Elvis - A Lighted Candle

[Wanda June Hill]

Elvis in Las Vegas, letting "Cholly" come in as he wants to have his hair done differently, cut or trimmed - He put down the phone, I am waiting to see if I can bring two more people in to share the room we are to stay in at the International. I can hear his conversation-

Elvis: You see this Cholly, feel this! Why can't we get this at home- if they have it here, we got to have it in Memphis! (Kind of plaintive tone of voice, perturbed soudning.)

Cholly: Yeah....

Elvis: I'm sick of that shit - you know where they get those big boxes?

Cholly: Yeah...it's from a warehouse-it's for companies an business use -
You know, large purchases - cheaper that way...

Elvis: I don't give a f...what it costs! This is what I want-sick of that dam stuff...go out an see where this comes from an buy some for us - get enough! Gawddamn f....in other stuff can throw it away! You tell 'em I said don't want that in the house any more! Find it in there an' somebodies gonna be eatin' it!

Cholly: Yeah...okay... you had dinner?

Elvis: Feel this Cholly, see how soft that is...like usin' a cloth or somethin' gawd...all this time we been havin' to use that - that slcik shit! Lord!
Oh, 'cuse me, let me get off the f---in' phone here ... Hello?

Wanda: Yes, it's still me.
Elvis: I have to get ready - get ma hair trimmed some 'n shower so see ya all down there...go head 'n let them stay...notbody gonna say nothin' darlin' it's okay.

Wanda: Okay, thanks Elvis....so you like soft bathroom paper huh?
Elvis: Huh...eh...yeah! I want what they got here- it's nice huh? You see it-or they got that slick thin shit in the rooms down there?
Wanda; It's nice, soft and looks like maybe it's made by the company that makes Kleenex.... but you can get soft rolls at the stores too...the industrial kind is pretty awful....

Elvis: Yeah, sure as hell is that! Well, gonna go so see ya down there.

Wanda: Thanks alot for the room, we'd have to sleep across town otherwise! Too much traffic for that!

Elvis: Really comin' in huh-lots of people down there?

Wanda: A lot of people, some already in line and there are some celebrities here also-they were being taken in early as we ran up to call you.

Elvis: Well, got to get goin'I'll.try to do good tonight for them . will do my very best.

Wanda: You always do Elvis, don't ever worry about that....just don't come out with toilet paper stuck to your shoe!

Elvis: (Laughs) That'd give 'em a rush huh! Might do it! (Laughs)

Wanda; Yeah- YOU would! bye,

Poor baby didn't have good toilet paper to use! His dad bought the other kind in bulk to save money I'm sure. And here Elvis is at the International Hotel and "finds out there is better"- oh my! Elvis wanted Charlie to buy enough to take back to Memphis incase they couldn't buy any there! Poor baby boy was sooo out of touch with the "real world" -he only knew about industrial extra thin, slightly waxed kind, I guess.
In all the places he went, probably that was what they had before-like in most stores, gas stations and cheap motels etc:...and I guess overseas it's pretty bad in places too. Poor baby couldn't have a soft wipe for his nice booty ! Such a baby boy... I thought this was funny...and a little sad too. wjh

end

[Blue Moon]

I thought this was funny...and a little sad too.

My thoughts too. Funny that Elvis got all riled up over toilet paper, and yet sad that because he could not go to the store like the average person, he was out of touch with what was in the stores. But he was in touch with what really mattered -- the human soul.

[FairyTale]

Who else would even think about talking on the phone about Toilet Paper but Our Elvis ? To me it goes to show just how Down to EARTH Elvis was, and Yes very Sad that even though he had everything he could wanted when it came to buying things that he never knew about the simple things that he could buy in Life. FairyTale!

[Wanda June Hill]

