Elvis Presley circle of people ... all those so-called friends". In the Memphis Mafia's defense, Marty Lacker has said, "[Presley] was his own man. ... If we hadn't been around, he would have been dead a lot earlier." Larry Geller became Presley's hairdresser in 1964. Unlike others in the Memphis Mafia, he was interested in spiritual questions and recalls how, from their first conversation, Presley revealed his secret thoughts and anxieties: "I mean there "has" to be a purpose ... there's got to be a reason ... why I was chosen to be Elvis Presley. ... I swear to God, no one
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