear said about the bad moments in his life, really. As soon as you read everything they say about him, the better. Your love for Elvis will only grow, I promise. You read one bad thing about him and (if it's not a lie, which you will find out as you go reading further, different stories from different people from around the same period in time the events took place), then you read 10 good things about him, amazing things he did or said that only makes our love for E grow stronger. I'm an Elvis fan because of his legacy, his art, but also because of the man he was, and he was the best he could be. I sincerely think Elvis was one of the best human beings ever walking on this earth, so don't worry about getting disappointed with some of his actions because it's not a lasting impression if you read enough about him. Trust me. You just have to read and try to walk on his shoes to understand why he behaved certain ways. One thing you have to keep in mind is that everything said about him is a point a view, not the whole truth, and it comes from a particular place and time, it doesn't mean he was always doing wrong. Another thing to keep in mind is that E was not a perfect man... Never was, never claimed to be and couldn't be such even if he tried his hardest.

Well, now back to your question. I've read some books on Elvis, almost all of his main girlfriends' memoir (my favorites by far are June Juanico's book "In The Twilight of Memory", Kathy Westmoreland's "Elvis and Kathy" and "A Little Thing Called Life" by Linda Thompson). Those are amazing books because those women really loved Elvis. You can feel it by the way they talk about him. They were concerned about what WE would think of him while they were writing those memoirs. It's really lovely.

One of the first ones I've read (I needed to read that book) was Priscilla's memoir "Elvis and Me". To be honest, I feel that book is unbelievably heavy concerning its energy. I think Priscilla knew Elvis too much to respect his memory, you know what I mean? Family, you don't walk on eggshells, you just say whatever you feel and think... and she kinda did just that in that book. Not that blunt and open and harsh in words, but she made us think Elvis was... a terrible partner most of the time, and that's not true. You only know that if you read other girlfriends' memoirs too.

I think at the time Priscilla wrote that book she was still resentful for everything that went wrong between them. I genuinely believe she loved him at some point and that he loved her back, in their own respective ways, but he just wasn't the marrying kind because he had women throwing themselves at him and couldn't fix his mind in one only. And Priscilla knew that but she had high expectations and they just didn't see eye to eye. It wasn't meant to be. That's sad. But anyway. I think Priscilla talked much more about her disappointment concerning Elvis and their marriage, on his flaws and wrongs, than in the good about him, that's why I think that book is heavy. But if you go as I did, after reading that one try to balance with a more light-content books on Elvis and you're safe. Truth be told: when it comes to his love life, Elvis is kind of a disappointment but what do we have to do with that? His cheating on his women has nothing to do with us enough to make us not love him as much as we do. Besides, by all accounts, he was a gentleman, very sensitive and kind and generous... but he was also deceiving. I'm mentioning this because that is the only lasting bad impression the all the books on him will cause on you, but you can make your peace with it and separate the Elvis we love from this little part of him we don't agree with. He wasn't a faithful guy, that's not news but reading about it can be shocking, the details and how his women felt about it... it's heartbreaking. But I can guarantee you one thing: There's ways and ways of talking about it and that matters! Linda Thompson and Kathy Westmoreland, for instance, always talked about how Elvis cheated or dumped them (respectively) in a light manner, choosing to take the good instead of the bad. Priscilla on the other hand was very resentful and you can easily feel that reading her memoir book. It's not like she's wrong in feeling this way... If you love someone and you're disappointed at their behavior it's normal you're gonna "hate" that person for what they did to you sometimes but that's a heavy book and that's it... that's how I felt reading it, melancholic. And I will never understand how Priscilla Beaulieu, Elvis' ex wife and the woman who was by his side for the longest time, doesn't have as many funny and cute stories about him to share in her book as the other women he dated. I will NEVER understand that. Now, there's one part in Priscilla's book that is very, very dark and it makes me sick every time I think about it, so beware. What I did was research, and it turns out I found out Priscilla said things weren't exactly the way she described in that specific moment of her book (and some of Elvis' friends don't even believe it happened at all). That's why I believe she hold resentment against Elvis, at least until the moment her book was out.

