How about that recording you wanted to make for your mother? Is that the way it happened? Yes, that's exactly the way it all started. What was it going to be of? What record were you going to make for her? Oh, well, I made the record. In fact, we still have the record at home. It's so thin. It's so thin, you can't play it. But the record I made was my happiness. I mean, one of the eight spots on it was. Was this for a birthday present for your mother? I just made it. I did it. We sell work five days a week, Monday through Friday. And then on Saturday when I called this recording company up, I asked them if they could make another record. You know, I'd make personal notes for Williams and things like that. I mean, was it for a special occasion? No, no, nothing. I just made it. It was for fun. It wasn't for your mother? No, I made it. I made it, you know, to surprise her. She never played it. It was me singing. Well, had you done much singing around before then? No, I never did. I never did sing any more than once in my life. The only time I ever sang was on a little variety show at school, maybe once every three or four years. Did you have your guitar with you on this record? Yes, I had a little twig on a guitar. It sounded like a beat from a book you laid yourself. Yeah. Did you do anything more with electricity? No, I don't. I give it up completely. In fact, during the time I was working for the electric company, I was in doubts whether I would ever make it or not because you had to keep your mind right on wind. You can't be in the least bit of house to run it or you ought to blow somebody's house up. I didn't think I was the type for it, really, but I was going to give it a try. I was going to devote all the time I could to learning. What kind of truck were you driving? I was driving a little Dodge pickup. What sort of business was it? Well, it was an electric business. You see, what I was doing, I was driving a truck, and then once in a while they would be short of help. I would deliver material to different locations where there were wiring houses or building something. Sometimes they would let me help wire or something. How much did you earn? Most of the time, about 40 a week. You were at that how long? I was there about six months. Of course, you know, electricians make most of the money they have, but that's what I started out doing. What kind of hobbies have you got other than riding a motorcycle? Well... Girls. Well, I wouldn't call it a hobby, but it's a pastime. I like motorcycle riding, I like motor skiing. Do you get to bring much motor skiing? I do during the summer. I do quite a bit. Is there a lake there? Yes. You don't fool around with a high flyer when you're getting home, right? No. You don't have time for it, man. How about your motorcycle? Do you do any racing on it? No, I don't do any racing on it. When I'm home, it's kind of warm. Of course, a motorcycle's not made for the wintertime at all. But I do enjoy riding it. You just go out by yourself, you don't come with a group? No, I don't come with a group. I'm not home enough for that. I just take my friends riding. You don't wear a black leather jacket? Yeah, I do, because that's the shine. That's part of it. What else is part of it? I don't know. I usually wear a black jacket and a black cap. Do you like that song? Black leather jacket, of course. Who do you think is the greatest country and western singer alive today? I like Sonny James. I couldn't mention another one. I like them all. I like anybody that's good, regardless of what kind of singer they are. Whether they're religious, rhythm and blues, hillbilly, or anything else. If they're great, I like them for me. Roy Acuff, I like the Mario Lonzo band. I just admire them. They're really great. They have really built a name for themselves. How about religious singing yourself? Do you do some of that on your personal appearances? Not on my personal appearances, I don't. Because I have out so many records, and usually, as a rule, our show is timed so that actually I don't even get to do half of my records. Do you think you might do a religious album sometime? Well, we have talked about it. In other words, I think I might get a completely different following if I did. Get some new followers maybe. What kind of music do you listen to outside of country and western? I listen to pop. What do you think is your favorite singer? Any figure? Yeah, one you must admire. It's a pretty hard question to answer. Oh, yeah. Thanks a lot for that. Did you ever listen to any opera? No. Concerts at home? No, I like Mario Lonzo. I like anything he records. Is that Serenade open yet? I don't know when it's open again. What's your favorite of your own songs? I was the one. Is that on the album? Yeah, it's on the album. How do you like the album? Well, I like the way it's sold. But there's three or four pretty good numbers in it. Which do you like best? Out of the album? Yeah. It's more called one-sided love affair. Is that on the staff book? Yeah. Do you like the fashions better than the ballads usually? With me singing them, I do. That's what I mean. Of course, my only listening pleasure is somebody else singing a ballad. A beautiful ballad like I'll Be Home. But me singing that, I couldn't do it. Well, your fans seem to like that too, don't they? Well, any audience. Any audience. As they say in the room, they go for a fast number. I'm moving them when I'm on stage. In fact, I don't know about other people, but me, I've got them on stage. I do. Typically fast group. I have them all hopped up, and I start being real slow, and I lose them for a while. Obviously. How do you feel about your fans? Well, I just wish there was some way that you could go around to everyone and really show that you appreciate them for their lack of love. But that's impossible, really. I mean, lots of