Jerry Lee Lewis Elvis Assassination Attempt Finally Revealed (Playboy Interview), Graceland Arrest, Mugshot (sold by mrjyn to the National Enquirer)
 |
| Discover the improbable cause of the jagged cicatrix decorating the nose of champagne-drunk, Jerry Lee Lewis! |
For the first and only time, JERRY LEE LEWIS recounts the true, quixotic tale of his crepuscular, failed visit to a desperately lonely, strung-out Elvis Presley, explaining how the King's calls for an audience turned into a Graceland invasion, which turned into an assassination assignation, an arrest, a mugshot, and the untimely death of Elvis, the Golden Goose, who may have been saved from dilaudids and désuétude by one midnight visit from the only man who understood.
In this recently discovered interview, recounted for the first and only time by the Killer himself; hitherto romanticized by all who have dreamed its sartorial possibility, first Nick Tosches in his masterpiece "Hellfire," but formerly dismissed by its piano-pounding protagonist as tabloid fantasy, it is now confirmed by the only man who knows, as la superbe finale de Rock Star!
Discover the improbable cause of the jagged cicatrix decorating the nose of champagne-drunk, Jerry Lee Lewis!
Where truth meets apocrypha, its coruscating glory is real and everything is permitted (champagne défenestration, brandished pistols...and five Memphis Police cruisers are en route to Elvis Presley Boulevard to save the KING!
Due to inspire unbelievers, this is an out-of-control, rock 'n' roll telephone game between the King, the Killer, and the World!
Did he wish to kill the King?
It is for you to decide...at last!
mrjyn
...
In the early hours of November 22, 1976, Harold Loyd, Elvis', and the presiding guard on duty at Graceland, was greeted by an unexpected visitor, Jerry Lee Lewis. Jerry Lee, accompanied by his wife, pulled up to the mansion's front gate in his new Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow. He asked Loyd if he could see Elvis, but was told that the King was asleep. Lewis politely thanked Loyd and drove away without incident. Later that morning, at 9:30 a.m., Lewis flipped his Rolls while rounding the corner at Peterson Lake and Powell Road in Collierville.
The police report on the incident stated that the Breathalyzer test yielded negligible results, but that Lewis was obviously tanked on something and that he was charged with driving while intoxicated, reckless driving, and driving without a license. After the infraction Lewis most likely returned to his home to rest.
On November 23, 1976, less than 12 hours later, he was holding court at The Vapors, one of his favorite Memphis nightspots. For reasons that are still debated, Lewis decided to leave the Vapors at about 2:30 a.m.
Precisely 2:50 a.m., almost 24 hours later to the minute, he again pulled up to Graceland, this time in a new Lincoln Continental. The car wasn't the only thing that had changed from the night before. Lewis' manner was markedly different. He was armed, angry, and obviously inebriated -- a dangerous combination for a man mere mortals call 'Killer', He was outta his mind, man', recalls Loyd. 'He was screamin', hollerin', and cussin'.
'Get on the goddamn phone. I know you got an intercom system. Call up there and tell Elvis I wanna visit with him. Who the hell does he think he is? Tell him the Killer's here to see him'.
Loyd panicked. 'I just put my hands up in the air and said, 'Okay, okay, Jerry, just take it easy', Loyd retreated to the guard booth and picked up the house phone. One of 'the boys' answered and Loyd apprised him of the situation. Loyd was advised to call the cops and wasted no time in doing so.
Jerry Lee Lewis, Arrested at Gates of Graceland
Moments later Elvis himself rang down to the guard booth. Loyd recalls their conversation precisely. 'Elvis was on the line and he said, 'Wh-wh-what' -- see, he used to stutter a lot when he got upset -- 'Wh-wh-what the hell's goin' on down there, Harold?' 'I said, 'Well, Jerry Lee Lewis is sittin' in his car down here outside the gate, wavin' a derringer pistol and raisin' hell', 'Elvis said, 'Wh-wh-what's that goddamn guy want?' (I said) 'He's demanding to come up and see Elvis'. 'He said, 'Oh, I-I-I don't wanna talk to that crazy sonofabitch. Hell no, I don't wanna talk to him. I'll come down there and kill him! You call the cops, Harold', 'I told him I already did and he said, 'Good. When they get there tell 'em to lock his butt up and throw the goddamn key away. Okay? Thank you, Harold', (Elvis is said to have watched the 'whole drama on his closed-circuit monitors').
