The King And I

Over the years I have met a lot of important people, but no one as important as Elvis Presley. Whenever I am interviewed, I mention that I went out one night with Elvis in Paris. He was in his Army uniform, on leave from Germany, and I offered to be his guide.

I took him to the Lido nightclub and introduced him to all the Bluebell Girls. The chorus was in love with Elvis and the girls outdid themselves to get close to him.

I wanted to get in on the action, so I kept telling the girls, "I'm his best friend." They weren't as impressed with that as I was hoping they would be.

But people who have interviewed me over the years certainly have been impressed with my night on the town with Elvis. In his Army days, he was very clean-cut, and he behaved the way GIs were expected to behave.

He said things like "Yes, sir" and "No, sir."

Just the other day, I was interviewed for a story, and sure enough, the interviewer brought up Elvis and couldn't believe I had been in that close a relationship with him. People don't want to hear about President de Gaulle, President Kennedy or Frank Sinatra. They weren't that important, compared with the King of Rock-and-Roll.

A picture was taken of the two of us, but I can't find it. People just have to take my word for it.

This is how it all happened.

Elvis was staying at the Hotel George V. I went there to interview him and at one point I said, "What are you doing tonight?"

He said, "Nothing, sir."

I said, "Come out with me and I'll show you Paris."

He said: "That would be very nice, sir. No one has offered to take me out in Paris."