One time when we were in Las Vegas, I received a showroom menu in an envelope that was stuck in with the mail, with a death threat written on it. We called in the FBI. They took the envelope and the menu and checked it for fingerprints. The FBI suggested that Elvis cancel the show for a few days until they could investigate further. Elvis would not even consider it. He said: "I'm not cancelling the show for that no-good bastard. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of stopping me!" Then he turned to me and said "Joe, call Ed Parker, Jerry Schilling in L.A. and Red West in Memphis, and tell them I need them here." Elvis was angry and getting more so by the minute. He kept asking, "What could I have done that someone would want to kill me? I try to make people happy with my music!"

Excerpt taken from "Elvis... Intimate and Rare" Memories and Photos from the personal collection of Joe Esposito. .

Elvis loved to go to Hawaii. He liked to stay at the Hilton Hawaiin Village on Oahu. During the day he would go to a rented house on the other side of the island in Kailua. The bay is beautiful, no coral, and they do a lot of windsurfing there too. It's a great spot and there was always a house to rent there. We'd spend the days picnicking, relaxing and having fun. At night we 'd go back to the hotel for the security, room service, have dinner and see a show. In Hawaii, the fans left Elvis alone, unlike at the mainland where the fans hounded him day and night. He was able to sit on the beach and not be bothered. Elvis would even get up early in the morning in Hawaii.(Pictured in photo l-r: Joan Esposito, Elvis and Priscilla).

Excerpt taken from "Elvis... Intimate and Rare" Memories and Photos from the personal collection of Joe Esposito.

When Elvis played in Las Vegas, the "girls" (my mom, Priscilla, my sister-Debbie , Lisa and I) got to come and visit. When we arrived the first thing we would see at the Hilton was hundreds of slot machines. But, children are not allowed in the casinos and this rule is seriously enforced. What could be more appealing to a child than lit up machines with spinning wheels, bells and money flowing from them. It was always really lame that we practically had to run through the casino's.

Well, since Elvis couldn't hang out in the casino's a lot and he always had a lot of people around, the hotel would bring some slot machines up to his suite. They did this for all the celebrities, probably in hopes that they would win back some of the money they were paying them, haha! Since we were in our own room, there was nobody to say that the kids couldn't play. My dad would get roles of nickles, dimes and quarters, we would pull up 3 big bar stool and fight over who got to play first. There were 2 machines and 3 kids. It kept us occupied for a while, at least until we lost all of the money. But we had a really great time.

The first few years I worked for Elvis, things went amazingly smooth. Elvis seemed to appreciate the way I handled his business. But in August of 1964, we had our first argument. On our way back from completing "Girl Happy" for MGM, we stopped over in Amarillo, Texas, and I called the Colonel to let him know where we were. We slept all day, and when we awoke that evening, there were thousands of fans around the motel. A local radio station had announced Elvis' presence and Elvis was steamed. The only way they could have known was if the Colonel had tipped them off. But Elvis blamed me for having called the Colonel. He knew that I always called the Colonel and checked in with him so that he could find us in an emergency, but he chose to ignore that fact and jumped all over me. I was just as angry, and quit on the spot. I left the room, packed my bags and put them in the car. Elvis drove the bus to Memphis and I drove the car. When I reached Memphis, I checked into the Howard Johnsons down the street from Graceland, and stayed an extra day hoping that Elvis would want to talk. But he didn't. Elvis never, ever admitted he was wrong. At least I never saw him make an open admission. He preferred to find another way to make things right- usually with a spectacular gift- without admitting his error. I flew back to LA and called everyone in Hollywood I knew. I did extra work in several films and television shows, and those four months were probably the closest I ever came to being a real husband and father. At Christmas, Elvis sent me a small check as a present, and I called to thank him. "What are you doing? Elvis finally asked. "Extra work," I said, I swallowed my pride. "Do you think you could use me in the same job?" "Sure," Elvis said. "No problem." When I returned to Graceland, I must admit, I was glad to see Elvis. I know he was happy to see me too, but he never said it. He liked everybody to think they were expendable. That, too, he probably learned from the Colonel

Excerpt taken from Joe's book "Good Rockin' Tonight" by Joe and Elena Oumano

"One day we were walking down the street in Beverly Hills and I started handing out one-hundred dollar bills to total strangers," Elvis said "No questions. Just hand them the bill. They looked up, recognized me, and in a few moments, a crowd had formed. ...I had to high tail it out of there, but I got a big kick out of their expressions. Man, you know they were telling their friends and families about that for weeks, maybe months. God, I loved those double takes.!"

"My fans expect me to do the things they wish they could do- if they'd had the breaks that I've had," he said. "A lot of my fans have a rough life. They see me as someone who was lifted from poverty and dropped in a world of glamour and excitement. My job is to share that glamour and excitement with them. When I'm onstage, I want to create excitement. I want each person to feel I'm performing for him or her, even when I'm off-stage, the show goes on. The clothes I wear, the cars I drive, my style of living- they're all part of what my fans expect of me."

