In his later years, Elvis’ appearance was known to fluctuate rather dramatically. When he performed in Indianapolis two years before his passing, for example, attendees noted that he had gained weight and was struggling with the physical aspect of performing. In sharing this intimate account of his stepbrother, David hopes to reach those who are also suffering from addiction--some 15 million from prescription drugs in the US alone. On a more positive note I found that Elvis’ final disheartening years are covered without too much sensationalism and Hopkins captures the right mood of sadness and hopelessness as no one can help Elvis halt his roller-coaster decline.

This actually was the all-important session that produced three singles including ‘It’s Now Or Never’ and ‘Are You Lonesome Tonight’ plus ‘I Gotta Know’ in those twelve songs recorded. These were NOT on the album, songs from the first session completed the album.To begin with I kept ignoring the mistakes so that I could keep on enjoying the book but even without any other reference books - and away from any Internet connection - these major factual errors kept leaping to my attention. In fact they started to make me quite angry, leading me to believe that Jerry Hopkins has become a very lazy author like all too many Elvis writers. Probably another typo but ‘I’ll Remember You’ was recorded in June 1966 and released the same year on the Spinout LP. Kui Lee died in December 1966.

Elvis released two double LPs during his lifetime, ‘Elvis Live On Stage in Memphis’ was not one of them. It was a single LP, released in July 1974. The book covers the final years of Elvis's life. Every struggle he had, and every success of the last stage of his career and life are depicted in this book. From his numerous tours across the country to his quite sad home life. His former colleagues give personal accounts of events that happened and how they affected Elvis. Overall the book really takes you on a journey into the life of a star that no fan could see. We learn of his battles with addiction, his wife leaving him, his relationship with his dad. All of these interesting events are wrapped into one stunning novel. Quoted on the book’s front cover Rolling Stone editor Jan Wenner notes, "This thoroughly revised and updated version of his two classic books deserves a shelf of it’s own." The Stax Recordings from 1973 also highlight an artist that still took his musical choices seriously; there was nothing horrendous a la Last Farewell at these sessions. Aloha From Hawaii, however, leaves me cold, as it was a great concert but poorly recorded, as is still highlighted on the 2cd Legacy Edition. Please do not think that I am comparing this book in anyway to those crappy "tabloid" Elvis biographies that are always full of mistakes and total fabrications. This is a serious and often compelling book - still one of the best pop-music biographies ever written.

When did Elvis Presley begin his Las Vegas residency?

At age 16, David dropped out of high school to become one of Elvis' bodyguards. As a result, he was intimately acquainted with what happened on tour, how many prescription medications Elvis took (despite Elvis' hatred of street drugs, he took quite a few scrips and believed that if the doctors gave them to you nothing could go wrong)., and how much womanizing went on among the crew -- including Elvis and Vernon. David E. Stanley was born in Newport News, Virginia in 1955. Three years later, his parents divorced, setting the stage for an extraordinary event. In 1960, Dee Stanley married Vernon Presley, Elvis Presley’s widowed father. David was just four years old, 20 years younger than his new stepbrother, when he moved into the Graceland Mansion in Memphis, TN. At Graceland in April 1976. Another recording session was scheduled at Graceland for the first week of February 1977." That's correct. The final paragraph gets it wrong. He didn't simply topple over either. His body was found in a fetal position in the middle of the room, indicating that Elvis had stumbled or more likely crawled towards the bathroom door before he lost consciousness. First published in 1971 Hopkins’ original book "Elvis" was the very first serious biography on Elvis – and in fact one of the first serious biographies about anyone in "Pop Music".

This is still one of the best biographies of Elvis that has been written - and stands highly among the very few quality books written about Elvis' life. It's not as though Hopkin's easily digestible and enjoyable writing style has changed since his first Elvis publication that I read all those years ago. It still is a very incisive and fascinating look at Elvis' life and a substantial work - and combining the two books into one for the re-release is an excellent idea.One of the most poignant and painful scenes in the book is when an increasingly paranoid Elvis threatens David with a gun -- because David is gathering up the huge pile of medications from Elvis' bedside table and is going to dispose of them. David describes Elvis as looking like a parody of the handsome man he'd once been, horribly overweight and losing his grasp on reality. Twenty-four hours later, Elvis tells him that he loves him and the next time they see each other it will be on a higher plane. Twelve hours later, Elvis Presley was dead. Elvis’ life was certainly not quiet until New Year’s Eve as he had a series of five shows from December 27 – 31. These were an amazing return to form with Elvis having lost several kilos in weight. Though surrounded by those who loved him and revered around the globe, Elvis battled the demons of fame, depression and loss, and those demons eventually proved too strong a foe. Despite the efforts of his family and friends, Elvis Presley eventually succumbed to his addiction on August 16, 1977, leaving a trail of devastation and loss felt worldwide to this day. Not true. It was only the third Ed Sullivan Show in January 1957 that was filmed from "The waist up". Elvis was shown doing some fine pelvic action on the earlier Sullivan shows.

In 1980, David overcame his own battle with substance abuse and soon after began his speaking career. He effectively used his celebrity status and own personal experiences to communicate the dangers of drug abuse in hundreds of schools, collages and institutions throughout North America and Europe.In 2007 both Hopkins’ biographies were combined to create his new, revised version, "Elvis The Biography".