Post by Admin on May 10, 2012 22:04:54 GMT -5
Interview with Shirley Dieu by Sergio Biston
February 14, 2012
SL: The last year of his life was a turbulent one. He was facing many problems in his personal life. His relationship with Ginger Alden seemed to be one that he had high expectations. Reportedly he gave more to the relationship than he was receiving from her. Ginger accompanied him during this March trip to Hawaii and for what you saw, what can you say about their relationship?
SD: I talk about this quite a bit in my book. I got to know Ginger more than anyone there except for maybe Elvis. But she told me a lot about her feelings that she didn'’t tell Elvis. We talked a lot about her and Elvis’ relationship. As I witnessed their short lived relationship firsthand, I would learn that it was not a real relationship by any means. There were private moments that Joe, me, Elvis and Ginger spent together. I knew what was really going on in that relationship, and it wasn'’t good.
SL: How you received the news of his death?
SD: I had just gotten my first role in a movie and was going to meet Joe in Memphis a day later than originally planned. I got the call from Joe before it hit the press and he instructed me to reach Ann Margret and tell her right away. It was hard at first for me to believe him. I accused him of joking. I just couldn'’t believe it. I flew to Memphis with Priscilla and her family on Elvis’ plane, the Lisa Marie that afternoon. We were literally all in shock.
SL: I believe you were at his funeral. Undoubtedly it was an awful day, especially for his family and close friends. What are you recollections of this terrible moment?
SD: When we arrived at Graceland it was a sad and dark time.
Everyone was heartbroken. It was so hard to believe that Elvis was gone. We waited for his body to be returned to Graceland and then each one of us spent a lot of time with him alone in the music room. The maids were the best. They managed to keep everything normal. I know that no one ever mentioned that in any of their books, but in reality if anyone from the group were to look back at that day, I am sure that they would agree that those women kept everything together in a normal kind of way.
Everyone literally cried on each other’s shoulder. Ginger was not there; she had left right away and didn'’t return until the funeral. I honestly don’t recall anyone consoling her nor did she seem to need any consoling.
Lisa seemed to be a little confused, but she ran around all of the people with Vernon’s girlfriend’s daughter Laura, who was Lisa'’s age. Laura helped to keep Lisa busy and away from all of the commotion. Priscilla was there of course and she would be the ultimate person in Lisa’s life to help her to get through it.
SL: It’s my understanding that you're writing a book about your times with Elvis.
How's the book coming up and what kind of information we will find on it?
SD: Yes, the title of my book is 'Memphis Mafia Princess'.
There have not been any books written about the last three years of Elvis' life. Yes, there have been summaries and mentions of that part of his life, but sadly it has remained unclear as to how he really lived those last years. Just someone’s statement or one chapter in someone’s book to sum up what they thought happened in the end, No one has actually written about those last years in detail as I do in my book. As the girlfriend of Joe Esposito, and a close friend of Elvis Presley, I lived the life of a 'Memphis Mafia Princess' I vacationed with and toured on all of Elvis’ tours in those last years. I open up those last chapters of his life and share in depth, the secrets of what really happened in the final years, and I tell the story that has yet to be told. The book is finished and I am hoping to have it published very soon.
SL: Finally, how you think he should be remembered?
SD: He needs to be remembered as the wonderful man that he always was. People have to stop exaggerating things about him in order to sell books. I think that the fans are sick of it and want to hear about Elvis and how he was as a human being, and not to dissect him as far as to find out what he ate for dinner the night before he died. That is just ridiculous. Is that really what people want to know and how they want to remember him? I hope not, because there are so many wonderful things about Elvis that made him who he was.
He was a kind, brilliant, generous, thoughtful, God fearing, and loving, wonderful man.
Shirley Dieu interviewed by Sergio Biston : Elvis Collectors Brasil : Fiça Biston January, 2012.
® Sergio Biston : Fiça Biston, January 2012.
Read the entire interview:
www.elvis.com.au/presley/interview_with_shirley_dieu_by_sergio_biston.shtml
.