Well Fairytale, he was not talking about it to me... he just stopped Charlie and asked him about it...I kind of startled him saying what I did about it-but he went right on complaining etc: I just thought it was funny but in a sad kind of way, that he wasn't aware or had just noticed the difference and that being at the International Hotel where he was living and working and had been for more than a week- I guess he just noticed ???? I don't know...but his father was apt to get the cheapest whatever it might be he could find- that was just the way he was and he wouldn't hardly give anyone a dollar bill! But he was gambling silver dollars downstairs by the second stay in Vegas so he learned that quickly enough! Of course, the hotel GAVE him silver dollars to get started "learning" because Elvis mentioned that his dad was pretty "excited about getting "free money" from the hotel. Heck, they probably expected him to turn into a "high roller" but that never happened! It was the Col. who became one..big time. Elvis didn't gamble much either though there were some gambling stuff in the Penthouse for him to enjoy should he be into it...he just never did get into that much for some reason. though he did play poker and won and lost about as much he said, he didn't get much enjoyment from it, he'd rather give it to somebody who needed it and make them happy-it was more fun, he said, than sitting around gambling away money to people don't need it anyway. He thought hotels/gambling etc: was a rip off and the biggest racket he'd ever seen. Yet he gave people/guests money to gamble etc; if they wanted to.
I still have to laugh about the toilet paper and then remembering when he didn't seem to know how to pull the tab top on a can of pop out of a machine- he'd apparently never seen one that wasn't already opened- but that was in the early 60's when tab tops just were coming into vogue-
And his was already opened I'm sure when he was handed one. He knew how to pop off the old fashioned lids on cola drinks in glass but the puzzled and interested look he gave that can he got was pretty interesting to see-I knew right away he didn't quite get it- The guy with him who I think might have been GiGi Gamble who married Elvis' cousin Patsy I think, but not positive of that! Anyway, he took the can, opened it so Elvis could watch, then handed it to him...and went on down the hall. Elvis looked at the hole in the can, wiped the surface with his sleeve and then took a drink from it! That made me smile too-because I wouldn't have drank from a can of anything without first wiping or washing it off!
Still do that. I thought it unique that this STAR was so sheltered he had not seen canned pop before- at least none that were not already opened.
He told me some time later on he preferred to drink from glass bottled colas...he didn't like the idea the cans were so "exposed" to everything around them. That was how I felt and thought too, so maybe growing up under the Southern women's care had something to do with it? Elvis mom didn't go to school much, or his dad and he was the first boy to graduate highschool in one of thems line-maybe both don't know now- but she taught him about being clean and germs and etc; and not to eat after anyone etc: and watch what he ate out etc:... and he never forgot it. In fact he was kind of "nasty nice" when compared to many guys who will eat anything, anywhere at all. But then he loved those frothy ecky looking and smelling chili burgers from Tommy's in LA.... ugh! They were "foammy" looking too...and not very big either...and he'd eat several at a setting. I'm so glad I didn't have to ever see that! wjh

[Rainbow Light]

Thanks so much for sharing this poignant but kinda funny story with us, Wanda! No soft toilet paper for his booty! I guess Vernon would've got the cheap stuff in bulk but this conversation is pretty priceless!

[FairyTale]

Wanda I Wish you could of had a Miniature Camera handy so you could of took a Picture of Elvis' Face when he saw how to open a can of Pop! That would of been Priceless! I feel so Sorry for that Sweet Man and the things he never got to use or experience If I would have been around Elvis I would have tried to have gotten some of the things Elvis never had the Chance to get. Thanks Wanda for some more Great in sites to Elvis! FairyTale!

[Wanda June Hill]

A lot of his friends and family did those kinds of things for him, his girl friends have mentioned this or that and they all said they so enjoyed getting him new things, little things he wouldn't have known about otherwise. He did get to go shopping, by going after hours pre arranged with stores etc: and that was pretty often. I had a friend who saw him at a store called Whitefront down near the beach where he was dressed like the other guys with him, I think she said there were 2, he stood in line like anyone would, went through the check out and had a big sized Teddybear in a store bag with other things as well, but that's what he had carried out. People didn't seem to notice him or bother him but she recognized his voice when he was talking to one of the guys. She didn't make a scene she just ran out to try and catch him. so he did get out but that was during movie days...it got hectic after he did the Vegas shows and touring...then he was more restricted and shut in though he still DID get out- I mean, he flew on an airplane alone, remember that! It was just that his pop cans were opened for him as many things were done that he had no clue probably and didn't care if he did or not either...he liked not having little things to deal with...saying he was free to work on the big ones etc:. wjh

[Di]

Vernon must have been related to my mother. Fingers go right through that bulk stuff but at 91 (on April 29) thats is not going to change.

Di

[Rainbow Light]

But then he loved those frothy ecky looking and smelling chili burgers from Tommy's in LA.... ugh! They were "foammy" looking too...and not very big either

By all accounts, good thing they weren't big, they sound absolutely

Am glad Elvis was able to go some places and be able to be more or less himself. I understand Hawaii was also good for him as the native people seem to have been more understanding and respectful of his private time, life and privacy. Am sure there were exceptions to this rule as pretty much always are but they gave him some time to enjoy his vacations there and also when he went to do the Aloha Special of course.

[MaryInTheMorning]

I thought this was funny...and a little sad too.

My thoughts too. Funny that Elvis got all riled up over toilet paper, and yet sad that because he could not go to the store like the average person, he was out of touch with what was in the stores. But he was in touch with what really mattered -- the human soul.

AMEN dear Laurie and sweet Wanda thank you for sharing this wonderful story with us giving us an even deeper inisght into our sweet boy!! Wanda I so LOVED what you said here: "Poor baby couldn't have a soft wipe for his nice booty !" Such a precious baby boy he was!!

[Rainbow Light]