Elvis Presley had many talents, and he believed faith healing was among them. The singer, who grew up in the church and remained spiritual for the entirety of his life, thought he could heal ailments and injuries with a brush of his hand. According to his friend, whom Elvis tried to heal multiple times, there was no truth to the singer’s claim.
Elvis believed he was a faith healer
As Elvis’ interest in the metaphysical grew, he became more interested in honing spiritual powers. He was wholly convinced he could heal a person by laying his hands on them. Red West, whom Elvis tried to heal more than once, tried to avoid the singer’s touch.
“Since my days playing football, I’ve always had a bad back, and sometimes at the top of my neck it gives me hell,” he said in the book Elvis: What Happened? by Steve Dunleavy.
Elvis believed he was a faith healer
As Elvis’ interest in the metaphysical grew, he became more interested in honing spiritual powers. He was wholly convinced he could heal a person by laying his hands on them. Red West, whom Elvis tried to heal more than once, tried to avoid the singer’s touch.
“Since my days playing football, I’ve always had a bad back, and sometimes at the top of my neck it gives me hell,” he said in the book Elvis: What Happened? by Steve Dunleavy.
- 3/29/2024
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Elvis Presley began performing residencies in Las Vegas in 1969. These shows saved his sagging career and reignited his love of performing. Before long, though, they began to bore him to tears. This boredom transformed Elvis, twisting his initial excitement into something spiteful and defensive. His friend shared how unpleasant things became while Elvis and his entourage were in Las Vegas.
Elvis’ boredom caused him to lash out while in Las Vegas
By the early 1970s, Elvis had tired of his Vegas shows. He played two shows a day for weeks at a time, leaving him exhausted and irritable. He also played the same show over and over.
“Going in about the third year, there was no challenge,” Elvis’ friend Jerry Schilling said in the book The Colonel by Alanna Nash. “It was the same songs, and the same audience, and we stayed up all night, and slept all day. We...
Elvis’ boredom caused him to lash out while in Las Vegas
By the early 1970s, Elvis had tired of his Vegas shows. He played two shows a day for weeks at a time, leaving him exhausted and irritable. He also played the same show over and over.
“Going in about the third year, there was no challenge,” Elvis’ friend Jerry Schilling said in the book The Colonel by Alanna Nash. “It was the same songs, and the same audience, and we stayed up all night, and slept all day. We...
- 3/19/2024
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Elvis Presley’s longtime bodyguard Red West met the singer in high school. The first version of Elvis he met was a shy, kind boy who rose to atmospheric success not long after graduation. Over the years, West watched Elvis drift further away from the person he was in his early days of fame. Once, Elvis even admitted to West that he didn’t like the way he was changing.
Elvis Presley discussed how he’d changed with his bodyguard
By 1975, West had grown tired of watching Elvis self-destruct. He was heavily using drugs, had frequent mood swings, and seemed bored with his career. West loved Elvis as though he was family, but he was also angry with him. He finally decided to speak to him about it.
“This night he wasn’t high. He had taken a tranquilizer, and I just sort of came out with it, because when...
Elvis Presley discussed how he’d changed with his bodyguard
By 1975, West had grown tired of watching Elvis self-destruct. He was heavily using drugs, had frequent mood swings, and seemed bored with his career. West loved Elvis as though he was family, but he was also angry with him. He finally decided to speak to him about it.
“This night he wasn’t high. He had taken a tranquilizer, and I just sort of came out with it, because when...
- 3/17/2024
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Elvis Presley’s entourage supported him in many ways: they ordered him food, vacationed with him, rushed to his side when he needed them, and, apparently, convinced him to bathe. According to several members of his entourage, Elvis preferred to rely on deodorant tablets to keep himself smelling fresh. Those who knew him said they weren’t all that effective.
Elvis Presley’s entourage had to talk him into bathing
By 1975, Elvis’ health had deteriorated significantly. He dealt with physical symptoms exacerbated by his drug use, but he also had mood swings and rising paranoia. According to his entourage, Elvis began to refuse to bathe.
Per The Washington Post, Elvis wiped down his “armpits and crotch” when necessary. He also relied on deodorant tablets to kill any odor.
Elvis Presley | Stanley Bielecki Movie Collection/Getty Images
“They’d kill any type of body odor from bad breath to butt,” his cousin,...