times they'll cry on the door, maybe two or four hundred of them, cry around the stage door, and you have to sign a few autographs and close the door, and you're relieved. Maybe the people want to close up the auditorium or something like that. And they're superior men because we can't get to all of them. They're kids of all ages, aren't they? All ages. Mostly girls. I heard a woman, a middle-aged woman, say that she wanted somebody to say hello to you for her son who was in the military. Yeah. Do you have any real close friends from your childhood? Yes, sir, I have quite a few. A lot of them I haven't seen in years. I have quite a few friends in Tupelo where I was born and raised. And then there's some people in Memphis now who are close to me. How do they feel about your success? Well, they all seem to be backing me up, you know. Sure. There was one of the stories that said you were a little afraid of what they'd think when you first... Yeah, so when my first record came out, I was a little eerie of it. Did you study any dramatics in high school? No, I didn't. Except when I was maybe in the fifth or sixth grade, I was in a few Christmas plays. I think a lot of your folks have heard from you. Yeah, I do. All of them. Every day. Well, my mother, especially my mother, she was always worried about me getting sick. She didn't want to have to let her know, because she's not in real good health anyway, and if she worries too much, it might not be good for her. So I have a habit of calling them every day or something. Yeah. You just got them a new house in Memphis? Yes, they moved in Tuesday. What kind of house is it? It's a ranch-type, seven-room house. Three bedrooms, a den, a playroom. It's a pretty nice place. Yeah, I imagine. You gave them a lot of new furniture, too? Yes, we had to have them to fill seven rooms. We had quite a bit of furniture. This is the one off of Gitmount. We just moved off of Gitmount. What does your father do now that he's gone? He takes care of all my business. In other words, he's much more important to me at home than he is on the job, because I have so much stuff piling up on me when I'm gone, and if he wasn't there to help me when I got in at home, I wouldn't get a bit of ease. He takes care of everything. Any business that pops up, any insurance or just oodles of things, like I mentioned, he takes care of them. What's the Elvis Presley Productions that you mentioned? Enterprises. Enterprises. Well, that's not anymore. Last year, in 1955, my manager was Bob Neal, who was a disc jockey in Memphis, and we organized Elvis Presley Enterprises, and I had an office. But when I signed up with Colonel Tom Parker in Nashville, we didn't figure we needed the office anymore, so he's handed everything out in Nashville. Do you make any money? Yes, sir. A lot? Yes, sir. You're in good shape. You got any special plans for what you're going to do? Well, I'm going to save every penny that I'll have to that. Because I have to scrap a lot, because I've got lots of poverty. But I don't go in unnecessarily. I heard that Colonel Tom Parker has given you a lot of advice and help. What kind? Everything. He's the one guy that really gave me a big purpose. I don't know. I don't know for sure, but I don't think I've ever been very big. He's very smart. You've got a lot of sports jackets and suits, a lot of clothes. I had quite a few. Actually, in the past year, I've outgrown most of the things I've had. Yeah, really? When I started singing, when I was getting more weight, when I started singing, I went 153 pounds. I weigh 184 now. Oh, you haven't grown out. No, I think I've gotten taller. I was putting on a little more weight. In fact, I was playing football when I was in school, and I didn't weigh enough to kind of miss the big boys. What's your favorite food? I like pork chops and country ham and cream potatoes. That's the sort of stuff you had when you were a kid, I imagine. Yeah, all those vegetables. Red-eye gravy. What's red? That's red-eyed peas? No, red-eye gravy comes from ham, bacon, stuff like that. It's just the grease that you fry it in, actually, but they call it red-eye gravy. What kind of dessert? I like, well, now I eat a lot of jello, fruit jello. Do you drink any of it? No, I don't. Not at all? I don't. You never have smoked? I never have tasted it. Really? What kind of clothes do you like the best? Well, on the streets, out in public, I like real conservative clothes, something that's not too flashy. But on stage, I like them as flashy as you can get them, because on stage, your clothes play a very important part in the way you dress. How many pairs of shoes have you got? About 20. Any blue sweaters? No, I have some white suede. And I have some blue suede boots. Do you wear those on stage? I never wear them. I just got them the next day from a trophy hunt. Wow, that's iron. What other jewelry have you got? You've got a couple of diamond rings, I see. Well, there's just about all I've got. What does it cost you? Well, let's see. I don't remember really. I've had a horseshoe ring for about four or five months. I got this one from a traditional man. Any special presents you've got for your parents, aside from the house and furniture and cars? Well. Things they've always wanted and couldn't afford before? Well, yes, we've got quite a bit of stuff. Nothing real big. I mean little personal things that you might have gotten for your mother and father. I've gotten them anything that I think of that I think they might want. I mean, can you think of anything extra personal that you just knew your mother always wanted? I've gotten Daddy some suits that he'd never had before. Mother goes to town now and she buys anything she wants, which makes me feel real good now. Did you have a happy time when you were a kid? All my life, I've always had a pretty nice time. We never had