Elvis’ Entourage ‘Brainwashed’ Themselves Into Defending Elvis’ Terrible Behavior, Said His Bodyguard

Elvis Presley’s entourage spent most of their time with the singer and did whatever he asked of them. This sometimes required going against what they believed was right. After Elvis’ bodyguard watched him treat a party guest horribly, he felt he had to justify his boss’ behavior. He said that everyone in Elvis’ entourage had to do this.

Elvis’ entourage felt they had to support his bad behavior

Elvis hosted a party at his home, and his bodyguard, Sonny West, brought a date. West was in the middle of a game of pool with Elvis when his date asked him to move his car. Elvis, who was already in a bad mood because he was playing poorly, immediately turned on the woman.

He began berating her for interrupting the game. While she was initially apologetic, she eventually snapped as Elvis continued to scold her. “Go to hell, you sonofab****,” she told him, per the book Elvis: What Happened? by Steve Dunleavy. Elvis immediately retaliated by throwing his pool cue at her. 

“He took that pool cue in his fist,” West said. “Then, like he was throwing a spear, he just leaned back and threw it right at her across the pool table. She had no time to duck. The sharp end of the pool cue bored right into her body.”

It was clear she was hurt and West was horrified, but he immediately began making excuses for Elvis. When his date began talking about suing Elvis for attacking her, West tried to convince her against it.

“I wouldn’t have blamed her a bit, but I was so locked into Elvis,” West said. “It was second nature for me to stand up for him, even when I knew he was very wrong. We had all brainwashed ourselves into that way of thinking.”

Elvis did not want to apologize to the woman

After West’s date left the party, Elvis seemed a bit guilty about what he had done. Still, he refused to admit what he did was wrong.

“Well, man, she shouldn’t have called me a sonofab****,” Elvis told West. “That ain’t right.”

Later, West bumped into the woman and apologized to her because Elvis would not.

Elvis had a particular way of apologizing to his entourage 

According to Elvis’ entourage, the singer rarely verbally apologized for his actions. Still, he could recognize when he was in the wrong. When this happened, he tried to make it up to them with expensive gifts.

“After one of his wild temper fits, he will never say, ‘Hey, man, I was wrong, I’m sorry.’ But then one day you will be walking through an automobile showroom and he’ll say something like ‘Hey, man, that looks great, that car, don’t it?’” his bodyguard, Red West, said. “And somebody will say back to him, ‘Sure does, Elvis.’ The next minute, he’ll tell you, ‘Look, you fix up the paperwork, it’s yours, you deserve it.’ That’s it. There is no argument, just ‘It’s yours, man.’”

Unsurprisingly, the members of his entourage were happy to accept this form of apology.