Interview With Sandi Miller

[Luuk]

Sandi, you mention you sent (an SAE) to NBC for tickets to the taping of the 1968 TV show. Do you remember how far in advance of those shows you learned you could sent in for those tickets?

[DutchLA]

Outstanding stuff!

Totally fascinating to read about all the news stories he followed. And, as usual, Sandi, you wove it back to personal insights about the man - e.g. the assassinations and how worried he became.

The Century Plaza Hotel story sounds funny! I wonder how many cuss words Elvis knew? I dare not ask! I was amused to hear him use the very British "bloody" in his extant home recording of "It's A Sin To Tell A Lie". How was he with accents and impressions, by the way? Did he like taking people off and sound effects in general? What clever/crazy stuff did you see and hear him do? In outtakes of "Too Much Monkey Business", he's goofing off on a Jackie Wilson impression, in an outtake of "Memories", he's doing cat noises and God knows what else, and in stage versions of "Fever", he sometimes mouths his own name in the way a frantic female fan would ("I light up when you call my name .. "). My favourite one is probably when he grabs the neck of his guitar and makes a "rifle" noise to shut some rowdy female fans up in the 2nd (?) NBC sitdown show. Made me jump!

One thing you said that surprised me a little:

on stage he was "Elvis the Performer" and that was a whole different thing than the guy who would be upstairs after the show being his crazy normal self. To me, they were two different people almost.

That's very interesting, since Lisa-Marie states in "Elvis By The Presleys" (have you seen that and what are your thoughts?) that his real personality was the same as his stage personality, just greater (or words to that effect). Obviously, she was only a kid at the time, so your perspective is probably better informed. Or maybe it's two seemingly-contradictory ways of saying the same thing?

___________________________ ______________________
To me, when Elvis was performing, he was "on stage" - playing to the crowd. The more enthusiastic the audience, the better show he put on because they fueled him. When he finished a show - he didn't have to be "on" any longer - he had to wind down and was usually quite hyper for a while afterwards but then he'd just be goofy ole Elvis (something I know I say alot but it's how I remember him) relaxed, joking, goofy, with nothing to prove to anyone in the room - so for me, it was definately two different personalities. His joking on stage was the same and his love to try to throw off the band or the background singers - that sort of silliness was the same but the whole *Performer* persona didn't follow him once he got off the stage in my opinion and that's why I say he was two different people to me.

You know, he wasn't bad with impersonations - he even did an impersonation of himself from back in the 50's once which of course was very spot on but we all told him it was just "so-so" . Another time he said he would do Tom Jones- excused himself and went down the hall to his room and came out with a sock in his pants and proceeded to gyrate while singing "What's New Pussycat" Priceless!! He was a very entertaining guy! Oh yes, and he did a great Donald Duck and a great Kennedy impression!

[Cryogenic]

Thanks again, Sandi!

He certainly did a lot of goofy things on stage, though!

The "monkey mask" for "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" is a good example. If only there was video footage of that!

And I can't believe the recent picture that was posted to FECC's very own "Picture Section" of him wearing slippers during a performance! WTF?

[Little Darlin]

Rolled up socks

I don't think Tom ever needed rolled up socks.

Trust LD ....she knows.

[DutchLA]

Rolled up socks

I don't think Tom ever needed rolled up socks.

Trust LD ....she knows.

LOL - now I have to go and try to find those photos I took of Tom in Hawaii in his speedos!

[DutchLA]

You know, he wasn't bad with impersonations - he even did an impersonation of himself from back in the 50's once which of course was very spot on but we all told him it was just "so-so" . Another time he said he would do Tom Jones- excused himself and went down the hall to his room and came out with a sock in his pants and proceeded to gyrate while singing "What's New Pussycat" Priceless!! He was a very entertaining guy! Oh yes, and he did a great Donald Duck and a great Kennedy impression!

now that I would have loved to have seen !!!

Sandi,did you ever here the story of Elvis walking in on Tom Jones while Tom was in the shower ? Tom brought it up again in an interview recently.

