Re: The Memphis Mafia - What Happened to Them ? And while Beale Black & Blue was published only recently, the information it contains has been available for years in Memphis to anyone willing to ask for itas has the information that Elvis, whatever his mother might have thought, spent time as a teenager in Memphiss black neighborhoods, having sex with black girls. was a 555-page attempt to prove that Albert Goldman was hipper than Lenny Bruce. Update On Lamar Fike's Death - ElvisNews.com Well put, gents. The cause of Elvis' death on Aug. 16, 1977, remains an issue of speculation and controversy. And from then on a constant stream of undermining & twisted facts were published & paraded by this man. Elvis: Truth, Myth & Beyond: An Intimate Conversation With Lamar Fike Cause of Death: Lung Cancer Marty Lacker - died 13th February, 2017, aged 80. Dolly Parton's story about her song IWill Always Love You is a very good example. Does Lamar Fike regret helping Goldman with that book? - Page 2 - For Funeral Story and Marriage Memphis Mafia Member Lamar Fike - YouTube But because the book is having its intended impact, and because Elvis Presley is so large a figure, intertwined with the lives of millions of people in ways that have hardly begun to be examined, a good deal is at stake. We cant always believe all we read in books and newspapers. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. We DO know what went on because they have all documented their version of events several times over. I would rather have that than the sugar coated stories from some people. Cause of Death: Kidney Failure Nora Margaret Fowler Fike, age 75, has danced her last dance. It is altogether fitting and proper that this be so, because as a redneck, as a hillbilly, as a white boy who sang like a nigger, Elvis Presley was never permitted to join the culture that has never permitted itself to be exemplified by what he made of it. He was 75. Outside of Red West, Lamar was with Elvis the longest and he remained close to him until Elvis' passing. In the immortal words of Alice from the old Honeymooners TV show, Blimp Takes Off. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. After receiving galleys of the book, I wrote the publisher, pointing out the distortion and insisting on its seriousness. There were just too many tours. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? According to Goddard, a Martin Kallikak had a one-night stand with a bar woman of low morals, and later married a Quaker. He got fired for that. So for a guy that was probably out of shape all his life to out live a guy 33-4 years who was in great shape most of his life is pretty incredible. Change). Lamar stayed a close friend of Elvis throughout the years, often providing . ). Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. While most of Elvis is written in the voice of the hipster (theys many a crazy, likah drinkin pill-poppin countrah boy that kin get hissef jes as racked-up n ragged as the craziest coon on Beale Street), in the addled syntax of a person who dictates rather than writes (envying what is beyond one), or in the tones of a man who simply cant be bothered with decent language when the subject of that language is so obviously contemptible (What really bugged Elvis was that they could never find one of those trick cars, like they have in the circus), here Goldman slips easily into the simultaneously vague and definitive cadences of the social scientist. Add Janice's family friends, and her friends from childhood through adulthood. Why on earth should EPE be obliged to pay for Lamar Fike's funeral? This is precisely the weight of Goldmans book, and it is precisely the weight of the cultural genocide he wishes to enact. Sorry Jamie but I haven't heard such a load of "glass half empty" rubbish since the heady days of Goldman. Who got betrayed? You have chosen this person to be their own family member. Make sure that the file is a photo. Because his book will be the most widely read and widely consulted biography of Elvis Presley, his perversion of Sam Phillipss statement will replace the statement itself: it will be quoted in reviews, articles, among fans, and in other books, and it will defame the reputation of Sam Phillips. But it's very, very hard to get at a balanced view not least because we weren't there and are left trying to arrive at informed conclusions based on inconsistent information. Nobody (except maybe the Memphis Mafia ) expected Elvis to die so soon. Many commentators now accept that Elvis was worked himself to death in those last seven years - concerts, tours, even recording sessions and that he had other health problems (some of which precipitated the prescription drug use). I went to Columbia Military Academy and gradusted in 1954. Last October he was taken to the hospital with breathing difficulties. It was a fantasy of freedom with the reality of slavery, the ultimate validation of D. H. Lawrences dictum on what he took to be the American idea of freedom: Men are not free when they are doing just what they like. The literature suggests Elvis was an unfaithful husband, once punched Charlie Hodge, and had a liaison with a girlfriend of Jerry Schilling (sources: "Elvis and Me"; "Elvis and the Memphis Mafia"; the Guralnick biographies). You may request to transfer up to 250,000 memorials managed by Find a Grave. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Springsteen, Mccartney, Elton, Jagger may well tour and perform into their 80s, but their schedules have NEVER been as punishing as Elvis's was (a thousand concerts in seven years as opposed to a grand tour every four years?). Following their return, he became Presley's tour manager.Beginning in 1961, he alternated between being in Presley's camp and serving as the road manager for Brenda Lee. Recently, it became known that before he died, Lamar had also spent several days with researchers L.E. Ben Fike Obituary. Possibilities Behind Marfan Mike's Cause of Death After Coma You are both right, I always thought that Lamar defied medical science. Try again later. In her youth, Nora lit up the New York City night scene as a Copacabana girl, a famed chorus line dancer with elegant costumes. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Additional information is listed below: 11:00 AM in "The Chapel Room", an Indoor Service will be held for Lamar Reilly Fike. He worked for the King from 1957 to 1977 and even traveled to Germany with him in 1958. The INFORMATION that Lamar Fike found out after Elvis' passing. Larry L Fike 1934 - 2003. Those of us in the Memphis Mafia who remained his friend are greatly saddened by the loss of yet another member of our close group. He died Friday, January 21, according to fellow Memphis Mafia member Marty Lacker. As for Lamar, maybe you're right, I wouldn't know, but certainly, I wouldn't compare him to Red West. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? Elvis, Elvis Presley and Graceland are trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises. The Stanley boys? Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. Who knows maybe some of them were paid for that. After attending the Columbia Military Academy in Tennessee, graduating in 1954, Fike bumped into the young Elvis in Memphis before the latter burst onto the scene, and joined his entourage in 1957, by which time Elvis was already the hottest property in pop music. Lamar Fike was born in 1935 in Cleveland, Mississippi, by the side of Route 61, which runs north-south through the entire country, including past the Duluth birthplace of Bob Dylan, who preferred to call it Highway 61. Born in Cleveland, Mississippi on November 11, 1935, he was briefly a radio disc jockey at KEBE in Jacksonville, Florida. I think that would have contributed to his health, and the shows would surely be more exciting. I agree with what Tony and dgirl were trying to say here. AFTER DEATH, 'IT WAS WAR' : Even Elvis' Coffin Made It to the Front People may be more prone to developing an eating disorder, perhaps due to a personality trait or a (4) lack of security in childhood. SHULI announced: "What a kind, funny, and sweet human being. Marion Keiske Who Discovered Elvis Presley? The INFORMATION that Lamar Fike found out after Elvis' passing. It was Fike who introduced the rock'n'roll star to a 14-year-old girl called Priscilla Beaulieu, the singer's future wife and mother of his child, Lisa Marie Presley. Elvis was in tip-top shape and stayed that way up till the 70's Lamar was never in good shape. It is now known fact the Elvis died as a result of drug addiction by self medicating on . Badly written and badly researched, Goldmans trash epic are utterly forgotten thanks to the The purpose of the study was to affirm that the poor were poor because they were inferior, that social programs (for, say, the eradication of pellagraor rickets) were a waste of money, and that certain sectors of the American population had no place in society. Will Prizscilla or LisaMarie or EPE Inc. pick up the funeral bills this time ??? I'm thankful that we have so much video of Lamar thanks to the Memphis Mafia videos from 1997. No part of any article on this site may be re-printed for public display without permission. The singer, while still being paid the standard GI pay of $78 a week, was allowed to live off-base with his father, grandmother, Fike and another member of the Memphis Mafia, Red West. Lamar had a history of health problems. It didn't seem to affect him. Goldman has some positive things to say about a few of the early Sun recordings, though they were, he reminds the reader, nothing new (Elviss notion of what was hip was almost quaint), little more than parodies, and essentially fake: Sam Phillips attached to his new stars raw and untrained voice the electronic prosthesis [Goldman means the slap-back echo Phillips had used earlier on many blues records and used later on many rockabilly records] that masked his vocal faults while it transformedor shall we say transfigured?his vocal quality into the legendary Presley sound. After a justifiable dismissal of Heartbreak Hotel, which was less an Elvis record thanan attempt by RCA to bring him into the pop mainstream, Goldman mostly ignores the rest of the early RCA work and, when Elvis returns from the Army, jumps straight into a condemnation of such bloated (and still exciting) discs as Its Now or Never, omitting any mention of Elvis Is Back!, the powerful blues and R&B album with which Elvis in fact announced his return to pop music. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. Highly recommended. But personally Ill never forgive you for the horrible Goldman book. Having established hillbillies as a deracinated race, Goldman sets out to prove that Elviss line was the most degraded of allresurrecting the long-discredited theories of Henry H. Goddard, who in 1912 published a study of the Kallikak families (from kallos, the Greek word for beauty, and kakos, for bad). As Goldman says, there is absolutely no poignance in this history.. That Elviss life represented a real American dilemma? Man, the posts I read here are sometimes out of left field. The Myth Behind the Truth Behind the Legend: Albert Goldman's 'Elvis Lamar Fike larger than life member of Elvis Memphis Mafia The outcome was a disaster because the most lucrative work (movies, Las Vegas engagements) didn't stretch Elvis and in some cases made him look ridiculous. According to Fike and Wood, however, Elvis's manager, Tom Parker, "the Colonel", who preferred to keep his client as the world's most eligible bachelor, managed to edge Wood out of Elvis's life. Last October he was taken to the hospital with breathing difficulties. Fike recalled the 19-year-old Wood's first date with Elvis, when she had to share the singer's limo with Fike and two other members of the Memphis Mafia, stopping off to buy "dozens of hamburgers" before going to Presley's newly-bought Memphis Mansion, Graceland, where he showed her what she called "the biggest bed I have ever seen." The Memphis Mafia: Lamar Fike - died 21st January, 2011, in Arlington Tarrant County, Texas, aged 75. Elvis Presley and Lamar Fike at the carpark / observation lookout high above Hanauma Bay, Hawaii, May 1969. Who was the villain? How Was Ben Fike Killed? In a car accident, a Stampede defenseman In addition to James Fike, of Atlanta, GA. he is survived by another son, John Fike, of Nashville, Tenn. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. About this biography . A young Elvis is pictured with his mom, Gladys, and father, Vernon Credit: Getty. Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile, Lamar Fike was one of Elvis Presley's career-long entourage who became the singer's friends, foils, scapegoats, bodyguards, road managers, lighting technicians, punchbags, babysitters (for the singer himself) and procurers of girls, pills or sweets. But, Larry, I think you have to go to the cause, not just the effect. Lamar passed away very peacefully, Friday, January 21. In order to destroy Elvis Presley as an American original, who might tell us something worth knowing about America, Goldman moves to destroy Elvis as an American (The Presleys were not an ordinary family: they were hillbillies), as a person (Elvis was a pervert, we are told, because, Goldman reports, he was fixated on the vision of black pubic hairs protruding around the edges of white pantiesa pervert, presumably, like James Joyce, who was fixated on the vision of white panties with little brown spots on their rear sides), and as an artist. Im surprised Goldman could walk down the street after that, without strangers hitting him with a sock full of horse manure. Goodbye Lamar Fike. That's why you will read negative things about the majority of the entourage, and based on what has been written about Elvis by these people, that criticism is entirely justified. the rest of the entourage have no such motive as Elvis was long gone before they started putting pen to paper. Lamar Fike - A Tribute - YouTube The promised scandal is there in plenty, and because of the saintliness in which Elvis was wrapped throughout his lifetime, it still has punch. Lamar passed away very peacefully, Friday, January 21. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. Being around a drug addict for years is Hell. Add to your scrapbook. Lamar had been hospitalized since last October 14th and then transferred to the physical therapy wing of the hospital. Cost something like $70,000. Lamar Fike: That's one of the most important things that history has . press conference. Like Elvis, they will live on in our hearts, by memory, video, and audio, forever. Let's accord Elvis Presley the respect he deserves as a substantial, intelligent adult - and stop blaming good people for little more than being unwittingly caught up in the chaos and panic that erupted when it became clear that Elvis's drug dependency was a runaway train and that a catatrophe was unavoidable for all of them. But I think its silly to compare his age of death with Elvis. