We were in Memphis in Aug. 2002 for the 25th Anniversary celebration. The Memphis Mafia told Elvis stories. Charlie and Joe Esposito reminisce about Elvis.
I was blessed to get to meet Charlie and was around him three times. He rode me around Decatur, Alabama in a Cadillac that belonged to Elvis. I got to go to his house and he sang Lead Me , Guide Me. Told me many Elvis stories. I am from the same county he grew up in. He is buried near my parents in Alabama. My mom was friends with his sister. He was an awesome guy and so sweet and funny!!!
Aww! I liked Charlie Hodge; I think he was the one true friend Elvis had, especially to be there as comfort in the service when mama Gladys passed. Elvis needed that stability. Charlie was that unsung hero by his side. Beautiful to see. May they both be at peace and rest. Until we see each other again! ✝
Serious question now. Do you enjoy the company of friends that can’t wait to agree with you no matter what you say? That never have their own views? That laugh at you every jest wether it was really funny or not? That seemingly have no real views or life of their own? Is that the company that you honestly seek?
Charley will be so missed! He was so funny when he told stories about his times with Elvis. He would crack Elvis up on stage because they were always cutting up. I know him and Elvis have picked up where he left off. RIP Charley and Joe.
Hello from England RIP Charlie. So many wonderful "STORIES" told. We are so blessed that we have TH-cam platform and the people who post these videos for POSTERITY. Charlie died ion 2006. I cannot believe where those years have gone. I have been an ELVIS FAN since he died 2 days before my 12th birthday. 44 Years
Great Buds 🤝🙌🏼The King had great friends and thank the Lord they are kind of enough and gracious to share with us ELVIS FANS! A fan way over 20 yrs 🙌🏼⚡️🌟❤️
Voici les 3 meilleurs amis d’Elvis, ses frères de cœur, ils l’aiment plus qu’eux mêmes et continuent de le faire vivre pour notre plus grand bonheur 🤗💚🌺 c’est beau . On les écouterait des heures
Elvis sure had loyal friends, well, most. I was born in "60 but was too young to know about the Man. But I was always surrounded by Elvis's music, shoot, i think every house had a vinyl or reel to reel of some sort. Anyway I am more grateful today to have internet, seeing/hearing the stories of Elvis through the eyes of his friends such as Charlie and the Mob which i never knew existed till now, sure make me appreciate more of the King. RIP Charlie and thankyou. Go hand out more scarfs in heaven with the Man himself.
So many around Elvis really were jealous of him..Ginger Alden said Elvis was not served well by some.They would roll their eyes when Elvis asked them to do something.She named Ricky Stanley and Al.They argued over who had to warm up his food that had gotten cold.Al said he would not be there if he didn't need the money.Charlie was a true friend and I think Larry Geller was too. Gladys once backed Red West in a corner with a kitchen knife because Red had said something about Elvis.His mom really was his best friend and cheerleader.
Hello Margaret,. You are here? I'm Brazilian Pedro Mariano. You didn't even reply to my comment the Channel. Will you ask How much the guitar costs? And then Tell me? It is that model that Elvis presented himself. Has a black bar at the bottom. I already know that at the Tupelo store there is Hardware, okay? Hugs from Brazil for you. Sorry for bad English.
@@hayesman76 yea i think he is talking about him. I knew Al for a few years after Elvis passed as i hung around Graceland a lot. He was not a very personable person
I think it's nice these 3 men can share some great memories about their friend Elvis. To me, this was disrespectful to Elvis and very inappropriate to say about Elvis. Did I mention they were his friends? I wouldn't want anyone to talk about me like this.
That is what I believed. But, as you can plainly hear, Joe Esposito himself repeated the story of Elvis being drunk. Elvis also hated smoking but there are plenty of photos of him smoking little cigars.
That incident didn't happen at Graceland. Sounds like it was a one off experience with alcohol that many people have had. Those sweet liquers are okay in small quantities but lethal if you drink a lot all at once.
