Unchained Melody E-Book

Larry Geller

• Herausgeber: Spines
• Kategorie: Sachliteratur, Reportagen, Biografien
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2026

Beschreibung

You think you know all there is to know about Elvis Presley...Think again. Nothing even approaches what is revealed in this ground-breaking book…because this is the story that Elvis asked Larry Geller to promise to tell. From the confidence born from direct experience, and a deep friendship, Larry guides us on an epic journey of Elvis’ search for meaning and spiritual growth. Listen in on private conversations that Elvis and Larry shared on a myriad of subjects over the years. Elvis was a voracious reader; enter into his world of esoterica and his library of the world’s great wisdom teachings.

You will discover a portrait of Elvis that is so intimate and personal that he only publicly expressed it through his music. The purity and authenticity of this story will absolutely convince you that you have finally met the real Elvis. 

Through Larry’s eyes, you will also experience the challenging last days of Elvis’ life through the moving personal journal he kept during that final year.

Leseprobe

Larry Geller

UNCHAINED MELODY

All rights reserved

Copyright © 2025 by Larry Geller

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Credits: Cover & Interior Design: Kathy Kikkert Graphics: Kiara Geller.

Cover photo taken in 1965 at Dodger Stadium during the filming of Spinout

For more information or to see www.unchaindedmelodybooks.com for a list of Elvis’ favorite books

Published by Spines

ISBN: 979-8-90222-626-0

Contents

Part I

INTRODUCTION

UNCHAINED MELODY

1. THE JOURNEY OF A THOUSAND MILES

2. A STILL SMALL VOICE

3. HOW GREAT THOU ART

4. DECIPHERING THE LANGUAGE OF GOD

5. THE SPIRIT IS WILLING

Part II

THROUGH MY EYES

THE SONG OF HIS SOUL

PartI

INTRODUCTION

You probably think you know all there is to know about Elvis Presley...Think again.

Everyone knows about the King of Rock and Roll; he’s been profiled and written about in hundreds of books, more than any other entertainer or cultural icon in history. Who hasn’t heard his music, seen his movies, or attended his concerts? Many of you remember where you were the day you heard Elvis had died. Some of you still don’t want to believe he’s gone.

This book looks deep into the nucleus, the very essence of the man; it’s the unexplored dimension of his life, a story dramatically different from any other. Elvis was a musical genius, an original who burst upon the cultural scene like a blazing comet, disrupting and transforming the course of music, style, and of our lives forever. Guitar slung over his shoulder, he radiated a magnetic sexual force and soft smoldering sulkiness, inspiring and provoking the imagination for generations to come. The rising generation was enthralled by the freedom he represented, discovering in him an antidote to the restraints of the puritanical fifties. He articulated their dreams, their frustrations, their longings for something more, and assuaged loneliness for so many.

His “sinful” hip-swinging music, with its radical black beat, struck the first note of the coming youth revolution.

Alice Walker wrote in her novel The Temple of My Familiar, “In Elvis, white Americans found a reason to express their longing and appreciation for the repressed Native American and black parts of themselves.” The Godfather of soul, James Brown, said, “He taught white America to get down.”

The great American conductor-composer Leonard Bernstein said Elvis was “the greatest cultural force in the twentieth century…He introduced the beat to everything, and he changed everything, music, language, clothes; it’s a whole new social revolution—the sixties come from it. Because of him, a man like me barely knows his musical grammar anymore.”

We are not, however, our public persona, none of us. We are all like icebergs, with little of our essence revealed above the waterline. How much truer of Elvis, whose image was so powerful and charismatic that it blinded his admirers and detractors alike to any possibility of a man whose essential being was so far from his projection on the worldwide stage.

His fabled, turbulent life and career are legendary and have been covered extensively: from his humble birth and impoverished childhood in a tiny wooden shotgun two-room house in Tupelo, Mississippi; to his musical beginnings as a teenaged truck driver discovered at Sun Records by Sam Phillips; to his meteoric rise to international fame launched and managed by the flamboyant Colonel Tom Parker. Many of the books written about Elvis are interesting, insightful, and valuable in helping to satisfy the need to learn everything we can about our cultural icons. Regrettably, some of the books fall into the category of fallacious tabloid “revelations.”

Our lives are not a series of external events and their causal and linear relationships. Each life is an assemblage of countless pieces, patterned and formed like a jigsaw puzzle into a distinctive characterization. And just as with a jigsaw puzzle, there are certain key pieces without which the picture is incomplete. The central theme of a puzzle is not found on the pieces around the edges, the sky or the foliage in the foreground. For Elvis, his growing need to be close to and understand the nature of God and his own place in God’s universe was drawn on those pieces that connect in the very center of his puzzle. You will find in this book those revealing pieces that complete the picture that is Elvis.

