#tam's book reviews 📚

[headfullofpresley]

𝐓𝐚𝐦'𝐬 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐬 #𝟏 📚

𝐄𝐥𝐯𝐢𝐬: 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐛𝐲 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝐉𝐮𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐨

Biloxi, Mississippi, 1955. When a friend of seventeen year old June Juanico invited her along to a concert by a popular young singer, she hesitated, but finally went. The singer, ofcourse, was Elvis Presley and when his eye caught June's, they both got all shook up. So began the most significant of his early relationships - a summer idyll of romance and playful fun that was to be a last stop of innocence on the path to self-destruction. In this clear-eyed, loving, and tender memoir, June gives us Elvis on the verge of mega-stardom, still a country kid with polite manners, a voice that melted hearts, and more sex appeal than anyone could handle.

Oh, to be young and in love... (and now we all let out a dreamy sigh)

If you're looking for a no-shit, no sugar coating, tell it how it is but sweet book about Elvis, this one is definitely it. Because that's exactly the type of person June Juanico is; she's sweet but she doesn't take shit from anyone and tells it how it is. Even to Elvis.

The book is written in almost a diary kind of style, which is accurate because she kept a diary in that time and wrote her moments with Elvis down. It's a love story and a sweet one at that- June does a really good job of taking you right into the '50s. The book only has about 300 pages and 40 chapters, so it's an easy and quick read. And a very fun one!

June dedicates her book to Elvis fans everywhere and Gladys Love Presley, "the greatest fan he ever had".

(A quote of The Prophet, which was given to Elvis by June.)

Peter Guralnick wrote the introduction for this book and he wrote: "There have been lots of books written about Elvis Presley, ofcourse, with probably as many personal memoirs among them as have attached to any other cultural figure or entertainer in history. Some have been spurious, a number seem to have been written out of little more than personal rancor, motivation has ranged from love to money to self-adumbration (never has one man had so many chief advisers). Virtually none have actually been put together by their narrators. That is one of the things that makes June Juanico's book different; it is not simply that she has written a book that is filled with feeling and insight, that conveys an experience with truth and without rancor, about a real, not-mythic Elvis Presley. She has also written (and rewritten) every word herself and in the process produced an account that is as touching in its unadorned honesty as it is refreshing in its feisty and unself-censored voice.

June Juanico's book carries conviction in its very simplicity, but don't be misled by that simplicity. There's a writer, too. And we are getting the benefit not just of her experiences but of her insights as well."

Naturally, the book starts with a prologue- in this case, it's June and her friend Pat driving to New Orleans. June has her mind set on one thing and that is to end things with Elvis. Even Pat cannot persuade her to change her mind- she's engaged to be married to Fabian Taranto and she's going to leave Elvis in the past.

But... more on that later.

The story starts with June telling us a little about her life and her childhood. Her father, who carried Spanish and Native American heritage, was a handsome athlete in high school, where he met June's mother. They got married when her mother was sixteen and after five years, welcomed a boy into the family. Two years later, June came.

Her father wasn't a very fun drunk and when her mother caught him cheating, she threw him out. Even though June wasn't the oldest, she was the only female in the household next to her mother who had to work to provide for her family so June was in charge of cooking and cleaning. That's all she really writes about her childhood and then we move on to 1955, where Elvis comes in the picture.

June was invited to an Elvis show by Glenda, a close friend. June had plans with the guy she was dating at the time so she didn't want to go at first but she eventually agreed.

Their eyes meet a few times from the stage and when Elvis takes a break, he stops June when she comes out of the ladies' room. She's trying to play hard to get, but who is she kidding? When he asks her to show her around town after the show, she agrees. And it's cutest thing ever.

(I highlighted so many things and put so many tabs in this book and I can't share all of them in one post - damn you tumblr! - but they're just the cutest!)

They were out until 6 o'clock in the morning, talking and talking. After that, Elvis called her house, her brother picked up and well... June and Elvis didn't see each other again until 1956 when she went on a trip to Memphis with a few girlfriends (she wanted to go to Florida instead, I'm sure she's glad that didn't happen👀).

