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Press Release For Upcoming Sonny West Book

April 09, 2005 | Book
Sonny West and Marshall Terrill have surpassed the halfway mark with their new book on Elvis Presley called, “Still Taking Care of Business.” The collaboration, which started in 2002, is the follow-up to the 1977 book “Elvis: What Happened?” Terrill said he’s already written approximately 400 pages and suspects that number could double by the time he’s finished.

Currently, he’s working on a chapter called “Meet the Beatles,” about Presley’s historic rock ‘n’ roll summit with the Fab Four in 1965. Terrill expects to finish the first draft of the manuscript by summer 2005. “The trend these days is to write smaller books in the 200 to 250-page range, but we want Elvis fans to feel as if though they are getting their money’s worth,” Terrill said. “I think once we’re finished, people will be very surprised with the tone and the depth of the book, and get a better understanding of Sonny’s true feelings for Elvis.”

The new book will cover West’s 16 years with Elvis Presley from 1960 to 1976, the aftermath of “Elvis: What Happened?” to his thoughts today on Elvis, Priscilla and Lisa Marie Presley. The book will feature several stories and anecdotes that have never been told before and will include many never seen before photos from West’s personal collection as well as photos donated from the Russ Howe Collection. The book will also include a section on former Memphis Mafia members called “Where Are They Now?” and an additional appendix called “The 100 Most Asked Questions about Elvis” in which West answers questions directly from Presley followers.

“I am very happy with the way this book is turning out and I’m taking my time to make sure all the facts are correct, and that it’s being told in the way that I want to tell it,” West said. “This book is a labor of love and is dedicated to a man I loved like a brother. My co-author Marshall Terrill and I are very much on the same page when it comes to this project.” Terrill is the author of eight books, including the 1993 best-seller, “Steve McQueen: Portrait of An American Rebel” and “Sergeant Presley.” His latest project, a definitive biography on basketball legend “Pistol” Pete Maravich, will be released in 2006.
The authors have enlisted veteran literary agent Tony Seidl of New York-based TD Media, who will shop the manuscript once it is finished and fully edited. Seidl, who has sold more than 150 books, specializes in celebrity biographies and autobiographies. He has brokered book and movie deals on subjects such as Elvis Presley, Bobby Darin, Eddie Fisher, Pete Maravich, Larry Holmes and Joe Frazier.

Terrill is seeking questions from Elvis fans for “The 100 Most Asked Questions about Elvis” at marshzoe@aol.com.
Source:Email
Tina S wrote on April 10, 2005
He must be runing mony I hope no Elvis fans buy this book by this socauld Elvis friend
Tina S wrote on April 10, 2005
out of mony
dailyone wrote on April 11, 2005
aint he in the box yet
Sean Ryan wrote on April 11, 2005
Give Sonny West a break. This could be the best book written about Elvis for years. Im certainly gonna buy it. I,ve met Sonny and he is a genuine guy. Those 'fans' who knock Sonny dont know what they are talking about. Eagleone: Your comment about him being in a box was a total insult. Thats your idea of humour?? I pity you.
MemphisFan wrote on April 11, 2005
Love him or hate him, this man was there and as fans I would think that we would be interested in what he has to share. Guess I've read so many books that offer only opinions by people who know less than a fan, it sparks my interest to think their might be something else for those who were there. I'll wait till I read it to pass judgment. Maybe it's looking back thru time, but I've re-read EWH and just like the first time, I didn't find it so disturbing. That's just me, but living in Memphis during that time period, local fans saw and knew more.
Sean Ryan wrote on April 11, 2005
Memphisfan you are right. You will find that the people who have negative things to say about Sonny proberly have never met him or have even read Elvis-What Happened? and have made up there own opinions on hearsay.
volvo wrote on April 11, 2005
I didn't like "Elvis What Happened" at all, I believe they did it out of hurt, frustration and greed, not not the good of Elvis at all. However we all make mistakes and it was a long time ago, and I have to admit that I am interested in this book, I think it could turn out to be quite interesting and informative.
the colonel wrote on April 22, 2005
Do we really need another book like this, WELL I guess the so called fans forget how rude and obnoxious some of these guys were when they worked for E.P. I and many fans can still remember following Elvis on tour and tring to get a picture of him outside the hotel especially I remember in the middle of the july leg of the summer 75 tour when John Gadore tried to take a pic of ELVIS comming out of the lexxon and Elvis had the driver slow down so we could take the pic, Even though Sonny and RED were opposed to this ELVIS reaction in this well known pic tells the whole story, And many of us ELVIS fans will never forget the way they treated us just ask some of the well known EP fan photographers they will be only to happy to tell you I'M SURE OF THAT!
lindes wrote on May 06, 2005
Just another one of the infamous "Memphis Mafia" (each one of them aka: sponger. freeloader, hanger-on, lackey, flunky, sycophant, and yes-man), using his association with a famous person. Pretty sad that these guys are still trying to make a buck off of EP after all these years. True fans would know that something EP needed a long time ago was just a couple of true and intelligent friends to encourage him to be more than he was, to be wiser and happier. Instead, what he had was a bunch of immature, crude guys who just went along to get along with a man who clearly had a lot of problems, who needed to grow up and enjoy life to the fullest, with intelligence. They just made his problems worse by laughing and agreeing with everything he did and said.