Most of Elvis’ days were filled with laughter, excitement, and exuberance. He wore no mask, remaining always true to himself, vulnerable and incandescent, serious and flippant. Most importantly, he was totally committed to his spiritual search, neither a dilettante nor a metaphysical dabbler.

Who was this man who changed music and culture forever? It’s easy to see him as larger than life, a man of excessive talent and beauty and of excessive weakness. What you see isn’t always what you get. The Elvis I knew, the private

Elvis, was an intelligent, thoughtful man who embarked on a lifelong quest for meaning and enlightenment. I was privileged to share that journey with him. It’s a journey he asked me to share with you.

“The world knows Elvis Presley all right,” he said emotionally, “but they don’t know me,” poking his chest. “I want them to know me, the real person.

“Larry, I’ve always been misunderstood my whole life. When my career first took off, they didn’t know what to make of me; Hollywood never did figure me out, and there’s a lot of people who still don’t have a clue to what I’m really all about. There’s more to me than that guy up there on the stage: You know, Elvis the image. And that’s where you come in. I wouldn’t ask anyone but you; it’s our special mission together. I know my story’s been told before in a lotta different ways, but working together, let’s write a true book about my life, everything. What my fans and everyone else need to know is that I’m a spiritual person. If they don’t know that, they’ll never really know what makes me tick. And what about my baby girl? How is Lisa Marie going to know the most important thing about her daddy when she grows up? Man, you know as well as I do that a half-truth can be a distortion, even a lie, and if my spiritual life isn’t known then my real story won’t ever come out.”

Elvis looked me squarely in the eyes. “Larry, I’m counting on you. If I can help or inspire one person and bring some joy into their life, it will be worth it. I’m the first to admit I’m not perfect, that’s for damn sure, and I’ve done things.

I’m not proud of. I’ve got a long way to go - we all do. We’re all on Jacob’s ladder somewhere. And like it says in the Bible, ‘and though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing.’ God is love, Larry, that’s what it’s all about. So, I’m asking: are you with me?”

Since Elvis died, I have spoken before thousands of fans around the world; I’ve been interviewed on television, in print, and in documentaries; I receive e-mails every day from people all over the world. While most express an interest in the work I did for Elvis as his hair stylist and what it was like to be part of his world, they always come to the same place. What did Elvis believe? Was he a Christian? What were his favorite books and philosophers? What did you and Elvis talk about during all those hours you spent together? Did he pray? Did he meditate? Did he believe in reincarnation and karma? Many of the e-mails tell me about spiritual connections that the writer has to Elvis, or how Elvis changed or even saved the person’s life.

Another impetus for me to write this book is the growing public interest in Elvis’ spiritual life, which has led to a plethora of misinformation and misunderstanding. For most of us, our spiritual life is a private matter, shared only with those with whom we are most intimate. It is, after all, the window to our soul, the reflection of our deepest self that reveals the depth of all our dimensions. Privacy, however, is a luxury not granted to the famous, not even after they’ve passed away, and certainly not to Elvis.

Perhaps the biblical saying applies here: “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.” We are living through the most exciting, challenging, and critical time in human history. Never before has so much been possible, and never before has so much been at stake. This time of uncertainty and global angst has led to a spiritual awakening; people who never before looked beyond the physical world are seeking answers in religion and philosophy; belief in God and angels is growing among formerly pragmatic doubters.

Elvis most certainly would have welcomed this spiritual resurgence and would have been an eager participant in its expression. He was a man ahead of his time, in his awareness and interest in the metaphysical as much as in the vanguard of a new kind of musical expression. He spoke to me often of developing charities in his name, writing books on the spiritual journey we shared, contributing even more to the world than his God-given talent. He wanted to change the world, not as a prophet or a leader, but as a man who could make his voice heard and his presence felt on behalf of great causes.

So, the question remains: what was the root meaning of Elvis’ life? Is it even possible to wrap words around a whole life, to attempt to grasp the essence of its truth, especially one as rich and as complicated as the life of Elvis Presley? That is the mystery at the heart of this work, and it will take us through a grand sweep of Elvis’ spiritual quest. We will explore his hopes and dreams, struggles and frustrations, and his private thoughts and feelings about that quest for ultimate meaning and wholeness.

We are nothing but our stories after we’re gone. Our identities over time dissolve and fragment into loose collections of anecdotes and yarns. For Elvis, these stories have grown into legends and myths. Knowing what I know, I was compelled to convey the more meaningful threads, to provide a unique view that shines through a pastiche of fact and fable, innocent or purposeful distortions. This book had to be written.

