In cooperation with Elvis unlimited Sweden we offered you the possibility to ask Charlie Hodge a question. Here are some of your questions and Charlie's answers.
Charlie likes to thank everyone who sent in questions for the talk show Elvis Unlimited Sweden had with Charlie on the 23rd of February. He also would like to thank you all for the kind words in your letters, him and his wife are really enjoying themselves traveling around to meet and greet with all the fans.
Here are some of your questions and Charlie’s answers. The questions have been edited, due to the fact that they were long letters in some cases. We start of with a question from Rob Stafford who won the poll and will get a personally signed picture from Charlie.
So again a big thanks to you all and to ElvisNews.com, and we hope to do more of the same thing in the future.
Elvis Unlimited Sweden
Q: What did Elvis think was his biggest achievement, what was he most proud of career wise?
A: Elvis didn’t reflect that much on his achievements but he was very very proud of the JAYCEE award he received on January 16, 1971 for being one of the ten most outstanding young men of America.
Rob Stafford USA
Q: I’d like to know if Charlie will ever perform with the TCB band. He was on stage with them in the seventies, but we never see him on TCB appearances?
A: I’m doing so many things all the time, both around town were I live and also a lot of traveling so there isn’t any time I’m sorry to say.
Kees
Q: Many questions regarded Elvis involvement in songwriting in the early sixties especially on the tune You’ll Be Gone?
A: I really don’t know much about that, the question should be directed to Red West who was more involved.
Rob Nelson Canada, Carl Savich USA, Mike Watson USA
Q: Was there ever a time when you wanted to get away from the chaos being around/associated with Elvis, if so please comment?
A: I must say that I loved every minute of the ride, to be paid to travel around with your best friend and sing and perform.
Darren Jenkins
Q: How could Elvis keep his opinions to himself, not write lyrics when so many people would have been influenced by his words?
A: Elvis himself didn’t think that he was the kind of person to influence others by his words, he really loved people like Martin Luther King and what they did but he didn’t feel he himself was that kind of outspoken person.
Stuart UK
Q: I have always heard many stories, never knowing witch is the truth, so maybe you can help by answering if Elvis was due to or had any plans in place to do a world tour or to tour Europe?
A: I really can’t answer why it never came about as it was talked about on several occasions, especially after he got the Lisa Marie, Elvis said on time - the colonel better book me in Europe or I will do it myself, that’s why I bought this plane. As we all know, it didn’t happen, but I can kill one rumor for sure and that’s the one about the Colonel being an illegal alien and was afraid not to be let in if he left the country, by his marriage to Marie he became a US citizen, so...
Steve Wright
Q: Elvis remarked that you were able to sing like one voice with him, what was your favorite or most memorable song or gospel that you sang harmony with Elvis?
A: Elvis and me loved to harmonize on different parts of many songs, like we could do an ending that we liked over and over again. I remember one time we did that and Tom Jones was visiting. So Elvis and me sang the same words over and over til Tom in an eager voice said - hey guys I know the lyrics to that song, and we just looked at him and said... -oh shut up Tom!, ha ha.
Little Sister1
Q: I always wanted to know what happened that time during Are You Lonesome Tonight when Elvis laughed so much, I heard that he laughed at a bald guy in the audience?
A: I think that the main thing that "cracked" Elvis up was that when he changed the lyrics the people in the band started to laugh and when you see other people laugh when you are not supposed to it’s even harder to stop yourself.
Emelie Sweden
Q: Did Col Parker have a retarding effect on Elvis mid and late career both musically and financially, and why did Elvis not deal with that.
A: Colonel was the best thing that could ever happen to Elvis, cause he really worked for him 24 hours a day all year through, I know for a fact that he on many occasions called real big producers at home on a Saturday or Sunday to get the best deal for Elvis.
Q: Since Elvis enjoyed renting the Memphian to watch movies privately with his friends I would like to know if he saw, Jaws, Rocky and Star Wars, and what he thought of them.
A: Ha ha...oh I don’t remember any particular movies, the guy who got the movies for us just rented the latest ones and we would just come and watch, many times without knowing the title of the movie.