Charlie Hodge Talks About Elvis 1

Charlie Hodge Talks About Elvis 1
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Charlie & Elvis were very close friends I found this recording many years ago & have only posted it once ok ! Charlie also explains what I have offend repeated on just how sick Elvis was close to the end !!
Charles Franklin Hodge (December 14, 1934 – March 3, 2006), better known as Charlie Hodge, was an American singer, vocal coach and musician who was a confidant and best friend of Elvis Presley, and lived at Graceland.

During Hodge and Presley's Army service they met again in 1958 at Fort Hood, Texas. The two became friends, and the tenor singer subsequently became part of Presley's entourage, referred to[by whom?] as the "Memphis Mafia."

Hodge is said[by whom?] to have been with Presley in Germany when the latter met his future wife, Priscilla. Hodge would later be the stage manager and a musician of The Elvis Presley Show, when Presley returned to live performances after Elvis, his 1968 comeback special. During Presley's movie making years Charlie would sometimes perform with singer/musician Jimmy Wakely in Reno. He also performed with the famous singing cowboy Roy Rogers and his horse, Trigger. He became known by the public for singing harmony for Elvis, handing Presley water and scarves onstage, but had many other tasks, such as laying out the song list Presley was to perform, and sometimes holding the microphone when Presley was playing the piano or guitar with both hands. Presley also put him in charge of presenting songs directly to Presley that he[who?] might want to record or perform, and many were recorded. Music companies contracted to give Elvis songs to record would refer to Charlie Hodge and bodyguard Red West, also a musician and songwriter, as "The Imperial Council" because Elvis would look to them for their advice on songs presented for possible recording. Hodge was the only male singer to have recorded a duet with Elvis in 1960 entitled "I Will Be Home Again". Hodge can also be heard playing the piano in the recording, "Suppose". Hodge received a songwriting credit for the song "You'll Be Gone" which he co-wrote with Elvis Presley and Red West in 1962. He changed the orchestration to that of a Spanish style.

Charlie helped out Director George Sidney in the filming of “Viva Las Vegas," suggesting a special effect on a production number; three years later, in the studio with Elvis as he pored through demos for the picture “Spinout,“ he transformed an ignominious film soundtrack tune into a “walking blues“ (“I’ll Be Back“), which impressed the director so much the plot denouement was rewritten to accommodate the number.

Charlie always figured heavily as Elvis' musical advisor, initially teaching him the rarified near-falsetto style Elvis would heavily rely upon in the early 1960s. He also played important roles in Elvis’ late 1960s / early 1970s show business comeback, first in a TV special, then in a documentary.

When Elvis was needing to put a band together for his return to live performances he turned to Hodge for advice. Hodge recommended James Burton, lead guitarist, after seeing him play in a small club. After The Imperials left the Elvis Show Hodge recommended using The Stamps Quartet.

Hodge lived for 17 years at Elvis' Memphis, Tennessee estate, Graceland, and also had rooms in all of Elvis's other homes away from Graceland which were personally decorated by Priscilla in his favorite color schemes. Hodge was often regarded as the sweetest, kindest and most genuine member of the Memphis Mafia, with Presley's best interests at heart. Hodge was with Elvis to the very end and was with the guarded escort to bring Elvis and his mother Gladys's remains back to Graceland for reburial. Hodge stayed at Graceland for a year afterward, helping Elvis' father Vernon with any affairs of the estate.

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