he will be reincarnated. He believes believes He reincarnated. be will he
clouds in the air . . . He firmly be- be- firmly He . . . air the in clouds
he has the strength of will to move move to will of strength the has he the hook alleges, "firmly believes he he believes "firmly alleges, hook the ordinary religious powers. Presley, Presley, powers. religious ordinary
has the powers of psychic healing by by healing psychic of powers the has
the laying on of hands. He believes believes He hands. of on laying the
been times where he was so hyper on on hyper so was he where times been
from going to the john. There have have There john. the to going from
ing pharmaceutical shop." shop." pharmaceutical ing uppers that he has had trouble breath- trouble had has he that uppers
he he
ing, and on one ocasion he thought thought he ocasion one on and ing,
to get up. He takes pills to go to the the to go to pills takes He up. get to
to go to sleep," bodyguard Red West West Red bodyguard sleep," to go to is quoted as saying. "He takes pills pills takes "He saying. as quoted is
wide variety of drugs. "He takes pills pills takes "He drugs. of variety wide john, and he takes pills to stop him him stop to pills takes he and john,
bodyguards say they will substantiate substantiate will they say bodyguards with lie-detector tests, Presley: Presley: tests, lie-detector with
lawyers determined it was okay." okay." was it determined lawyers
RCA (which records Presley), which which Presley), records (which RCA is a very conservative company. Our Our company. conservative very a is
by Random House, a subsidiary of of subsidiary a House, Random by of the Presley book. "But were owned owned were "But book. Presley the of
was legally publishable," Busch said said Busch publishable," legally was
• •
• • According to the book, which the the which book, the to According
"I didn't know whether the boot boot the whether know didn't "I
was was
Was convinced that he had extra- had he that convinced Was
Was a prodigious consumer of a a of consumer prodigious a Was
The Rush to Get Elvis Presley Books Into Print Print Into Books Presley Elvis Get to Rush The
BALLANTINE, BALLANTINE,
going to die . . He is a walk- a is He . . die to going
From DI DI From
starts up the bulldozer and yells out out yells and bulldozer the up starts
specially-hired construction bull- construction specially-hired
zdozer, a home he had bought. "Elvis "Elvis bought. had he home a zdozer,
to Vernon, 'You better move, Daddy'," Daddy'," move, better 'You Vernon, to liberately set out to destroy, with a a with destroy, to out set liberately
nights" in which which in nights"
riety of explosive devices and once de- once and devices explosive of riety
the houses he has." has." he houses the sets in hotel moms and in any one of of one any in and moms hotel in sets
sets went to their death at the hands hands the at death their to went sets of Elvis and his shooting," Red West West Red shooting," his and Elvis of
says. "He would shoot out television television out shoot would "He says.
"I can't tell you how many television television many how you tell can't "I
sions when a program displeased him. him. displeased program a when sions
tegration of his marriage—and fre- marriage—and his of tegration quently would shoot holes in televi- in holes shoot would quently
Presley held responsible for the disin- the for responsible held Presley
Mike Stone, the karate instructor who who instructor karate the Stone, Mike
stage, he carries a tiny four-shot four-shot tiny a carries he stage,
Derringer in the top of his boot." boot." his of top the in Derringer
three on him. Even when he is on on is he when Even him. on three
is never without a gun," Sonny West West Sonny gun," a without never is uniforms and badges of authority" authority" of badges and uniforms
claims. "Mostly he carries two or even even or two carries he "Mostly claims.
ets, rifles and other weapons. "Elvis "Elvis weapons. other and rifles ets, and was fascinated with pistols, rock- pistols, with fascinated was and
a a
stifled to lead, designated by God for for God by designated lead, to stifled
lieves he is a prophet who was de-, de-, was who prophet a is he lieves
Enjoyed Enjoyed
•
special role in life." life." in role special • •
Once ordered Red West to kill kill to West Red ordered Once
Had a "pathologcal obsession with with obsession "pathologcal a Had
regular regular
he he
would set off a va- a off set would
"fireworks "fireworks
book. It was tasteless, but actually but tasteless, was It book.
