A Story Only A Brother Can Tell’ Showcases Presley’s Faith And Generosity

Billy Stanley was seven years old when he met Elvis Presley. It was in 1960, the same day that he moved into Graceland with his younger brothers and mother Dee Stanley Presley, the second wife of Vernon Presley, Elvis’ father. Seventeen years later, he would mourn the death of his stepbrother, the legend who treated him and his brothers like family.

In his new book The Faith of Elvis: A Story Only A Brother Can Tell (written with Kent Sanders), Stanley shares untold personal stories and insights about the faith, kindness, and generosity of Elvis Presley.

“This book is not just my attempt to share the message Elvis gave to me,” said Stanley in a press release. “I also want to reveal the true story of a great man. Behind the glitz and glamour, beyond the movies and millions of records sold, is a man driven by his faith in God. I didn’t know him as a fan, a Hollywood producer, or the countless number of people who wanted a piece of him. I knew him as a brother. I want you to see the man who gave so much of himself—almost too much. A man who thought it was better to give than to receive.”

The New York Times bestselling author of Elvis, My Brother shared details of his new memoir and early years with Elvis in a recent interview. Stanley says he was prompted to write another book related to Elvis after reflecting on his own near-death experience from a heart attack and stroke in 2018. While Elvis, My Brother focused on the impact of growing up with Elvis in his life, The Faith of Elvis is driven by Stanley’s wish to share stories that highlight the faith of the generous and kind man he knew.

“The thing about Elvis that most people saw is that he genuinely cared for everybody. And you know, when I say that, people he didn’t even know, he cared about. And…they saw that…that came through through his music, and his appearances and stuff like that. They saw an individual that really cared about people in general,” says Stanley.

While his stories address the faith and Christianity that Elvis embraced, Stanley’s reflections and storytelling also paint a behind-the-scenes picture of life inside Graceland and a world in and out of the spotlight.

Stanley says that Elvis welcomed him and his brothers from the moment Vernon Presley introduced them. “He reaches down and picks all three of us up at the same time and said, ‘Daddy I always wanted a little brother, now I got three.’”

During his 17 years with Elvis, Stanley would glean religious guidance, fatherly discipline, and dating tips from his stepbrother, and later work on Elvis’ road crew.

“I’ve heard those horror stories of blended families…I can’t relate to it because it’s completely opposite of what I went through. Elvis didn’t have to accept us, but he did,” says Stanley who offers readers an inside glimpse of his life with Elvis.

“He played a lot of roles in movies and stuff, but the one he really enjoyed was playing the big brother,” notes the author who was at the wedding of Elvis and Priscilla Presley. He has not seen Priscilla Presley or Lisa Marie Presley since the funeral of Vernon Presley in 1979.

Does Stanley believe that Elvis struggled with his religious beliefs and conflicting personal behaviors?

“Imagine, you’re the hottest thing on earth. That’s Elvis. Nobody ever says ‘no’ to you. You got the devil on one shoulder and God on the other. And that constant war going on in the middle. So yeah, I mean, he was a human. He was the first to tell everybody, ‘You know, I’m not perfect.'”

With respect to the 2022 popular biopic Elvis, Stanley says his opinion is irrelevant as long as fans enjoy it. But the Elvis he knew was happier and more loving than the film conveyed.

What does Stanley hope readers take away from The Faith of Elvis? “I hope they have a better feeling about not only themselves, but Elvis too…he’s been portrayed in so many different ways. I mean, it’s all doom and gloom. But this book is not that. This is about a happy Elvis…I want people to know that Elvis was a very happy individual. And he felt, you know, that he was blessed. And that’s what I want people to see.”