Elvis: My Best Man: Radio Days, Rock 'n' Roll Nights, and My Lifelong Friendship with Elvis Presley
Klein’s paean is awfully sincere but, in its folksy naiveté, oddly fetching. Maybe it’s the bio the King would have most wanted. Klein, who met Elvis in eighth grade, has been in the music business most of his life. He hosted early rock shows on Memphis radio and TV, was close at hand during Elvis’ early career, and remained a member of the inner circle to the end. Since then, he has hosted various Elvis-related radio shows and produced an Elvis documentary, and been interviewed by the likes of Larry King, Oprah, and Geraldo Rivera. He recalls a 1955 colloquy in which he suggested Elvis had already risen to such heights that he was “competition” for “Webb Pierce and Ferlin Husky and Hank Snow.” Tellingly, Presley “shook his head and let out a little snort of a laugh. ‘No, George, I’m shooting for Bill Haley,’” he replied. Soon enough, Elvis was at the top of the pop as well as the country charts, and Bill Haley was looking for a new hook. --Mike Tribby