Well, that being said now let's talk about Elvis by himself.

I began getting to know Elvis in a very funny way, I guess. In 2022, when I watched "Elvis" by Baz Luhrmann, I had to find out who that guy portrayed in the movie was. That was the first time I've seen the real Elvis - not just in pictures from the 50s. Well, I was kind of in love immediately. He was so handsome and sensual, my head was spinning, and his music was good... so I wanted to learn all the bad things about him right away before I became a fan and felt like I've wasted my time just to learn he was a bad person when that realization could break my heart. That' why the first book I've read was "ELVIS WHAT HAPPENED" by Red West, Sonny West and Dave Hebler as told to Steve Dunleavy.

I gotta say, I was between gasps and laughter reading that book. Some of the stories were shocking but I found out further on it was a matter of HOW they told those stories. Remember I said you have ways and ways to say the same? Some people talk in a very dark manner to pass a message on when the same could be delivered in a lighter way. We know Red, Sonny and Dave were mad at Elvis for him firing them, therefore they were indeed resentful while writing that book and couldn't care less about hurting Elvis and his image (that's why I think Priscilla was also in this mood when she wrote her book). But all in all, I LOVE THAT BOOK! And you know why? Because many of the things inside are true but when you read other books, you see the way they spoke about Elvis is just out of proportion and you keep only the funny stories inside those pages in your heart. I remember laughing a lot while I was reading this book (not at Elvis, of course, but the stories... he was so funny and his gang, his cronies, all of them together were very amusing in a way).

From that tell-all book, I took a leap and landed on Elvis' faith. Funny, isn't it? Hahaha. I don't know why, I just bought this book not knowing what to expect.

I'm a Pisces and a very spiritual person, so I think I felt like it would be an adventure to understand which kind of faith a person like Elvis could have, specially when we grow up knowing a bit about the fame he had of a womanizer and after reading that book above I mentioned previously. I was very curious to understand this side of him, his faith, and I don't regret having this for my first book on Elvis I bought a print for myself. It's small book called "The Seeker King: A Spiritual Biography of Elvis Presley" by Gary Tillery. I purchased mine translated to my mother language (Brazilian Portuguese), thus the cover is different (the one below to the right), and I love it better. If you know Elvis enough, you just know he was the sweetest, caring person he could be and it has everything to do with his upbringing and God. I feel conected to him when I hear him singing gospel songs and talking about God because I know he felt God the same way I do, as a member of his family, as his only trustworthy confidant, as his best friend.

Now let's talk about my favorite part: his music.

I have to recommend you to read Trina Young's book "Elvis: The Army Years Uncovered: Behind the Scenes of the Two Years That Changed The King of Rock and Roll's Life" – it has an incredible collection of stories, told in chronological order, about Elvis in 1958-1960. I had a lot of fun reading that book and it was amazing to understand how Elvis' music changed in just two years... the influence opera had on him and how much he was dedicated in improving his singing skills, in being a good artist and not just a rock and roller/handsome guy. That book also made me understand more how Elvis was just a red-blooded boy as he sings in "Girls! Girls! Girls!" and that is important to understand as we talked before... it was always there and everybody knew it from the start (Priscilla really fooled herself on this).

I also need to recommend to you my Elvis Music Bible, my favorite book of all the ones I've read so far and I know it's gonna be my favorite book on Elvis regardless of how many books I read from now on: "Elvis Presley: A Life In Music" by Ernst Jorgensen and Peter Guralnick. This one, tho, is EXCEPTIONAL! It's a complete recording sessions history that goes through it all, all of the years of Elvis' music and acting career (soundtracks, tv shows... All included). I always look for answers on this book when I'm listening to Elvis' music and trying to get understand him better... where he took inspiration from? who were his idols? which kind of music touched him? why he chose to record certain songs? what made him record the ones he didn't like? where was he looking like feeling when he recorded my favorite songs? ALL THE CLUES ELVIS LEFT BEHIND, LET BE SEEN, WERE TAKEN FROM HIS LIFESTORY AND RECORDING SESSIONS TO ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS AS BEST AS IT COULD. I LOVE THIS BOOK MORE THAN ANY OTHER.

