Billy Stanley - The Faith of Elvis

PRAISE FOR THE FAITH OF ELVIS

You havent met the real Elvis if you havent read The Faith of Elvis. Billy Stanley shows us a side of the King weve never seen beforean older brother, mentor, and follower of Jesus. Prepare to be blown away by a whole new glimpse into one of the greatest performers of all time.

M IKE H UCKABEE , HOST OF THE H UCKABEE SHOW

Billy Stanleys The Faith of Elvis gives you an inside look at an Elvis that few really knew, but all can learn from. It is a story that only a brother can share and reveals Elviss love for God and his savior Jesus Christ. Billy delivers a beautiful, true account filled with passion and hope that captures the true essence of Elviss life and his love for God and his fans.

D AVID E. S TANLEY , STEPBROTHER TO E LVIS P RESLEY , AUTHOR , AND PRODUCER

Everyone needs a mentor and someone to guide us when our faith is young. What a joy to know that Elvis understood the value of investing in the faith of those he loved.

J OHN S TANGE , HOST OF THE POPULAR C HAPTER -A-D AY A UDIO B IBLE PODCAST AND AUTHOR OF D WELL ON T HESE T HINGS

To know Elvis the star and the icon is a thrill and to learn of Elvis the man and the brother is pure joy. A further glimpse into his powerful spiritual side takes it up another notch still. Billy Stanleys The Faith of Elvis gives us that firsthand personal perspective. Just as music and love are to be shared, faith and commitment to God through Jesus Christ are a part of Elvis Presley that he willingly imparted through his life and actions. Who better to describe this side of the man, than the brother who lived alongside him for seventeen years? While Elviss passion comes through, so does Billys. I wholeheartedly recommend this worthwhile read. Its a must for those who seek to know the essence behind the glitter.

J ANET B OSTIC , HEAD WRITER AT TCB R ADIO AND ADMINISTRATOR OF THE E LVIS : A C ELEBRATION OF THE M AN AND H IS M USIC FAN CLUB

The Faith of Elvis

2022 by Billy Stanley

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ISBN 978-1-4002-3702-9 (eBook)

ISBN 978-1-4002-3700-5 (HC)

Epub Edition August 2022 9781400237029

Library of Congress Control Number: 2022939077

Printed in the United States of America

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First and foremost, I want to thank God

for the story he has given me.

This book is dedicated to:

Elvis, for accepting me into his family and

teaching me about the Lord.

Rick and David Stanley, for showing me

a better life though the Lord.

My mother, for taking me to church,

even when I didnt want to go.

The fans, for loving my brother, Elvis.

And, last but not least, my wife, Liz. God brought us back together

for a reason, and that reason is to share how great God really is

and to show everyone that God does have plans for them. Just

be patient and wait for all of the blessings that he has for you.

CONTENTS

E lvis is alive. I know it sounds crazy, but its true. How do I know hes alive? Because Ive seen him.

As I watched Elviss casket being placed into a mausoleum in 1977, I felt an overwhelming grief, assuming I would never see him again. But I did see him. The first time was in a dream ten years later. Drugs and bad decisions had brought me to the lowest point in my life, and the words he spoke changed my life forever.

I saw Elvis a second time in 2018, forty-one years after he died. I suffered a major heart attack and was clinically dead for ten minutes. But it was enough time to see Elvis in a vision. We talked briefly, and he shared his final message with me: Tell all of my family, friends, and fans I love them. And Ill see them when they get here.

This book is not just my attempt to share the message Elvis gave to me. I also want to reveal the true story of a great man.

Behind the glitz and glamour, beyond the movies and millions of records sold, is a man driven by his faith in God. I didnt know him as a fan, a Hollywood producer, or the countless number of people who wanted a piece of him. I knew him as a brother.

I want you to see the man who gave so much of himselfalmost too much. A man who thought it was better to give than to receive. A man dedicated to protecting his younger brothers and sharing the love of Jesus with each of us.

This is a story of faith, hope, and love. It is a story only a brother can tell.

***

I was seven years old when my mother, Dee, brought me and my two younger brothers to live at Graceland in 1960. Although my brother Ricky and I were born the same year, in 1953, I was older than him for eleven months out of the year. I was born in January and he was born in December. My brother David was two years younger.

As for my mother, she was still young in years but long in life experience. As a military wife who had moved around a lot, she was ready to settle down. My mother and father were separated, but their divorce was not finalized. She would go on to marry Elviss father, Vernon, a few months after we moved in with the Presley family.

None of us had any idea how our lives were about to change. Moments after we arrived at Graceland, the man the world knew as the King scooped me and my brothers up in his arms and exclaimed, Daddy, I always wanted a little brother. Now Ive got three! These were some of the first words I ever heard Elvis speak.