Forty years without a “king” in the US, remember Elvis Presley
Thousands of fans of Elvis Presley are gathering this week to his estate “Graceland” in Memphis (Tennessee). They lit candles in memory of the legendary musician, who died 40 years ago — August 16, 1977.
How “the king of rock’ n ‘roll” was far from the scene, told TASS who knew him personally popular in the USA, a country by Tony brown. He was a pianist Presley and played with him in the last years of the singer’s life.
“Elvis was a very nice guy in the South is very open, friendly,” recalls brown, who often together with other musicians, have been visiting “the king of rock-n-roll”. “He was a man with a bloated ego, — said the artist. He was as you can imagine a typical rock star- bent on his own ego. He was a very nice guy.”
Brown was introduced to Presley in 1969, musician John Daniel Sumner, whose work is “the king of rock-n-roll” was very fond of. “Needless to say that Elvis looked like a million dollars — very slim, just the perfect specimen of male — remembered brown. — He was a rock star. I could not have dreamed that going to play with him”.
Later, brown became a member of the band The Voice that made music in the religious genre of the gospel and, along with several other groups, collaborated with Presley.
Elvis loved to sing gospel music. We had to be on call 24 hours a day, and if you call to go to “Graceland”, in Beverly hills or palm springs, depending on where he was then, and play gospelthe Browneast
As noted by brown during these visits, which sometimes lasted all night, Presley never had loud parties. “I think many would think that his house was full of girls, — says the artist. But it was not so. When I visited him, besides me, there were three guys [musicians], and his bodyguard Red West and Sonny West. That is, only he and the guys who sang gospel”.
“And he does not drink, but if the water — upominaet brown. — He may have had problems with drugs that he was prescribed by the doctors, but I have this side of him never seen.”
“Over time he began to take the boys with him to concert tours, we were opening the show,” says the musician. First pianist Presley, Glen D. Hardin, but he later chose to play along with the singer Emmylou Harris. After that, pianist “the king of rock’ n ‘roll” became brown.
At one stage
“The most exciting feeling I had when we played for the first time, it was in Kansas city. When I heard the theme music which got on stage, Elvis, my spine tingle — it was so surreal,” admits brown.
As recalled by the musicians during the concert tour Elvis and the other cast members usually traveled on four planes, which arrived on the day of performance.
“Elvis was preparing to go on stage at the hotel or on Board,” notes brown. The “king of rock-n-roll” were specialists who staged the performance of his hairstyle, costume and guitar.
Brown, Presley played quite often. During tours in Las Vegas he came on stage two times a night. “He hated to speak in Las Vegas, because to pay for seats closer to the stage could afford only the rich,” explains brown. In his opinion, Presley preferred to their regular loyal fans.
“When he competed in Las Vegas in 1969, I went there and saw his show, it was amazing, — said the musician. But when I played with Elvis, everything was different. He had already gained weight. In the Hilton hotel in Las Vegas all the tables near the stage were occupied by a very wealthy audience. It was the older people, they sat and just looked at him. I don’t think he liked it, I think he preferred it that was in turmoil”.