. ,EP was not a drinker nor a sloppy drunk . .but it only takes one experience as told by his friends here how things can go ‘south’ without much effort . .oops!
I’m a huge fan of elvis Presley’s and I love 💕 elviss music and flims too elvis will always be the king 👑 of rock and roll 🎸 my dream is to visit visit Graceland And ccmmunitcate with elvis 12:30pm
They had no respect for themselves or Elvis Presley it was money money money long after Elvis was gone and they still cashed in with their trashy stories
First,it's been said that Elvis did not like alcohol and did not like it around him. Second if this story is true Elvis' tolerance for alcohol must have been very low. Peach Brandy or Schnapps is a liqueur and there is very little alcohol in it.
It's also been said he didn't like smoking, but there are plenty of photos showing him with those little cigars. You cannot dispute the story of drinking. I can't think of anyone closer to Elvis than Charlie and Joe Esposito.
Thank you, the laughing after everything Elvis would say was annoying. From everything I read Charlie was a good guy, very kind and a great friend to Elvis from back in the Army days where he kept Elvis laughing because Elvis was devastated by his mother's death. But still from the 68 Special till the 77 CBS Special Charlie was annoying and the one show from the 77 Special they had Charlie's mike turned up too loud and his voice sucked, cringe worthy. Charlie had a good voice in the 60's and partway thru the 70's.
I recall one of the Memphis Mafia saying that one time someone said something to Charlie to the effect that he should take care of a certain task and he balked, saying, “My job is onstage!” I believe Charlie was truly devoted to Elvis and he was able to be that way because, as I understand, he was a lifelong bachelor with no other familial responsibilities. May he RIP. Update: Yesterday I watched a video which, if I understood correctly, referred to Charlie’s wife. I assume he may have married after Elvis died.
Charlie was on stage as a valet. His guitar was not plugged into the sound system. It amazes me what crawlers some people become, and why Elvis never got tired of them. Yes men are so boring.
charlie only repeated wat dr nick told him then he retracted it so wasn't a deliberate lie, once charlie knew the truth elvis never had cancer he retracted it , he was only repeating wat he was told
In 1977 Elvis slapped Charlie in the face because he was drunk (again) and he kept on crying that he got less money and gifts than other people around Elvis. Now that is the real Hodge. A drunk. Elvis hated alcohol.
@@tonbruins9217 "In 1977 Elvis slapped Charlie in the face because he was drunk (again) and he kept on crying that he got less money and gifts than other people around Elvis. Now that is the real Hodge. A drunk. Elvis hated alcohol." Wat you said in your post , elvis was very very sick the last yr of his life he was messed up all the tabs he were taking he always shouted at the MM sacked many several times and re hired them he didn't know wat he was doing half the time , charlie was a very good and close friend of elvis for all his career elvis loved him he was his right hand man sure they will have crossed swords at times but they loved each other he along with joe Diamond joe were amongst the closest to elvis he loved those men dearly !!
@@gusjackson3658 Well I've been a fan of Charlie Hodge for 50 years. He was probably a nicer guy than Elvis. Didn't your mother teach you not to speak ill of the dead. I think you're just against short people.
My dad was a Stillman on a couple of Elvis movies... And my dad was the Stillman on "Elvis" with Kurt Russell... That's where I met Charlie and Kurt... Charlie was Great and talked to me about Elvis... It's also where I found out that Kurt was my second cousin... He and my dad had set it up that he would call me "cus" when I went into the make-up trailer...lol But my dad did say that he thought Charlie was a Great Southern Gentleman... But my dad did not like Joe Esposito at all...lolol 😂
I was blessed to get to meet Charlie and was around him three times. He rode me around Decatur, Alabama in a Cadillac that belonged to Elvis. I got to go to his house and he sang Lead Me , Guide Me. Told me many Elvis stories. I am from the same county he grew up in. He is buried near my parents in Alabama. My mom was friends with his sister. He was an awesome guy and so sweet and funny!!!