Elvis Presley’s entourage had to talk him into bathing
By 1975, Elvis’ health had deteriorated significantly. He dealt with physical symptoms exacerbated by his drug use, but he also had mood swings and rising paranoia. According to his entourage, Elvis began to refuse to bathe.
Per The Washington Post, Elvis wiped down his “armpits and crotch” when necessary. He also relied on deodorant tablets to kill any odor.
Elvis Presley | Stanley Bielecki Movie Collection/Getty Images
“They’d kill any type of body odor from bad breath to butt,” his cousin,...
- 3/15/2024
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Over the course of his years in the spotlight, Elvis Presley’s appearance and behavior drew criticism. When he rose to prominence in the 1950s, many worried that Elvis was a negative influence on young people. Though this concern lessened over time, particularly as other, more controversial groups rose to prominence, Elvis’ appearance still rankled some people. This included the person Elvis saw as the greatest living American, J. Edgar Hoover.
According to an FBI agent, J. Edgar Hoover wouldn’t have liked Elvis’ appearance
In 1970, Elvis visited the FBI headquarters in Washington D.C. with the hopes of seeing Hoover.
“Presley indicated that he has long been an admirer of Mr. Hoover, and has read material prepared by the director, including Masters of Deceit, A Study of Communism, as well as J. Edgar Hoover on Communism,” FBI agent M.A. Jones wrote in a memo, per the Washington Post. “Presley...
According to an FBI agent, J. Edgar Hoover wouldn’t have liked Elvis’ appearance
In 1970, Elvis visited the FBI headquarters in Washington D.C. with the hopes of seeing Hoover.
“Presley indicated that he has long been an admirer of Mr. Hoover, and has read material prepared by the director, including Masters of Deceit, A Study of Communism, as well as J. Edgar Hoover on Communism,” FBI agent M.A. Jones wrote in a memo, per the Washington Post. “Presley...
- 11/1/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
In 1970, Elvis Presley visited the FBI headquarters during a visit to Washington. He was in the city to meet with Richard Nixon but decided to see if he could visit J. Edgar Hoover as well. While Hoover wasn’t in town, Elvis got a tour of the building. During the visit, he expounded on his possible utility to the agency. Elvis explained that even his appearance was part of a careful effort to grow closer to anti-establishment young people.
Elvis Presley told the FBI that his appearance had a purpose
When Elvis visited the FBI headquarters, he had wanted to meet with Hoover. He saw Hoover as the “greatest living American.” Though Hoover was not there, Elvis happily accepted a tour of the building by M.A. Jones, who wrote a memo to his boss, Thomas E. Bishop, after the visit.
“Presley’s sincerity and good intentions notwithstanding, he is certainly...
Elvis Presley told the FBI that his appearance had a purpose
When Elvis visited the FBI headquarters, he had wanted to meet with Hoover. He saw Hoover as the “greatest living American.” Though Hoover was not there, Elvis happily accepted a tour of the building by M.A. Jones, who wrote a memo to his boss, Thomas E. Bishop, after the visit.
“Presley’s sincerity and good intentions notwithstanding, he is certainly...
- 10/30/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
While rumors floated for years that James Caan turned down an offer to play Han Solo in Star Wars, he avoided confirming or denying the story. Still, the actor said he had turned down many roles in his career. He also shared why he thought he wouldn’t have been right for the role. With this response, he took a shot at Harrison Ford.
There are rumors that James Caan turned down the role of Han Solo
Ford, of course, ultimately got the role of Han Solo. Caan was reportedly under consideration for the part before Ford was cast, though. In a 2013 conversation on The Howard Stern Show, Caan first spoke about another iconic role he refused: Superman.
Caan said that The Godfather author Mario Puzo had written a tongue-in-cheek, humorous script for the film. He would have considered this version, but the film went in a different direction. While...
There are rumors that James Caan turned down the role of Han Solo
Ford, of course, ultimately got the role of Han Solo. Caan was reportedly under consideration for the part before Ford was cast, though. In a 2013 conversation on The Howard Stern Show, Caan first spoke about another iconic role he refused: Superman.
Caan said that The Godfather author Mario Puzo had written a tongue-in-cheek, humorous script for the film. He would have considered this version, but the film went in a different direction. While...