I'm far from reading that many books on Elvis, dear, but everything I've read so far made me love him even more because I could see the good in him, and understand the bad in him too.

Here are, probably, all the other ones I've finished reading until now. All great books:

I've read excerpts from a few others but never read them fully yet, thus I'm not going to mention those ones.

Below are the ones I'm currently reading. I read more than one book at a time and that's not a problem to me, but I take my time reading the books... whenever I feel like having my undivided attention on the stories told I read, because most of the times I find little parts that I want to share with you here on my blog (I just can't let it go without sharing), so that's why I'm taking so long to finish those books but I'm enjoying them very much so far:

See? That's what I'm talking about. To get to know a bit about who Elvis Aaron Presley really was, you have to read many different books and magazines articles, watch as many interviews as you can find, on top of watching his films and concerts and listening to his music, and put all the little pieces together.

Elvis wasn't perfect but he was so talented, dedicated, wise, funny, sweet and caring that whatever you read about him that doesn't put him on a good light, you take as a moment in life he wasn't feeling okay and let the bad emotions take the best in him, but the more you read the more you understand the bad things he did were not coming from his true nature. Most of the time, Elvis was great human being. I'd love if I could have the pleasure to be his friend and share a bit of his splendorous light. He had a great mind for the things in life.

Well, that's it. I hope you're a bit less concerned about reading books on Elvis now. I guarantee you're gonna have a great time! I laugh A LOT with the stories about E interacting with his family, friends and fans, he was such a funny character! I'd love to know which books you've read, if any, and what are your thoughts about them. Take care, friend. ♥

[satninbaby]

i actually feel so alone in this fandom, i haven’t really made any friends so this is my friend application for elvis friends.

Name: i go by daisy

Location: australia 📍

Age: 21

Favourite Elvis era: vamp elvis 😊😊

Favourite Elvis movie: It happened at the world’s fair. 🫶🏼

Favourite Elvis book: Elvis: In the twilight of memory by June Juanico 🥰

Currently working on: an Elvis colouring book.

I’m really shy and super awkward so it’s big for me to message or make friends, haha i get really scared. 🫶🏼🫶🏼

[everythingelvispresley]

Just ordered Elvis in the twilight of memory. I am so looking forward to reading about Elvis and June. So many say they were great together and from the excerpt I have read she definitely was.

[whositmcwhatsit]

Hi!

Idk if this sent the first time, the wifi i’m using is really bad, but anyway…

I’m not sure if you’ve already done this, but I was wondering if you had any recommendations on books about Elvis? I’ve already read Last Train To Memphis but that’s just about the only one.

I’m a relatively new fan, but he’s so magnetic and interesting — I’d love to learn more about him 🫠🫠