I also met his sweet momma and got the book he wrote about his life with Elvis and he autographed it for me.
What a sweet story. He seemed like a great guy and loyal friend.
Very cool.
Was he living in Alabama when he passed away?
käännös suomeksi
Aww! I liked Charlie Hodge; I think he was the one true friend Elvis had, especially to be there as comfort in the service when mama Gladys passed. Elvis needed that stability. Charlie was that unsung hero by his side. Beautiful to see. May they both be at peace and rest. Until we see each other again! ✝
A beautiful sentiment. Thank you.
@@TolKOZAK 👍 😇
Serious question now. Do you enjoy the company of friends that can’t wait to agree with you no matter what you say? That never have their own views? That laugh at you every jest wether it was really funny or not? That seemingly have no real views or life of their own?
Is that the company that you honestly seek?
@Norma Jean Vandever
I’d be interested in your answer Norma. Would you like a yes person following you around 24/7?
@Norma Jean Vandever I meant a friend, nor a worker. Are you avoiding the question young Norma?
Charlie Hodge was such a good friend to Elvis. He was a true friend. I love his stories about him and Elvis.
Charley will be so missed! He was so funny when he told stories about his times with Elvis. He would crack Elvis up on stage because they were always cutting up. I know him and Elvis have picked up where he left off. RIP Charley and Joe.
I LOVE THESE GUYS, MISS THEM ALL! SO SAD THEY ARE GONE TOO.
Larry is still with us!
@@leemontoya8028
Jerry Schilling too!
RIP Charlie we'll miss you and your funny stories about Elvis.
God bless these great friends of Elvis. Joe Esposito & Charlie Hodge are Elvis closest confidants,and they were like Brothers to Elvis. ❤❤❤
Larry, Charlie,Joe sooo Great Friends of Elvis.Charlie and Joe R.I.P. with Elvis.Never forgotten this Great persone.
Hello from England
RIP Charlie.
So many wonderful "STORIES" told. We are so blessed that we have TH-cam platform and the people who post these videos for POSTERITY.
Charlie died ion 2006. I cannot believe where those years have gone.
I have been an ELVIS FAN since he died 2 days before my 12th birthday. 44 Years
Great Buds 🤝🙌🏼The King had great friends and thank the Lord they are kind of enough and gracious to share with us ELVIS FANS! A fan way over 20 yrs 🙌🏼⚡️🌟❤️
Elvis Forever!
God bless Charlie he was a True friend to Elvis and a funny guy. RIP charlie
Yep
He was golden
I like when he said I'm dying tell daddy to sell that big ass House
Love these stories, from Elvis,s buddies, keeps us closer to him. Elvis very rarely drank. So that peach must have been good, he drank too much
Its so funny to hear elvis got drunk love that story 😆❤❤❤❤❤❤
Eeww yuk, I can't imagine Elvis vomiting like that.🤮
I also think so as i've watched many of elvis concerts in youtube charlie was very supportive to elvis
he was
I met Charlie a few times and he was very funny
A sweet gentle man.
Voici les 3 meilleurs amis d’Elvis, ses frères de cœur, ils l’aiment plus qu’eux mêmes et continuent de le faire vivre pour notre plus grand bonheur 🤗💚🌺 c’est beau . On les écouterait des heures
Voue etes tres gentille.
Elvis sure had loyal friends, well, most. I was born in "60 but was too young to know about the Man. But I was always surrounded by Elvis's music, shoot, i think every house had a vinyl or reel to reel of some sort. Anyway I am more grateful today to have internet, seeing/hearing the stories of Elvis through the eyes of his friends such as Charlie and the Mob which i never knew existed till now, sure make me appreciate more of the King. RIP Charlie and thankyou. Go hand out more scarfs in heaven with the Man himself.
p
Pm😊😊 pop
Thank you, Thank you and Thank you! This was absolutely hysterical! I loved every second of it. It must have been a real hoot to be there live!
