Elvis - A Lighted Candle

[Blue Moon]

Warren Horton says he remembers the day Elvis Presley gave him a truck. It was back in 1976, said Horton, who was a deputy with the Shelby County Sheriff's Office.

Horton says he was at the shooting range, when Elvis' crew drove up in the pickup truck. It was a 1976 Chevy Silverado. According to Horton, someone in Elvis’ crew suggested he take the truck for a ride. Horton says he wasn’t the only one admiring the truck; other people were eyeing it as well.

The next day, Horton says, one of Elvis' buddies came back to the gun range with the truck and said, “It’s yours. Elvis just called. He went out to Vegas the night before and said you like that truck and he wants you to have it.”

Horton says he couldn't believe it and neither could his wife. “The whole time I’m saying ‘where did that truck come from’,” said Judy Horton.

But when Warren Horton told her, he says she responded sarcastically, “Oh, Elvis gave you a truck.”

But the proof was in the paperwork. Horton says he reached into the glove box and pulled out the title. He says Elvis’ name was right there at the top.

Judy Horton says her husband gave her that information as they were pulling into their church parking lot. She says when she went inside, “everybody was beginning to have their Wednesday night meal and I’m screaming ‘Elvis gave us a truck!’”

Warren and Judy Horton kept the truck for a few years, but say they had to trade it in. Warren Horton says he wonders what the truck would be worth today, if he could have afforded to put the pickup in storage to preserve it.

Source: Google / Elvisnews / Updated: Aug 13, 2008

[Sarena]

Elvis was so special in his giving nature. Spontanously und unselfishly from his big and tender heart.

[MaryInTheMorning]

Elvis was so special in his giving nature. Spontanously und unselfishly from his big and tender heart.

AMEN Sarena my dear friend! Thank you so much sweet Laurie for posting this great artcle for us to read.

[FairyTale]

You Know we would Probaly be Very Shocked if we knew all of the Gifts that Elvis Gave away, Elvis sure was a Sweet and Caring and a very unsellfish Person.

[MaryInTheMorning]

......Elvis sure was a Sweet and Caring and a very unsellfish Person.

He sure was that dear Fairy Tale and then some!! I wholeheartedly agree with you at how shocked we would all probably be if we were to ever find out about all of the gifts he gave away. That was one of the many beautiful and wondrous things about him: he gave so much anonymously for the simple and sheer joy of giving, rather than as most celebrities today do, give for the publicity making and taking.

[Rainbow Light]

AMEN, ladies! Many thanks, Laurie, for posting this up for us!

[FairyTale]

You know since I have been ready the Book Gladys and Elvis, and how Elvis never did Complained about being Poor like he and his Family were and how even though he could have been the most Selfish Person there ever was, being Poor just made Elvis want to Share even more when he finally made it out of the GHETTOE!

[73smile]

It is like, FairyTale, that Elvis, as he chose ballads to sing, that each one had a particular lesson for the person listening to his voice. I know he was quoted once about singing 'message' songs but in retrospect it is as though each of the ballads he sang, in his own special way, sent a message to someone who needed to hear the song. Elvis gave back so much more then did entertainers of that time or of today.
Elvis knew what it was to have nothing and I know what that feels like, too. Poverty can make us better people if we want to be the best we can and Elvis certainly is a clear example of that.
He could have just partied his life away but instead he reached out to others and he liked it the most when someone was surprised that a man like Elvis Presley would share what he had with another when he did not need to do that.
Quiet is a word that speaks best about Elvis and giving. I did not know until I went to Graceland that Elvis gave a Thousand dollars each year to over 50 different charities in Memphis. That is the measure of our man. He did so much that we all will probably never know about and he did it because his heart was made more generous as a result of being born in extreme poverty........
73smile

[Wanda June Hill]

I remember walking down that long room lined with glass through which we could view all the thousands of awards he had received from his fans, organazitions, peers in the music and film business, for his Comedy films and other such awards singling him out as "special" but the one that hit me the hardest emotionally was seeing that huge one at the end that was given to him for his generous donations to so many, many charities and benefits, each and every year since he had money to give. And he had never once mentioned he had those things- nor that he got any kind of awards for his films... I was overcome seeing all of that, reading as much as I could here and there as we were "hustled" through to make room for more people behind us. Talk about humble, he certainly was when I think about that room displaying so many- and the guide said to all of us, "these are some of his trophies and awards- we don't have room to display them all properly". Further astounding! wjh

[MaryInTheMorning]

"these are some of his trophies and awards- we don't have room to display them all properly".