- 9/15/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
While rumors floated for years that James Caan turned down an offer to play Hans Solo in Star Wars, he avoided confirming or denying the story. Still, the actor said he had turned down many roles in his career. He also shared why he thought he wouldn’t have been right for the role. With this response, he took a shot at Harrison Ford.
There are rumors that James Caan turned down the role of Hans Solo
Ford, of course, ultimately got the role of Hans Solo. Caan was reportedly under consideration for the part before Ford was cast, though. In a 2013 conversation on The Howard Stern Show, Caan first spoke about another iconic role he refused: Superman.
Caan said that The Godfather author Mario Puzo had written a tongue-in-cheek, humorous script for the film. He would have considered this version, but the film went in a different direction. While...
There are rumors that James Caan turned down the role of Hans Solo
Ford, of course, ultimately got the role of Hans Solo. Caan was reportedly under consideration for the part before Ford was cast, though. In a 2013 conversation on The Howard Stern Show, Caan first spoke about another iconic role he refused: Superman.
Caan said that The Godfather author Mario Puzo had written a tongue-in-cheek, humorous script for the film. He would have considered this version, but the film went in a different direction. While...
- 9/15/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Bob Dylan had cemented his legacy as a folk music legend before he met The Beatles. The Fab Four already loved his music before their in-person encounter. John Lennon gave Dylan high praise/a backhanded compliment when he said Yoko Ono was as important a singer as the troubadour. They were musical icons of the 1960s, but The Beatles denied Dylan his best shot at having a No. 1 hit on the Billboard charts.
(l-r) George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, and John Lennon; Bob Dylan | Bettmann; Stanley Bielecki/Asp/Getty Images The Beatles’ song ‘Help!’ stopped Bob Dylan from having a No. 1 hit in 1965
Escaping The Beatles’ shadow on the Billboard charts was next to impossible in the mid-1960s. The band tallied 47 of their 64 top-100 singles between 1964 and 1966. That run coincided with some of Dylan’s finest work of the decade. That included 1965’s Highway 61 Revisited.
Dylan had an incredible peak in the 1960s.
(l-r) George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, and John Lennon; Bob Dylan | Bettmann; Stanley Bielecki/Asp/Getty Images The Beatles’ song ‘Help!’ stopped Bob Dylan from having a No. 1 hit in 1965
Escaping The Beatles’ shadow on the Billboard charts was next to impossible in the mid-1960s. The band tallied 47 of their 64 top-100 singles between 1964 and 1966. That run coincided with some of Dylan’s finest work of the decade. That included 1965’s Highway 61 Revisited.
Dylan had an incredible peak in the 1960s.
- 6/4/2023
- by Jason Rossi
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
The Beatles found inspiration from the earliest rock ‘n’ roll pioneers, and they showed it. Before Paul McCartney and John Lennon grew into prolific songwriters (while being called idiots by a singer who then recorded one of their songs), the Fab Four covered songs by Ray Charles, Little Richard, Carl Perkins, and Buddy Holly. Yet Elvis Presley might have been the biggest influence. We’re ranking The Beatles’ four Elvis covers from worst to best.
(l-r) Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, George Harrison, and John Lennon of The Beatles; Elvis Presley | Stanley Bielecki/Asp/Getty Images; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images The Beatles covered several Elvis songs during BBC Radio sessions in the early 1960s
They became perhaps the most covered band in the world later, but The Beatles played other people’s songs to fill their set lists in the early days.
John had a strange way of...
(l-r) Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, George Harrison, and John Lennon of The Beatles; Elvis Presley | Stanley Bielecki/Asp/Getty Images; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images The Beatles covered several Elvis songs during BBC Radio sessions in the early 1960s
They became perhaps the most covered band in the world later, but The Beatles played other people’s songs to fill their set lists in the early days.
John had a strange way of...
- 3/7/2023
- by Jason Rossi
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Bielecki worked on Star Wars, Superman and Alien.
Photographer and publicity consultant Stanley Bielecki has died aged 91.
Born in Lviv, Poland in 1925, Bielecki came to London after WWII to work as a photojournalist before establishing his lab Sb international in the 1960’s in order to focus on film still photography.
