Elvis - A Lighted Candle

[Rainbow Light]

He was a pioneer in happiness. His music could make you laugh or cry, scream and yell, or dance. He gave us the right to shoot for the top. Elvis was a man for all seasons, a man for all people. In all of my years in show business I have never met a more compassionate, caring man in my life. He showed me the value of humility, and he learned me that we have to learn from our mitakes, as well as from our triumphs. His music was for everybody: for little kids and their grandparents. Elvis showed us the true meaning of love. If one of his friends was in need, he'd be there. People know that Elvis was not just the greatest star that ever stepped on a stage, but he as also a generous, compassionate, caring human being. He was happy when other people were happy. You could see the look on his face when he gave somebody totally unexpected as a present.

[Wanda June Hill]

Hi, thanks for posting that! I haven't read these things and it's great that they are talking and saying true things-I hope they all get fed up and furious with this newest layer of dirt being kicked up and they "hose it down" with goodness and love! Thank heaven for these people who are brave enough to face those other "boys" who apparently are like a dying rat-biting and clawing their last hurrah befor they face their end! I watched the gospel video 2 set thing that came out a few years ago with Suzy-she really liked getting to see and hear "her" boy over her visit with us. And Ed enoch's comments at the end-where he almost quotes Elvis saying, "If we're good boys, and give our lives over to God we'll get to sing with him again." That's not word for word-but he does admit that he didn't enjoy singing with Elvis for hours in the past but he'd like to be there to do it again now. I was glad to see that from him-real tears and real emotion now that he knows and understands-as Elvis would say, "He knows now, and it's alright." wjh

[Rainbow Light]

Yes, absolutely right - and I do understand who you mean by Suzy now!

That was beautifully said by Ed too.

[Rainbow Light]

Bringing this thread back up to the top for anyone in ELC who might have missed out first time around!

[Rainbow Light]

Hi John. Thanks for taking your time to talk to us and answer some of the questions we have for you.

No problem, glad to be of service.

First of all: what are you doing nowadays?

Well, I’m trying to honor invitations of the Elvis Presley fanclubs throughout the United States and in Europe, to go and talk to the fans, sing some songs that they like and tell the true story of Elvis. I want to let them know that Elvis was NOT what the American tabloids made him out to be. That he was a good and decent man. I love being with the fans, and finding out about them. I like to know what they are doing in their lives. They know what I do, they know that I sing, they know that I like to talk about my late friend and boss, but I’m mostly interested in what the fans do, what their lives are like.

If you could do it all again, would you?

Absolutely, I wouldn’t change a thing. Except that I would somehow let Elvis know that there were more people around him that really cared for him. There were a few, as we all know, with their hands out so to speak, and I would have liked to let him know that there were quite a few people like myself, Kathy Westmoreland, JD Sumner and the Stamps that were there for him, that would do anything for him. I would do everything the same way, I wouldn’t change a thing – except for that.

Elvis was always known for his wit and candour. What was the most profound or interesting thing that he said to you or the company you were in?

I think the best way I can answer your question there, is to tell you that my most precious memories of Elvis were our single times alone, when there was no guards, no girlfriends, no hangers-on, when we would just be talking. Sitting on a couch in Graceland or one of the homes in California watching old John Wayne movies or a football game, and just talking about everything there was to talk about: religion, politics, people, mostly music. And I think the most profound thing he said to me, that I really remember and that really means a lot to me today, is: ‘John, no matter what happens – always remember: if it wasn’t for the fans, I’d be just another damn lounge singer.’ He’d be sitting behind me on a stool, trying to play acoustic guitar and he said: ‘Remember always man: take care of the fans and they will sure as hell take care of you.” And that has proved out true over the years, so many times. If it wasn’t for the fans, we’d be nobody.

Jerry Scheff, Ronnie Tutt and Glen Hardin didn’t play every show from 1969 to 1977. Yet you did. Even James Burton threatened a couple of times to leave the band unless he got paid more. Did Elvis ever comment on this fact to you?

Yes he did. He said, literally: ‘John, you’re the only one that didn’t betray me.’ That’s what he said: ‘you’re the only one.’
What was it like after the opening show in 1969 backstage?

