Gary James' Interview With Record Producer Who Says He Knows Where Elvis Is
Major Bill LaCarn Smith
Out of Ft. Worth, Texas comes a gentleman known as Major Bill LaCarn Smith. The Major is a record producer and promoter who has a long list of accomplishments;
In 1962 the Major produced Bruce Channel's song, "Hey! Baby". It went to number one and stayed there for three weeks. The Major did it again in 1963 for Paul and Paula's song "Hey Paula". It also stayed at the number one spot for three weeks.
The Major says he's known famous movie stars such as Clark Gable, and even done some acting himself. He was in the film Strategic Air Command. However, the most impressive thing about The Major is his close and enigmatic association with Elvis Presley. He traces his association with Elvis back to 1956, when Elvis hit Ft. Worth. The Major greeted the King and convinced the local radio stations there to play his records.
Nowadays, the Major says that Elvis Presley is alive, and he talks to him all the time. Here is Major Bill LaCarn Smith's story surrounding the Elvis Presley mystery and controversy.
Q - Major Bill, what is your association with Elvis Presley?
A - I manage Elvis Presley. I produce Elvis Presley. I am Elvis Presley's spokesman. Elvis says he's gonna try to come back soon. It will be with The Major and I will be handling the whole damn thing!
Q - How long have you known that Elvis is alive?
A - I've known the story since May of 1977. Dr. James Wakefield Burke, a big novelist, and the head of the press corps for Elvis in Germany (while Elvis was in the Army) stopped by the mansion in May of 1977. We all knew in May '77 what was comin' down. I know the whole story from soup to nuts. I've written two books about it, Memphis Mystery Part I and Part II. I paid $10,000 of my own cotton pickin' money to get my book out. Elvis and I put it out. He's co-author of it. Everybody laughs at me and jokes, calls me a fool and an idiot. Let the idiots think what they want to think. I'm the only man in the world who knows anything at all about Elvis Presley, period! I know everything about Elvis. Everybody has a big story on Elvis Presley and the only person who's told the cotton pickin' truth for 16 years is Major Bill Smith! Elvis told me I was the only man in the world he trusted.
Q - When did you first speak to Elvis, after the world learned of his "death"?
A - He first called me on August 22nd, 1988 and we talked for eight hours. He then started calling me two and three times a day.
Q - Where does he call you from?
A - I never know where my friend is when he calls me. He has a code if he wants to get through to me desperately. He'd call me at 3 A.M. and says "Major, I'm bored." He'd stay up all night and sleep all day.
Q - Besides you, who else knows Elvis is alive?
A - Muhammad Ali knows Elvis is alive. Sammy Davis Jr. knew it. Elvis sent flowers to his funeral, Lisa Marie (Elvis' daughter) has known about it since 1981. All of that Kalamazoo stuff was true.
Q - Then, Elvis Presley is alive?
A - Elvis Presley is very much alive and doin' fine and Takin' Care of Business. He's the only man in history to die of a heart attack, an overdose of drugs, suicide, and murder. Elvis called me and asked, "What's the latest way I died?" I said two dudes came out, old Charlie Thompson, that idiot with a book 'The Death of Elvis', claiming he overdosed on codeine. Elvis said, "Hell, I'm allergic to codeine." I knew that.
Q - Have you and Elvis been calling people?
A - A lot of people hang up on Elvis Presley. We have called radio stations all over the world. Maria Columbus (Elvis Fan Club President) got a phone call from Elvis in 1981. I had him call the Midnight Cowboy, Bill Back, and we talked about one and a half hours. I had Elvis call Mary Lou, who's bed-ridden in Columbia, Maryland. He made her day. I called Jack Soden (who runs the business affairs at Graceland) and said, "Me and Elvis don't like the way you're runnin' that side show down there."
Q - What is the story behind the cassette tape with Elvis' voice on it that was included with the book Is Elvis Alive?
A - Gail Brewer-Giorgo (author of Is Elvis Alive?) came out with the tape in 1988. The tape went around the country back in 1981, that's when Elvis made it. The master was sent to me. I put it in my bank vault 'cause I knew it was worth a million dollars. She got her hands on a monologue cassette. I asked Gail, how many books have you sold? She said "1.2 million." I told her, "You didn't sell 1.2. million cotton pickin' books. You sold 1.2. million copies of a cassette that didn't belong to you, or that stinkin' publisher of yours in the first place." I've got the original, plus I've got many other things on my friend. I've got (another tape with) ten tunes he did with a voice and a guitar; two of 'em are bombs. He was singin' "Lovin' You" and then he said, "Hold it man, somebody just told me President Reagan and a bunch of people got shot [March, 30th 1981]. I hope no one was hurt too badly." I had Elvis call Gail Brewer-Giorgo. But Ms. Giorgio had to tape him and try to make a buck off the deal (This tape was of a different conversation with The King). I don't even want to be associated with anybody who's associated with her. Gail Brewer-Giorgo is not one of my favorite people. She doesn't know a damn thing about Elvis Presley. She put a copy of Elvis' original birth certificate in the book, and it was spelled "Aaron Presley." Then she turned around and put one of those souvenir jobs, where he changed it to "Aron." Then she comes out with the story that the name was misspelled on the marker. Ms. Giorgio got a hold of a copy of a medical examiner's report and she (or someone) typed up at the top of it, "Death Certificate." You don't have a death certificate on a dude unless he's dead.
Q - When Gail appears on TV talk shows, she is never given the opportunity to speak.
A - The reason why they don't give Gail a chance to talk is she don't have anything to say. On Larry King he tried to pin her down. He said, "Please, just tell me you believe Elvis is alive."
Q - She said, "Well, all of the things indicate..."
A - He said, "Do you believe Elvis is alive?" She wouldn't even say she believes he's alive. What the hell did she write a book for? To make money.
Q - Is Elvis still calling Gail Brewer-Giorgo?
A - Of course not! He called her one time and she taped him. You don't diddle Elvis twice. Diddle him once, not twice.
Q - What did Elvis think of your appearance on Geraldo?
A - Elvis called me after the show and said, "You were your usual truthful, spiritual self." He said as far as Joe Esposito (Elvis' Road Manager) is concerned, "Don't pay any attention to him. He's just doin' what he's suppose to do, which is lie, like all the rest of them."
Q - Wasn't Elvis supposed to come out of hiding five years ago?
A - He was plannin' on comin' back in October 1988. We had everything all planned. Then Lisa Marie came up pregnant and Priscilla pushed her into gettin' married. So that took care of that. I'm waitin' on my man to finally get away and do what God wants him to do.
The views and opinions expressed by individuals interviewed for this web site are the sole responsibility of the individual making the comment and / or appearing in interviews and do not necessarily represent the opinions of anyone associated with the website ClassicBands.com.