I loved it.
Elvis Presley such a unique name !
Many stars change there names! Elvis did not need to do that! He was a natural Star!
Elvis was Vernons middle name.
@@tonemarieantonsen1597 Yep! And used his birth name!!
Charlie very talented musician himself.
I DIG CHARLIE HODGE, he's just great!!!
Charlie Hodge was a great friend. He lived at Graceland and dyed his sideburns after Elvis passed away.
Some good stories.
Rip joe and charley two great guys😁🇨🇦🇨🇦
Que lindos! Como seria bom se Elvis estivesse aqui , envelhecendo juntos se divertindo 😢❤
So many around Elvis really were jealous of him..Ginger Alden said Elvis was not served well by some.They would roll their eyes when Elvis asked them to do something.She named Ricky Stanley and Al.They argued over who had to warm up his food that had gotten cold.Al said he would not be there if he didn't need the money.Charlie was a true friend and I think Larry Geller was too. Gladys once backed Red West in a corner with a kitchen knife because Red had said something about Elvis.His mom really was his best friend and cheerleader.
Talk about laziness,that was part of their job.
Al who? Strada?
@@hayesman76 Strata the Al with him the last yrs
Hello Margaret,. You are here?
I'm Brazilian Pedro Mariano. You didn't even reply to my comment the Channel. Will you ask How much the guitar costs? And then Tell me? It is that model that Elvis presented himself. Has a black bar at the bottom. I already know that at the Tupelo store there is Hardware, okay?
Hugs from Brazil for you.
Sorry for bad English.
@@hayesman76 yea i think he is talking about him. I knew Al for a few years after Elvis passed as i hung around Graceland a lot. He was not a very personable person
So che sarebbe un lavoro molto impegnativo. Ma sarebbe bello con i sottotitoli in italiano . Adoro il simpaticissimo CHARLIE ❤️🥰⚡️🎸
Charlie Hodge is sporting a MEMBERS ONLY JACKET, lol hahaha. Old school
There were on thirty million members
Joe was Colonel's boy
You mean as in Joe's Dad? If so then no he wasn't
@@suewalker3600 joe was parker's spy he told everything that went on
Thank you for stating the truth, Roy. Hugs
those Memphis Mafia boys sure know how to have a good time
Great upload,thanks for sharing
It's funny how Elvis didn't like alcohol yet Sinatra Loved it.
Joe and Charlie is very missed!!
This is the best
Any chance you are really Memphis Mafia? In either case, thank you very much.
I’d love to be able to hear this but it’s echo is so loud I csnt understand it
Charlie was so funny.
Charlie & Joe were loyal friends of Elvis till the end. They are with the King in Heaven.
They must be laughing their guts out in heaven 😂😂😂😂😂
Not all of them!
No they are not because they aren't in heaven
@@paulajay473 Where are they? Does your parents know you think like this? Weirdo
@@paulajay473 What makes you say that, as the word if God says there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.
@@paulajay473 Stop judging people!
Yeah,Elvis was not a drinker, I bet he never drank alcohol again after that,lol
That's what we all said after our first bad encounter with the evil devil rum.
Charlie is so funny thanks for the story. Charlie joe
Very funny....special
memories.
Maybe he got drunk this once as I thought Elvis didn't drink much. Funny story anyway.
elvis didn't drink alcohol he preferred soft drinks but it was the sweetness of the peach in the brandy elvis liked was so nice he wanted more
He used lots of drugs
@@TheJpep2424 Were you there?
@@dollywilson3395 🙄
The sound is so bad ,I can hardly hear it
I think it's nice these 3 men can share some great memories about their friend Elvis. To me, this was disrespectful to Elvis and very inappropriate to say about Elvis. Did I mention they were his friends? I wouldn't want anyone to talk about me like this.
