Interview With David Stanley, Elvis Presley's Stepbrother.
©Eliot Stein
ELIOT: When did you go to live with Elvis?
DAVID STANLEY: I moved into Graceland in 1960--I was four years old--my mother, Dee
Stanley, married Vernon Presley. Elvis became my big brother!
ELIOT: What is your first remembrance of Graceland, Elvis and the whole new deal?
DAVID STANLEY: When I moved in...I didn't know who Elvis was...all I knew is that I had a new
house. Elvis bought out a toy store for me and my brothers on the very first night we were there. I
thought Elvis was Santa Clause!!! Elvis had just gotten out of the army and he took us all in as a
package deal!!! He was a human being to me. He was not the icon that everybody else saw!
ELIOT: How long were you close to Elvis?
DAVID STANLEY: I moved in 1960--and found him dead in 1977. That was 17 years... I grew up
around him. Elvis died two weeks before I was 22. He was my brother. It was a great loss. He wasn't
a rock 'n' roll star to me--although I was privy to touring with him, going to movie studios, etc!! We
were a family. We spent holidays together.
ELIOT: Did Elvis ever sit and talk with you and share his most innermost thoughts?
DAVID STANLEY: All the time...Especially as I got older. He would say, "Why Me??" He
wondered why his twin brother died and not him. The hardest thing for Elvis to do in his life was to be
Elvis. He made mistakes towards the end of his life...but he never abused his power for political
purposes. He knew he had a gift from God for singing... and felt that is all he should use his talents for.
ELIOT: What would Elvis had said about the marriage between Lisa Marie and Michael Jackson?
DAVID STANLEY: His concerns---first let me establish that Elvis was not a racist-- but he would
have had a problem with the interracial situation. Elvis would have been concerned about things that
have been said about Michael Jackson. Like any father...he would have wanted her to be happy!
ELIOT: How do you feel about the ongoing rumors of Elvis sightings?
DAVID STANLEY: The thing about an Elvis sighting--is everybody always sees him in a
white jumpsuit--believe me Elvis is Dead--I found him dead... If he was alive--he wouldn't be wearing
a jump suit with large sideburns working at a Burger King!! It's as offensive to me as me going up to
somebody whose sister just died and saying: "I just saw your sister!"...people are insensitive.!
It hurt me at first... but now I just--what do I do--I can't let it hurt me anymore,
I can only laught at it!!!... It's amazing that the print media would publish these so-called
sightings, but even more amazing is that people believe it!
ELIOT: Of all the rumors, was there one that was the easiest to believe?
DAVID STANLEY: The easiest rumor is that Elvis went on a downhill run after he lost Priscilla. It's
not true. Things just didn't work out. It wasn't the deciding factor that ruined Elvis' life. The situation
was blown up by the media. Priscilla should have known that this was NOT going to be a typical
marriage. Elvis had his girlfriends.
ELIOT: Recently on a talk show, a woman and her son--they were claiming that he was Elvis' son. Is
there any truth to this?
DAVID STANLEY: In my opinion, there's no truth... I was around Elvis a lot. We didn't have real
scandalous situations.... I've seen a few "I'm Elvis, Jr." and I think it’s untrue...
If Elvis was the father of everybody claiming so, he'd have kids everywhere!
ELIOT: What about the woman who has written a book recently about an affair with Elvis?
DAVID STANLEY: That one is true.
Elvis had several girlfriends. I can't recall her name....
She was one of his many girlfriends. This was while he was married to
Priscilla. She's a nice lady. She and Elvis had a good relationship!
©Eliot Stein
ELIOT: When did you go to live with Elvis?
DAVID STANLEY: I moved into Graceland in 1960--I was four years old--my mother, Dee
Stanley, married Vernon Presley. Elvis became my big brother!
ELIOT: What is your first remembrance of Graceland, Elvis and the whole new deal?
DAVID STANLEY: When I moved in...I didn't know who Elvis was...all I knew is that I had a new
house. Elvis bought out a toy store for me and my brothers on the very first night we were there. I
thought Elvis was Santa Clause!!! Elvis had just gotten out of the army and he took us all in as a
package deal!!! He was a human being to me. He was not the icon that everybody else saw!
ELIOT: How long were you close to Elvis?
DAVID STANLEY: I moved in 1960--and found him dead in 1977. That was 17 years... I grew up
around him. Elvis died two weeks before I was 22. He was my brother. It was a great loss. He wasn't
a rock 'n' roll star to me--although I was privy to touring with him, going to movie studios, etc!! We
were a family. We spent holidays together.
ELIOT: Did Elvis ever sit and talk with you and share his most innermost thoughts?
DAVID STANLEY: All the time...Especially as I got older. He would say, "Why Me??" He
wondered why his twin brother died and not him. The hardest thing for Elvis to do in his life was to be
Elvis. He made mistakes towards the end of his life...but he never abused his power for political
purposes. He knew he had a gift from God for singing... and felt that is all he should use his talents for.
ELIOT: What would Elvis had said about the marriage between Lisa Marie and Michael Jackson?
DAVID STANLEY: His concerns---first let me establish that Elvis was not a racist-- but he would
have had a problem with the interracial situation. Elvis would have been concerned about things that
have been said about Michael Jackson. Like any father...he would have wanted her to be happy!
ELIOT: How do you feel about the ongoing rumors of Elvis sightings?
DAVID STANLEY: The thing about an Elvis sighting--is everybody always sees him in a
white jumpsuit--believe me Elvis is Dead--I found him dead... If he was alive--he wouldn't be wearing
a jump suit with large sideburns working at a Burger King!! It's as offensive to me as me going up to
somebody whose sister just died and saying: "I just saw your sister!"...people are insensitive.!
It hurt me at first... but now I just--what do I do--I can't let it hurt me anymore,
I can only laught at it!!!... It's amazing that the print media would publish these so-called
sightings, but even more amazing is that people believe it!
ELIOT: Of all the rumors, was there one that was the easiest to believe?
DAVID STANLEY: The easiest rumor is that Elvis went on a downhill run after he lost Priscilla. It's
not true. Things just didn't work out. It wasn't the deciding factor that ruined Elvis' life. The situation
was blown up by the media. Priscilla should have known that this was NOT going to be a typical
marriage. Elvis had his girlfriends.
ELIOT: Recently on a talk show, a woman and her son--they were claiming that he was Elvis' son. Is
there any truth to this?
DAVID STANLEY: In my opinion, there's no truth... I was around Elvis a lot. We didn't have real
scandalous situations.... I've seen a few "I'm Elvis, Jr." and I think it’s untrue...
If Elvis was the father of everybody claiming so, he'd have kids everywhere!
ELIOT: What about the woman who has written a book recently about an affair with Elvis?
DAVID STANLEY: That one is true.
Elvis had several girlfriends. I can't recall her name....
She was one of his many girlfriends. This was while he was married to
Priscilla. She's a nice lady. She and Elvis had a good relationship!
