Billy Stanley

Billy Stanley is an American writer and stepbrother of Elvis Presley. After Presley's death in 1977, Stanley would write two books about his stepbrother; *Elvis, My Brother* in 1989 and *The Faith of Elvis* in 2022.

## Quotes

“He scooped me and my brothers up in his arms and exclaimed, ‘Daddy, I always wanted a little brother. Now I’ve got three!’ ” (- Talking about the first time he met Elvis)

"We didn’t know who he was, but he talked to us the rest of the night and tucked us in bed. And the next morning, he came running in like a fire drill, ‘You gotta get up!’ We go out to the backyard and there are three of every kind of toy you could think of. He had a store open up after we went to bed."

“He relied on God for everything. It’s where he got his strength. Elvis was so appreciative of what the Lord had given him. He thanked God every day and constantly sought God’s guidance through prayer and reading the Bible.” (- Talking about Elvis' Christian beliefs)

“It was quite an experience to have Elvis as your Sunday school teacher.”

“One time I asked him, ‘Elvis, how come you don’t listen to your own stuff?’ He said, ‘Billy, I know I can always do it better. When I hear my own music, all I want to do is go fix it. But I can’t, because it’s already been done.’ ”

"A lot of people don’t realize that after every show, he would unwind by singing gospel songs until the sun came up."

"The Bible says the Lord loves a generous giver and [Elvis] was the most generous giver I’ve ever met. Whenever you’re feeling lonely or feeling like nobody loves you… you see that the devil’s playground is your mind. But helping somebody else? It takes away all that self-doubt and fears you have going on in your life. That’s what we’re all put here on this Earth for. Elvis believed that."

"Elvis was an eagle. He went and served his country… He was drafted, but he proudly served. He loved America. He used to say it was the greatest country in the whole world. He would say, ‘We could never fail because in the Pledge of Allegiance it says, ‘One nation under God.’ And as long as we stay that way, we will remain strong.’ During the Vietnam War, he couldn’t understand how some people wanted to leave America. Our leaders are what got us there. And even if they were wrong, he would still follow our leaders."

"He didn’t think it was right for an entertainer to speak against the country because the only reason they’re able to do what they do is that they’re in this country… In this country, you have the freedom to pursue your dreams. He was a true patriot. He loved God and his fellow man."

"What we saw on his entertainment level was maybe 20-30 percent of what he really was. He was far greater than that… he was a God-fearing patriot and a great big brother. The things he taught me about life, I’ve never forgotten."

## References

1. ↑ Google Books. "The Faith of Elvis." About the Author. https://www.google.com/books/edition/The\_Faith\_of\_Elvis/LfC6zwEACAAJ?hl=en
2. ↑ Google Books. "Elvis, My Brother." About the work. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Elvis\_My\_Brother/yrlsHQAACAAJ?hl=en&kptab=overview
3. ↑ Google Books. "The Faith of Elvis." About the work. https://www.google.com/books/edition/The\_Faith\_of\_Elvis/LfC6zwEACAAJ?hl=en
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 The Guardian. Alberge, Dayla. July 30, 2022. "Elvis was a devout Christian who prayed before shows, reveals stepbrother."
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Fox News. Nolasco, Stephanie. October 3, 2022. "Elvis Presley’s stepbrother says he spoke of God’s forgiveness before his death: 'In touch with the Lord'." https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/elvis-presley-stepbrother-says-spoke-gods-forgiveness-before-death