He was in his blue PJs so Good time Charlie's got the blues.
Amy Wine is in da house. Try the veal.
@@TolKOZAK th-cam.com/video/BEXh7cshpTA/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=AmyWinehouse.
God bless you Charlie hodge for youre friendship with Elvis presley youre a decent and caring man
Elvis hated alcohol. He didn't ALLOW IT IN HIS HOUSE. NOW THAT COMMENT CAME FROM
JOE ESPOSITO. QUOTE.
That is what I believed. But, as you can plainly hear, Joe Esposito himself repeated the story of Elvis being drunk. Elvis also hated smoking but there are plenty of photos of him smoking little cigars.
its true elvis got drunk on the peach brandy
That incident didn't happen at Graceland. Sounds like it was a one off experience with alcohol that many people have had. Those sweet liquers are okay in small quantities but lethal if you drink a lot all at once.
Now they 0are a0ll in Heaven with Elvis! I'm sure they are hamming it up
Not all: Elvis’s cousin, Billy Smith is still alive and seems well. He and his wife have posted You Tube videos called Elvis Fans Matter.
Love Charlie! Sharp as a blade!
. ,EP was not a drinker nor a sloppy drunk . .but it only takes one experience as told by his friends here how things can go ‘south’ without much effort . .oops!
Charlie was a fabulous storyteller. ♥️
Ohhhhhhhh tu eres el hombre q siempre acompañó al Rey. Estuviste en el 68 special
I’m a huge fan of elvis Presley’s and I love 💕 elviss music and flims too elvis will always be the king 👑 of rock and roll 🎸 my dream is to visit visit Graceland And ccmmunitcate with elvis 12:30pm
My boy My boy....
Charlie only said good things about Elvis
I though elvis didnt drink , so I read .
Elvis never drank he did not like, the way people were around him. His mom had a lot to do with it. His mom drank did not like it. Look it up
I hate to say it there Broke, its a shame these were his , best friends don't trust no one.
He charged me 10 pounds for his autograph in stevenage around 30 years ago
That's a bloody shame.
Still made money on him after his death none of that inner circle were any good it was all about money
Los guitarrazos. Y siempre atrapaba s ia guitarra de Elvis.
They had no respect for themselves or Elvis Presley it was money money money long after Elvis was gone and they still cashed in with their trashy stories
Where can I read more of this story is in in Charlie book
You can tell that the guys didnt like Larry !! Larry really was a true friend to Elvis !!
First,it's been said that Elvis did not like alcohol and did not like it around him. Second if this story is true Elvis' tolerance for alcohol must have been very low. Peach Brandy or Schnapps is a liqueur and there is very little alcohol in it.
It's also been said he didn't like smoking, but there are plenty of photos showing him with those little cigars. You cannot dispute the story of drinking. I can't think of anyone closer to Elvis than Charlie and Joe Esposito.
He didn’t like smoking cigarettes, but it is well known he liked cigars.
Sounds like Joe was with Jane Elliot. One of the nus in change of Habit . Mary tyler Moore and Barbara McNair were the other 2 nuns
Elvis...
Two guys that were there for the free ride
Lol lol greats guys
Shame the audio is so bad
The video is worse. Lousy camera. Lousy cameraman.
Charlie the ultimate yes man...
Thank you, the laughing after everything Elvis would say was annoying. From everything I read Charlie was a good guy, very kind and a great friend to Elvis from back in the Army days where he kept Elvis laughing because Elvis was devastated by his mother's death. But still from the 68 Special till the 77 CBS Special Charlie was annoying and the one show from the 77 Special they had Charlie's mike turned up too loud and his voice sucked, cringe worthy. Charlie had a good voice in the 60's and partway thru the 70's.
I recall one of the Memphis Mafia saying that one time someone said something to Charlie to the effect that he should take care of a certain task and he balked, saying, “My job is onstage!”