The girls hang around Audubon Drive, sooo Elvis and June reunite again. They spend time together and naturally, fall in love. He's open about his feelings with her and she calls him out on his bullshit - because you know, a guy is a guy and they use lines to get what they want. But not Elvis- he means what he says and it doesn't take June long to meet the parents. Vernon doesn't talk much, but Gladys adores June and this is one of my favorite things about the book. Whenever June was over at the house in Memphis, Gladys treated her like a daughter of her own and I really feel like Gladys wanted them to marry and have babies. June was the perfect girl in Gladys' eyes; she could cook, she could clean and she was a nice, normal girl. June called her "Lovie" and Gladys called her "little Satnin"... Oh, my heart. MY HEARTTTT. 😫

(June with the '56 Cadillac Eldorado they picked up in Houston and drove back to Memphis together. Photo taken by Elvis in June's driveway in Biloxi.)

ANYWAYS, the urge to describe every chapter of this book? Big. Very big. But I won't- I'm not that crazy and I won't spill everything. Takes the fun of reading it yourself away.

Elvis blurts out the L word quick. After four days, to be exact. And so does June. They're in love, that kind of young love where you don't want to spend a minute away from each other but June has to go back to Biloxi and they're forced to spend a little time apart. Not very long though because Elvis finds his way to Biloxi and they're together again, along with their friends.

Their group exists out of June, Elvis, Red, Junior, Gene, Arthur Hooten and June's friends Pat and Buddy who quickly become Elvis' friends too. They go deepsea fishing (joined by Vernon and Gladys and a few others), take a trip to New Orleans with just Vernon and Gladys and ugh, they just take every minute they can get together. Which, when it comes to Elvis and June, was almost every minute of the day when they had the chance. Their little dates are the sweetest thing to read about and their little group of friends seem so fun to hang out with (minus June and Pat accidentally walking in on Red having sex with a random girl, woops). The way this is written, it really feels you're there and it gets better when they join Elvis on the Florida tour. They watch the show from the side of the stage, hang backstage, at motels, go on drives, go horseback riding.

Just fun, carefree stuff. And that's exactly how this book and their romance feels- fun and carefree. There's no real heavy stuff written here like in some other Elvis books. And yes, June and Elvis had their little "fights" or an argument now and then, but it never lasted long and June was like "fuck you!". Well, not in those exact words, but she didn't put up with any shit and said whenever something bothered her. Elvis' jealous side is shown in this book too, as well as how fast his mood could turn around- June doesn't seem like the type of person who would be completely "submissive" to him, or any other man, and she never was.

Personally, I love that kind of dynamic in a relationship.

June doesn't describe much about them being intimate other than a make out session that almost went too far in the car and in the pool and Gladys knocking on the door when Elvis was about to... enter.. June, but that's it and that's enough for this story. If she would've described their entire sex life, I think it would've taken away from the sweetness and almost innocent like feel of this book. It's perfectly fine without it.

When the tour was over, June went to visit Elvis in Memphis again with Pat- he was supposed to transfer money to her for the flight, but the money never came and she found out the next day it was because Elvis had that fight at the gas station. Woops! The next day, they were off to Memphis though and June and Nick Adams met. June did not like Nick at all and as The Colonel's spy, he tried to get inbetween her and Elvis a few times, asking her and Pat all kinds of weird ass questions but luckily neither of them fell for it. Elvis wrote it off as nothing when she told him about it and June stayed somewhat.. civilized toward Nick, but she sure made it known she didn't like the sucker at all.

(Nick wore "Hollywood Teeth", a curved thin strip of teeth that slip over your own, as did Elvis. He couldn't eat with them and June would hold onto them sometimes; this is what she decided to do with them during a family dinner and I screamed reading this. June is such a vibe.)

When Elvis had to leave to New York for the Ed Sullivan show, he wanted June to join him but she didn't want to (she still had a worried mother back in Biloxi and couldn't just up and leave to NY). Then Elvis tried to get her to stay behind in Memphis with his parents, but things ended in an argument, with her saying she'd be back when Nick left and Elvis telling her fine, whatevurrrr. Naturally, their argument didn't last long- they apologized to each other, exchanged their 'I love you's' and spend their last bit of time together. This time, it would be their last time together as a couple.

