Elvis Presley of friends with whom Presley constantly surrounded himself until his death came to be known as the "Memphis Mafia". "Surrounded by the[ir] parasitic presence", as journalist John Harris puts it, "it was no wonder that as he slid into addiction and torpor, no-one raised the alarm: to them, Elvis was the bank, and it had to remain open." Tony Brown, who played piano for Presley regularly in the last two years of Presley's life, observed his rapidly declining health and the urgent need to address it: "But we all knew it was hopeless because Elvis was surrounded by that little
Elvis Presley music has expanded to the point where it includes not only the hits of the day, but also patriotic recitals, pure country gospel, and really dirty blues. ... Elvis has emerged as a great "artist," a great "rocker," a great "purveyor of schlock," a great "heart throb," a great "bore," a great "symbol of potency," a great "ham," a great "nice person," and, yes, a great American. To this day, Presley remains the best selling solo artist, with sales estimates ranging from 600 million to 1 billion sales. Presley holds the records for most songs charting in "Billboard"s top 40—114—and