Well (laughter), how much time do you have? You see, Elvis was so nervous that day. He was afraid that people would laugh at him. After the show… He had worn himself out so well. He had put a thousand percent in the show. Backstage, when we walked in the dressing room, he looked like a drowned rat. He was covered with sweat, he was obviously tired because he’d put so much in into the thing. But it was pandemonium back there. So many of the big movie stars were there, congratulating him. Bobby Darin, Tom Jones, the list goes on and on. They were congratulating him on his wonderful show. They told him how good it was to have him back in the fold as it were, back in the entertainment community. It looked to me that he could barely stand on his legs because he was so tired. It was only about two hours, and then he told somebody: ‘Let’s call it off, I got to get some rest’. But it was a wonderful experience just to see him so happy, and to see his fears of not being liked or being laughed at blown away.

Was it frustrating for you and your band mates to keep playing with Elvis, especially at the end when he wasn’t what he had been?

It was obvious that he wasn’t in real good health. I think we started noticing that about September 1974, at the College Park Maryland show. It began to show that something was terribly wrong. And yes, it was frustrating because he was not having fun anymore, and it became clear that he was very ill. At least for my part it broke my heart to see him have to appear when he didn’t look his best, even though now we know that there were so many physical problems that Elvis had. Yes it was. You know, we played our hearts out and it was obvious that he just wasn’t able to get into it, as it were.

What’s your favorite song by Elvis, the most fun to perform with him.

Golly… Shall I say my signature song Early Morning Rain? (laughter) I think I will. Favorite songs… there are so many. But I loved ‘Can’t help Falling In Love With You’ that he used to close out all of his shows with, but one that I wish that he had done on stage that he never did, except in 1968 on the Come Back Special as they call it, was ‘If I Can Dream’. So often I wished that he would do that. We did rehearse it once, you know. We could have done it if he wanted to. Had he turned around and said ‘C’mon boys, let’s do it’… We were ready to go with it. But sadly it never happened.

About the band members solos: could you play whatever you wanted?

You mean the solos when Elvis would introduce us? O yes, we could have played anything we wanted.

When did you first realise that Elvis’s health was getting bad?

It appeared to me the last part of 1974. Something was not right when he walked out on stage at the College Park Maryland show.

This question may seem a bit silly, but I’ve always wondered… how on earth did you fit everyone in the Jungle Room in February 1976 for the jungle room.

(laughter). The questioner is correct. The den is not that big. What they did is, they moved all the furniture out and – where that went I’m not sure but I think they might have moved it up the stairs and in the music room – they replaced it with folding chairs. There were chairs for the guitarists and the bass player. Of course the drummer had his own, but once all the furniture was cleaned out, there was enough room. It was somewhat crowded but it worked fine. Everybody fit in somehow or another.

Have you ever considered doing a book on your years with Elvis and telling the fans the things that you wish people knew about Elvis?

I have been approached many times about writing a book. And I would just like the readers of this interview to know that if I ever do decide to do a book, the only way I’ll do it is if I do it with my friend Peter Verbruggen. So many people have written books. Some were good, others were terribly bad. I don’t need to tell you the ones that were bad. Albert Goldman’s book is one that stands out in my mind as the worst one. It was complete without any basis in fact. It was a horrible way to make money out of Elvis when he was dead and gone. But yes, I have given thought to it. I have so many pleasant memories of wonderful times with Elvis that maybe one day I will do a book.

Can you tell me about your memories from the New Year’s Eve show in Pontiac?

Sure. New Year’s Eve in Pontiac Michigan was THE coldest I have ever been in my life. There was snow all over out in front of the Pontiac Silverdome. First of all, the place had not been completed. There was no heat in the building. There was only minimal electricity. I remember… when you go to the concession stands, you get some hot coffee or something. They couldn’t give it to you in the Silverdome. They couldn’t even give you a hot hot-dog. It was so cold, and we were put up on a pyramid, well sort of. Elvis on the top, and then the band, the singers, then Joe Guercio and some of his horn players. Actually it was so cold that the mouth pieces would stick to the lips of the trumpeter’s mouths.

It was terribly cold out there. And even though we had on our stage clothes, we had to wear our winter coats that we had brought from home. I had a black long winter coat with a fur collar on it, and I just wish we could have worn gloves. But it’s almost impossible to play a guitar with gloves on (laughter), at least it was for me. Some of the kids playing today could probably do it, but not me. I remember also that Colonel Parker had not sold the top row of seats in the Pontiac Silverdome because it was too high up and too far away for the fans. That was probably one of the best things he ever did for Elvis. There were over sixty thousand people there already. That’s a looooooooot of folks!

What’s your opinion on ‘Elvis Aloha from Hawaii’ being dubbed as the King’s last stand?