(June and Elvis with Vernon and Gladys on a deepsea fishing trip.)

Elvis and June's phone calls were getting less frequent. He didn't call for her birthday and when she saw a picture of him and a showgirl from Vegas he brought home, let's just say she wasn't very happy. And then another photo surfaced of Elvis and a showgirl and then a few days after Christmas (which he spend with another girl), he called. The conversation was rushed, him wishing her a Happy New Year and I think by then, June had made her decision.

She writes: "I didn't mind sharing Elvis with his fans; that part was easy. I just couldn't share him with other loves. I couldn't spend my life waiting in the wings - and I wouldn't! I had to be not just his number one, but his one and only."

(Telegram sent by Elvis to June, March 18, 1957.)

When June received Elvis' telegram, she was already engaged to Fabian Taranto. She did make the trip to New Orleans though and Elvis' parade was soon rained on when she told the news about her engagement. The next day papers headlined "Elvis buys Graceland!" and she couldn't help but wonder if that was the surprise Elvis was talking about when she got on that train in NOLA, only to jump off minutes later and leave Elvis Presley in the past.

But come on, nobody puts Elvis Presley in the past. (Nobody puts Baby in the corner - ok, kidding)

Pat and June fight, like.. fight fight. They have to be pulled apart by Fabian. Pat takes Elvis' side and thinks June is making a mistake by letting him go and I think it's because Pat didn't wanted the fun to end. Her group of dear friends she always had so much fun with was breaking apart and growing up and there was nothing she could do about it. Pat still visits Graceland at that time and hangs out with the guys and she notices Elvis still has a copy of The Prophet, believing it's still the one June gave him.

When Gladys passed away, June was in the hospital giving birth to her first and only son. Pat and June make up again and their friendship lasted a lifetime. In 1962, June gives birth to a daughter. In 1963, June visits Memphis for a bowling tournament she was in and decides to visit Graceland - they recognize her and let her in, but then she leaves so she can surprise Elvis at the theater he's at.

They hug and they talk and Elvis invites her over to Graceland the next day. She's excited but the next day she hears Elvis is having "personal problems" and wouldn't be able to see her and her bowling team, sending his regards.

But! The universe works in funny little ways. And sometimes real terrible ways- a hurricane devastates the entire coastline of Mississippi in 1969 and Fabian stays behind in Biloxi Bay, while June and her children move in with Fabian's brother, Wally, in Vegas. Who is also friends with... you guessed it, Elvis!

Wally worked at the International and they attended an Elvis show together. I guess Wally was excited about his sister in law being Elvis' ex-girlfriend, because as soon as they got home, he immediately phoned backstage at the International and paged Joe.

Elvis and June talked over the phone. They talk about the hurricane, a little about the past, their children, and June tells him about Buddy's battle with cancer and his passing. It frustrates Elvis, who says: "Damn! Damn! Why is it the good die young, June? Why? Damn! I sure hate hearing that about good old Buddy. I really liked old Buddy,"

Why is it the good die young?

This line tugs at my heartstrings every time I read it. It's a question I am sure we all ask so often and a question that frustrates us and makes us sad, especially when it comes to Elvis.

She asks him what he does to unwind after a show and he tells her he reads. He reads a book someone very special once gave to him, he's read it at least a million times and keeps a copy on him at all times. It's his unwinder. He's talking about The Prophet.

Their phone call ends with telling each other to take care of themselves and them exchanging "I love you's". This time, truly for the last time.

Pat being a flight attendant, the girls don't see each other very often but on the 4th of July in 1977, a party is thrown in her honor. Pat expresses worry about Elvis to June, saying that there was something about Gladys and him being the same age, Elvis not being in the best health and pressing how he was with his premonitions of death. Pat wants to visit Memphis with June to check on him and see if there is a way they can help- they try to plan a trip to Memphis but June is worried Fabian wouldn't be too happy with the news.

She suggests that they'll go to Elvis' show in Biloxi a few months later, but by then it's too late. The concert was planned for September 1977, a month after his passing.

