Billy Smith was Elvis’ first cousin, the son of Gladys Presley’s oldest brother.
He was showing me a picture of himself and he said, ‘Does this look like me?’, “And I said, ‘Yeah’, and he said, ‘Well it’s not. “How this got started was we actually talked one night of Elvis changing places. Follow the link to order a copy.
Elvis death: The King's pilot ‘I thought Vernon Presley had died’, Elvis Presley bodyguard says King 'different' person in private, Elvis Presley ALIVE? Post was not sent - check your email addresses! One of the most popular of these is that The King took another identity after swapping places with a doppelgänger who was terminally ill. Interestingly, Elvis’ cousin and Memphis Mafia member Billy Smith has revealed how The King once told him how he could swap places with a lookalike. [6][7], At one point, Elvis wanted to speak to President Jimmy Carter about getting George Klein out of some legal trouble. order back issues and use the historic Daily Express [1], Smith has given numerous interviews for a range of media that have covered Elvis.
Billy admitted: “And [for] many years I’d always heard these fans saying, ‘Is Elvis still alive?’, “So many sightings and all this. Billy was 8 years younger than Elvis and grew up with him in Tupelo. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you check out their YouTube site, that includes their two sons, which is Memphis Mafia Kid. We will use your email address only for sending you newsletters. Billy was there for the majority of Elvis’ career and shared his life with Billy, and that of his beloved wife Jo, as well as confided in him. When Elvis bought Graceland Billy’s family also moved in and his father Travis worked for Elvis as Chief guard. Travis was the brother of Gladys Presley, Elvis's mother, making Billy and Elvis first cousins. https://www.facebook.com/EPNashvilleFans/posts/1334267619969364 [9] When Elvis died, Smith was a pallbearer at Elvis' funeral, along with Joe Esposito, Charlie Hodge, Lamar Fike and George C.
Setting the record straight, Billy added: “So, here’s the truth: Elvis died, August 16, 1977 – one of the hardest days of my life. Billy Smith and Elvis Presley were cousins. Billy’s family also went with the Presleys when they first moved to Memphis. Trusted him. [10] Besides Ginger Alden, Smith and his wife Jo had been the last people to see Elvis alive. [WILL]. Change ).
Fans reckon you can hear King at Graceland – LISTEN, Brian May on Queen’s influences: The Beatles 'built our bible', Rolling Stones: Brian Jones would call Bob Dylan EVERY day, Elvis Presley had 'HUGE heart, Graceland like living at Disneyland', Elvis Presley's bodyguard on TERRIFYING motorbike ride with The King, Elvis Presley pilot CAUGHT sleeping in his bed: Guess King's reaction. Interestingly, Elvis’ cousin and Memphis Mafia member Billy Smith has revealed how The King once told him how he could swap places with a lookalike.
Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. Jerry said that although my song styles are somewhat similar to Elvis, I don’t go for Rock and Roll. “But I’ll always love him.
( Log Out / Travis was reportedly Gladys' favorite brother. “And he’d had a face lift to look like Elvis.
So I thought, ‘Well y’know people are holding on to that.’, “So I made this story up, me and Marty Lacker [another Memphis Mafia member].”, DON'T MISS...Elvis Presley's bodyguard on TERRIFYING motorbike ride with The King [INTERVIEW]Elvis Presley pilot CAUGHT sleeping in his bed: Guess King's reaction [INTERVIEW]Elvis Presley will: Who did Elvis leave his HUGE fortune to? https://theelvisexpert.com/2019/06/08/billy-and-jo-smith-two-eternally-loved-by-elvis/.
“It hurts. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express. They are a priceless source when it comes to Elvis Presley let alone they are just good and respectable people, great parents, and soulmates. [11] Smith went on to work at the Illinois Central-Gulf Railroad as a maintenance man. When Smith became old enough he worked for Elvis as well as a member of the Memphis Mafia, eventually living at Graceland separately from his family. "[13], From Deletionpedia.org: a home for articles deleted from Wikipedia, Wikipedia:Special:PrefixIndex/Wikipedia:Articles_for_deletion/Billy_Smith_(Memphis_Mafia), Wikipedia:Wikipedia:Articles_for_deletion/Billy_Smith_(Memphis_Mafia), http://www.elvispresleyfansofnashville.com/elvis-presley-news/happy-birthday-billy-smith, http://www.elvis-express.com/elvisradio_askmarty13.html, "Billy Smith, Elvis' cousin and Memphis Mafia member talks candidly to EIN", http://www.elvisinfonet.com/interview_billysmith_part1.html, http://books.google.com/books?id=NqCQo9nqVHYC&pg=PA164&dq=elvis+cousin+and+billy+smith&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Rz8gVJiIIMzcoAT3lYCwDg&ved=0CBwQ6AEwADgU#v=onepage&q=elvis%20cousin%20and%20billy%20smith&f=false, http://books.google.com/books?id=1XqDHXOhR8cC&pg=PA17&dq=elvis+cousin+and+billy+smith&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Rz8gVJiIIMzcoAT3lYCwDg&ved=0CDQQ6AEwBDgU#v=onepage&q=elvis%20cousin%20and%20billy%20smith&f=false, http://www.elvispresleynews.com/SonnyWest.html, "LAMAR FIKE DIES AGED 75 (Member of Elvis Presley's entourage, the Memphis Mafia)", http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2664542/posts, http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20071521,00.html, http://www.elviscollector.info/Pages/ElvisBlogJeffSchrembs.aspx, http://deletionpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Billy_Smith_(Memphis_Mafia)&oldid=20289, This page was last edited 17:35, 16 March 2015 by. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. And knew him on a basis that no one else came close to.