It was NOT his last stand in my opinion. Elvis was looking forward to that show for several reasons, not at the least of which he loved being in Hawaii. Secondly: one of the shows was going to be a benefit for the Kui Lee Cancer Foundation. And thirdly it would be the first time ever that a performer, up to including his Holiness the Pope had ever been broadcast across the world in one night reaching 1.5 billion people. That’s billion with a ‘b’. And he was so excited about that. So, as far as his last stand: no. I remember him saying that he wanted to do more of those shows, reaching millions of people at the same time. He would have done a second ‘Aloha Show’, had he been given the opportunity.

There are 2 import CD’s out where you sing Early Morning Rain. First being the Lake Tahoe 1st May 1976 Dinner show, and the 2nd being (whilst Elvis had left the stage) on May 29th 1977 in Baltimore, Maryland. Do you recall any other times you sung Early Morning Rain instead of Elvis on stage?

O yeah, but I can’t give you the exact date. But it seems to me that there was a total of five times that he did that to me. I remember the first time he did it. Let me tell you about my first solo. I think that he thought he would just say ‘from Springfield Missouri on Rhythm Guitar is John Wilkinson’, and that’d be it. But when he turned to me, all of a sudden he said ‘Play something John’. And I said: ‘What? Play what?’ He looked at me, and said: ‘You’d better play something son, or you’re gonna be working for Tom Jones tomorrow night.’ So I started playing ‘Early Morning Rain’, that was the first thing that came to my mind. And at that point I thought: ‘Gee, that worked out just fine, if he ever does that again that would be terrific.’

But I was telling about the first time he held the microphone up to me. He had introduced me, I started playing ‘Early Morning Rain’ and he looked at me with that devilish look in his eyes when you knew there was something up. He put that microphone in front of my face and said something like ‘you sing it boy’. What could I do in front of 2500 people? Say no? Don’t think so… The times subsequent to that were much like that first time.

Can you tell us more about the show in Belgium, and what to expect?

Well, as you know, I was supposed to be there last year on April 7th, but I had the misfortune in January of that year taking a terrible fall on my drive way at home, and breaking both my legs. So I couldn’t come over. And I was very upset about that, however as I recall, Miss Barbara Dex who will be on the show there with me – or I will be with her – carried the show off beautifully. But the question was: what can you expect next month? A wonderful performance of good old time Elvis songs, ballads, rock ‘n’ roll and a wonderful show from my King of Belgium Band and the three ladies that I like to call my Belgian Belles; Myriam, Karin and Miss Dex who also likes to sing back-up. It’s going to be a show and a half. The way I’m looking at it now, this will be the best show that I have ever performed since Elvis has died. And I have no doubt about that, because of the personnel on stage, the people who operate the Cultural Center, the security, … People who bought tickets can look forward to a wonderful show and they’ll getting a lot more for their money than what they’re paying.

Thank you John, for your time to do this interview, and for your efforts to keep the name of your friend and boss clean as silver. As always, it has been a pleasure talking to you.

The pleasure is all mine. If you publish this interview, please tell the fans and other readers that I send them my very best wishes from the bottom of my heart. I hope to meet all of them one day, so I can tell them myself how much they mean to me. I’m here for them.

[MaryInTheMorning]

He was a pioneer in happiness. His music could make you laugh or cry, scream and yell, or dance. He gave us the right to shoot for the top. Elvis was a man for all seasons, a man for all people. In all of my years in show business I have never met a more compassionate, caring man in my life. He showed me the value of humility, and he learned me that we have to learn from our mitakes, as well as from our triumphs. His music was for everybody: for little kids and their grandparents. Elvis showed us the true meaning of love. If one of his friends was in need, he'd be there. People know that Elvis was not just the greatest star that ever stepped on a stage, but he as also a generous, compassionate, caring human being. He was happy when other people were happy. You could see the look on his face when he gave somebody totally unexpected as a present.

John said it all so perfectly with everything he said above Thanks so much for sharing the whole interview with us Sue. It was very interesting to read and I've always liked John and felt that he was really was one of Elvis's TRUE friends.

[Amanda Viola]

WONDERFUL JOHN WILKINSON! He transpires real love for Elvis.

Thank you Sue-Lenora, for this beautiful interview!

[Rainbow Light]

You're very welcome, Mari and Amanda, glad you both liked this interview, me too! John is a special gentleman and his book of memories is short but sweet, not to mention his fantastic rhythm guitar talent!!