<p id=”par-1_49″><a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/elvis-presley/”>Elvis Presley’s</a> bodyguards protected him from physical threats, but they also wanted to safeguard his reputation. When they learned about a rumor circulating about Elvis, they decided they needed to put a stop to it. One bodyguard decided that the best path forward was to <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/elvis-bodyguards-broke-singers-foot-providing-elvis-cocaine.html/”>threaten the perpetrator’s</a> life.</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-elvis-presley-s-bodyguard-tried-to-protect-him-against-rumors”>Elvis Presley’s bodyguard tried to protect him against rumors</h2>
<p id=”par-2_64″>When Elvis stayed in <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/elvis-said-las-vegas-residencies-gave-new-life.html/”>Las Vegas to play residencies</a>, he got frequent massages from the same man, whom his bodyguards called Big Bill. Each time, Elvis tipped him $100, which his bodyguards felt was more than generous. They were frustrated, then, when they heard Big Bill was spreading rumors about Elvis’ drug use. They discovered this while talking to a stranger from New York.</p>
<p id=”par-3_71″>“Anyway, it seems that one of these guys from New York was getting a massage, and this Big Bill starts shooting his mouth off to him that he has massaged Elvis Presley and that he is a head [drug-taker],” bodyguard Sonny West said in the book<em> <a href=”https://www.amazon.com/Elvis-What-Happened-Steve-Dunleavy/dp/0345272153″ target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Elvis: What Happened?</a></em> by Steve Dunleavy. “My mind gets buzzing, and I think, if Big Bill told a perfect stranger this, how many people has he told?”</p>
<figure class=”wp-block-image size-full” id=”emb-1″><img decoding=”async” fetchpriority=”high” width=”1200″ height=”957″ src=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Elvis-entourage-3.jpg?strip=all&quality=89″ alt=”A black and white picture of Elvis sitting in a chair surrounded by his entourage | (L-R, standing) Billy Smith, former sheriff Bill Morris, Lamar Fike, Jerry Schilling, Sheriff Roy Nixon, Vernon Presley, Charlie Hodge, Sonny West, George Klein, Marty Lacker. (L-R, front) Dr. George Nichopoulos, Red West. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images” class=”wp-image-3631557″ srcset=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Elvis-entourage-3.jpg 1200w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Elvis-entourage-3.jpg?w=627&h=500 627w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Elvis-entourage-3.jpg?w=768&h=612 768w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Elvis-entourage-3.jpg?w=1024&h=817 1024w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Elvis-entourage-3.jpg?w=439&h=350 439w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Elvis-entourage-3.jpg?w=212&h=169 212w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Elvis-entourage-3.jpg?w=200&h=160 200w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Elvis-entourage-3.jpg?w=636&h=507 636w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Elvis-entourage-3.jpg?w=75&h=60 75w” sizes=”(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px”><figcaption class=”wp-element-caption”>Elvis and his entourage | Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images</figcaption></figure>
<p id=”par-4_21″>The man from New York offered to “handle” Big Bill for Sonny West, but he took matters into his own hands. </p>
<p id=”par-5_95″>“We had to shut the guy up,” he said. “Anyway, I got the telephone number of Big Bill and I called him. ‘I said, ‘Could I speak to Big Bill?’ He answered the telephone and then I said, ‘You don’t know me. I’m just telling you. You have been shooting your mouth off about a certain celebrity that used to give you a one-hundred-dollar tip, and you have been talking about how he is a head . . . and I tell you now, stop it, man, or you are gone.’ I then hung up.”</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-he-said-he-would-have-done-anything-for-elvis”>He said he would have done anything for Elvis</h2>
<p id=”par-6_21″>Sonny West said Elvis had no idea he did this. He just acted as quickly as possible to protect his boss.</p>
<p id=”par-7_44″>“Elvis didn’t tell me to do it. I was acting on my own,” he said. “In fact, I never told him about it. I just handled it that way because there was no use getting him upset over something if it could be handled.”</p>
<p id=”par-8_16″>Sonny’s cousin, Red West, said Elvis’ bodyguards were willing to do practically anything for the singer.</p>
<p id=”par-9_32″>“He always wanted to know if we were really dedicated to him,” he said. “Of course in those days, there was very little any one of us wouldn’t have done for him.”</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-elvis-bodyguard-later-said-he-felt-foolish-for-being-willing-to-take-a-bullet-for-the-singer”>Elvis’ bodyguard later said he felt foolish for being willing to take a bullet for the singer</h2>
<p id=”par-10_15″>For years, Elvis’ bodyguards were willing to jump in front of a bullet for him.</p>
<figure class=”wp-block-image size-full” id=”emb-2″><img decoding=”async” width=”1200″ height=”1155″ src=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Elvis-Red-West.jpg?strip=all&quality=89″ alt=”Elvis wears a bejeweled jumpsuit and sunglasses and stands behind his bodyguard, Red West.” class=”wp-image-3633447″ srcset=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Elvis-Red-West.jpg 1200w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Elvis-Red-West.jpg?w=519&h=500 519w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Elvis-Red-West.jpg?w=768&h=739 768w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Elvis-Red-West.jpg?w=1024&h=986 1024w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Elvis-Red-West.jpg?w=364&h=350 364w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Elvis-Red-West.jpg?w=176&h=169 176w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Elvis-Red-West.jpg?w=200&h=193 200w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Elvis-Red-West.jpg?w=527&h=507 527w, https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Elvis-Red-West.jpg?w=62&h=60 62w” sizes=”(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px”><figcaption class=”wp-element-caption”>Elvis and Red West | Tom Wargacki/WireImage</figcaption></figure>
<div class=”related-article related-article–simple”>
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<p id=”par-11_26″>“If anyone was going to hurt him, they would have had to kill us to get to him,” bodyguard Dave Hebler said. “That was the relationship.”</p>
<p id=”par-12_16″>Upon reflection, they admitted <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/elvis-bodyguards-felt-stupid-willing-take-bullet-salary.html/”>they felt “stupid”</a> for being willing to do this on the salaries Elvis paid.</p>