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List Price: $15.00 | | Publisher: Gotham
Salesrank: 293356
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| Media: Paperback |
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Editorial Review:
Commemorating the thirtieth anniversary of Elvis’s death, an intimate memoir of a friendship with the greatest artist in rock and roll history, taking you from late-night parties at Graceland to the bright lights of Hollywood sets and glittering stages of Vegas.
On a lazy Sunday in 1954, twelve-year-old Jerry Schilling wandered into a Memphis touch football game, only to discover that his team was quarterbacked by a nineteen-year-old Elvis Presley, the local teenager whose first record, "That’s All Right," had just received its first play on Memphis radio. The two became fast friends, even as Elvis turned into the world’s biggest star. In 1964, Elvis invited Jerry to work for him as part of his "Memphis Mafia," and Jerry soon found himself living with Elvis full-time in a Bel Air mansion and, later, in his own room at Graceland. Over the next thirteen years Jerry would work for Elvis in various capacities—from bodyguard to photo double to co-executive producer on a karate film.
Me and a Guy Named Elvis looks at Presley from a friend’s perspective, offering readers the man rather than the icon. Spanning Elvis’s meteoric rise to those later troubled years, Jerry’s story offers never-before-told stories about life inside Elvis’s inner circle, and an insightful, emotional recounting of the great times, hard times, and unique times he and Elvis shared. Schilling’s vivid memories will be priceless to Elvis’s millions of fans, and his compelling life story will be fascinating to an even wider audience.
Me and a Guy Named Elvis: My Lifelong Friendship with Elvis Presley Reviews:
Political and Social "views" 
2009-05-21 - I would like to respond to the reviewer who describes as an "ommission" Elvis' political and social views. Firstly, listen to the music. From 1968 to mid-August 1970, Elvis recorded a steady stream of "topical" (if you must) type songs. "If I Can Dream" was sung, in the version on the single, while Elvis was curled up in a fetal position on a concrete studio floor. After that, he had a hit record with "In The Ghetto" as everyone knows, and then he combined a lovely "Luke the Drifter" commentary (making it STRONGER thank Williams' original in saying "no matter where HE starts, which takes the focus off the "helper" and on to society's victims, and says to extend compassion to absolutely ANY human being) with "Walk a Mile in My Shoes" (I don't think Joe South has heard or seen this version because he comments on a bad version in a bad book called "Writing for the King" which is mostly about SONY protecting its Tree Publishing assests and perhaps others, and South's song is among many included on the "Elvis sings 'em" disc, and it's not the worst, but close. He should hear the other versions, especially the combo with Hank Williams, which is beautiful. He recorded a religious/topical song for his last film about THREE times because it struck such a strong chord in him. There are at least 5 more, all during this time.
The problem with many biographers is that they tend to have tunnel vision on Elvis, while ignoring the world around him. By late 1970, Nixon, under pressure from those around him (not just Agnew, who Elvis "interviewed," in my take on it: he lived right down the street, but Art Linkletter and his daughter who died, and Linkletter blamed it on a BAD TRIP: well, you know Elvis did Acid, but we'll never quite know how many times: the stories keep changing, for obvious reasons: they can't remember it all that well {grin} and others), and started a "Was On Drugs." Elvis read ALL the newspapers: believe it. And then, in between the first two tours, first Jimi Hendrix (who Elvis admired, and who saw Elvis in concert in '57: the admiration was mutual), then shortly thereafter, Janis Joplin, a white blues singer from Texas. Say that again to yourself, and then think back to when an adolescent Elvis barnstormed across Texas when Janis was just the right age to be affected by SOMETHING that would get her out of her town, which she loathed. "Elvis is My Man," she once gushed. Elvis kept track of such gushings. Well, not only was he disturbed to hear of their early deaths, but they happened within less than two weeks of one another. The media went nuts. Just nuts. For those too young to remember (I was a child at the time, but I was old enough to remember the media hysteria). So, you can imagine that Elvis' family (his father mainly, his wife, too [though they were having a lot of problems anyway], and for everyone in the business who did drugs, it was a terrifying time. Elvis was a street kid: face it. And he was not going to be pushed around. So, Elvis' Most Excellent Adventure happened in D.C. at the very end of the year. But he was acting strangely - boasting, even, at an L.A. concert! Elvis NEVER boasted: something was terrribly wrong.
Anyway, listen to the music, ok?
And, in 1956, he made the biggest mistake of his life. He endorsed Stevenson, said "there should BE NO draft," and the next thing he knew, he was on a bus to nowhere. His mother died while he was in Basic Training. Do you think he FORGOT????????? Jerry was too close to him to take it all in objectively. He was, along with G.K. (and, surprisingly, Lamar at times! Yeah.), a real friend with a real life. Elvis had so few. Or he was a close as Elvis was ever gonna get, I guess. (Even if he had people he knew in the business, Elvis' instinct was generally to flee in fear. Excepting, say, Jackie Wilson . . ., etc.)
But wait up. I'll have more to say about this somewhere else. If I'm lucky, you might be able to buy it here on Amazon. (No, not a vanity book.)
As far as his racial views, Guralnick wrote an article in a major newspaper that's all around the web. Best thing he ever did. Usually, he likes to practically "waterboard" his witnesses rather than listen to them, but this article is beautiful, respectful and true. Oh, and read what B.B. King has to say in recent years. Elvis was a beautiful person. Just mixed-up and very alone. Jerry left, and returned sporadically. G.K. became a D.J. and so on. He was left with a lot of guys who felt like they couldn't do anything else and glommed on to him. Elvis sang about it.
My God, I think Esposito has about THREE books by now. And now Sonny is a "friend" and we can forget all about August, 1977. Hey, you don't help somebody by scaring them to death. Literally. Elvis needed scaring back in 1970/71: not when he was so physically ill, he should have been in intensive care. No matter the cause. He needed TLC, ok? Jerry was a decent sort. He would never do that.
Best to All,
Dr. M.
"A must read for Elvis fans" 
2009-02-11 - I just finished Jerry Schilling's book today-To say it's fascinating is a mere understatement-Schilling was there when Elvis' career was about to take off-Schilling provides the reader with a lot of interesting anecdotes-My favorite was when Elvis met Richard Nixon in December 1970-Talk about a photo op!-Buy this book,you won't be disappointed.
Me and a Guy Named Elvis
2009-01-05 - I was also a bit disapointed in this book it wasn't what i expected from a friend of Elvis. I don't like for close friends of Elvis like one reviewer said a goody two shoes and some what in the book that's what he struck me as trying to be. No one was as goody goody as they have claimed to be after Elvis died. If you want to read a good and honestly researched book buy the The Secret Files Of Elvis Presley i just started reading it and so far it has blown me away.
Anne
Elvis Book
2008-07-29 - I bought this book for my friend Charr, she and I are both big Elvis fans. She had been trying to find this particular book and when I gifted it to her she was elated. It shipped on time and was in great condition. It was a great experience for all invovled. Thanks for making my dear friend so happy! Cecilia
ME AND A GUY NAMED ELVIS
2008-07-29 - I cannot stress what a beautifully written story told about Elvis from a man who considered him his best friend, who knew him most. It is one of the very best books I have ever read about Elvis. Very emotional and moving! Every Elvis Fan should have this book. It is a most enjoyable read.....true, factual, telling "the inside story" of this Phenomenal Genius together with the "HUMAN SIDE" of a man struggling with his unbelievable success and personal heartaches. This is a story from a real, loyal friend who truly loved Elvis....who loved him and accepted him as he was, even through the pain. Jerry Schilling was that friend.....and what a friend he was. We all need friends like him.