I believe Charlie was truly devoted to Elvis and he was able to be that way because, as I understand, he was a lifelong bachelor with no other familial responsibilities. May he RIP.
Update: Yesterday I watched a video which, if I understood correctly, referred to Charlie’s wife. I assume he may have married after Elvis died.
@@hayesman76 I read that too, it's from the book Memphis Mafia by Lamar Fike, Billy Smith and Marty Lacker. It is a excellent read
@@vintvarner16 He was a lousy singer...
Charlie was on stage as a valet. His guitar was not plugged into the sound system. It amazes me what crawlers some people become, and why Elvis never got tired of them. Yes men are so boring.
Elvis never got drunk.
You are right and his two best friends are liars. I think you're in denial.
I believe part of this story but Charlie hodge told some lies like Elvis had bone cancer
charlie only repeated wat dr nick told him then he retracted it so wasn't a deliberate lie, once charlie knew the truth elvis never had cancer he retracted it , he was only repeating wat he was told
@@gassbaggerwoods5955 ok thank you I didn't know the dr told him that
Maravio hombre igual q el Rey y también Joe esposito..
In 1977 Elvis slapped Charlie in the face because he was drunk (again) and he kept on crying that he got less money and gifts than other people around Elvis. Now that is the real Hodge. A drunk. Elvis hated alcohol.
not true
@@gassbaggerwoods5955 what is not true ?
@@tonbruins9217 "In 1977 Elvis slapped Charlie in the face because he was drunk (again) and he kept on crying that he got less money and gifts than other people around Elvis. Now that is the real Hodge. A drunk. Elvis hated alcohol."
Wat you said in your post , elvis was very very sick the last yr of his life he was messed up all the tabs he were taking he always shouted at the MM sacked many several times and re hired them he didn't know wat he was doing half the time , charlie was a very good and close friend of elvis for all his career elvis loved him he was his right hand man sure they will have crossed swords at times but they loved each other he along with joe Diamond joe were amongst the closest to elvis he loved those men dearly !!
@@gassbaggerwoods5955 Now what was not true about my reaction then ? 😉
@@gassbaggerwoods5955 Book: Punctuation For Dummies.
Bet Elvis was embarrassed that he did that I know Elvis didn't like to drink
Alcohol and pills is actually a very deadly combination glad he threw it up
Yo creo wue fueron a visitar al rey a benton arkansas
Hodge was the definitive flunky.
Yes, I can see how someone could think that. Someone who is an insensitive boor. You're a mean one Mr. Grinch.
@@TolKOZAK Not really. I’ve just beenn a fan for 50 years and I have seen what I have seen.
@@gusjackson3658 Well I've been a fan of Charlie Hodge for 50 years. He was probably a nicer guy than Elvis. Didn't your mother teach you not to speak ill of the dead. I think you're just against short people.
@@TolKOZAK Ha! Thanks. That is an original answer at least.
Nice to see you have a sense of humour. No one is ALL bad. Except Joe Biden.
The three are and were true friends.
No they were not, they were there for the money
@@paulajay473 You have No idea how much you made yourself look like a total fool! But I am sure your use to that! Fool.
Alcoholi+all the meds is recipe for toxicity.
jajajaja
😻⚡️⚡️😹
Hodge making fun of Elvis at Elvis expense while he's making money doing this ,hes a creep.. I call him the human microphone stand
My dad was a Stillman on a couple of Elvis movies...
And my dad was the Stillman on "Elvis" with Kurt Russell...
That's where I met Charlie and Kurt...
Charlie was Great and talked to me about Elvis...
It's also where I found out that Kurt was my second cousin...
He and my dad had set it up that he would call me "cus" when I went into the make-up trailer...lol
But my dad did say that he thought Charlie was a Great Southern Gentleman...
But my dad did not like Joe Esposito at all...lolol 😂
Great story. We run into Kurt at the local Tim Horton's in Bracebridge, Ontario, cottage country.
RIP good men! Not to many left now. Sad!