Thank you!! xx

Hi there! So, it's really a case of what you're looking for, because there are lots of different entries into the world of Elvis. Heads up, first of all: Everyone and their elderly third cousin twice removed has written a book about Elvis. They all put themselves at the centre of Elvis' life and decisions to some degree or another. They all talk about his excesses and problems as if they were not just as heavily involved and partaking just as much. Some will quote conversations with Elvis as if they are verbatim. A healthy dose of cynicism is needed throughout. Also, don't bother reading anything by The Stanleys. This is my golden rule. So, I assume you're going to read Careless Love by Peter Guralnick, but I'll recommend it anyway. It's a hard read towards the end, and Guralnick's own feelings kind of color things in contrast with the more 'objective' Last Train. Still, I consider it a must read. If you're looking for more of an overview using more than one voice, I'd recommend Elvis and The Memphis Mafia by Alanna Nash with Billy Smith, Marty Lacker and Lamar Fike. They tell a good story, they are 'characters' in their own right, and they give you a strong idea of the vibe around Elvis. Disclaimer: facts are sometimes less important than a good yarn. Like I said, most of his friends wrote about him at least once. Some are more entertaining and readable than others. Lots of people like Joe Esposito's books, such as Good Rockin' Tonight and Elvis- Straight Up, because he comes across as personable and more respectful. Just remember that he was reporting back to The Colonel and good friends with Priscilla, Lisa and EPE. Same with longtime EPE employee Jerry Schilling's Me and Guy Named Elvis, but I like that he was quite different from the rest of the Memphis Mafia and this colours his stories. I really enjoyed Larry Geller's If I Can Dream. While the man loves the sound of his own voice, he also gives an insight into Elvis' struggles in the mid-60s with losing touch with himself and the life he is living. He saw Elvis in a way that most of the other guys couldn't comprehend because of their backgrounds maybe. Some of his stories also have a weird surreal truly Elvis quality. To get a glimpse into Elvis's upbringing and strongest relationship, Elvis and Gladys by Elaine Dundy is a good one. He makes much more sense when you feel you understand where he came from, at least to me. In terms of the women, Linda Thompson's A Little Thing Called Life is a fun read. She probably got to a more intimate insight into Elvis as a famous boyfriend than any of the other women, including Priscilla, in my opinion. She knows how to spin a tale too. June Juanico's Elvis: In the Twilight of Memory is a swoonworthy dream. She is a great writer, and got to sample some pre-superstar boyfriend Elvis. I also enjoyed Joyce Bova's Don't Ask Forever. It gives a view of how it must have been to be one of his side-chicks- Elvis had a new phone line installed in her apartment just for him and would try and get her to skip work (At Capitol Hill!) because her work was less important than his! If you're interested in any of Elvis's work, I highly, devotedly recommend Ernst Jorgensen's Elvis: A Life in Music. This man is the one who should get all the credit for Elvis's legacy continuing so far. Forget EPE, RCA, Sony, all of them. He is the supreme Elvis historian, has scoured and catalogued the vaults for all Elvis' recorded material. He is involved with the FTD label, which rescued and released all the outtakes, alternate versions, studio banter, concert soundboard recordings, everything. He is my hero. I think everyone has a different version of Elvis that they love, so if anyone else has any other recommendations, please chime in! And remember, we don't read a Stanley. Thank you for reaching out. Let me know what you end up reading next, I love a book discussion!

[orfeolookback]

9 People to Get To know Better Tag

Tagged by my beloved @mareenavee. thank youuu!! posting on the sideblog this time

◇3 ships

hmhmmmhmm GhiraZant (QUELLE SURPRISE), Faendal/Gwilin (hehe) and idk if da Wranduin or da Stormstrider for WoW...

◇first ship

GhiraZant back in the good old '13. I was ahead of the curve.

◇last song

Solarium - Radio Elvis. Beautiful song!

◇currently reading

The Nonexistent Knight by Italo Calvino (of course! recommended, i read it once a year)

Twilight Forest, Twilight King. This time chronologically because my memory has been bad for written art lol. Another must-read by @yiga-hellhole

◇last film

shivers. The Society of the Snow. Based on the story of the Andes Tragedy (Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571) very well-done and respectful imho. It better win an Oscar.

◇currently craving

a better government, less inflation, and a stable job!

tagging @yiga-hellhole ofc ^^ , @drowsy-fantasy, @ebthestarryknight (mf i already know but im curious abt their answers lol), @thalwhore, @cemeteries, @illithiad, @bootheminiaturegiantspacehamster,@thescrolls-haveforetold, @fliinnie, and my friends i couldn't tag because it's 9 people >:) if we're buddies and we've talked PLEASE post yours

[school-in-london]

20231125 10TH ANNIV. TOUR [TOKYO]

■ DJ: タイラダイスケ

Yuno / Fall In Love

Los Retros / Someone to Spend Time With

Kurt Vile / Gone Girl

The Arcs / Sunshine

Fonteyn / Girl on a Motorcycle

Hovvdy / True Love

Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard / On the Kill Again

Sam Blasucci / Sha La La

Big Thief / Forgotten Eyes

Primal Scream / Star

Daddy Freddy & Horace Andy / Dirty Money Business

Stimulator Jones / Need Your Body

OGRE YOU ASSHOLE / 真ん中で(from 浮かれている人twilight edition EP)