any money or nothing, but I always managed to... We never had the luxuries, but we always... Whenever we're hungry, you know. Of course, that's something to be thankful for, even if you don't have all the luxuries, because there's so many people who don't. Any other special things you bought yourself that you... Well, I bought motion picture equipment, you know. The light, the camera, the projector. What do you use it for? Oh, I use it... Family stuff, or you don't take it on the road? Yeah, I don't take it on the road. I use it... I have car tippers and everything I share with them. What kind of audience do you like the best? You know, what do you mean? Well, you know, big auditorium, full, or television. Does it make any difference to you as far as man goes? How do you feel? Well, audiences are great. Sometimes you'll play with an audience that's down-packed, 5,000, 6,000 people, and they're not as responsive as a real smaller audience. I mean, do you find it makes a big difference in your feeling, the audience, or not? Well, if you go to a woman working on the stage on the show... Well, how about it? Can you go into a recording studio at all and start singing? I have to warm up. I have to get the feeling when I'm doing it. How do you feel when you feel your back? Well, I just, I can't be still. I can tell if I... Are you out of yourself at times, or are you just, I mean... Like, I did a story about Amelia Jackson not long ago. When she's singing in church, she really loses herself. She closes her eyes, and she forgets where she is. When she's singing on television, it's nothing like that. It's a different kind of thing. Is there any difference like that in your singing that you feel? Well, I'll tell you, in a place where I feel it, I'm going to have to do my best. I'm not as much at ease as I am in a place where I'm... You know, there's no critics in a little place. Yeah. A gang of people you know are friends, but you do best. That's right. Are there any special spots like that you can think of? Well, there's quite a few. I couldn't mention them all. Do you think you get married one of these days? Do you ever get around to something like that? Well, I plan to get married. I plan to get married. You know, I'm going to approach you with a question. When you do get married, what kind of a girl do you want? That's a question I've never been able to answer. Maybe a blonde brunette or a redhead or a technicolor. Probably several of these. That's nice. I haven't got a dream girl in my mind. Well, how about your general character, personality? Well, I would like to... I don't want anybody that's more or less a smog or a put-on. I want someone that's just themselves. You mean probably a southern girl? That wouldn't matter because the girls, most of them, are the same everywhere. I mean, you know, there's different varieties in every part of the country. Didn't you have any long-term girlfriends when you were younger in high school? Well, I had a lot of puppy loves. As long as I had one girl, it was about a year and a half. Do you still see her? I see her once in a while. In fact, I only broke up with her when I started singing. How does she feel about it? Well, it's over now. It was over a year ago. Is she miserable about it or is she adjusted? Well, I don't know. I get a few letters from her once in a while. Does she prime your heart? I don't know. She may be giving me a slow job, but she looks like she is. She looks like it's all over. Well, that's all over as far as you're concerned, huh? Yes. What are your favorite actresses in movies or television? My favorite actress would be the girl who played opposite Randall in Over the Waterfront. Marie Stanton? Yeah, Stanton. I think they were named after her. Oh, yeah. We've got to play opposite Tricia Lockett. The man who's holding on, Ken Roback. Do you think you might study acting in some place like the school that Brando went to? I'd like to. I sure would like to. Why don't you? You're too busy. I'm too busy right now, but you can come to the point where I am. What if people wanted me to? What studio are you adjusting for? How many hours of sleep do you get a night? Three or four. Three or four? Yeah. Can you get by a night? Well, I haven't been able to catch up with me right now. Is this just since you've been traveling down the road, or is that a general thing? Well, before I started thinking, excuse me, when I was in high school, I didn't get too much sleep. I got more than I do now. I was here on the road the biggest part of the time when I was performing somewhere. We were in a room somewhere else. Doesn't it kind of get you down there too long? Well, it does, but I haven't been in it long enough yet to really show up on it. You don't get much exercise these days, do you? Not so much. All the exercise I do is on the stage. Yeah. Probably if I didn't get mad, I would get a little rowl around the tummy as much as I eat. You still get the church tone. I haven't since I've been singing, because usually Saturday night is usually our biggest night, regardless of where we are. Sunday night is the biggest night. On Sunday, we're always—almost every Sunday, we have a rattling at 2 o'clock in the evening somewhere. We're in the air. We do about six shows a week, or just seven shows a week. Actually, we do a bit more than that, because in the room, we do two or three a day, two or three shows a day. Starting as good as long as you can. Right. You started with us. That's right. You didn't know it before that. I never did. What do you think of teenage kids, kids of your own age these days? Are they actually wild? No. They're OK. They're just having fun. Just having a ball. What do they need, if anything, from their parents or other people? You hear so much about, you know— Do you know the likelihood? Yeah, I know. It's not wild. Kids are. Your