Elvis: From Memphis to Hollywood

by Alan Fortas, Alanna Nash

When in June 1968, clad in black leather, a nervous Elvis Presley made his now legendary '68 Comeback Special , Alan Fortas was one of the five friends asked to be on stage with him. Fortas ultimately spent nearly 12 years working for Elvis, having been asked to join his fraternity of bodyguards and close buddies that came to be known as the Memphis Mafia back in 1958. He chronicles the time he spent living, traveling, and playing hard with Elvis during that time, during which he watched Elvis become increasingly disillusioned with the endless stream of movies he was forced to act in, saw him become increasingly reliant on drugs, and witnessed Elvis's colorful sex life.

338 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2008

Reviews

[Peter P. · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're an Elvis fan - especially one of the grounded variety - you'll enjoy this book. Alan Fortas - Elvis insider - tells a mostly chronological series of anecdotes, some funny, some poignant, of his time with Elvis. Largely centered around the endless cycle of mostly mindless movies, I found the book interesting enough to keep my attention, without ever really revealing anything too deep. The stories of Elvis' descent into boatloads of prescription medications is sad, but not news to those of us who have done any serious reading from the many books available on the topic.

[Dale Stonehouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fortas, one of the lesser-known members of Presley's "Memphis Mafia," gives a pretty straightforward account of his years with the King. Among the highlights are his friendships with Tuesday Weld and Ursula Andress, co-stars in some of the Elvis movies. He also became close to Priscilla Presley when he was her driver while living in L.A. As expected, he has a take on the drug abuse that took Elvis' life, as well as the hordes of girls they regularly were forced to deal with. I guess. There are also some good insights on Colonel Tom Parker, some not so flattering and others pretty benign.

[Michael Haseloff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eye opening for the perils of fame

[Rcavictory · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It shed more light on the life of Elvis Presley and his life with Priscilla and how the Memphis Mafia got along and the truth behind those that betrayed him. It wasn't just Red, Sonny and Dave Hebler. Some find it surprising, however I didn't. A sure bet that if you can find this book, you'll find it gripping and well worth it.
If you're interested in Elvis Presley, this is a book to read.