Working with renowned stillsmen such as Bob Penn, Johnny Jay and Tony Snowdon, Bielecki commissioned, developed and distributed photographic material for the marketing for major films of the 1970’s and 1980’s, among them The Omen, The French Connection, Monty Python’s Meaning of Life and the Rocky Horror Picture Show.
He also worked on the first Star Wars, Superman and Alien movies as an advertising and publicity consultant. Across his career he was commissioned as a consultant by 20th Century Fox, MGM, Columbia, The Ladd Company, Universal, Walt Disney Studios and many independents.
Directors he worked with include Mel Brooks, Peter Bogdanovich, [link...
Photographer and publicity consultant Stanley Bielecki has died aged 91.
Born in Lviv, Poland in 1925, Bielecki came to London after WWII to work as a photojournalist before establishing his lab Sb international in the 1960’s in order to focus on film still photography.
Working with renowned stillsmen such as Bob Penn, Johnny Jay and Tony Snowdon, Bielecki commissioned, developed and distributed photographic material for the marketing for major films of the 1970’s and 1980’s, among them The Omen, The French Connection, Monty Python’s Meaning of Life and the Rocky Horror Picture Show.
He also worked on the first Star Wars, Superman and Alien movies as an advertising and publicity consultant. Across his career he was commissioned as a consultant by 20th Century Fox, MGM, Columbia, The Ladd Company, Universal, Walt Disney Studios and many independents.
Directors he worked with include Mel Brooks, Peter Bogdanovich, [link...
- 1/6/2017
- ScreenDaily
Bielecki worked on Star Wars, Superman and Alien.
Photographer and publicity consultant Stanley Bielecki has died aged 91.
Born in Lviv, Poland in 1925, Bielecki came to London after WWII to work as a photojournalist before establishing his lab Sb international in the 1960’s in order to focus on film still photography.
Working with renowned stillsmen such as Bob Penn, Johnny Jay and Tony Snowdon, Bielecki commissioned, developed and distributed photographic material for the marketing for major films of the 1970’s and 1980’s, among them The Omen, The French Connection, Monty Python’s Meaning of Life and the Rocky Horror Picture Show.
He also worked on the first Star Wars, Superman and Alien movies as an advertising and publicity consultant. Across his career he was commissioned as a consultant by 20th Century Fox, MGM, Columbia, The Ladd Company, Universal, Walt Disney Studios and many independents.
Directors he worked with include Mel Brooks, Peter Bogdanovich, [link...
Photographer and publicity consultant Stanley Bielecki has died aged 91.
Born in Lviv, Poland in 1925, Bielecki came to London after WWII to work as a photojournalist before establishing his lab Sb international in the 1960’s in order to focus on film still photography.
Working with renowned stillsmen such as Bob Penn, Johnny Jay and Tony Snowdon, Bielecki commissioned, developed and distributed photographic material for the marketing for major films of the 1970’s and 1980’s, among them The Omen, The French Connection, Monty Python’s Meaning of Life and the Rocky Horror Picture Show.
He also worked on the first Star Wars, Superman and Alien movies as an advertising and publicity consultant. Across his career he was commissioned as a consultant by 20th Century Fox, MGM, Columbia, The Ladd Company, Universal, Walt Disney Studios and many independents.
Directors he worked with include Mel Brooks, Peter Bogdanovich, [link...
- 1/6/2017
- ScreenDaily
Zsa Zsa Gabor was never one to shy away from drama, but the family infighting that surrounded the final years of her life was scandalous even by her standards.
The Budapest-born socialite and great-aunt of Paris Hilton died Sunday at age 99. Plagued by health problems in her later years, including a lung infection, the amputation of her right leg and eventually chronic dementia, Gabor succumbed to a heart attack after spending the last five years on life support.
During that time, Gabor was “locked away in her mansion laying in a hospital bed being fed through tubes in her navel,...
The Budapest-born socialite and great-aunt of Paris Hilton died Sunday at age 99. Plagued by health problems in her later years, including a lung infection, the amputation of her right leg and eventually chronic dementia, Gabor succumbed to a heart attack after spending the last five years on life support.
During that time, Gabor was “locked away in her mansion laying in a hospital bed being fed through tubes in her navel,...
- 12/19/2016
- by m34miller
- PEOPLE.com
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