One of the MM has stated that Elvis said Tom wore rolled up socks in his trousers,I wonder if that was pre shower view or, after !

**Elvis sure had his theories didn't he? The story he told at the house one night was that Tom had a special "pocket" built in his pants that he would stuff himself into, to enhance his assets...and that conversation went on to other things that I won't repeat on a public board. I just never knew when to take him seriously about some of the things he'd come up with!

[Monique]

Just feel like telling you all, that we at Elvis Unlimited is very honored to be the first to bring Sandi Miller to Elvis events in Europe. For now she will be in Sweden, Denmark and Holland, the first weekend in June, 2009. Why dont you come down and meet Sandi in person and ask the question you like. Look forward to meet you.

Henrik
http://www.elvisunlimited.com

**Just saw this also (I'm obviously slacking this week!) Just want to thank Elvis Unlimited for inviting me to attend their event and I'm very excited about it and looking forward to meeting fellow Elvis fans! I've always heard the events over seas are so awesome!

Nice to see that you're going to visit Holland in June. Can you be more specific about the date, the place and the occasion?

[Little Darlin]

LOL !!! Ok, I'll take your word for it !

although I'm curious how you know....wink wink...

Well......you've heard of that line in the song There's No Room to Rumba in a Sports Car? well.....take a look at this thread and you'll see there's no room for socks in there

http://www.elvis-collectors.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=43600

[Little Darlin]

Rolled up socks

I don't think Tom ever needed rolled up socks.

Trust LD ....she knows.

LOL - now I have to go and try to find those photos I took of Tom in Hawaii in his speedos!

Have you found them yet

[minni1]

LOL, I KNEW LD would perk right up at the mention of Ol' Tom in Speedos!

[Little Darlin]

LOL, I KNEW LD would perk right up at the mention of Ol' Tom in Speedos!

[Henrik Knudsen]

Sandi will be in Denmark at our Summer Convention on June 6th, Saturday afternoon. The convention will take place at our shop and museum located at Stemannsgade 9C, Randers, DK. Tickets can be bought at our web site, http://www.elvisunlimited.com
We would love to see you here! Come by and meet Sandi and lots of other Elvis fans. We will have an open mic for questions and answers with Sandi.

[Liverbobs]

Sandi, did Elvis ever mention anything about the book "Elvis What Happened" in your last conversations with him and how it was troubling him?

[DutchLA]

Sandi, did Elvis ever mention anything about the book "Elvis What Happened" in your last conversations with him and how it was troubling him?

**Actually yes...he had a copy of the manuscript before the book was out. The book saddened him greatly - he kept saying "why are they doing this ?" - His greatest concern wasn't so much for himself but what the fans would think and even more so- that his family would be reading it - especially Lisa one day. None of it would be new to his family of course but that was beside the point-he felt very betrayed and sad (not mad really which surprised me) He had tears in his eyes and his hands were shaking while he held that manuscript ... it's a moment I'd just as soon forget because it hurt to see him hurting.

[DutchLA]

Rolled up socks

I don't think Tom ever needed rolled up socks.

Trust LD ....she knows.

LOL - now I have to go and try to find those photos I took of Tom in Hawaii in his speedos!

Have you found them yet

**LOL - no haven't looked but I checked out the ones you referred to and mine aren't anywhere near that good so you're probably not missing much. They my still be on the internet though since years ago I sent some of my TJ photos to Lex and he put them on his TJ site...don't know if they are still up there or not.

[Little Darlin]

Rolled up socks

I don't think Tom ever needed rolled up socks.

Trust LD ....she knows.

LOL - now I have to go and try to find those photos I took of Tom in Hawaii in his speedos!

Have you found them yet

**LOL - no haven't looked but I checked out the ones you referred to and mine aren't anywhere near that good so you're probably not missing much. They my still be on the internet though since years ago I sent some of my TJ photos to Lex and he put them on his TJ site...don't know if they are still up there or not.

