Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, May 16, 1995 TAG: 9505160053
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MARK MORRISON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
So begins "The Elvis I Knew," a video documentary of sorts about the 17-year relationship of Elvis Presley and Charlie Hodge, a fellow musician who became one of Presley's closest and most loyal friends.
The words are Hodge's, spoken as he appears in the video first as a boy, then as a young man. Then the spotlight turns - as it always has in Hodge's life - to a picture of Elvis Presley, full of the youth and vigor and promise that made him a star.
What's notable about this video is that it was born out of an unlikely meeting between Hodge and a small-time video producer named Larry Decker, who took on the documentary as his first major video project.
Talk about starting big.
Decker, who owns Decker Television Inc. in Martinsville, says he expects to sell as many as a million copies of the video - and don't be completely surprised if he does. Remember, this is the King we're talking about here.
At the same time, don't be surprised if Decker doesn't hit that million mark. After all, Decker is no Col. Tom Parker. His ties to Elvis don't run deep. And, while his low-budget video may appeal to die-hard Elvis fans, it's probably too tame to become a blockbuster.
In the video, Hodge gives only the positive spin on Elvis. His decline into drugs and jumpsuits is sugar-coated with suggestions that Elvis died of bone cancer and other ailments instead of his addictions. Hodge's stories of their years together offer no big revelations. In fact, they tell us more about Hodge than they do about Elvis.
For this, Decker offers no apologies.
When it comes to Elvis or any other subject he might tackle with his year-old production company, he is emphatic: ``I won't do anything negative.''
It's a philosophy that fits Decker, who is a jolly giant of a man with a deep booming voice, seemingly boundless enthusiasm, and a habit of asking you how you're doing more than the required number of times.
Decker, 48, was born in Ohio but raised mainly in Florida. His background is in radio, cable television and entertainment bookings. For 15 years, he also ran his own disc jockey company, playing corporate events and other private functions. He came to Martinsville - his wife Sandy's hometown - six years ago.
As for Elvis, Decker has always been a fan. He saw Elvis in concert several times. The first time was in the late '50s when Decker was 12 years old. Then he saw him again during the early '70s. Today he says his favorite version of Elvis was the '68 Comeback Elvis.
Decker uses terms like ``good'' and ``giving'' and ``gracious'' in describing Elvis, whom he never met personally. But it was this loyal admiration of Presley that helped him connect with the similarly loyal Charlie Hodge.
They met last year at the Memories Theater in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., where Hodge performs with an Elvis impersonator. They began talking after the show, and soon adjourned to a nearby waffle shop.
Like any fan, Decker says he just wanted to ask Hodge what Elvis was really like. He wasn't after him to make a video. But after hearing Hodge tell story after story, Decker asked whether he had ever been approached about the idea.
Hodge, who had written a book titled ``Me 'n Elvis,'' but not done a video, was interested.
The resulting video is essentially a long interview with Hodge, combined with photos and film clips of Hodge and Elvis through their 17 years together. Decker, who bills himself professionally as Larry Dee, also appears in the video as Hodge's interviewer.
Hodge talks about how he became friends with Elvis. They met when Elvis was in his heyday and Hodge was with The Foggy River Boys, a country vocal group. But they didn't become friends until they were both drafted into the same Army unit and stationed in Germany.
Elvis was drawn to Hodge because he was a musician and a familiar face, and Hodge consoled Elvis through a difficult time when his mother died. He became his confidant. In the video, Hodge recalls what Elvis told him when he first met his future wife, Priscilla, at a party.
``I think he was just dumbfounded. I mean he didn't hardly speak to anyone else the whole evening. He was just talking to her. And when she left that evening, he called me over and said, `Charlie, did you see the structure of her face? It's almost like everything I've ever looked for in a woman.'''
(Priscilla was 14 at the time.)
After the Army, Hodge became part of the Presley entourage, working on his studio albums and getting bit parts in his movies. He lived with Elvis. Both at Graceland and at Elvis' second home in California, there was always a room set aside for Hodge.
He says in the video that his favorite times with Elvis were at home during the first years of his marriage to Priscilla, when she would cook for them and they would sit down to eat together.
``It felt like home . . . like a family,'' Hodge says.
He also shares other fond memories, about water battles on the set of the movie ``Clambake,'' about Elvis getting slammed with pies on the set of ``The Trouble With Girls,'' and about meeting Jack Lord, the star of Elvis' favorite television show, ``Hawaii Five-O.''
When Elvis returned to concert performing in the late '60s and '70s, Hodge became his vocal coach and musical director and played a large role in developing his Las Vegas stage act. Hodge also toured with Elvis in his band, where he played a high-profile part: handing Elvis his scarves, catching his guitar when Elvis threw it over his head, holding his microphone sometimes, and hitting the high notes whenever Elvis couldn't.
In the video, he tells two stories from this period. One is about Cary Grant, who broke into tears upon seeing Elvis play Las Vegas for the first time. The other is about Yul Brynner, who came backstage after another Vegas show to offer his respects.
``In that big manly voice of his, he said, `Elvis, thank you for the enormous amount of pleasure you've given us this evening.'''
Hodge does hit briefly on Presley's decline.
He talks about the ``horroring look'' in Elvis' eyes, and the ``loneliness that seemed to be encircling Graceland.'' He says: ``In looking back, now you can see what the problem was. But it was much later, and too late, when we found out.''
Otherwise, Hodge offers little insight, even suggesting that Elvis died of bone cancer, problems with high blood pressure, a bad liver and an irregular heart - and not from years of drug addiction.
The kid-glove treatment is the sort of thing fans will love, according to Darwin Lamm, editor and publisher of ``Elvis International Forum'' magazine. He plans to give the video a thumbs-up in the magazine's June issue.
In a telephone interview, Lamm said fans who disdain all the negative books and videos about Elvis will appreciate what he called Hodge's ``cute little stories.'' And, although doubtful that the video will sell a million copies, Lamm said he expects it will be popular.
Oddly, though, the video's lasting impression is a sobering one. The most telling story Hodge relates about Elvis underlines their whole relationship, casting Hodge as the loyal friend beyond the call of duty, and Elvis as the tragic figure that he was.
``Elvis didn't want you to get out of his sight,'' Hodge says in the video. ``I remember one Christmas, I was going home for Christmas and Elvis looked to me and said, `Charlie, you have gotten to where you do this every year.' And I said, `Elvis, it's Christmas, and that's my mom and dad.' He said, `Oh, OK, OK.' He'd forgotten I had a mother and dad.
``All he knew was that I was leaving home and he wanted me there.''
The video's final image only underscores this bittersweet impression. It shows Hodge on stage at the Memories Theater, accompanying Elvis impersonator Pete Wilcox as he sings a slow, sad gospel song.
It's title is ``Lead Me, Guide Me.''
For information on how to obtain "The Elvis I Knew," call 1-800-989 KING.
by CNB