Janelle Monáe / Lipstick Lover

Cleo Sol / 23

Ami Faku & Gallo Remixed / There's Music in the Air (feat. Black Coffee)

Vampire Weekend / We Belong Together (feat. Danielle Haim)

Benny Sings / Pyjamas feat. Remi Wolf

lola coca / The Map

- ■ DJ: 遠藤孝行

Little Simz / Point and Kill (feat. Obongjayar)

Wu-Lu / Scrambled Tricks

Twin Peaks / Dance Through It

The Last Dinner Party / Sinner

Peace / Happy Cars

CAROLINE POLACHEK / Bunny Is A Rider

DEAN / Love (feat. Syd)

Dua Lipa / Houdini

Tame Impala / Is It True

Blur / Music Is My Radar

Water From Your Eyes / Out There

The XX / On Hold

The 1975 / Happiness

The Strokes / Brooklyn Bridge to Chorus

The Cribs / Men's Needs

Bloom Twins / Drunk & Loud

Thee Oh Sees / Die Laughing

Mock Media / Modern Visions

- ■ DJ: 村田タケル

Deadletter / Line The Cows

Water From Your Eyes / True Life

The Psychotic Monks / Post-Post-

Thank / Trouble Cube

Fat Dog / King of the Slugs

HMLTD / The End Is Now

Black Country, New Road / Dancers

boygenius / Not Strong Enough

Arlo Parks / Weightless

Emily Yacina / Gleaming

The Drums / I Want It All

Computerwife / Vacation

Royel Otis / I Wanna Dance With You

cumgirl8 / llc

Current Joys / Dr Satan

Lifeguard / 17-18 Lovesong

My Bloody Valentine / Nothing Much To Lose

Protomartyr / 3800 Tigers

bar italia / my little tony

Treeboy & Arc / Box Of Frogs

Italia 90 / Funny Bones

- ■ DJ: タイラダイスケ

Dehd / Bop

The Strokes / The Adults Are Talking

Dominic Fike / How Much Is Weed?

SuperJazzClub / Cameras

Watch the Ride & Nia Archives / Mash up the Dance

Miso / Emotions (feat. Lil Cherry)

Mura Masa / Whenever I Want

The Postal Service / Such Great Heights

Romy & Fred again.. / Strong

Troye Sivan / Rush

salute / Joy

Disclosure & RAYE / Waterfall

Jorja Smith / Little Things

PinkPantheress & Ice Spice / Boy's a liar Pt. 2

Eliza Rose / Better Love

bed / Kare Wa

Confidence Man / Angry Girl

Nirvana / Drain You

The Beatles / Tomorrow Never Know's

The Stone Roses / I Am The Resurrection

- ■ DJ: 遠藤孝行

LCD Soundsystem / All My Friends

Blur / Tender(Cornelius Remix)

Arctic Monkeys / 505

Hosegirl / Option8

Yuck / Get Away

Hole / Celebrity Skin

Courting / Flex

THEE MICHELLE GUN ELEPHANT / Danny Go

The Libertines / Don't Look Back Into the Sun

Equal Parts / lying Down

Ash / Burn Baby Burn

Bleachers / Modern Girl

Elvis Costello / Pump It Up

Catfish and the Bottlemen / Emily

Alvvays / Pharmacist

Ride / Chelsea Girl

- ■ DJ: 村田タケル

The Hazmats / Wondered

Yard Act / The Trapper's Pelts

Porchlight / Noel

Moin / Melon

Yo La Tengo / Fallout

Horsegirl / Anti-Groly

bar italia / worlds greatest emoter

bar italia / Polly Armour

bar italia / Punkt

Tramhaus / Karen is a Punk

shame / The Fall Of Paul

Double Virgo / No Sweat

Doss / Strawberry

Sextile / New York

Crack Cloud / Image Craft (Live in London)