And that's how this book ends. In my opinion, it's a rather.. abrupt end. I expected more from the ending. June talks highly about Elvis and the way she feels about him and about all their moments together, but on the last page, there's a lack of... emotion? I don't doubt that June loves Elvis and that he was her first love, which is the reason why I was like... huh? The end? GIRLY JUANICO, PLS. But that could just be me.

I absolutely adore this book and it's one of my favorites. Like I stated before, it's a very fun and quick read. It's light, there's no extremely heavy topics imo, and I think June intended it to be this way, hence the reason for the ending I think. It's mostly about two young people in love and having as much fun with each other as they can. It's beautiful and heartwarming and June did a really good job at taking you straight into 1956 along with her, Elvis and their friends- it made me want to be there! There is so so SO much more in this book than what I've described, so if you have not read it, I totally recommend to get your hands on this one. It's a gem. A sweet, teeth rottin' gem.

Definitely a 9/10 for me! 💗

(June and Fabian.)

All opinions on this book are mine. If yours are different, that's totally okay too. Want to discuss? Leave a comment or slide into my inbox! I'd love to hear your opinion on this book if you've read it, or if you are planning on reading it. 💌

[headfullofpresley]

Hi love! Do you have a list of favorite Elvis book recs by chance? Thank you so much 💖

Hi nonnie! Sure, I do~

My personal favorite is Jerry's book, Me and a Guy Named Elvis. The book is absolutely beautifully written and it makes you feel as if you were actually there living the moments. The book mostly revolves around Elvis but not only; Jerry also tells about his own life which is very interesting. You can really see him growing up and growing the balls to talk back to Elvis and eventually choose himself and the career path he wants to follow. It also gives a good insight on the relationship of Elvis and the Colonel, and shows a 3D verson of Elvis himself - so not only the good sides of him, which I personally like.

Even though a lot of people have different opinions on this one, I also really liked Priscilla's book Elvis and Me. It's a quick read but it'll suck you in completely. It takes you through the story of Cilla growing from a young somewhat naive girl to a woman finding who she is and where her place in the world is. I loved it.

Now, if you're interested in learning more about the Colonel and Elvis, I suggest The Extraordinary Story of Colonel Tom Parker and Elvis Presley by Alanna Nash. I personally like reading about every aspect of his life, but if you're more interested in his relationships and such, go for Elvis Presley and the Women Who Loved Him also written by Nash.

Linda's book A Little Thing Called Life is also definitely worth a read! I love her and I loved reading about her life not only with Elvis but also with Bruce Jenner and David Foster.

If you are interested in Elvis' spiritual journey, go for Larry Geller's If I Can Dream: Elvis' Own Story. It's an interesting read.

Last but definitely not least, Peter Guralnick's Last Train to Memphis and Careless Love: the unmaking of Elvis Presley. These might actually be the best books out there in my opinion and I'd say to start with those if you don't know where to start. Careless Love is definitely a heavier piece of work and you'll probably cry. You'll definitely cry.

Currently I'm reading June Juanico's book and so far, I love it! 💗

[headfullofpresley]

A quickie book review!

Colonel Parker - Hero or Heel by Todd Slaughter.

Hi, hello! Sooo.. I just finished this book and I said I'd do a review on it, so here we go. It'll probably be shorter than my previous one because I'm a lazy biiish but I wanted to put it out there nonetheless.

If you're set on Baz' movie and believe the movie to be facts, this book might not be for you. If you want to learn more about The Colonel and what he was all about, this book is a good buy. I'm not here to change anyone's opinion about the man (y'all do you) but it's simply not what Hollywood and the media have made it out to be throughout the years.

(!!!) Trigger warnings for S/A and r*pe.

Todd Slaughter is a writer and Elvis fan from England. But not just any Elvis fan; he ran the official British Elvis Presley fanclub pretty much all throughout Elvis' career and there after.

To The Colonel, he was quickly turned from a fan into a friend and Todd traveled back and forth from the UK to the States with and without the fanclub. Todd became a pretty well known name in the Elvis world and even among big names in the industry.

He has been to Parker's house several times, they went out to lunch, Todd was part of meetings and whatnot. He met Elvis on a few occasions too, presenting him with fanclub trophies and stuff like that as The Colonel would let a few members of the fan club backstage.