Ooooo -- Lex if you're looking in, please direct me to the Tom site please

[Cryogenic]

None of it would be new to his family of course but that was beside the point-he felt very betrayed and sad (not mad really which surprised me)

That's because Elvis had probably passed from anger into depression -- according to the Kübler-Ross grief cycle:



See:

http://changingminds.org/disciplines/change_management/kubler_ross/kubler_ross.htm

and

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%BCbler-Ross_model

for more.

[Monique]

Sandi, did Elvis ever mention anything about the book "Elvis What Happened" in your last conversations with him and how it was troubling him?

**Actually yes...he had a copy of the manuscript before the book was out. The book saddened him greatly - he kept saying "why are they doing this ?" - His greatest concern wasn't so much for himself but what the fans would think and even more so- that his family would be reading it - especially Lisa one day. None of it would be new to his family of course but that was beside the point-he felt very betrayed and sad (not mad really which surprised me) He had tears in his eyes and his hands were shaking while he held that manuscript ... it's a moment I'd just as soon forget because it hurt to see him hurting.

It's so sad to read that it brought tears to his eyes. It was probably on his mind all the time, these last months. Being betrayed like this is the worst thing that can happen to anyone...especially since he was such a well known person and the only time he could be himself was between the 4 walls of his home with his friends...who didn't appear to be such good friends after all.

[Luuk]

I think I've mentioned before that tickets to the NBC show were free - all you had to do was send a SASE to the studio and you would get your tickets back by mail.

Do you remember when NBC announced this and where did they announce it?

[DutchLA]

I think I've mentioned before that tickets to the NBC show were free - all you had to do was send a SASE to the studio and you would get your tickets back by mail.

Do you remember when NBC announced this and where did they announce it?

**I don't remember - I think our first notice on how to get the tickets came from Col. Parkers office - then TV Guide did a story about the upcoming show and I think they too may have mentioned how to get tickets, but by then, they were all sold out.

[aussierose]

Hi Sandi, Have just read where you said that you were at the Ambassador Hotel the night Bobby Kennedy was shot. Off-topic I know but do you have any recollections of that you can share? Why did you have press passes?
Thanks for your thoughts/stories/memories of Elvis, they are very much appreciated.

Helen

[DutchLA]

Hi Sandi, Have just read where you said that you were at the Ambassador Hotel the night Bobby Kennedy was shot. Off-topic I know but do you have any recollections of that you can share? Why did you have press passes?
Thanks for your thoughts/stories/memories of Elvis, they are very much appreciated.

Helen

My roomate and I worked in Bobby Kennedy's Campaign headquarters in Calif. and were given the press passes - even though we were not press. We were no more than 10 feet from the Senator when he was shot and we saw him slump to the ground and about that time, over the loudspeaker they kept announcing that "the Senator is fine - is there a Dr. in the house? I know we looked at each other and said "the Senator is NOT fine" but by then they had started herding everyone out of the room and out into the parking lot of the Ambassador Hotel where we waited until an ambulance came - we watched them load him up and Ethel climbed into the back of the ambulance and it sped off.

My car did not have a radio so driving back to Orange County we had no idea what was going on and got news updates by rolling down our windows and yelling at passing cars who had Kennedy stickers on their bumper. When we got back to our apt. the phone was ringing and it was Charlie (Elvis had known we were going to the hotel that night) - they had heard on the news about the shooting and Elvis wanted to know what happened and if we were ok. I don't think any full news report came out until later that morning...the whole thing was very stressful and I kinda backed away from politics for a long time after that.

[Cryogenic]

We were no more than 10 feet from the Senator when he was shot and we saw him slump to the ground

Jesus!

Surely something one could never forget.

Quite a life you've had, Sandi.

[aussierose]

'Stressful' sounds pretty tame for what you must have been feeling, Sandi. Geez. What a life indeed. You really must get those journals made into a book. It would make fascinating reading. Thanks so much.

Helen

[Monique]

WOW! That must have been scarry. You sure lived a tumultuous life!