The Memphis Mafia

Elvis Aaron Presley was born on January 8, 1935 in East Tupelo, Mississippi, to Gladys Presley (née Gladys Love Smith) and Vernon Presley (Vernon Elvis Presley). He had a twin brother who was stillborn. In 1948, Elvis and his parents moved to Memphis, Tennessee where he attended Humes High School. In 1953, he attended the senior prom with the current girl he was courting, Regis Wilson. After graduating from high school in Memphis, Elvis took odd jobs working as a movie theater usher and a truck driver for Crown Electric Company. He began singing locally as "The Hillbilly Cat", then signed with a local recording company, and then with RCA in 1955.

Elvis did much to establish early rock and roll music. He began his career as a performer of rockabilly, an up-tempo fusion of country music and rhythm and blues, with a strong backbeat. His novel versions of existing songs, mixing 'black' and 'white' sounds, made him popular - and controversial - as did his uninhibited stage and television performances. He recorded songs in the rock and roll genre, with tracks like "Jailhouse Rock" and "Hound Dog" later embodying the style. Presley had a versatile voice and had unusually wide success encompassing other genres, including gospel, blues, ballads and pop music. Teenage girls became hysterical over his blatantly sexual gyrations, particularly the one that got him nicknamed "Elvis the Pelvis" (television cameras were not permitted to film below his waist).

In 1956, following his six television appearances on The Dorsey Brothers' "Stage Show", Elvis was cast in his first acting role, in a supporting part in Love Me Tender (1956), the first of 33 movies he starred in.

In 1958, Elvis was drafted into the military, and relocated to Bad Nauheim, Germany. There he met 14-year old army damsel Priscilla Ann Wagner (Priscilla Presley), whom he would eventually marry after an eight-year courtship, and by whom he had his only child, Lisa Marie Presley. Elvis' military service and the "British Invasion" of the 1960s reduced his concerts, though not his movie/recording income.

Through the 1960s, Elvis settled in Hollywood, where he starred in the majority of his thirty-three movies, mainly musicals, acting alongside some of the most well known actors in Hollywood. Critics panned most of his films, but they did very well at the box office, earning upwards of $150 million total. His last fiction film, Change of Habit (1969), deals with several social issues; romance within the clergy, an autistic child, almost unheard of in 1969, rape, and mob violence. It has recently received critical acclaim.

Elvis made a comeback in the 1970s with live concert appearances starting in early 1970 in Las Vegas with over 57 sold-out shows. He toured throughout the United States, appearing on-stage in over 500 live appearances, many of them sold out shows. His marriage ended in divorce, and the stress of constantly traveling as well as his increasing weight gain and dependence upon stimulants and depressants took their toll.

Elvis Presley died at age 42 on August 16, 1977 at his mansion in Graceland, near Memphis, shocking his fans worldwide. At the time of his death, he had sold more than 600 million singles and albums. Since his death, Graceland has become a shrine for millions of followers worldwide. Elvis impersonators and purported sightings have become stock subjects for humorists. To date, Elvis Presley is the only performer to have been inducted into three separate music 'Halls of Fame'. Throughout his career, he set records for concert attendance, television ratings and recordings sales, and remains one of the best-selling and most influential artists in the history of popular music.

Richard Davis is known for Under Siege (1992), Holes (2003) and The Guardian (2006).

Joe Esposito was born in 1938. He first met singer Elvis Presley while they both were in the military in 1958. They both went through basic training at Fort Hood, Texas, but they didn't meet face to face until a year later when they were stationed in West Germany, where they became fast friends. Esposito became Elvis's road manager and bodyguard beginning in 1960 and helped Elvis's aide Marty Lacker with the bookkeeping. It was Esposito who arranged women for Elvis to date. Esposito served as the best man at Elvis's wedding while Esposito's wife, Joan, served as the matron of honor. Esposito also played the guitar for Elvis's recording sessions from 1971 onward. After Elvis's death in 1977, Esposito started his own business, the Sterling Coach Company, a Los Angeles limousine service. He later became the road manager for the Bee Gees. Esposito appeared in several of Elvis's films and portrayed himself in the 1981 movie This Is Elvis.

