His Best Friend Remembers Down Under

Who said Joe was Elvis' best friend? I don't think of him as any closer to Elvis than Billy or Red or Lamar or others around him. I know the argument about Red and Sonny because of What Happened and about Lamar because of Goldman's book but they loved him at least as much as Joe did and Elvis loved them too. Plus Elvis was on his way to fire Joe too by the time he died. I mean Joe is okay and we all feel grateful for his being there in the end taking care of the funerals etc but I don't like this title : "Elvis' best friend"! Same thing for self proclaimed "Elvis' spritual mentor" (and sometimes "Elvis' Guru") Larry Geller... These guys would have some hard time justifying this had Elvis been alive :-) I think the closest were Red, who did everything he could including cruel mistakes, to save his friend that he knew so well and Billy who was his cousin and confident and who never took advantage and never did anything bad to Elvis. Look at him some 28 years later : he never surpassed his sorrow. He's stuck to his devotion to his cousin, like a prisoner of love in the old times. If one he's the man who should be named "Elvis' best friend".

He is playing with words. Actually, he was "Best Friend" at Elvis wedding. So, technically speaking, he is right, but of course, your reaction proves people can be confused with this English expression, and this is why he choose to call this DVD this way. By the way, I'm afraid you idealize Billy Smith. It's easy to recognize real Elvis friends: those who didn't wrote a book about him. Not many, uh !

I enjoyed this DVD very much, and would encourage those who do not already own a copy to buy one. It is easy to pick holes in the title, who knows who was Elvis' best friend? There was probably not one person who could take that title. Joe was loyal to Elvis in life, and has remained that way in death.

OK Paul but then it would have been "Elvis' best man..." :-) Anyway I know it's all advertising but it IS confusing to those who don't know Elvis as well as we do... and Tony I agree with you about friends and writing books except that Billy has had a very hard time working in a factory among others because he had left a serious job to be around Elvis at his demand. The others they surpassed Elvis' death and they managed to have a successful new life although much of it is related to Elvis but Billy never did. I don't idealize him but I feel sad for him and get moved when I watch 24 Hours for instance.

Boris: you're right. It would have been "Elvis best man". My apologies.

I didn't think there was ever any doubt that Charlie was Elvis' best friend and had been for many years. I chose not to go to Joes show when it came to Australia because of an interview I saw in an "Elvis Documentry" (can't remember the title), in which Joe made comments about Elvis in the latter years that didn't need to be said. I remember being very dissapointed in him at the time. Maybe someone knows the "Doco" Im talking about?

Boris, what's 24 hours?

Volvo I was referring to the DVD "The Last 24 Hours" in which Billy talks about Elvis. Heartbreaking as far as Billy is concerned. Kelvis Charlie was a close friend to Elvis but he wouldn't spend as much time with Elvis as the other guys when Elvis wasn't touring. He was more in and out of the family circle and wasn't part of the Memphis Mafia contrary to Red, Sonny, Lamar, Marty, Billy, Patty, etc. But he was indeed a precious friend to Elvis since the army years 'till the end.