Officer Billy J. Kirkpatrick was the first to arrive on the scene. Though Lewis was still seated in his car, Kirkpatrick knew he was armed and approached with caution.
The Lincoln's sole occupant sat staring out the front window. When the police got to the open driver's side window, they found that the man was Jerry Lee Lewis, balanced on his knee was a chrome-plated, over- under style .38 caliber derringer pistol. Kirkpatrick ordered him out of the car, but Lewis would not comply', (Kirkpatrick) had to pull him outta the car', remembers Loyd.
'He told him to keep his hands on the steering wheel where he could see 'em. Jerry said he just wanted to see Elvis, but Kirkpatrick told him to shut up. Now, Jerry, he had tried to hide his pistol by puttin' it in between his knee and the door. But when Kirkpatrick opened the door, the damn gun fell out onto the floorboard (laughs).
Kirkpatrick picked up the gun, and it was cocked and loaded', Mr. Lewis was extremely unstable on his feet, his speech was slurred, and his breath smelled of alcohol. Mr. Lewis was apprised of his rights and was arrested for carrying a pistol and being drunk in a public place. The police report states that on closer inspection, Kirkpatrick noticed that the front passenger window of Lewis' car was smashed in. This accounts for the deep gash on the bridge of Lewis' nose, obvious from his mugshot. According to Kirkpatrick's report, the injury was sustained 'from broken glass resulting from attempting to jettison an empty champagne bottle thru (sic) the closed window of his '76 Lincoln', Kirkpatrick and four other officers took Lewis away immediately. But Loyd would receive another visitor before night's end. He explains', When the wrecker came down and towed Jerry's car away (at approximately 4 a.m.) they hadn't much more than gotten outta sight when another car comes flyin' up the driveway and two guys got out. I recognized one of 'em as Jerry Lee's dad.
'He was laughin', sayin', 'Ha, ha, ha, ain't this some crap, man? I just got word that they've taken my son to jail. This guy with me here, he just got me outta the Hernando jail. I just got out, and Jerry done gone ahead'. Sure enough, Elmo Lewis -- age 78, no less -- was arrested at 7:30 p.m. on the 21st for speeding and driving while intoxicated. He spent two nights in jail and failed to make his court appearance scheduled for the morning of 23rd. Like father, like son, indeed.
Here is Jerry Lee Lewis' own account of what happened, as related by Kay Martin: the president of Lewis' fan club .... 'Elvis called him and asked him to come out to the house to talk to him. Jerry was out on the town and by the time he got to Elvis' house, it was much past when Elvis had expected him and Elvis was asleep. Jerry had driven up after a sheriff from MS had given him a brand new handgun, but since Jerry did not have a permit for a concealed weapon, he had it on the dashboard of his car, as the sheriff had supposedly suggested. The guard at Graceland asked Jerry what he was doing with the gun, and sarcastically Jerry said he hadn't brought it to kill Elvis, so the guy should chill out. He didn't. He called the cops. Jerry was PO'ed, but the gun stayed on the dash the whole time. The situation blew over because it was a tempest in a teapot.
The sheriff who had given Jerry the gun cleared it up, too'.
Linda Gail (Jerry Lee's youngest sibling) interpretation of November 23rd also tells a similar story. 'Jerry Lee admitted to me that he had been partyin' and drinkin' and that he was a little bit out of it', Gail recalls', but he swore his intentions were good. He's very misunderstood, you see. It's a shame really', By Linda Gail's account, it was Presley who wanted to see Jerry Lee. (As told to her by her father and as he describes in the video below) He was depressed and called over to the Vapors hoping that Jerry Lee would come to Graceland and keep him company. She insists that Loyd never even informed Presley of Jerry Lee's arrival and that Jerry Lee grew belligerent only because he feared for what Presley might do if he didn't see him.