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. Lamar was also very close to Elvis' mother. Elvis had noone around him he didn't want around so he obviously wanted Lamar around along with the rest of them.you are the people that take Lisa and Priscilla's word on everything, you have all forgotten that he divorced her and that Lisa was only nine when her father died, all she really knows about his business is what she has been told. His fate was the most ignoble of all, he became Larry King: Marty, did you ever say to him, Elvis, you're gaining a lot of weight, . NIGGER There was an error deleting this problem. I never heard Sam use the word `niggernothing could be more out of character. She paused to catch her breath. The interviews with Fike were conducted over the course of four days in . Lamar Fike Obituary - Death Notice and Service Information - Legacy.com But while Goldmans Elvis is not a serious biography, it is a very serious book, if only for what it seeks to accomplish: to exclude Elvis Presley, and the culture of the white working-class South, and the people of that culture, and the culture of rock n roll, and the people of that culture, from any serious consideration of American culture. He was 75. In later years, Lamar Fike returned to Nashville to work as an assistant to record producer and . Published by The Times-Picayune on Feb. 18, 2011. After Elvis died, there were a number of doctors that said that they had experienced much more drugs in different bodies, where people had survived. A system error has occurred. Elvis Presley's songs are unforgettable - they have stood the test of time, especially his singles of the 1950s, a decade in which he had a song at No. End of. Haunting Elvis theory claims singer was destined to die young due to Elvis: Truth, Myth & Beyond: An Intimate Conversation With Lamar Fike, Elvis' Closest Friend & Confidant (1) Paperback - Illustrated, September 30, 2016 by L.E. There was a problem getting your location. I will not let anybody get backstage other than a close showbiz friend of his or a member of his family. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. Regarding the issue of people not being given access to Elvis at times, it is possible that Elvis knew of this and was part of the game. The crowd responded to them. was intended to aid Elvis rather than a tawdry attempt to gain revenge with royalties added - who's naive? The moment you can do just what you like, there is nothing you care about doing. The real significance of Goldmans Elvis is in its attempt at cultural genocide. It scared us all to death. Probably so, but it was the lifestyle of Elvis that killed him at such a young age. Lamar Fike's Elvis Video Blog: Video 4 - YouTube And Elvis Presley was a real genius. Perhaps the most famous statement in the history of rock n roll is that attributed to Sam Phillips by Marion Keisker, his co-manager at Sun during the early and mid-fifties, and in fact the person who truly discovered Elvisnoting his name, vocal style, and a phone number at which he could be reached after the eighteen-year-old showed up at the Sun studio to make a hear-your-own-voice record so that he could hear his own voice. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. I always enjoyed seeing Lamar Fike speaking about Elvis, he was a straight talking, no BS type of person. Fike always insisted that Priscilla's father cornered Elvis into marrying Priscilla. Lamar Fike Interview Part One - An EIN exclusive Interview Inspired by Goldmans example with the Tupelo minister, I picked up the phone and called Marion Keisker in Memphis. 1. for 59 weeks and 4 No. Gone and forgotten. Lamar Fike, now a Nashville country-music agent and publisher, was one of Elvis' circle of friends known as "The Memphis Mafia." . + Plus Bonus DVD Audio. Whom those guys were serving here? The reasons for that are probably quite innocent and quaint but it inevitably leads to a distorted impression of who Elvis was. Footnotes According to Lacker, a memorial service will be held in Mart, Texas at a date to be announced later.By: Robert K. Oermann Source: MusicRow.com " A Memorial Service for "Lamar Reilly Fike" will be conducted at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday morning, 26 Feb 2011, at the Littlepage Funeral Home in Mart, Texas. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Lamar Fike (64537204)? Sorry! Lamar talks about Elvis' mother and the sad tragedy of her death. Does he make the cut? Most of the harm he ever did, he did to himself. He wasnt willing to keep to his place, and now he is being returned to it. Elvis Presley and Lamar Fike at the carpark / observation lookout high above Hanauma Bay, Hawaii, May 1969. Try again later. Hang on a second. Rest in peace Lamar and look after Elvis for us. I got fired about 500 times, but it's all part of it. Who betrayed the other there? If I played Devil's advocate, I think I'd say a few things in his defence. Myth, Goldman writes, is what we believe naturally. It is one thing to take drugs, it is another thing how your body react to it. The West's and Dave Hebler suffered in a similar way at the hands of Steve Dunleavy when the book "Elvis What Happened?" And there are a couple troubling situations where some, in the Elvis's entourage, were the ears and the eyes of Colonel Parker. He looks utterly forlorn. Lamar Fike died from complications of lymphoma on January 21. January 21 2011 , a Sad Sad Day. Who did the betraying first? Firstly, in Alannah Nash's "Elvis and the Memphis Mafia" book he comes across as being well-humoured and honest. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. "He had a terrible temper. THE MYTH BEHIND THE TRUTH BEHIND THE LEGEND The Memphis Mafia - What Happened to Them ? Dave Hebler is at the "Elvis: What Happened?" This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. True, Elvis was not naive, but he was one of the first real multimedia superstars and therefore had little in the way of precedent (no Betty Ford clinics, modern agents, lifecoaches etc) to guide him. Unfortunately he did not improve and was sent back to the hospital about a month ago. Mickey I don't see the point you make. What's with all these silly health comparisons? Goldman certainly had a way with words, so much so that even factual inaccuracies read like artistic licence..Charlie sugar sweet maybe, but he earned his money on stage.. mikee - exactly. Man, I am getting scared: it seems that Elvis wants them all up there, ASAP..!?!? just goes to show you how badly Elvis took care of himself , how many drugs he ingested, and basically gave up on life. These guys spoke their mind and weren't sugar sweet like Joe, Charlie and Jerry. Surely they meet the criteria. Hello, I don't know how much Lamar was responsible for negative reportage about The King. Lamar had a history of health problems. His memories showed Elvis in a good and bad light making him the human being that he was. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. Missouri State Highway Patrol - Crash Reports Lamar Fike Passed Away - ElvisNews.com August the 13th 1958. Yes he played too many but what about Bruce & McCartney? Apparently he died of heart failure at Graceland, a victim of prescription drugs, fatigue, and the burdens of . In addition to James Fike, he is survived another son, John Fike, of Nashville, Tenn. A memorial service is set for Feb. 26 in Mart, a town about 25 miles east of Waco. Oops, we were unable to send the email. Again, you may be right. I'm so sorry to hear this. a literary pariah in his own lifetime. And alternatively, I've read that there was concern about lawsuits connected with heavy-handedness by Elvis's protectors so their services were dispensed with. He is survived by two daughters Angie and Sheri Lacker of Memphis and one son Marc Lacker (Brenda Stoyka Lacker),. He first got to know him through Elvis's mother, Gladys, and it was she who told her son to trust their fellow Mississippian before she died in 1958, just as Elvis was conquering the world. He was 66. He had something in between that made the blues sort of different Always he had that certain humanness about him that Negroes like to put in their songs. Lamar had been hospitalized since last October 14th and then transferred to the physical therapy wing of the hospital. Colonel Parker Managed Elvis' Career, but Was He a Killer on the Lam? Marty Lacker says about Lamar: "I have the unfortunate task of officially sadly announcing the passing of Lamar Fike as authorized by his cousin Tommy McDonald who was very close to Lamar and was with him daily in his hospital room in Arlington,Texas. You know my name, But not my story. "I don't think that there's any doubt he killed that woman," said Lamar Fike, a member of Elvis Presley's Memphis Mafia. Lamar Fike also worked for Hill and Range music publishers and brought several major songs to Elvis' sessions . Failed to report flower. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. What on earth does EPE have to do with Elvis' friends and why should they even care? You need a Find a Grave account to continue. But when Elvis gave a woman a ring, it didn't mean a damn thing." Lamar first met Elvis in 1954 and began working for him in 1957. She. For such a task, revelations about the moral weakness and ill-spent life of a single individual are useful, but no matter how numerous or squalid such revelations might be, they are not sufficient. What remains for us fan is what we should focus on: the music the Memphis Flash left to enjoy forever. The term stuck and was generally used, including by Elvis and themselves, with considerable irony. Janice L. (Fadal) Fike (born 1954) - Texas If he'd wanted to meet up with Steve Binder, he could have phoned him at NBC and arranged for him to collect complimentary tickets at the International. Elvis played over a thousand concerts in the last 7 years of his life, while Lamar did what exactly? He worked for the King from 1957 to 1977 and even traveled to Germany with him in 1958. HILLBILLIES EAT DOG FOOD WHEN THEY CANT GET SHIT You can always change this later in your Account settings. I know that Marty once said that he was almost as bad as Elvis. Understandably, the poverty of his youth affected his career choices.