Working in my favor is the very good memory with which I have been blessed, especially concerning those incredible, historical years with Elvis. I made a deliberate effort to remember everything I could, and thus many conversations and memories are still fresh, deeply etched in my consciousness. Additionally, during the last year of Elvis’ life, with events unfolding so quickly, I jotted down copious notes. I always had writing material at hand then, as I was writing a health book, and Elvis and I had discussed writing a book about his life.

Elvis’ death shattered my world. Fortunately, a close friend suggested a healing process to regain my balance and put my life back together. One of his suggestions was for me to write down everything from the very beginning of my years with Elvis. I wrote non-stop for the next eighteen months.

I’ve compiled volumes of notes, meticulously reconstructing actual conversations, always relying upon my ability to recall tone, texture, and context. I can honestly and comfortably say that this book hits the mark.

In these pages you will travel with Elvis on his journey from a man with hidden, unexpressed longings searching alone for meaning in a life that seemed in many ways to be charmed to a more fully realized spiritual seeker, well read, conversant in an eclectic range of religious and Gnostic philosophies. You will come to understand the intelligence and depth of this man.

Since Elvis’ passing, I’ve continued my own journey, deepening and discovering new levels of understanding. I can’t give over in this book what I don’t have myself: all the answers to all the questions. What I can share with you is what I learned before I met Elvis, in the time I shared with him, and in the years since he’s gone.

If you find answers in the pages of this book, I’m grateful. At the very least you’ll learn more about Elvis Presley and his very personal, very spiritual journey.

And now you will know.

UNCHAINED MELODY

It’s an unusually hot and humid Wednesday. Already, at eight o’clock in the morning, the sweet fragrance of magnolias hangs heavy in the air. I pull my car up to the mortuary gate, and after a security check, two policemen escort me to an office. Then six others flank me and Charlie Hodge, Elvis Presley’s longtime friend, and all of us make our way to another building several hundred feet away. I don’t lift my eyes from the ground, but I can hear hundreds of people wailing as they press themselves against the chained fence. There is the whir of automatic-camera shutters and overhead the buzz of helicopters bearing newspeople, all training their cameras on us, hundreds of feet below.

The eyes of the world are on Memphis, on Graceland, on Elvis.

When we reach the second building, another pair of police officers parts to allow us in. Inside, another group of policemen and several somber men, each dressed in a dark, conservative business suit, await our arrival. As Charlie and I pass, each man nods-a silent gesture of sympathy. The quiet is finally broken when another police officer approaches and says softly, “Mr. Geller, will you please follow me.”

The sounds that echo in the long passageway are my furiously pounding heart and my footsteps reverberating against the cold stone walls.

As I enter the grim, sterile room at the end of the corridor, the foul odor of chemicals assaults my nostrils with their ungodly smell. All I can see is the stark white sheet that covers the earthly remains of Elvis Presley. Nothing could have prepared me for this.

I slowly make my way to stand at his side, choking back a wave of inexpressible emotions. I suddenly feel weak, clutching the table to maintain my balance, paralyzed before him. The reality of his lifeless presence forces me to accept the inevitable, and yet…how is this possible, and my own heart goes on beating?

As I stare into Elvis’ face, I am trying to convince myself of what I know. Elvis died yesterday. As I look at that perfect aquiline nose, those famous curled lips, the visage of an Adonis - the unnatural stillness of his face reminds me of the unthinkable: that his voice will never sing again. Now, my friend, you have passed through the gates of the immortality of the soul, whose inviolable secret only death itself possesses. No, this is not possible, this is not happening, this can’t be real. I want to shout, “Open your eyes, Elvis. Sit up, grin, look at me, and tell me this is just one of your practical jokes and that you want to get back to Graceland. C’mon, man, please.”

How long have I been standing here; five minutes, ten, twenty? I’ve lost all concept of time. Thank God Charlie came along; he thought I’d need the support. I’m glad he’s here, but I still feel unbearably alone.

A torrential rush of memories floods my consciousness, a momentary consolation to bolster my spirits and get me through this. I hear Elvis’ words as vividly and clearly as if it was yesterday. “Lawrence, I’m going to make some dramatic changes, man, I have to; I’m talkin’ about my damn life.” It was just five months ago, in March, as we were getting ready to leave Hawaii after a long overdue nine-day vacation between tours.

Elvis and I were sitting on his balcony on the twentieth floor at the Rainbow Towers Hawaiian Village Hotel in Honolulu. For most of our time on Oahu, Elvis stayed at his rented beach house in Kailua Bay, but he loved this hotel’s spectacular view of Diamond Head and the clear aquamarine water of the Pacific Ocean below.

