On the belief that Elvis “stole the black man’s music”, the Memphis Mafia member said: “That’s not true at all. He listened to black men’s music, he liked it, but also liked a lot of other music. He liked country, rhythm and blues, and gospel… Elvis took this and blended it, he was the creator of his music. Not anybody else.”
Billy claimed that the scenes of Elvis as a boy running around Tupelo in a black neighbourhood and “fetching religion” in a tent revival were inaccurate too.
The King’s cousin claimed that his mother Gladys wouldn’t have allowed him to do that, saying that she took him to church often and that’s where he found his faith.
He added in an outburst: “Where do these people get their information? Biopic? That’s bio-sick. I mean y’know my goodness!…that movie could have been done a whole lot better and never lost its style.”
READ MORE: Elvis: Linda Thompson’s tribute to King 50 years after first meeting
