This vivid oral biography of Elvis Presley is based on the recollections of three members of the “Memphis Mafia,� the entourage who accompanied Elvis every day, from 1956 to his death in 1977. These were the men closest to Elvis, the ones who knew him best—Billy Smith, Elvis’ first cousin; Marty Lacker, foreman of the Memphis Mafia; and Lamar Fike, who joined the army with Elvis. Together, they offer rare insights into the greatest legend of them all, from the phenomenal successes to the long, devastating decline. It is a uniquely revealing portrait of a tragic figure whose immense talent changed the course of American music and culture. Alanna Nash writes for The New York Times and Entertainment Weekly. She is the author of The Colonel: The Extraordinary Story of Colonel Tom Parker and Elvis Presley.