Elvis and the Memphis Mafia

(Paperback)

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Description

A monumental oral biography filled with raucous joy, aching loss and terrible poignancy, Elvis Aaron Presley is the first book to capture the King - the man and the phenomenon - in his full complexity. Through revealing interviews with three of Elvis's closest friends, who were also his protectors and rescuers, Nash achieves the first true mapping of Elvis's psyche. Billy Smith - Elvis's first cousin and the person he reputedly loved most after his own mother -, Marty Lacker - best man at his wedding and foreman of the 'Memphis Mafia', the handpicked group of gatekeepers and confidants - and Lamar Fike - touring crew member who accompanied Elvis to the army - were with Elvis from his teens to his final days and provide unique access to the greatest of all legends. The revelations sweep through every aspect of Elvis's life, from the childhood seeds of his drug dependency, through his fear for his mother's life and his plan to change his identity, to his bizarre self-mutilation. No one who reads this symphonic blending of three proud, ribald, sad and ultimately wistful voices can fail to be profoundly moved.

Reviews

"'You don't need to be an Elvis fan to be awed by this book. It is so detailed, gossipy, far-ranging, and coherent that it becomes a clear window on an entire era. The book's genius is in the volume of fresh and flowing information... Nash is one of the finest, most perceptive chroniclers and appraisers of pop music in America.' Billboard magazine"

Author Bio

Alanna Nash is a feature writer for the New York Times and Entertainment Weekly, who has written five books including The Colonel. She lives in Louisville, Kentucky.