• Is John Smith Elvis?

Elvis:

Three Drawings and the Signature of John Smith

By Belkis Cuza-Male'

In his book If I can Dream. Elvis' Own Story, Larry Geller, hairstylist of Elvis Presley and student of the metaphysic and the spiritual things, says that the singer got the idea for its famous jumpsuits from the drawings of David Anrias, specially in the related thing to the high necks, that were their trade mark.

In order to understand Elvis -- not the singer, but the man -- it is necessary to observe his vision of the world and the things that accompanied him and of that towards surrounding. Few people have like him that multiple and complex way to create surroundings and to recreate themselves. In many of texts written by its collaborators and near friends we found that Elvis put extreme attention in the design of the things, this included from clothes that he would wear, its jewels, its watches, its lenses, until the very own Graceland. The world to him must be the reflection of its glance, and therefore had to give back its image to him like a double mirror. Someone told me a few days ago, by chance, that in Elvis there is always a double image: from the same fact of being a twin, to those "identities" that are attributed to him, as in the case of Orion, the double Larry Blong, and both Jon Burrows to whom I have refereed before and that appear in my book. Although in fact, there is no way to conceive the existence of another Elvis, because he has been and is the only one.

However, Elvis' detailed observation for design has always caught my attention. We see it from the beginning in everything that he wears. That necessity to break with stereotype, to create a new image, to recreate himself -- and at the same time revolutionize it all -- lead him to change the color of his hair and to adopt new look: a mixture of Rudolf Valentino, with Tony Curtis, a new way of the "Latin lover." And to complete the image, it goes and purchases clothes that were very well used by the black musicians of the South, not the one used by a white man. But in everything, his style is one of his own. Nothing that looks like anybody. From the sideburns, the black hair (and it is necessary to have very good face to take that color), jumpsuits, the high necks, the trousers of bell (in the style of the Russian marines from the Baltic circa 1917), the wide belts with great clasps, the rings (that enormous one with the TCB), the chains with the ray and famous motto, in short, everything is his own style, impossible to imitate. And the own Graceland was the reflection of its imagination: from its dormitory, to the great living room, passing through those mirrors that cover the ceiling of the den, there in the basement. It is not that he conceived everything, but the idea was his, and in this way, I have understood that he asked the designers for it. And with those elements they had to work, for example, the one to accommodate four TV sets in that stay, and that in the end was graceful and practical. Or in the case of the "jungle room," with furniture bought directly by Elvis, selected in half an hour. It denotes that all that already was in his head, like the little boy that knows exactly what toys he wants.

A virtuous himself, a perfectionist of his image and its soul, is possible to ask, what inspired him to be how he was? Without a doubt, the dowries that God granted to him to accomplish a mission with which he was sent to this earthly plane. Which one was this? The one to entertain or the one to reproduce the sounds of the soul? Both, I would say. Plus to show to us how human and vulnerable we can be. In Elvis, the search of God is a constant, and a different celebrity, that astonishes with its knowledge of the Bible and all the spiritual things.

Jane and Michael Stern, specialists in popular culture, wrote in 1978 a very useful book, Elvis Word. There I found this drawing of jumpsuit of Elvis, that Matty Lacker sold years later to Jimmy Velvet. Look at this design. Without doubts that it is work of Elvis, with the handwriting and the style that accompany it.
Around the 2003, a friend sent me, very privity, three drawings made by John Smith. It had to do with drawings done on the computer, while the singer talked with this person. Although I had not gotten in touch with him until then, I kept informed on his online life, and speculated with my friend around its true identity. The friendship came from a fans club that soon undid, so that when John Smith made his appearance in Yahoo chat rooms, I never stopped paying attention -- although not without certain skepticism --, to everything what they told me about him. Until for the first time I heard him. And soon, until a day I saw those extraordinary drawings. Then I no longer had doubts.

I couldnt believe it. Not only were they the drawings but there was also that "Elvis Presley" written by John Smith and that "Ha Ha Ha" and the "Meow". " What doubts could I possibly have that that was the real Elvis Presley, drawing with the pencil of the computer? There was that extraordinary self-portrait, and that other Elvis, that very well worth the qualifying of extraordinary, not only because of who you are dealing with, but because they are works of art. Believe me, that is good art. So that I can tell for sure that there is artistic greatness in these outlines, facts to the flight, with no intentions of anything. Just playing. But no, they are not infantile, but ludic, extraordinary drawings, reflected of the glance of a wonderful artistic sensitivity. Again, Elvis seems to look at himself.
If we compared these drawings with which it appears in the book of the Stern, we will see without a doubt outlines, the same style such. You judge.

But even, if that point of comparison did not exist, that signature and the other handwritings demonstrate what I have been saying, that John Smith is without a doubt Elvis. No, I am not a handwriting expert, but during years I have studied it, his signature, and there are all the characteristics, all the details of the Elvis handwriting.
I hope that the posting of these drawings, with their signature, helps to clarify the true identity of John Smith. This, together with his extraordinary voice, confirms -- I repeat -- my thesis: John Smith is Elvis. This blog is a tribute to, its person, his great talent.

May God protect him and bless him always!

Elvis, drawing by John Smith with his signature, 2003

 

Elvis design

 

Elvis, Ha Ha Ha, By John Smith, 2003

 

Cat: drawing by John Smith, 2003