"Elvis didn't really hang out with other entertainers that much,” Schilling told the BBC. “But if there was one artist that Elvis truly called a friend and hung out with the most, it was Sir Tom Jones.”
Like Elvis, Jagger is a charismatic frontman who is known for his sexually charged stage performances. Jagger also shares Elvis's love of rock and roll, and the two artists have been known to cover each other's songs. Another musician who has been compared to Elvis is Bob Dylan.
Jerry Schilling, Elvis' best friend for 23 years, has written a book about their relationship. The story of how he and Elvis met, their close friendship, and their eventual break-up is told in this book. He also discusses Elvis' music career, as well as his death.
He says Elvis's favorite groups were the Harmonizing Four and Golden Gate Quartet and his favorite gospel singers included Jimmy Jones, Jake Hess (who sang with the Statesmen and later formed the Imperials) and Mahalia Jackson.
Apart from his relationships with women, Presley had many male friends. He reportedly spent day and night with friends and employees whom the news media affectionately dubbed the Memphis Mafia. Among them were Joe Esposito, Sonny West, Red West, Billy Smith, Marty Lacker and Lamar Fike.
Growing up in 1950s Liverpool, John Lennon – who would have been 82 this month – and Paul McCartney fell in love with rising star Elvis Presley's rock and roll music. When The Beatles reached the heights of his fame for themselves, the Fab Four famously met The King at his LA home in 1965.
The group were huge Elvis admirers and three members (Plant, Page and Bonham) gladly accepted along with their infamous manager, Peter Grant. Although not a big fan of hard rock, Elvis knew who Zeppelin were and was amused that his young step-brother, Ricky, was so excited to hear that they'd be in the audience.
Elvis told Nixon: “The Beatles had been a real force for anti-American spirit,” and also claimed, “The Beatles came to this country, made their money, and then returned to England where they promoted an anti-American theme.”
In a recent interview, Eric Clapton was asked about his thoughts on Elvis Presley. He replied, “I think Elvis Presley was a brilliant man who brought a lot of joy to a lot of people. His music was groundbreaking and his influence is still felt today.
Mick Jagger on Elvis Presley (1974): “I never really liked him. Presley hasn't got anyone to tell him what to do and really that's what he needs more than anything else. His trouble is that it was always a question of making money.
However, Sinatra was adamant about rock and roll being a lesser genre than jazz and swing. Discussing Presley's talents, Sinatra said in 1957, “Only time will tell. They said I was a freak when I first hit, but I'm still around. Presley has no training at all.
Hendrix admired King's skill and dynamics, and said that King was the only guitarist that he could never copy. He believed that King was the only guitarist who could make him feel something unique, and for this reason he declared King to be the greatest.
'When Elvis died, people were harassing me in Tokyo for a comment. Well I'll give it you now - he died when he went into the Army. That's when they killed him. That's when they castrated him.
The Beatles guitarist was, like so many of his generation, indebted to Elvis. Discussing Presley's music in the 1980s, Harrison said: “It had an incredible impact on me just because I'd never heard anything like it. I mean, coming from Liverpool, we didn't really hear the very early Sun Records.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, British rock band The Beatles are top of the list for best-selling artists worldwide, with 183 million units certified sales. Second is Garth Brooks with over 157 million units sales, followed by Elvis Presley with 139 million units.
The admiration of Elvis expanded greatly when Paul got to see Presley's sense of humor and good looks in the movies. “We all loved Elvis – he was so hot,” Paul McCartney gushed years later. “We were just so in love with him. He was just the greatest idol, always hamming it up, always doing a little funny thing.
John Lennon was once asked what he thought about Elvis Presley and replied, “He's one of my heroes. I saw him in '56 in Liverpool. I was just a kid then, but I've loved him ever since.” It was John Lennon who suggested that The Beatles' song 'She Loves You' could be inspired by an Elvis Presley song.
Dean Martin, “The King of Cool”
Of all the artists Presley was exposed to in his formative years, there is one performer rarely referenced who reached across a generation to inspire Presley's work—Dean Martin.
Did Ginger Alden Attend Elvis' Funeral? Yes. As his fiancée at the time, it is believed that Ginger Alden was present for Elvis' funeral. Following the funeral, however, she was reportedly banned from Graceland by Presley's family and had to receive permission to visit his grave.
"A few days later when I mentioned Marilyn to Elvis, he said, 'She's a nice gal, but a little tall for me'." "I knew that this was the sort of thing that could ruin their careers."
Elvis' perfect pitch was just one of the many factors that contributed to his success. The singing range of Elvis Presley was quite extensive, ranging from three octaves to a full seven. He was able to identify pitches accurately, which helped him to create his own unique style of music.
The co-best men were Marty Lacker and Joe Esposito, two members of the Memphis Mafia, Elvis's ever-present entourage, and the maid of honor was Priscilla's sister Michelle Beaulieu. Elvis reportedly requested that the word “obey” be removed from their otherwise traditional marriage vows.
The co-best men were Marty Lacker and Joe Esposito, two members of the Memphis Mafia, Elvis's ever-present entourage, and the maid of honor was Priscilla's sister Michelle Beaulieu. Elvis reportedly requested that the word “obey” be removed from their otherwise traditional marriage vows.
Sam Bell, Elvis' childhood friend, remembers Elvis before fame (14:21)