'I believe, really and truly, that the people who were associated with Elvis at that time were trying to manipulate him. He was supporting all of them financially, and it was in their best interest to keep him isolated', Linda Gail continues', Jerry really had no motive to lie. Why would he leave a place where he was having a perfectly good time to go down to Elvis' house and make a scene? It just doesn't make any sense. He had his whole entourage with him, and a couple of girlfriends and they were having a great time. There was no reason for him to go down there other than that he was concerned for his friend', Linda Gail's voice takes on a halcyon quality when she remembers Elvis and Jerry Lee's friendship. She speaks of their mutual respect for one another and tells stories of them riding motorcycles together and even going on double dates.
'Those two guys really did love each other', she says. 'I do believe my brother just wanted to check on Elvis. He went there to cheer him up and kinda bond with him again. I guess everybody over at Graceland didn't want the two of them to get together because Jerry was really havin' one big party at the time. If he and Elvis had started runnin' the roads together, can you imagine what that would have been like? It probably would have been more than Memphis could have stood'.
I called Lewis' production company hoping to get an account of that infamous evening from the Killer himself. I didn't get very far. 'We don't need all that bullshit from y'all', barked an anonymous voice at the end of the line. 'That's in the past. If you wanna write something, write something positive, okay? Thank you much'. Click.
By: Elvis Australia
Source: www.elvis.com.au
September 2, 2017
Twenty years later, in November 1976, Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis' encounter would be a very different affair!
Jerry Lee Lewis vs Elvis Presley 1976
According to Harold Loyd,
first cousin to Elvis, and the presiding guard on duty at Presley's
Graceland mansion -- in the early hours of November 22, 1976, he was
greeted by an unexpected visitor. Jerry Lee Lewis, accompanied by his
wife, pulled up to the mansion's front gate in his new Rolls-Royce
Silver Shadow. He asked Loyd if he could see Elvis, but was told that
the King was asleep. Lewis politely thanked Loyd and drove away without
incident.
Later that morning, at
9:30 a.m., Lewis flipped his Rolls while rounding the corner at Peterson
Lake and Powell Road in Collierville. The police report on the incident
stated that the Breathanalyser test yielded negligible results, but
that Lewis was obviously tanked on something and that he was charged
with driving while intoxicated, reckless driving, and driving without a
license.
After the infraction,
says his sister Linda Gail, Lewis most likely repaired to his home to
rest. Less than 12 hours later, he was holding court at The Vapors, one
of his favorite Memphis nightspots. For reasons that are still debated,
Lewis decided to leave the Vapors -- alone -- at about 2:30 a.m. At
precisely 2:50 a.m., almost 24 hours later to the minute, he again
pulled up to Graceland, this time in a new Lincoln Continental. The car
wasn't the only thing that had changed from the night before. Lewis'
manner on the 23rd was markedly different. He was armed, angry, and
obviously inebriated -- a dangerous combination for a man mere mortals
call "Killer."
"He was outta his mind,
man," recalls Loyd. "He was screamin', hollerin', and cussin'. `Get on
the goddamn phone. I know you got an intercom system. Call up there and
tell Elvis I wanna visit with him. Who the hell does he think he is?
Tell him the Killer's here to see him."
Loyd panicked. "I just put my hands up in the air and said, `Okay, okay, Jerry, just take it easy.'"
Loyd
retreated to the guard booth and picked up the house phone. One of "the
boys" answered and Loyd apprised him of the situation. Loyd was advised
to call the cops, and wasted no time in doing so. Moments later Presley
himself rang down to the guard booth.
Loyd recalls their conversation precisely. "Elvis was on the line and he said, `Wh-wh-what' -- see, he used to stutter a lot when he got upset -- `Wh-wh-what the hell's goin' on down there, Harold?'
"I said, `Well, Jerry Lee Lewis is sittin' in his car down here outside the gate, wavin' a derringer pistol and raisin' hell.'
"Elvis said, `Wh-wh-what's that goddamn guy want?'
"[I said] `He's demanding to come up and see Elvis’.”