Model/Actriz / Amaranth

black midi / John L

The Lounge Society / Last Breath

The Murder Capital / Return My Head

Moreish Idols / Chum

Pet Shimmers / Mortal Sport Argonaut

Exlovers / Moth-Eaten Memories

Italia 90 / New Factory

The Wake / On Our Hnoeymoon

The Cure / Jumping Someone Else's Train

HighSchool / Only a Dream

Courting / Famous

Tramhaus / Beep Beep

~Ending~ bar italia / Friends

[hooked-on-elvis]

i love the story behind this picture. It's worth retelling. ♥

The full story is on June Juanico's book, "Elvis: In the Twilight of Memory", and on Jay B. Leviton and Ger J. Rijff's book, "Elvis Close-up: Rare, Intimate, Unpublished Photographs of Elvis Presley in 1956". You need to read both to understand all the little details of this "Win A Date With Elvis" moment on August 10, 1956 prior to a concert at the Florida State Theater in Jacksonville, FL.

Oh, by the way, you can read the books online here and here [archive.org]. It's worth every second.

Elvis Presley assisting a fan who fainted at one of his concerts - 1956

[vintagepresley]

I can’t stop thinking about June’s book and when she and Elvis spoke for the last time in 1969. Much like the first time in ‘63.. it felt like no time had passed between them. The way he spoke to her as if they were still together. Especially in ‘69. I love that those days with June, her friend Pat and Buddy were the happiest times for him. “The good ol’ days.” 😭😭

[hooked-on-elvis]

"Nobody, but nobody, combs their hair as much as you do!"

— June Juanico to Elvis, in 1956.

Late August 1956

When he was working on the movie [Love Me Tender], Elvis had very little free time on his hands. His phone calls were coming every three to four days instead of every day, and always full of apologies for his busy schedule and for not having enough hours in the day.

Elvis phoned June while he was in Hollywood, by late August 1956, and talked to her about meeting his co-stars for the movie. At certain point, he mentioned the actor William Campbell, who plays Brett Reno, the second oldest of the Reno brothers.

“Have you ever heard of an actor named William Campbell?” He paused, waiting for a yes or no, then continued. “A nice-looking guy with wavy black hair. He plays in lots of Westerns.” “I think so, but I’m not sure,” I answered, knowing good and well the only Campbell I was familiar with was the chicken noodle soup variety. “Well, he plays my brother in the movie. Anyway, they wanted him to wear a hat in one scene and he refused. He was afraid it would mess up his hair. This guy can’t pass a mirror without stopping to inspect himself. He combs his hair more than I do.” “Now, Elvis, I don’t see how that could be possible. Nobody, but nobody, combs their hair as much as you do!”

Excerpt: "Elvis: In The Twilight of Memory" by June Juanico (1997) — Chapter 26: Western Union

Elvis' perfectly combed hair ♥ In fact, Elvis often carried a comb in his shirt's pocket in the 50's, as the last three pictures, taken by photographer Jay B. Levinton between August 10-12, 1956, reveal. Reading about this topic, stories involving Elvis overly combing his hair in the 50s, makes me think about the lyrics to Connie Steven's song "Sixteen Reasons": "The way you comb your hair... (...) That's just half of sixteen reasons why I (why I) love you."

[satninbaby]

someone on fb marketplace is selling a heap of elvis books and elvis: in the twilight of memory is in that pile and i’m literally trying to snatch it up

[hooked-on-elvis]

That is such a cute story! ♥

EP was meeting with a fan, winner of the contest "Win a Day With Elvis" by Hit Parader magazine, Miss Andrea June Stephens, just previous to his first concert in Jacksonville on August, 1956 at the Florida Theater (3 shows per day from August 10-11 — By the way, another thing happened that day, a famous story about how Elvis was asked to tone down his act onstage or else he could end up leaving the stage straight to jail, so that was the moment he refereed to during the '68 Comeback Special when he mentioned he just moved his pinky finger onstage during his performance. You can read more about that here [elvispresleymusic.com.au].

