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Me and a Guy Named Elvis: My Lifelong Friendship with Elvis Presley | 
 enlarge | Authors: Jerry Schilling, Chuck Crisafulli
Publisher: Gotham
Category: Book
List Price: $26.00
Buy Used: $1.92
You Save: $24.08 (93%)
New (43) Used (31) Collectible (1) from $1.92
Rating:  65 reviews
Sales Rank: 242721
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 368
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 5.9 x 1.1
ISBN: 1592402313
Dewey Decimal Number: 782.42166092
EAN: 9781592402311
ASIN: 1592402313
Publication Date: August 17, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: normal wear to jacket. Bayfront Books carefully selects the books it offers for sale on Amazon, and only includes those that are worthy of another read. While dust jackets may be missing and covers may show some damage, the contents are very readable... even in those books where previous owners had taken considerable notes or highlighting.
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Product Description
An intimate memoir of a friendship with the greatest artist in rock and roll history, taking you from late-night parties at Graceland to the bright lights of Hollywood sets and glittering stages of Vegas
On a lazy Sunday in 1954, twelve-year-old Jerry Schilling wandered into a Memphis touch football game, only to discover that his team was quarterbacked by a nineteen-year-old Elvis Presley, the local teenager whose first record, Thats All Right, had just debuted on Memphis radio. The two became fast friends, even as Elvis turned into the worlds biggest star. In 1964, Elvis invited Jerry to work for him as part of his Memphis Mafia, and Jerry soon found himself living with Elvis full-time in a Bel Air mansion and, later, in his own room at Graceland. Over the next thirteen years Jerry would work for Elvis in various capacitiesfrom bodyguard to photo double to co-executive producer on a karate film. But more than anything else he was Elviss close friend and confidant: Elvis trusted Jerry with protecting his life when he received death threats, he asked Jerry to drive him and Priscilla to the hospital the day Lisa Marie was born and to accompany him during the famous lost weekend when he traveled to meet President Nixon at the White House. Me and a Guy Named Elvis looks at Presley from a friends perspective, offering readers the man rather than the iconincluding insights into the creative frustrations that lead to Elviss abuse of prescription medicine and his tragic death. Jerry offers never-before-told stories about life inside Elviss inner circle and an emotional recounting of the great times, hard times, and unique times he and Elvis shared. These vivid memories will be priceless to Elviss millions of fans, and the compelling story will fascinate an even wider audience. BACKCOVER: Advance Praise for Me and a Guy Named Elvis
This book kept me up late into the night as I turned the pages, reliving every situation and every story as if I were there all over again, until I finished. Jerry Schillings words brought tears to my eyes, making me smile and nod as it filled my head with things I had forgotten but thankfully he remembered. Jerry tells his story with the freshness and purity of a man who truly loved his friend. Me and a Guy Named Elvis is not only authentic, honest, and truly movingit is a marvel.
Priscilla Presley
Jerry had the keys to the kingdom, the keys to the Kings houses, to the Kings cars, to the heart of what made Elvis a King in the first place. Here he unlocks every door and his own heart to boot. In this book, Jerry Schilling brings grace to Graceland.
Bono
Jerry Schilling has captured the beauty of my fathers spirit in a way that has never been done before. I will admit that I was nervous to read another book on this subject, especially by a friend (there are not many who remain in my life from this time period, as Jerry does), but this book is by far my favorite. It is a captivating, well-written, and un-crucifying account of many historic moments that shows the real birth and evolution of Rock and Roll and how it bridged the racial divide. Jerry tells his story of a young boy growing up poor with no real family before fate changed his life during one Sunday afternoon game of footballand he tells it with humility, honesty, and dignity.
Lisa Marie Presley
What Jerry Schilling has written in Me and a Guy Named Elvis is an account of one mans experience, a personal memoir that, while it places its narrator squarely in the midst of historic events, never claims credit for those events in the way that so many self-serving memoirs are inclined to do. It is a balanced treatment of a complex subject . . . What I think distinguishes the book most of all, though, is its emotional honesty, the generosity of spirit with which Jerry seeks to emulate his friend and mentor.
Peter Guralnick, author of Last Train to Memphis and Careless Love
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| Customer Reviews: Read 60 more reviews...
 Elvis Book July 29, 2008
I bought this book for my friend Charr, she and I are both big Elvis fans. She had been trying to find this particular book and when I gifted it to her she was elated. It shipped on time and was in great condition. It was a great experience for all invovled. Thanks for making my dear friend so happy! Cecilia
ME AND A GUY NAMED ELVIS July 29, 2008
I cannot stress what a beautifully written story told about Elvis from a man who considered him his best friend, who knew him most. It is one of the very best books I have ever read about Elvis. Very emotional and moving! Every Elvis Fan should have this book. It is a most enjoyable read.....true, factual, telling "the inside story" of this Phenomenal Genius together with the "HUMAN SIDE" of a man struggling with his unbelievable success and personal heartaches. This is a story from a real, loyal friend who truly loved Elvis....who loved him and accepted him as he was, even through the pain. Jerry Schilling was that friend.....and what a friend he was. We all need friends like him.
Elvis Book by Jerry Schilling. July 22, 2008
Fantastic book about Elvis. This is the first book in a long time that I have read about Elvis where I actually learned new details about his life. If you are an Elvis fan this is a must buy!
 So-So June 22, 2008
Good addition to the bookshelf of Elvis fans, but as much as Elvis was a true legend, the phenomena has been a little over-done. This book does, however, offer a slightly different view on life with Elvis.
How To Keep Your Man: And Keep Him For Good
Real Life Dramas - Volume One
Darren G. Burton
 A True Friend of the King June 22, 2008
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
Jerry Schilling, original member of Elvis's entourage The Memphis Mafia, tells the events surrounding the King of Rock 'n Roll in this unique perspective, and from the opening chapter, you'll find yourself hooked. Schilling tells it all, from the beginning when he found friendship with Elvis by playing football in the park with him just as the rocker had released his first single, to the end, when Elvis passes away and Jerry's life continues. Jerry lived at Graceland and he was beside Elvis throughout the good and the bad, meeting legendary entertainers, taking care of the King, and generally having the time of his life. Jerry comes across as genuine and a true friend as he tells his story, and gives new insight into someone who lived his life inside a fishbowl.
The book isn't without its flaws, however. Do I think Schilling glossed over a few of the major issues at times, including Elvis's drug abuse and the disintegration of his marriage? Certainly. Was Schilling overly careful in his descriptions of his fellow Mafia Members? Absolutely. I personally was very let down at Schilling's lack of information about the actual death of Elvis, though to be fair, he was no longer a regular employee at the time, having chosen to go into management (including managing both Billy Joel and The Beach Boys). I feel strongly that Schilling knows more about the death than he shared, but that's his perogative, and apparently he's not comfortable letting the rest of us know. I also would've liked him to address, at least briefly, the whole "Elvis is alive" myth and lay it to rest permanently. But overall this is a very well-written, well-remembered book, and I enjoyed Schilling's recounting of the life and times the rest of us could only observe from afar. Schilling seems like a decent guy and I enjoyed learning about him almost as much as I liked the glimpse into the side of Elvis the performer tried to keep to himself. If it were possible, I'd give this one 4.5 stars. Fascinating stuff.
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