Todd and The Colonel kept in touch all throughout The Colonel's life- writing and calling. The Colonel phoned Todd every month.

First things first: was Parker an illegal citizen?

He wasn't. It's most likely he entered the States without papers, but at the time he did, this wasn't something unusual. He served in the U.S. Army for four years (1929-1933), this alone led him to no longer being an 'illegal alien'. Later on, he got married to a U.S. citizen (Marie Ross) which also provided him with a legal right to live in the States.

He had a social security number, he worked for a politician and for the City of Tampa. He founded several companies, paid millions in taxes and lived a very public life. I don't think anyone who resides in a country illegally would be this reckless and careless. He also had access to (and became friends with- work!) six presidents throughout his life.

We can also wipe the assumptions that Elvis didn't know The Colonel was Dutch off the table. Elvis knew. He met The Colonel's brother (who didn't speak any English) in the early '60s, The Colonel told Elvis he had family left in the Netherlands and Elvis' response was: "Maybe we can visit them someday."

Elvis has been to Breda to drop off a package in Parker's name during his years in the army, buuut that's a whole 'nother story.

The rumors about The Colonel committing a murder are also just that: rumors. There aren't any recognisable connections between the victim and Parker (other than them being from the same city) nor a motive. His migration to the States had been planned for a long time. He didn't flee. The murder story is nothing more than a publicity ploy to help promote another book on Colonel Parker. (Ahem- Nash Trash).

Trigger warning here!!

Before The Colonel's first trip to the States (which is not a lot known of other than the fact he stayed with a Dutch family in Jersey), his maternal grandfather told him: "When you can, run away, boy. There's a whole world out there into which you can disappear."

The reason for this being that Parker sought sanctuary with his grandfather when he'd disappear for days on end because he was frequently sexually assaulted and r*ped by a family member. The book also mentions something about gang r*pe, so I believe more people were involved at some point.

When he returned to the Netherlands, he was faced with the same abuse. He didn't get help or comfort from his parents and when he left for the States this time, he told his mother he would never be returning to Europe when he crossed the Atlantic for the second time- she was unmoved by his statement. The Colonel sent his mother money until the day she died but she never acknowledged it or contacted her son again. When hearing about his mothers' death from Ad (his brother), he was broken.

The Colonel never liked talking about his family back home or WW2 and the German occupation in the Netherlands (despite him not being in the country himself, he was still Dutch). Loanne, Parker's last wife, told Todd that his sister had been r*ped by a German soldier, hence why he never visited Elvis in the army- besides, he was too busy making sure Elvis still received the same attention as before he got enlisted.

End of trigger warning!!!

The reason for not wanting to visit Germany sounds accurate to me. My grandmother was a young girl in German occupied Holland and she disliked Germans for the rest of her life. Not saying here that The Colonel felt like that until the end of his life, but a lot of Dutch people felt like that toward the Germans, even many years after the war.

Now about him not wanting Elvis to go overseas- from what I gather in this book, he did want it. It just never happened due to several factors. And even if The Colonel didn't have a "passport", getting one would have been a piece of cake for a taxpayer like him and being the manager of Elvis Presley. He wouldn't've let something as big as a world tour fail because of something so minor and easily resolvable.

People seem to forget that he escorted Elvis to Canada in 1957 and accompanied him to Hawaii in the same year. Hawaii didn't become the 50th state of the US until August, 1959.

The Colonel also did not steal anyone's name. It was usual for a carny to take on a different name and he did so because Andreas van Kuijk was too difficult to pronounce for English speakers. He got the title "Colonel" by Jimmie Davies, Governor of Louisiana, in 1949 to thank him for his support during a campaign. Before Elvis, The Colonel was already a highly successful artist manager and tour organizer for country music top acts like Eddy Arnold and Hank Snow.

There also have been rumors going around how The Colonel supposedly made chickens dance on hotplates and all kinds of shit that would indicate he abused animals. But would an animal abuser direct a municipal animal home where he took care of abandoned and abused animals and install a pet cemetery? I don't think so. Sure, he made good money with it, but it doesn't make him an animal abuser. I think he loved animals (it's said more than he liked people sometimes) and we all know how fascinated he was with elephants.

The 50-50 deal...

is a bust? jk lol.

