BELIEVING IN THE MAN IN THE SKY

A very touching excerpt from Red & Pat's book. Hopefully this book will be published soon. But until then, here is a moving excerpt from the Original Memphis Mafia member:

“One day I walked into the living room in the house we were renting. Nobody else was around and Elvis was sitting in there alone, quiet and staring at the floor. I told him he looked like he'd had a rough day and asked if everything was all right.

“He looked up at me and said, 'Red, I reached the top, man. I had it made and suddenly it was snatched away. I was drafted into the Army, then my mother dies while I'm in boot camp and I'm shipped to Germany and my father is involved with a sergeant's wife while the man's away on duty freezing his butt off. I'm sick of this crap. I'm here and my career is finished. It's hard to handle.’

“I knew exactly what he meant. Just months before, my father had died the same day that Gladys Presley died, and Elvis and I mourned together. We didn't know what Colonel Parker's plans were except to keep Elvis from performing during the enlistment. Things looked bleak. I told him, 'Elvis, one of your favorite gospel songs is 'I Believe in the Man in the Sky'. It says, 'I believe with His help that I'll get by'. Think about that song and know that everything's going to work out as long as you believe. This is just a slight detour.’

“Elvis thought about that and then got up and went to the piano and played that song. I sat in the corner of the room, overcome by emotion, and I couldn't say another word. But after Elvis did that song, we both felt, somehow, that things would work out all right.’”

(Red West)