That fan fainting thing happened on August 10th, 1956, previous to Elvis' first performance at the Jacksonville's Florida Theater. Miss Andrea Stephens traveled from Atlanta to Jacksonville, Florida, to meet Elvis at his hotel room next to the concert site. She was inside his room with him and a bunch of people. The following excerpt will tell the story better:

Then he asked her to go out with him and get something to eat, cause after all she'd won a dinner date. And as they were just going out the hotel there was this girl standing there [outside Elvis' room door] and when she saw Elvis she just fainted and had to be carried inside. Elvis was real worried about her and immediately sat down next to her on the couch and held her hand and talked to her so softly, calling her 'honey' too. Suddenly there were lots of people standing around, so the girl must have been wondering where she was when she finally came to. There was Elvis holding her hand and all strange faces staring down at her. But then everybody was so nice and to show her how worried he was he asked her if she'd like an autograph. One of his friends that he called Red [West] quickly got him a souvenir program with his picture on the cover and the girl was just speechless when he signed it for her and told her it was for her to keep and please would she not faint when she saw him next time around. — Excerpt from "Elvis Close-up: Rare, Intimate, Unpublished Photographs of Elvis Presley in 1956" by Jay B. Leviton and Ger J. Rijff - Introduction by Burt Lode

Elvis and fan, Andrea June Stephens. She came to Jacksonville, Florida, from Atlanta, Georgia, after writing a prizewinning letter on why she would like to meet Elvis.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

At this time, Elvis was dating June Juanico. June was accompanying Elvis during this Jacksonville '56 tour so, naturally, she wrote about that moment in her book "Elvis: In The Twilight of Memory" (1997, Chapter 24: "Win a Date With Elvis"). June even met Andrea Stephens, and they all got along pretty well. ♥ I deeply recommend you reading June's book because her accounts are fascinating! To give you an idea about it, June tells how Elvis only was aware of this contest one day previous to meeting the winner. That's choking! Colonel Parker just let him know about it with enough time so he wouldn't be caught off guard. Anyway, there's more interesting things behind this 'Win a Date With Elvis" 1956 contest as in the whole 1956 mini tour in Florida on June's book.

when a fan fainted from seeing elvis & he stood by her side, holding & rubbing her hand..🥺 pls even fainted she's still the luckiest girl ever

[septembersghost]

now HOW had I not heard Memories yet? that song is too pretty!

i linked the philharmonic version because the added instruments are so beautiful, but now i have to say, have you seen him perform it during the '68 special? he's basically melting from his own gorgeousness the lights and the leather, but it is SO. the flawless mellifluousness of his vocals is everything.

[presleypictures]

“The memory that stands out most in my mind is the first time I saw that face. The face that was soon to be the most recognized face in the world; the deep-set eyes that would make girls scream and cry; the full, pouting lips that would make them swoon. I’ll never forget the first time I saw that face; the flawless face of Elvis Presley.”

– Excerpt from June Juanico’s book, “Elvis: In the Twilight of Memory.”

[hooked-on-elvis]

Elvis told his then sweetheart, June Juanico, what happened on October 18, 1956:

Early the following afternoon a friend called, asking if I had seen the Times-Picayune, one of the largest newspapers in the South, In it was an article about Elvis. I ran to the corner drugstore and bought a copy. The article was about Elvis, but the picture was of a man named Ed Hopper. Ed had the biggest black eye I’d ever seen. The story read: “ELVIS PRESLEY was engaged in a short fistfight with Ed Hopper and another service station attendant in Memphis. Elvis stopped by Hopper’s gas station in his $10,000 Lincoln Continental Mark 2 when a crowd began to gather, blocking the pumps …’

(...)

A while after, June met Elvis and, according to her, that's what Elvis had to say about the incident:

I asked Elvis to tell me about the gas station incident that had been reported in the papers. “It all happened real fast, June. After a few punches were thrown, we were all taken to jail. They charged us with disorderly conduct and assault and battery. We each had to post a bond of fifty-two dollars." (...) "The next day we had to go to court. Hopper — you saw his picture in the paper — and a guy who worked with Hopper named [Aubrey] Brown were both fined twenty-five dollars for assault, and I was acquitted. It wasn’t my fault. I stopped for gas and a few fans drove in and were blocking the gas pumps. I got out of the car to get some money out of my pocket to pay for the gas and this big son of a bitch starts pushing me around. I decked him, and then the other one starts some shit. It was all unnecessary, June, it really was.” Excerpt from "Elvis: In The Twilight of Memory" by June Juanico. Chapter 29: Hometown Mob.

