Dewey and Elvis: The Life and Times of a Rock 'n' Roll Deejay

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments One of the pleasurable tasks in writing a book is giving thanks to the special people who provided invaluable assistance. I owe a unique debt to several folks in particular. Because Dewey left little important printed material, I had to rely primarily on oral accounts, especially from those closesttohim.Beyondtheinterviewsconductedwithfamilyandfriends, I was fortunate enough to obtain a treasure trove of data from Charles Raiteri, a former WHBQ employee who conducted extensive interviews back in 1977 while putting together a documentary film video on Dewey ’s life (Daddy-O-Dewey: A Natural Star). Raiteri was gracious enough to allow me to use these interviews. Given the fragile nature of memory, they provide what is presumably an even better source of information than my own interviews because Charles was talking to people who were much closer to the events being described. Some of the quotations that follow reflect the attitudes of earlier times rather than ours. I owe another special thanks to my longtime acquaintance George Klein, whose friendship goes back to our early days together at L. C. Humes High School. George patiently sat through numerous hour-long interviews, allowing me to pick his brain about the unique perspective that only he had from both working with Dewey and from his close association with Elvis Presley. This book did require at least some traditional hard-nosed research, and for the assistance I received while conducting it I can do no better than gather up the usual Memphis suspects to thank. Judy Peiser, at the Center for Southern Folklore, allowed me to use the material she has collected over the years, especially the center’s extensive interviews with so many of the critical players in the early Memphis music scene. And 00.FM.i-x_Cant.indd฀฀฀9 2/8/05฀฀฀1:50:02฀PM Acknowledgments x then there are Jim, Patricia, Wayne, and the whole gang at the Memphis –Shelby County Room, who seemed always to be able to respond to my requests or else spin me around in the right direction to find what I was looking for. Finally, Ed Frank and Jim Cole in the Special Collections Room at the University of Memphis Library were always helpful and considerate. Robert Dye needs to be singled out for his help, which went far beyond what I asked of him. Robert’s father was responsible for taking the now-famous photographs of the early Elvis on the brink of stardom. The younger Robert has continued in this tradition. He provided me with several pictures—especially the wonderful one taken by his father that graces the cover of this book—and also offered helpful assistance in gathering and codifying all the other photographs. A very special thanks, of course, has to go out to Dewey’s wonderful family—to Dot, Randy, Jerry, Marjorie, Bill and Betty, and Billy Mills. All willingly gave unselfishly of their time and energy, never tiring of my seemingly never-ending questions. Last of all, it is a pleasure to express my appreciation for everything my editor, Judith McCulloh, has done. Judy is one of those wonderful, user-friendly people who not only provided the expert guidance needed but also encouraged me through those inevitable tough times that seem to come with the territory of writing a book. I might have been able to do it without all these people, but their help certainly made my job much easier and—I am certain—helped me produce a better book. 00.FM.i-x_Cant.indd฀฀฀10 2/8/05฀฀฀1:50:02฀PM ...