"He said, `Oh, I-I-I
don't wanna talk to that crazy sonofabitch. Hell no, I don't wanna talk
to him. I'll come down there and kill him! You call the cops, Harold.'
"I told him I already did and he said, `Good. When they get there tell 'em to lock his butt up and throw the goddamn key away. Okay? Thank you, Harold.'"
Officer Billy J.
Kirkpatrick was the first to arrive on the scene. Though Lewis was still
seated in his car, Kirkpatrick knew he was armed and approached with
caution. Kirkpatrick ordered him out of the car, but Lewis would not
comply.
"[Kirkpatrick] had to
pull him outta the car," remembers Loyd. "He told him to keep his hands
on the steering wheel where he could see 'em. Jerry said he just wanted
to see Elvis, but Kirkpatrick told him to shut up. Now Jerry, he had
tried to hide his pistol by puttin' it in between his knee and the door.
But when Kirkpatrick opened the door, the damn gun fell out onto the
floorboard [laughs]. Kirkpatrick picked up the gun, and it was cocked
and loaded."
The police report states
that on closer inspection, Kirkpatrick noticed that the front passenger
window of Lewis' car was smashed in. This accounts for the deep gash on
the bridge of Lewis' nose, obvious from his mugshot. According to
Kirkpatrick's report, the injury was sustained "from broken glass
resulting from attempting to jettison an empty champagne bottle thru
[sic] the closed window of his '76 Lincoln."
Kirkpatrick
and four other officers took Lewis away immediately. But Loyd would
receive another visitor before night's end. He explains, "When the
wrecker came down and towed Jerry's car away [at approximately 4 a.m.]
they hadn't much more than gotten outta sight when another car comes
flyin' up the driveway and two guys got out. I recognized one of 'em as
Jerry Lee's dad.
"He was laughin', sayin', `Ha, ha, ha,
ain't this some crap, man? I just got word that they've taken my son to
jail. This guy with me here, he just got me outta the Hernando jail. I
just got out, and Jerry done gone ahead.'"
|
 |
Sure enough, Elmo Lewis -- age 78, no less
-- was arrested at 7:30 p.m. on the 21st for speeding and driving while
intoxicated. He spent two nights in jail, and failed to make his court
appearance scheduled for the morning of 23rd. Like father, like son,
indeed.
However Linda Gail (Jerry Lee's youngest sibling) interpretation of November 23rd reads quite a bit differently.
"Jerry Lee admitted to me
that he had been partyin' and drinkin' and that he was a little bit out
of it," Gail recalls, "but he swore his intentions were good. He's very
misunderstood, you see. It's a shame really."
By Linda Gail's account,
it was Presley who wanted to see Jerry Lee. He was depressed and called
over to the Vapors hoping that Jerry Lee would come to Graceland and
keep him company. She insists that Loyd never even informed Presley of
Jerry Lee's arrival, and that Jerry Lee grew belligerent only because he
feared for what Presley might do if he didn't see him.
"I believe, really and
truly, that the people who were associated with Elvis at that time were
trying to manipulate him. He was supporting all of them financially, and
it was in their best interest to keep him isolated."
Linda Gail continues,
"Jerry really had no motive to lie. Why would he leave a place where he
was havin' a perfectly good time to go down to Elvis' house and make a
scene? It just doesn't make any sense. He had his whole entourage with
him, and a couple of girlfriends, and they were havin' a great time.
There was no reason for him to go down there other than that he was
concerned for his friend."
Linda Gail's voice takes
on a halcyon quality when she remembers Elvis and Jerry Lee's
friendship. She speaks of their mutual respect for one another, and
tells stories of them riding motorcycles together and even going on
double dates.
"Those two guys really
did love each other," she says. "I do believe my brother just wanted to
check on Elvis. He went there to cheer him up and kinda bond with him
again. I guess everybody over at Graceland didn't want the two of them
to get together because Jerry was really havin' one big party at the
time. If him and Elvis had started runnin' the roads together, can you
imagine what that would have been like? It probably would have been more
than Memphis could have stood."
** Story by Piers Beagley EIN and also taken from The Memphis Flyer **
Note - Elvis “mug-shot” from 1970 when he was presented with an honorary police badge.
