Elvis: What Happened?
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| Author | Steve Dunleavy |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Ballantine Books |
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Publication date
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May 1977 (UK) July 1977 (USA) |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| Pages | 332 pp |
| ISBN | |
Elvis: What Happened? is a book about the personal life of singer Elvis Presley. The book, which is based on the personal accounts of three of Elvis' former bodyguards, went into detail on the singer’s dangerous drug-dependence. His death, only two weeks after the book’s publication in July 1977, made it highly topical and helped boost its sales to over 3 million.
The guards, Robert Gene West, his cousin Sonny West, and David Hebler, had been fired, officially for cost-saving reasons, but at the time, many suspected it was because they had been heavily critical of Elvis’ increasing intake of, and dependence upon, various drugs. With help from reporter Steve Dunleavy, they produced the tell-all memoir which they claimed to be a friendly warning, rather than a money-making exercise. Since the singer’s death, most of its claims have proven accurate.
In July 1976, Red and Sonny West, together with Dave Hebler, were fired by Presley's father, Vernon, from their jobs as bodyguards to the singer. Red had known Presley since they had attended high school together, and had become a very close friend to him. He became a part of Presley's inner circle in 1955, acting as a driver, bodyguard, and friend. Sonny, Red's cousin, had first met Presley in early 1958 and began working for him in 1960 after Presley returned to the spotlight following his two-year stint in the United States army. Hebler, who had first met Presley in 1972, was later hired as a member of the security team.
Reasons for their dismissal differ depending on who is being asked about the situation. Presley and his father claimed that it was a money saving move designed to cut the wages being paid out, while others, including other members of Presley's inner circle, think it was because the three men were the only ones who would stand up to Presley about his prescription drug dependency. A third theory is that their security techniques had led to several injuries amongst fans and lawsuits brought against Presley, a practice that the singer could no longer risk. It was not uncommon for Presley to fire members of his inner circle from time to time, hiring them back again some time later once the situation had cooled down. It was initially thought by the three men and other friends of Presley that this was what he had intended to do with the Wests and Hebler, but they had started work on the book before anything could be sorted out. Moreover, Vernon Presley was infamous for his strong dislike for most of, if not all, the members of his son's entourage, and several members of the inner circle believed that he would have blocked any efforts his son might have made to reinstate any of them.
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