Not much time afterwards, Clarence Harwell, owner of the Gulf service station in Memphis where the famous fight had taken place on October 18, publicly apologized for the incident and he also visited Elvis at his home (Audubon Drive, Memphis, TN) to apologize to him in person for the unfortunate incident at one of his gas stations (Gayoso and Second, Memphis, TN), to which Ed Hopper was the manager.

More details about this story and the location:

Elvis in court for a fight which he defended himself. Elvis is dismissed of all charges. Memphis, Tennessee. October 19, 1956

[nancywheeeler]

"your cosmic call sign" inspiration bible

it was very strange not writing yccs this week and knowing i wouldn't have a new chapter to post tonight, so i've finally organized the media influences and playlist i promised! under the cut are the many different movies / episodes / podcasts / music that inspired "your cosmic call sign." another huge thank you to everyone who came along on this intergalactic adventure with me!

MOVIES

The biggest influences on YCCS were Super 8 (alien vs. a pack of teenagers and their camera) and The Vast of Night + The Fog (small town vibes and radio broadcasts as a narrative device). While I recommend all the movies on this list, The Vast of Night and The Fog deserve more love! The Vast of Night is atmospheric sci-fi, reminiscent of 50s radio dramas, and The Fog is atmospheric horror. Both are 90 minutes and make for great Sunday night watches, especially once it's dark outside.

The Vast of Night (2019)

Arrival (2016)

Super 8 (2011)

Adventures in Babysitting (1987)

Explorers (1985)

Starman (1984)

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

The Fog (1980)

Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

The Blob (1958 & 1988)

Invaders from Mars (1953)

It Came from Space (1953)

The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

TWILIGHT ZONE EPISODES

Where Is Everybody? (S1E1)

Time Enough at Last (S1E8)

The Hitch-Hiker (S1E16)

The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street (S1E22)

Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up? (S2E28)

To Serve Man (S3E24)

Death Ship (S4E6)

PODCASTS

Conspiracy Theories: Montauk Project Pt. I & II

Mile Higher: The Montauk Project Conspiracy

YOUR COSMIC PLAYLIST

[asterisks: songs explicitly mentioned in YSSC]

Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft {Carpenters}

Always Something There to Remind Me {Naked Eyes}

Owner of a Lonely Heart {Yes}

Radio Ga Ga {Queen}

The Passenger {Iggy Pop}

Oh! You Pretty Things {David Bowie}*

Symptom of the Universe {Metallica}*

Interstellar Overdrive {Pink Floyd}

Ticket to the Moon {Electric Light Orchestra}

Planet Caravan {Black Sabbath}

Space Oddity {David Bowie}*

Captain Jack {Billy Joel}*

Midnight Special {Creedence Clearwater Revival}*

Since I’ve Been Loving You {Led Zeppelin}*

Comfortably Numb {Pink Floyd}*

What’s Happening?!?! {The Byrds}*

Vienna {Ultravox}

Moving in Stereo {The Cars}

More Than This {Roxy Music}

Memory Motel {The Rolling Stones}*

Satellite of Love {Lou Reed}

Take It to the Limit {Eagles}

‘39 {Queen}

Everybody Wants to Rule the World {Tears for Fears}

Hazy Shade of Winter {The Bangles}

Moonage Daydream {David Bowie}

Twilight {Electric Light Orchestra}

Mr. Spaceman {The Byrds}

This Time Tomorrow {The Kinks}

Across the Universe {The Beatles}*

Rocket Man {Elton John}

Goodbye Stranger {Supertramp}

Drive {The Cars}

Starcrossed Lovers {Siouxsie and the Banshees}

Because the Night {Patti Smith}

Radio, Radio {Elvis Costello & The Attractions}

You Can’t Always Get What You Want {The Rolling Stones}

This Must Be the Place {Talking Heads}

Stand By Me {John Lennon}

Darling Be Home Soon {The Lovin' Spoonful}

Starman {David Bowie}*

Eclipse {Pink Floyd}