Honestly, I have trouble putting my opinion in a proper sentence on this, lol. English is not my native language and there was a lot of numbers and business talk in this book. My brain needs a rest.

But the 50-50 thing was only for Special Projects. And hey, I might get shit for this, but fuck it; it's a business deal. It wasn't like Elvis was eating dry bread every day. He still got 75% for everything else while The Colonel got his 25% share. Even in the 1950s, Elvis was the highest paid entertainer in the music industry.

It had been The Colonel's intention that the comeback special should become an annual thing (like Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, etc. did) but according to Charlie Hodge, Elvis didn't agree with it because he was nervous about the format and didn't want to perform the movie recreation segments.

Parker didn't force Elvis on stage when he wasn't doing well- sure, contracts were signed and both men had obligations to fullfil, but he actually made Elvis cancel Vegas shows at times when he saw Elvis wasn't doing too well.

Elvis wasn't a dancing monkey trapped in a golden cage as some people make it seem like. He was a grown man and he wasn't always easy to deal with, everyone knows this. Do I think The Colonel was a saint? Ofcourse not, but he was a human being and a businessman through and through. His only job was to get the highest amount of money possible out of whatever Elvis did artistically, because that's what managers do.

Elvis complained at times, yes. Elvis felt trapped in Hollywood from 1963 and after, yes. But he wasn't the type of person to argue with the man who was still bringing in millions of dollars, no matter how "superficial" or whatever that might sound.

Saying The Colonel is the one who killed Elvis Presley is absurd.

Anyways, I said this was a quick one, but it's already getting too damn long, lol. My opinion is that The Colonel genuinely cared for Elvis and wanted him to be as successful as possible. I believe them to have a friendly relationship with each other, but that they could butt heads as well. Unlike other managers, The Colonel only had Elvis and focused all his attention on Elvis alone rather than managing several artists at once, and he managed to do a good job.

We will never know what truly happened and what words were truly spoken between Elvis and anyone in his life. But if you're holding on to the thought that The Colonel was some kind of monster and the downfall of Elvis, you need to look further than your nose. It's easy to point fingers, but it's unfair.

Even after Elvis' death, The Colonel kept in touch with the fans. He talks about how it's important to keep Elvis' legacy alive, so that newer generations can experience the magic of him. I don't think he ever said a bad word about Elvis, ever.

When Bobby Mann, Elvis' cousin, was paid by a magazine to snap a picture of Elvis in his coffin (and succeeded in it. The magazine put the picture on the cover and sold 6.5 million copies), The Colonel said:

"Elvis was a private individual off stage, and he would not have wanted his fans to see his corpse. It wasn't right for me to interfere in Vernon's wishes, but Elvis would have hated that publicity and all the after-death rumours." His wife Loanne, as well as Joe Esposito and Charlie Hodge agreed to this on different occasions.

The Colonel also said in an interview in later years that Elvis was such a talent, that anyone could've made him a star. Maybe, maybe not- but I think The Colonel is a big and important part of Elvis' legacy and he shouldn't be sweeped under the rug, or be painted as some kind of money grabbing monster. In my opinion, the world simply isn't that black and white.

On January 20, 1997, The Colonel suffered a stroke and died the following morning from complications in a Las Vegas hospital at the age of 87. His funeral was held at the Las Vegas Hilton, which was attended by a handful of friends and associates, including Eddy Arnold, Sam Philips and Priscilla Presley.

Priscilla spoke at the funeral, saying: "Elvis and the Colonel made history together, and the world is richer, better and far more interesting because of their collaboration. And now I need to locate my wallet, because I noticed there was no ticket booth on the way in here, but I'm sure that the Colonel must have arranged for some toll on the way out!"

According to Tom Hanks, who had thought Elvis' manager was nothing but a cheap crook, both Jerry and Priscilla said he was a nice man.

Loanne Parker asked that donations be sent to the SUN Youth Camp Fund in lieu of flowers. Her late husband had given thousands of dollars to the camp fund over the years, just like he made many donations to different charities with Elvis in past years.

The Colonel was cremated and put to rest at Palm Cemetery.

(The Colonel at Elvis' grave at the Meditation Garden.)