Elvis was relaxed, enjoying the rare break from his grueling schedule; more importantly, the seeds were being planted for something even more significant. “I’m gonna to get off all those damn fuckin’ pills they give me. I know I can. Especially if we’re here. This place is paradise, and this is where we’re comin’ back to. Maybe we can get that house again in Kailua Bay; it’s the perfect place. Only this time we’ll come over here for a lot longer, maybe even a year. It doesn’t matter how long it takes; all I know is that I have to rejuvenate myself from the inside out. I want to get on your diet, an’ exercise, get in the water; man, we’ll have a good time on this island, laying back. Hey Larry, look; I’m not kidding myself. I know it won’t be easy, but I know I can do whatever I put my mind to. An’ believe me man, I know exactly what I have to do.

“When we come back here, I only want to have four, maybe five guys at the most with me, that’s all I need. It’ll make my daddy happy, that’s for sure; he’s been tellin’ me for years to cut back.”

There were more significant changes in Elvis’ mind. During the last year of his life, he spoke to me often about his desire to find his soul mate and have more children, and how much having a family meant to him. From changing management to sweeping changes in his career, Elvis was adamant about a complete turnaround, a new beginning. The stakes were higher than ever, and Elvis was painfully aware of it.

Elvis’ deepest desires concerning his life and career rose to the surface. “The only thing I regret in my career is that I haven’t shown the public the actor that I know I really am. I know for a fact that I can do so much better. I owe that to my fans; hell, I owe it to myself. The Colonel and Hal Wallis both promised me that they’d find me some real dramatic roles, movies that I could really act in. And I went along with them, waiting for them to give me a chance. An’ all they really wanted to do was package my ass; it’s all about the almighty dollar.”

Speaking with heightened determination, so excited and optimistic about his future that I really felt he would act upon his convictions.

“All I know is that I’ve got to get back and make movies again, only this time it’s gonna be different. Lawrence, I have to stop touring, that’s all I’ve been doing, and I’m plain bored; it’s the same damn ol’ routine for years now. My batteries are drained; I need to recharge. When I’m ready, I’m going back to Hollywood an’ act in real, dramatic movies. Who knows, maybe we can even produce our own movies someday, movies that matter and that help people. I’ve always wanted to have my own production company, you know like Paul Newman and Clint Eastwood have. Lawrence, we’re goin’ to do this. Just keep this to yourself for now; I’m going to wait until sometime in September to make the big change. I have contracts until then, and a lot of fans have already planned to come out and see me. I can’t disappoint them.

“And it’s not just my career where I’m gonna make changes. I have so much more inside of me than what people see up there on that stage or on the screen. I know I’m just an entertainer, an’ I give them everything I have, everything. But there’s a whole lot more to who I am, and Larry, I know I can help people. That’s what I’m supposed to do. One thing I know for sure, we gotta start a foundation, our own charity. I’d love to do something for kids who are suffering; I just can’t handle that. I want to use my name and my influence in ways that go way beyond anything I’ve ever done before. This is what I’m really all about.”

My heart is overflowing with unbearable pain but no matter what, I have to prepare Elvis’ hair. I’m struck by the intimacy of the attendant cosmeticians as they apply pasty makeup to his hands. Suddenly he has no entourage, no management to keep strangers at bay. “No, no,” Charlie cries out, “You have it all wrong, that’s the wrong color!” Nothing is right here.

I stand there frozen, overwhelmed by the unfathomable shock of Elvis’ death. I do my best to appear calm and professional, as I prepare to do the job Vernon asked me to do. My quiet exterior belies the confluence of emotions within. I hear my own angry voice in my head, but no sound emerges as I scream, “Damn it, Elvis! Why didn’t we just stay in Hawaii? You knew exactly what you had to do: just call the Colonel and tell him to cancel the next two tours, tell him what you’ve decided about the future. Damn! You were so concerned about disappointing your fans. Now it’s too late; they’ll be disappointed forever. They’ll never see you again!”

I wish I didn’t feel this anger. Elvis wanted to live; he had so many dreams. I’m convinced that he would have followed through with his plans and his world would have kept spinning, this time in a positive new direction. That’s the tragedy of Elvis’ life right there. If only he had acted immediately, if he hadn’t procrastinated.

The only way I’m going to get through this is to think of Elvis as he was: vital, alive, working and dreaming of better things to come. He could be such a kid; he really knew how to enjoy life to the fullest and wanted to share that joy with everyone.

What a blessing that I’m able to conjure up the image of Elvis as he was on his last birthday in January. He was energetic, happy, optimistic, and looking forward to the coming year. We were at his house in Palm Springs, one of his favorite places to kick back, relax, and breathe in the clean desert air. It was an oasis for him, a contrast to his demanding life of endless touring and concert performances in city after city.

After I styled his hair in his bedroom, Elvis put on a black suit with a beautiful blue silk shirt. He looked particularly impressive that night, rested and in a buoyant mood. After we all gave him birthday presents, which he opened with an almost childlike joy, he asked all the men in the group to leave him alone with the ladies. My wife told me later what ensued.