take out about 10 per cent of the the of cent per 10 about out take
doing a a doing
pendent back-up, just as if we were were we if as just back-up, pendent
us," he said. "They made us corrobo- us made "They said. he us,"
what. "They put some restrictions restrictions some put "They what.
rate a lot of the allegations with inde- with allegations the of lot a rate
yers tamed the tone of the book some- book the of tone the tamed yers
thing can't be done.' " " done.' be can't thing
bodyguards) and said 'Who said some- said 'Who said and bodyguards)
badge." the book relates. Presley Presley relates. book the badge." would get his federal narcotics narcotics federal his get would "President Nixon assured Presley he he Presley assured Nixon "President
smiled triumphantly at (his (his at triumphantly smiled
House," where he was allegedly met met allegedly was he where House,"
ushered into Nixon's office. office. Nixon's into ushered
by presidential aide Egll Krogh and and Krogh Egll aide presidential by up at "the rear entrance of the White White the of entrance rear "the at up
forcement officer's badge. At first re- first At badge. officer's forcement
Finlator, Presley eventually showed showed eventually Presley Finlator,
campaign to receive a federal drug en- drug federal a receive to campaign
buffed by then-deputy director John John director then-deputy by buffed during the Nixon administration in a a in administration Nixon the during
storm." storm."
down to where it drops right into the the into right drops it where to down
basement and it's burning up a a up burning it's and basement
knocked the whole superstructure superstructure whole the knocked knoct the goddamn house down.' ...... down.' house goddamn the knoct
In less than an hour we (had) just just (had) we hour an than less In
and Elvis says, 'Because tam going to to going tam 'Because says, Elvis and
the book reports. "Vernon asks why why asks "Vernon reports. book the
Dunleavy said the Ballantine law- Ballantine the said Dunleavy
• •
Made a special trip to Washipgton Washipgton to trip special a Made
news news
story. They made us us made They story.
on on
. .
Warner's was rushing to meet the un- the meet to rushing was Warner's wholesalers across the country, and and country, the across wholesalers
copies of that book were ordered by by ordered were book that of copies precedented demand. demand. precedented
phy of Presley, "Elvis." Over 260,000 260,000 Over "Elvis." Presley, of phy
Jerry Hopkins' widely-praised biogra- widely-praised Hopkins' Jerry
order for any title in our history" for for history" our in title any for order terday received "the largest one-day one-day largest "the received terday
Warner Books, said that his firm yes- firm his that said Books, Warner
ies should be in bookstores in just just in bookstores in be should ies
matter of days. days. of matter
Books has already received 250,000 or- 250,000 received already has Books
date the Mann book, which will be be will which book, Mann the date retitled "The Private Elvis." Pocket Pocket Elvis." Private "The retitled ders for the book, Hall says, and cop. cop. and says, Hall book, the for ders
Ivins, who wrote that paper's Presley Presley paper's that wrote who Ivins,
obituary, has been contracted to up- to contracted been has obituary, Books, a division of Simon and Shus- and Simon of division a Books,
ter, New York Times reporter Molly Molly reporter Times York New ter,
ary Colonel Tom Parker: announced announced Parker: Tom Colonel ary
that it it that
with his manager of 20 years, honor- years, 20 of manager his with
which several years ago published published ago years several which
an account of Presley's relationship relationship Presley's of account an
May Mann's "Elvis and the Colonel," Colonel," the and "Elvis Mann's May
back to press—but in an altered form. form. altered an in press—but to back
triggered action at other New York York New other at action triggered
publishing houses. Pocket Books, Books, Pocket houses. publishing
drug and sex stuff." stuff." sex and drug very accurate. A lot of it was crazy crazy was it of lot A accurate. very