Please see our Privacy Notice for details of your data protection rights. It’s been almost 43 years since Elvis Presley died.
Their recollections, intelligence, humor, and “down homeness” draws you in and never fails to educate and entertain.
Smith spent most of that year with Elvis, even when Elvis had begun pushing others away. Travis was the brother of Gladys Presley, Elvis's mother, making Billy and Elvis first cousins.
Nichopoulos. He was the only member of the Memphis Mafia to last from beginning to end of the group. https://amzn.to/2LAuUic This is an affiliate link. “And I can truthfully say, he’s gone. Express. I know this picture is of you and not of somebody else.’, “I never thought about [that conversation] again until after Elvis was dead.”.
They were not allowed to take the trailer that Elvis had purchased for them that they had lived in on the Graceland property. After Elvis died, Smith and his wife Jo moved to Mississippi to be closer to her family. ( Log Out /
See today's front and back pages, download the newspaper, I have the utmost respect for Billy and Jo. As one of Elvis' closest confidants and a blood relative, Smith has been described as a "wonderful asset... to the Elvis Presley fans worldwide. [12], When Graceland reopened to the public in June of 1982, Smith and his family moved back to Memphis and he took a job at Graceland as tour guide.
On the story, he said: “It was supposed to be that Elvis swapped places with this guy who had cancer and was dying and Elvis hid him out in the attic until it was time for him to die. [2] When Smith was five in November of 1948, his family moved along with the Presley family from Tupelo, Mississippi to Memphis, Tennessee. Billy Smith and Elvis Presley were cousins. Elvis Presley: How Muhammad Ali inspired The King’s show preparation, Elvis Presley: The King's wife Priscilla senses his 'spirit'. [8], In the last year of Elvis' life, he became more reclusive and withdrawn, along with abusing medications. Both families were very poor at that time, to the point that the fathers searching for work added cardboard to the soles of their shoes when they wore through.
Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. His firsthand witness to Elvis Presley, onstage and off, and the memories created are second to none. ( Log Out / [4], In high school, Smith was a wide receiver on the football team. He was my hero.”.
[5], Smith was one of Elvis' closest friends and confidantes, and the two would talk for hours up in Elvis' bedroom at Graceland, even acting out Monty Python scenes.
The not so famous uncle Vester Presley was Vermons brother, Patsy did not get as much popularity as his other cousins get. Billy was there for the majority of Elvis' career and shared his life with Billy, and that of his beloved wife Jo, as well as confided in him.
Elvis Presley will: Who did Elvis leave his HUGE fortune to?
( Log Out / Loved…
“This story came out, like I said it was supposed to be kind of a joke, but the English paper picked it up and they wrote it as a factual story. Pick up a copy of Elvis Presley's new album, Where No One Stands Alone.
Along with his wife Jo, he and their two sons lived in a trailer in the back yard.
[1], Template:Portal
Loved him.
August 14th – Elvis beloved mother Gladys, Featuring Jeff Schrembs of www.ElvisCollector.info, The Elvis Presley Collector Jeffey Schrembs, Billy and Jo Smith two eternally loved by Elvis | Elvis Presley, Natalie Wood and Elvis Presley circa 1956, EXTREMELY COOL ELVIS PRESLEY PHOTOS March 2020 edition. Smith is frequently cited as one of Elvis' longest and most devoted friends and family members. Trusted him. That’s you, that’s not somebody else.’, “So he said, ‘I could swap places with this person and nobody would ever know the difference.’, “And I said, ‘Again, I know the difference. Billy Smith was born to Travis and Lorraine Smith on April 6, 1943. Travis was reportedly Gladys' favorite brother. ‘I could SWAP places with a doppelgänger’ – The King's cousin speaksG, Elvis ALIVE? Speaking on his son Danny Smith’s YouTube channel, Memphis Mafia Kid, Billy said: “This question, ‘Is Elvis still alive?’ Well, let me say this.
I never meant for this story to mislead anybody or hurt anybody in any kind of way.”.
Billy Smith was an administrative aid to Elvis Presley, as well as Elvis' first cousin and part of the Memphis Mafia. Patsy was also cousin of Elvis Presley and her mother’s name was Clette Smith.
Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. newspaper archive. And he can’t bring him back.”. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account.
This guy’s had a facelift to look like me.’”, READ MORE: Elvis Presley had 'HUGE heart, Graceland like living at Disneyland', Billy continued: “I said Elvis, ‘Now you can fool a lot of people…but no. [3], After Elvis became famous, Smith's father Travis worked for him as Chief Guard, and the family moved into Graceland.
The Memphis Mafia member then revealed how a “joke” story he made up about Elvis swapping places was eventually taken seriously in the UK press. Now naturally Elvis wasn’t going to change his looks, so the guy had to look like him. Billy Smith was born to Travis and Lorraine Smith on April 6, 1943.
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
And yet conspiracy theories have been rife over the years that he’s still alive and well at 85-years-old. His firsthand witness to Elvis Presley, onstage and off, and the memories created are second to none. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. After some administrative organization, when Carter called Graceland, he asked for Billy Smith as a code that it would be the president calling for Elvis and the two subsequently had a discussion.
“And, of course, I’ve heard this over the years now and I decided this is time to get this all cleared up because this is just not right. Always have. It still hurts that he’s gone.