February 14, 2012
SL: The last year of his life was a turbulent one. He was facing many problems in his personal life. His relationship with Ginger Alden seemed to be one that he had high expectations. Reportedly he gave more to the relationship than he was receiving from her. Ginger accompanied him during this March trip to Hawaii and for what you saw, what can you say about their relationship?
SD: I talk about this quite a bit in my book. I got to know Ginger more than anyone there except for maybe Elvis. But she told me a lot about her feelings that she didn'’t tell Elvis. We talked a lot about her and Elvis’ relationship. As I witnessed their short lived relationship firsthand, I would learn that it was not a real relationship by any means. There were private moments that Joe, me, Elvis and Ginger spent together. I knew what was really going on in that relationship, and it wasn'’t good.
SL: How you received the news of his death?
SD: I had just gotten my first role in a movie and was going to meet Joe in Memphis a day later than originally planned. I got the call from Joe before it hit the press and he instructed me to reach Ann Margret and tell her right away. It was hard at first for me to believe him. I accused him of joking. I just couldn'’t believe it. I flew to Memphis with Priscilla and her family on Elvis’ plane, the Lisa Marie that afternoon. We were literally all in shock.
SL: I believe you were at his funeral. Undoubtedly it was an awful day, especially for his family and close friends. What are you recollections of this terrible moment?
SD: When we arrived at Graceland it was a sad and dark time.
Everyone was heartbroken. It was so hard to believe that Elvis was gone. We waited for his body to be returned to Graceland and then each one of us spent a lot of time with him alone in the music room. The maids were the best. They managed to keep everything normal. I know that no one ever mentioned that in any of their books, but in reality if anyone from the group were to look back at that day, I am sure that they would agree that those women kept everything together in a normal kind of way.
Everyone literally cried on each other’s shoulder. Ginger was not there; she had left right away and didn'’t return until the funeral. I honestly don’t recall anyone consoling her nor did she seem to need any consoling.
Lisa seemed to be a little confused, but she ran around all of the people with Vernon’s girlfriend’s daughter Laura, who was Lisa'’s age. Laura helped to keep Lisa busy and away from all of the commotion. Priscilla was there of course and she would be the ultimate person in Lisa’s life to help her to get through it.
SL: It’s my understanding that you're writing a book about your times with Elvis.
How's the book coming up and what kind of information we will find on it?
SD: Yes, the title of my book is 'Memphis Mafia Princess'.
There have not been any books written about the last three years of Elvis' life. Yes, there have been summaries and mentions of that part of his life, but sadly it has remained unclear as to how he really lived those last years. Just someone’s statement or one chapter in someone’s book to sum up what they thought happened in the end, No one has actually written about those last years in detail as I do in my book. As the girlfriend of Joe Esposito, and a close friend of Elvis Presley, I lived the life of a 'Memphis Mafia Princess' I vacationed with and toured on all of Elvis’ tours in those last years. I open up those last chapters of his life and share in depth, the secrets of what really happened in the final years, and I tell the story that has yet to be told. The book is finished and I am hoping to have it published very soon.
SL: Finally, how you think he should be remembered?
SD: He needs to be remembered as the wonderful man that he always was. People have to stop exaggerating things about him in order to sell books. I think that the fans are sick of it and want to hear about Elvis and how he was as a human being, and not to dissect him as far as to find out what he ate for dinner the night before he died. That is just ridiculous. Is that really what people want to know and how they want to remember him? I hope not, because there are so many wonderful things about Elvis that made him who he was.
He was a kind, brilliant, generous, thoughtful, God fearing, and loving, wonderful man.
Shirley Dieu interviewed by Sergio Biston : Elvis Collectors Brasil : Fiça Biston January, 2012.
® Sergio Biston : Fiça Biston, January 2012.
Read the entire interview:
www.elvis.com.au/presley/interview_with_shirley_dieu_by_sergio_biston.shtml
.