The only thing I can say to this is to use a phrase that our dear boy loved and used quite a bit: "Lord have mercy!!" I can hardly wait 'til I get to visit Graceland and see all of his much deserved awards that they have displayed!! Hopefully it won't be in the too distant future.

[73smile]

Maryinthemorning: You will be in awe of all of the awards given to Elvis in return for all he gave "ever so quietly" to people in need. I am happy that Presley Place was 'born' because that is a place that Elvis would approve of and that he would have helped to fundraise for as often as he could.
The building that houses the awards and more will take your breath away and your eyes may well with tears at the spirit you will feel while in that very special room. We spent about an hour in there and still did not get to read all that he had done that no one knew about during his life on earth.
What a man. I hope that the contributions continue that Elvis gave to because now more than ever there are so many who need short time help.
73smile

[Sarena]

Talk about humble, he certainly was

Certainly indeed!!!

[Golden Sky]

I second that, Sarena!

Elvis was so humble, I hardly know how to put it into words, especially when I'm telling people who aren't Elvis fans about him. Perhaps you all have this problem, too? Because of the way he was marketed, with kitsch from the very beginning, and because of the jumpsuits, people who aren't fans can't seem to see beyond that, to see the man behind the image.

When I try and express how spiritual he was, I wish I could just plant this understanding of his humility in people's brains, so we could get on with an interesting conversation about him. Instead, people laugh. I think it says in the Bible that nobody can stand up to a person who's laughing.

Anyway, I hope that some day they will have their eyes opened to his extraordinary nature. He was larger than life and more humble than anything.

Cheers to all of you, thanks for understanding
Trish

[MaryInTheMorning]

Sweet Marjorie I have no doubt whatsoever that I will be completely and totally in awe of what I see, and that I will most likely have my eyes welling over with tears---of sadness that he isn't still here to enjoy these much deserved awards and honors, and tears of joy that there were people that did recognize him for the sweet, extremely humble, kind and more than generous heart that he had!!! Trish my dear angel, the only thing I can add to your pefectly worded post is that your words spoke all of the thoughts and feelings in my heart relating to trying to get non-Elvis fans to understand what a truly wonderful, loving, spiritual and very humble human being he was. Like you said, some people either can't or won't allow themselves to see past the whole jumpsuited image of him, or how he looked at the very end of his life supposedly due to being "on drugs", "strung out," etc..... to fully appreciate the endless love capacity he had for all of his fellow man---especially those who were in need.

[FairyTale]

I have seen myself many times going up the drive way of GraceLand Walking, and the Feeling I have is that Elvis is waiting in the House for me. As I walk up the drive way I'm saying the whole time, Elvis I'm Here. Even though I have yet to actually walk up that drive way to GraceLand, and even though in the back of my mind I know that Elvis' Spirit is the only Presence that is in the house now. I still want to to tell him I have finally made it, to see him. But I know has many times I have seen picture's of GraceLand I get this Feeling of how Silent GraceLand seems, even though there is all of the people coming in and out of the house and I know if and when I do finally get to walk that drive way I know without a doubt that Silence well Hit me Like a Rock! You know its like other Singers and Actors, how many of them ever Allowed thier Fans on the Front Lawn and have the Singer or Actor come and Greet them like Elvis did? None I have ever Heard of, Elvis knew who gave him that House and he was raised that everyone was your Friend. FairyTale!