Lamar Fike was born on 11 November 1935 in Cleveland, Mississippi, USA. He was an actor and production manager, known for Elvis: That's the Way It Is (1970), Elvis: The Comeback Special (1968) and Elvis: The Final Hours (2018). He died on 21 January 2011 in Arlington, Texas, USA.

Alan Fortas was born on 6 April 1936. He died on 23 September 1992.

Dave Hebler is known for The King's Bodyguard (The Dave Hebler Story) and A Little Bit of Elvis (1998).

Charlie first met Elvis in 1955 backstage at the Ellis Auditorium in Memphis, TN. where Charlie was performing with his gospel quartet, "The Foggy River Boys". He befriended him in the Army and would continue working for Elvis for 17 years until Elvis's death. In his time working with Elvis he became Elvis's closest friend, confidant, sideman, vocal coach, member of the Memphis Mafia, he sang harmony for Elvis, and was his stage manager.

Marty Lacker was one of Elvis Presley's' most trusted friends as well as being part of the infamous group of men who lived with, worked with, had personal and professional relationships with Elvis and were known as "The Memphis Mafia".

Marty first met Elvis when he was in junior High School in Memphis Tennessee. When Elvis married Priscilla, which occurred on May 1, 1967, Marty Lacker was one of two "best men" that Elvis chose.

Along with being a trusted friend Marty worked with Elvis in several positions including bookkeeper, secretary, and "sounding board". However, no "title" can fully/adequately define the relationship between Elvis and Marty that endured for three decades.

Since Elvis' passing Marty has been a tireless advocate about Elvis and has (thankfully) shared his; memories, passions, insights, etc. about Elvis in several books and DVD productions.

Jerry Schilling was born on 6 February 1942 in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. He is a producer, known for Elvis & Nixon (2016), Heartbreak Hotel (1988) and Great Balls of Fire! (1989). He has been married to Cindy Bennett since 2000. He was previously married to Myrna Smith and Sandy Kawelo.

Billy Smith is known for Elvis (1979), Elvis: The Men Who Knew Him Best (2019) and The Don Lane Show (1975). He is married to Jo A. Smith.

Del 'Sonny' West was born on 5 July 1938 in Memphis, Tennessee. He was an actor, known for Stay Away, Joe (1968), Bigfoot (1970) and The Hellcats (1968). He was married to Judith Jordan. He died on 24 May 2017 in Tennessee, USA.

Robert Gene "Red" West was a close friend of Elvis Presley and a member of Presley's inner circle, known as "The Memphis Mafia." He first met Elvis in high school, where he was a year behind him. West played football for the Memphis Tigers high school football team, boxed in the Golden Gloves and played football for the Jones County Junior College Bobcats playing center.

West lived with his mother, Lois West, in the Hurt Housing project in Memphis. West became Elvis's personal driver in driving Elvis and band members Scotty Moore, Bill Black and later D.J. Fontana to different Southern cities for live appearances from 1955 to 1956. West served in the US Marine Corps from 1956 to late 1958 and was stationed in Norfolk, Virginia, which allowed him to stay in contact with Elvis. On August 14, 1958, West's estranged father, Newton Thomas West, died, the same day as Elvis' mother, Gladys Presley.

After Elvis' discharge from the US Army in 1960, West was employed as one of the star's bodyguards. Over the years, Elvis bought West a number of vehicles as he became a world-famous celebrity. West also became a movie stuntman and appeared in 16 of Elvis' films in the 1960s, usually playing extras or bit and supporting parts. West married one of Elvis' secretaries, Pat West, on July 1, 1961. West became a songwriter for songs that Elvis, Pat Boone, Ricky Nelson and Johnny Rivers recorded, including the classic tune "Separate Ways" for Elvis, which won a BMI Award. In addition to the Elvis movies, West appeared in three Robert Conrad TV series The Wild Wild West (1965), Black Sheep Squadron (1976) and The Duke (1979). During the 1970s West, his cousin Del 'Sonny' West, and Dave Hebler served as Elvis' bodyguards, in charge of his daily transportation and keeping weirdo or potentially dangerous fans away from him. On July 13, 1976, Vernon Presley, Elvis' father, fired all three bodyguards, criticizing what he believed to be their heavy-handed tactics. The three later collaborated on a book about their lives as Elvis' bodyguards, which was published just two weeks before Elvis' death in 1977.

West continued his acting and songwriting careers, the former until 2015, two years before his death.