Elvis Presley was shocked by the contents of the 1977 book Elvis: What Happened? Written by Steve Dunleavy, it painted the King of Rock and Roll in a very unfavorable light. Published just weeks before Elvis’ death, dark secrets revealed between its pages “hurt” the entertainer, says his cousin Danny Smith.
Danny Smith reveals Elvis Presley had hurt feelings over ‘Elvis: What Happened?’
The publication of the tell-all Elvis: What Happened? shocked Elvis Presley, admits his cousin Danny Smith. The book’s contents deeply hurt the king of rock and roll’s feelings, Smith said on his YouTube Channel Memphis Mafia Kid.
Smith said, “I think we all know how he felt. It hurt him bad on a lot of different levels.” He continued, “It made him very, very angry. He was angry, upset, and hurt by it.”
Smith admitted his feelings regarding the tell-all that pulled the curtain back on Elvis’ private life. He believes that perhaps the book shouldn’t have been published.
“We can’t change things now, but I wish things could have played out differently,” he added. “But they didn’t.”
What was the book ‘Elvis: What Happened?’ about?
Upon its publication, the book Elvis: What Happened? was shocking. It pulled back the curtain on the private life and dark secrets of Elvis Presley as told by three men closest to him.
The book compiled the experiences of former Presley bodyguards Red West, Sonny West, and Dave Hebler, as told to author Steve Dunleavy. The men exposed the King of Rock and Roll’s private life because of their firing by Vernon Presley, supposedly for financial reasons.
The Wests and Hebler were slammed by Elvis fans, who found its contents lacking. But the book points out several valid stories about the King.
The trio revealed Elvis never matured to the point where he would take responsibility for his actions. Conversely, the Memphis Mafia reportedly enabled him so he wouldn’t have to.
It also detailed Elvis’ drug use, which had never been known by the public prior. Also, the tome speaks of Elvis’ infidelities and gun use, as well as other wild times with members of the Memphis Mafia.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Sonny West said, “Well, if you read the book, you would find out it’s not the drug thing that sticks out. It’s the things we did crazy, the good times, the things we had, and how we felt the drugs changed him into the person he became.”
How long did Elvis Presley die after the publication of the controversial book?
The book Elvis: What Happened? was written and published in less than one year; the manuscript was written in 1976 and published in July 1977.
Just two weeks after it hit bookshelves, Elvis Presley died. Furthermore, his death pushed the book to overall sales of $3 million. It has become one of the most successful books written on the King of Rock and Roll.
The book’s publication reportedly pushed Elvis over the edge, his stepbrother David E Stanley told The Sun. “Their book came out 10 days before he passed, but he’d had the manuscript for six months before. Reading those truths tore him apart.”
Elvis Presley died in his Graceland home on Aug. 16, 1977. He was set to begin a 12-date concert tour the following day in Portland, Maine, to piggyback a tour that ended in May 1977.