Howard Kaminsky, president of of president Kaminsky, Howard
According to Mary Hall Hall Mary to According
Presley's unexpected death also also death unexpected Presley's
was was
planning to send the book book the send to planning
of of
Picket Picket a a The Lives Of Elvis Rush to Get Presley Books pinuilibuincordtbsPimytr. t noh emty a irwen wi, L., a ,h ,okvn i d' to Chronicle by Ex-Body -uards
Tom Zito Rohrer Last August, National Star reporter Steve Dun- leavy beard that Elvis Presley had fired three of his bodyguards Dwdeavy, now with the New York Pest and author of Its recent "Son of Sam, Please Surrender" letter, Bought out the three, questioned them about the torrid aide of Elvis' private life and wrote a book, "Elvir What happened!" The book—with an Initial printing of 480,000 copies--was publiabed with little notices or fanfare en Aug I. But within six hours of Presley's death on Tuesday. yudientine Books had presses on Long Island spinning out an additional 250.000 copies, Former Presley bodyguards (from left which the company expects to have to atom by Dave liebler, Red West and Sonny West the weekend. THE DARK OTHER in a photo from their book. "Frankly, I really don't know how exactly how SIDE OF THE BRIGHTEST • , many we've sold so far," Ballantioe president Ron our examination. Not finding them. I can't give ' Duch said yesterday. "We've really been swamped STAR. IN THE , , WORLD' credibility to those statements." "I wouldn't want to comment on what the • The three bodyguards held a press conference autopsy revealed," Busch said. In Beverly Hills yesterday afternoon to tell the Members of the extraordinarily tight-knit Pres- "bloodsuckers trying ley Inner circle have been in seclusion at his I capitalize on the death of Elvis Presley." They guarded Graceland mansion in Memphis, and were .) said their book was written long before his death. unavailable for comment. "Elvia was a tormented man," David Hebler Donleavy Initially considered the trio's tales as laid reporters. "He was a victim of himself .. . fodder for a three-part series on Presley to run in the image, the legend." the National Star, Lhe serisationalts'de weekly ta. blold owned by Australian publishing magnate i The book, purportedly culled from 300 hours of Rupert Murdoch. After talking with the men brief- . taped Interviews with the bodyguards, alleges that ly, Dunleavy said, "I realised we were dealing with Presley hoarded firearms. thauaht he was a propb. an incredible story about the biggest star slue at, was morbidly nucleated with corpses, tried i to put a contract out on the men who Presley felt Valentino." Murdoch agreed to pay the trio is flat il "stole" his wife, Priscilla, led a Howard Hughes- fee of $50,000 for their story. and assigned Dun- same life of seclusion and took a wide variety of leavy—strictly. he said, on company time at his . drugs. ELVIS regular halary—to spend last September in Holly- wood taping their tales. "I can't say be was taking no drugs at ail," Dr. Early in the spring, Murdoeh's World News Corp. Jerry Francisco, the medical examiner who per- WHAT signed New York literary agent Gloria Loomis to formed the autopsy on the singer, said yesterday. begin offering the book to publishers. Lonmis "His own doctor has said be was taking appetite brought the manuscript to 30 companies, but in depressants. There was no evidence of any abnor- HAPPENED? the end only Ballantlne bit—nor what Loomis mal. iligel drug use." THREE OF HIS CLOSEST COMPANIONS TELL called "a substantial sum." Asked about allegations in the book that Presley A SHOCKING, BIZARRE STORY (Just two months ago, Ballantine scored another 'was on pills all day and would give himself shots RFD WEST 501010 WE 5r DAVE FIE51 ER coup by publishing George Lucas' novelliatIon of his film "Star Ware—a paperback that shot to In the arm or leg with those little plastic syringes," STEVE DUNILAVY Francisco said, "It would seem to me, as a pro- . the tap of all the major bestseller lists and has feralotul, that II the use was that frequent, that already sold about 2 million capita.) severe, we would have found some evidence during See BALLANTINE, D7, Cot. I