fans and, you know, kids like that. I don't feel that way. Just ask me what you think they need, or what you think— Well, I'll tell you, I've never given it too much thought, because— Too that they're having a good time. Yeah, so what I draw on, they're the people, mostly, that buy your records, and they're the ones that those of yesterdays would want to buy records with. No, I don't mean that so much. I mean, what do you think about kids of your own age, generally? Just as I've been to your audience. What do you think about them? Do you think they're going to be all right, or do you think they're— It's kind of a hard question to answer, really. I haven't given that much thought. All I know is that wherever I go, I'll meet up with the audience, and they're just as nice as they can be, you know. Your parents don't have any great worries about what's going to happen to you, do they? No. The only thing they worry about is your ex and stuff like that. As far as getting in any kind of trouble, I don't think they worry about it. The only kind of trouble everybody has is— When you were Steven's age, when you were little or something like that, the way you could get into worse trouble than that. I couldn't, but I didn't have any better sense, you know. Did you? Well, I think I know right from wrong, you know. In other words, you have to be careful. It's so easy. You could be trapped into something, and everything you do is so easy. Well, I heard somebody say that you weren't taking very good care of yourself, and you were garaging around, and you didn't know where you were going, and that kind of thing. How do you feel about that? Well, it's about the truth. It really is. I can't deny it, because half the time, I don't know one week to the next where I'm going. Because I have so much on my mind, you know. I'm trying to keep up with these things. I'm trying to keep a level head. There's so much to do. It's a long range. You've got your eye on some objective in the future that you're headed for. Don't you think about that? Yeah, I do. I think about that. Right now, I actually don't want to. I want to do what I have to do. Of course, that's, I guess, a lot of ambition for a young person. True. I think if you really try and set your head to it, you can probably do it. Do you have some sort of contract in Shreveport that you have to start holding down? I have a contract with the Louisiana Hayride. It's kind of keeping me from getting some deals that I could get otherwise. I've got a ton. Am I holding you too long? Well, I have about ten more minutes. Okay. What's the happiest thing to you about being so successful? The happiest thing? I mean, the money, obviously. But what do you feel about it? Well, I wouldn't say the money in a way. I mean, that goes up. Like you said, it's the biggest part. Actually, the thing I like about it better is to know that you've got so many friends. You've got so many people that are happy for you and that you need help. In other words, the difference between... You mean, you don't mean admirers. You mean you've got a lot of real close friends. A lot of real close friends that I've made since I've been in the business. Who are some of them? I can't remember any of them. Well, I can't remember them because I would leave somebody out. What's your biggest kick? I mean, what's been your really highest point of excitement since you've been in the business? The one peak. Probably the biggest thrill, if that's what you want to call it, was one was when I wrote with Victor. Because I was going to get my little company in Julia. Second is when I had Stray Kids. One of the other couple of kind of business things I'm thinking of, you know, one night that really made you feel... One night. Well, one particular night was when the rest of the Virginia, and the north of Virginia too, where it was booted in. I think it was in Wires Club or something. We came on stage in the middle of the night, and there was generally a throll with all these names on it. They were in the middle of the throll. I had probably the biggest crowd I'd ever been to listen to before. And I can tell you the auditorium in Moscow. It was the biggest crowd I'd ever been in the auditorium before. You've been back home? To Lipo, is it? No, I haven't. You haven't? They don't have any theater there where you can perform or auditorium? Well, I mean, you know, they have one, but I don't work there very often because I don't think it's very good to work there all the time. Do you hear anything about what they think of you back home? Do the papers have that? Well, the papers are always right. Every time I get a speeding ticket, they build it up real big. Like last week, I got one ticket for speeding, and they had in the headlines, a big black person, they often call him Speedoo, but his real name is Elvis Speedoo. And they went on to read about it. And this guy, this guy wrote the article in the cat language, said he don't want no chain gang, you know. You got a guy like that in the theater? Yeah, that's all. Do you have any expressions of... Do you use a lot of that? No. Just talk English? I mean, a lot of people don't study English. Well, he was talking, he put on a cat talk, and then he started talking in a square sign. I never heard any musician talk like that. He used to go to a lot of movies in here, too. I still do. Yeah, I know. Well, every time we're in a place where I've got in town, I get to go to a movie. What ones have you liked the best recently? Recently, I liked Hello, Troy. I liked that. I liked The Man with the Golden Arm. Picnic. I liked Picnic. Yeah, I got no more questions. Do you have anything you want to say? No, I'm just about to go. How do you feel? Well, I'm a little worried out there. I am, I'm worried. I shouldn't do this to you. No, I'm happy. I really am. But I've got to do something.