"Most people get kicked around in life," he continued. "They just don't get the breaks. I love the idea of overwhelming a total stranger with a gift like a new car, just because they happened to be nearby. It's an incredible kick. No drug can get you as high. It's the same thing I feel when I'm onstage and every eye is on me. I'm giving it all I've got and they're loving every move, every sound. Man, there's nothing better!"

Elvis bought Graceland in 1957 for his parents. Today the beautiful antebellum mansion is shaded by tall graceful trees. When I arrived at Graceland, the seedlings had yet to be planted; it looked quite different. Elvis always loved coming home to Memphis and Graceland. We'd see old friends, we'd catch up on all the movies. We would rent the theater at night, so we'd see the first run pictures. We'd go to the amusement park, rent the park, and bring all our friends there and just do relaxing, crazy things in Memphis.

Excerpt taken from "Elvis... Intimate and Rare" Memories and Photos from the personal collection of Joe Esposito.

Elvis related to guns and knives like a kid playing the tough guy, If he didn't like a television program, he shot out the set and cracked up. Sometimes he used the glasses lined up at the bar in his suite for target practice. He thought that this was hilarious. Myrna, one of the Sweet Inspirations, said she will never forget a hair-raising spin around Memphis in his little yellow Pantera."He was a great driver but I knew he was trying to scare me," she told me. "He thought it was funny." When they finally schreeched to a stop in Graceland's driveway, Elvis completed the "shock treatment" by pulling out a gun and shooting the dashboard as he castigated the car for not running right. "He thought that was funny too," Myrna said.

Excerpt taken from Joe's book "Good Rockin' Tonight" by Joe and Elena Oumano

USS Arizona- Story by Joe

Just as we were preparing to travel to Hawaii to film "Blue Hawaii" in 1961, the Colonel learned of a stalled attempt to build a memorial for the USS Arizona, the battleship that was sunk on December 7, 1941, killing thirteen hundred crew men, when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. The Colonel came up with the brilliant idea of doing a fund-raising concert.

Elvis would do anything for his country. "Man, America is the best country in the world," he was always saying.

We arrived at the airport in true Colonel Parker style by an entourage of Hula Dancers, a Hawaiian band hundreds of lei's- the works. The next day we did the concert and raised $67,000.00 a great deal of money in those days for a single concert. Thanks to Elvis and the Colonel, the USS Arizona Memorial is one of the largest tourist attractions in Hawaii.

Part of the reason that the show made so much money is that the Colonel made everyone buy their own tickets. Even Elvis had to buy a ticket.

Excerpt taken from Joe's book "Good Rockin' Tonight" by Joe and Elena Oumano

Our New House - Story by Joe

I'll never forget December 8, 1970. I was at home with my wife Joan, and our two little girls, Debbie and Cindy. We'd just finished dinner and were watching television, when there was a knock at the door. I asked who it was, and heard, "It's me."

Elvis, Jerry Schilling and Priscilla were standing there, with big grins on their faces. Elvis was wearing his usual outfit, a silk print shirt and black slacks and his gold framed sunglasses, even though it was dark outside.

"What are you guys doing here?" I asked.

"We've been riding around with a real estate person looking at houses," Elvis said.

"What's wrong with your house?"

"I'm not looking for a house for me, dummy," Elvis teased. "Priscilla and I decided that it's time you and Joan had a house."

I was shocked, but managed to invite them in for a drink.

"Where's Joan?" Elvis wanted to know. I told him she was taking a shower.

"Well, tell her to get her wet ass out here," Elvis ordered.

He was having a great time. I ran to the bathroom and told Joan that Elvis and Priscilla were here and Elvis and that they had found a house for us. She laughed, dismissing it as one of Elvis' jokes.

"I don't think so," I said. "He's serious. Get dressed."

I went back to the living room where Elvis was sitting with Debbie and Cindy on his lap. I couldn't hear what he was whispering, but they were both giggling in delight. Joan came out in a few moments and hugged Elvis and Priscilla. She told Elvis he was crazy, he laughed and agreed as we headed for the door.

We looked at the house they had picked out for us. We were dissappointed and tried hard not to let Elvis know. But he could tell.

Elvis said to the agent, "Let's go back to the office and see what else you have."

The next house was perfect. No one had warned the owners that Elvis Presley was coming, but they were pretty cool, and Elvis signed an autograph for one of the children. The house was perfect. It was freshly painted and we loved it. Three bedrooms, two baths, a big backyard, and a two car garage. Even with Elvis paying the down payment, we couldn't afford the mortgage payments and I told Elvis we'd have to refuse.

"Don't worry about it, Joe," he said. "I've got it all figured out. I'll give you a raise, and you'll afford it."

Joan and I hugged him, We were at a loss for words. I wrote out a check for a ten thousand dollar down payment, and Elvis signed it. The house cost forty-five thousand dollars, and I wanted to bargain the owners down. Elvis refused, saying that the owners needed the money.

Excerpt taken from Joe's book "Good Rockin' Tonight" by Joe and Elena Oumano

A good friend of ours, Rick Husky, set up this meeting with Jim while we were at Paramont Studios filming "Roustabout". J