1. Jack Soden (CEO)
2. Todd Morgan (Media & Creative Development Director)
3. Debbie Johnson (Vice President and General Manager)
4. Gary Hovey and his wife Michelle (Senior Management
5. Patsy Anderson (Fan Club Liaison)
6. Regina & Jimmy Gambill
All the key people are younger than Priscilla. (1) Jack is probably the
oldest of the group. He was 55. (2) & (3) Todd Morgan and Debbie
Johnson are probably in their 40's. (4) Gary Hovey and his wife
Michelle (Priscilla's sister) are around 50. (5) Patsy Andersen, the
pretty, cheerleader-looking mother of five, is probably in her late
early 50's. (6) Regina and Jimmy Gambill are in their 30's.
Jack
Soden CEO Jack was a successful lawyer from Chicago. Todd started
out as a tour guide at Graceland in May 1983. Debbie was in management
from the beginning, or soon after. Priscilla had Jerry Schilling groom
Gary Hovey to take over Jerry's job and then let Jerry go. (By the way,
Jerry is back in Memphis with a public relations position for Memphis
music and heritage.) Michelle is Priscilla's secretary. If you call
Priscilla's private home number it's Michelle who answers the phone. So
being subservient to Priscilla should come as no surprise to anybody.
Patsy
Anderson (Fan Club Liaison) Just before Christmas, Graceland
announced they laid off 50 employees, which they said represented 15%
of their staff. Do the math and they must have had 350 employees and
must now have around 300. Even the ones who make rock-bottom wages must
buy their own uniforms, and when the economy is tough their promised
wage increases are cancelled. The wages tend to be basis unless someone
is exceptional. (After many years of loyal service Patsy decided to
quit on the grounds that her pay was not in keeping with the rest of
the senior staff member) We were sorry to she her go.
When they first
opened Elvis Presley's Memphis - which is in a building EPE has leased
from Lansky Brothers for 20 years - they had ambitious plans to open new
restaurants in Vegas, Orlando, Florida, L A, New York, London, Berlin,
Hong Kong and Tokyo. Since then there has been no media release on any
future plans. With so many restaurant chains struggling or gone under,
they probably figured the time was not right.
Vernon Presley, Priscilla & Jack Soden at Vegas Hilton
To
Priscilla that's just feathering the nest. Remember she asked Elvis to
put her father in the wine business after they were divorced? As hard as
it was for Elvis to say no, he managed to avoid doing that and also
turned down her request to let Priscilla and her hairdresser boyfriend
Elie Ezerzer borrow the Lisa Marie to go on a safari!
Remember (that snake in the grass) Mike Edwards’ book "Priscilla,
Elvis and Me" in which he claimed that Priscilla only had business
associates as friends. It was her reply, "that she had no time for
anyone else" that shocked most readers.
Today Joe Esposito is back
in Priscilla's good graces. However, years ago, he was exiled from the
Graceland inner circle for his off-handed comments when he said PP’s
book should have been titled, Me and Me! And he didn't find much Elvis
in it and commented on how she left big gaping chunks of the truth out.
It came as now surprise that in September 2000, Priscilla was appointed
to the Board of Directors of MGM when the prime vote came from the CEO.
Kirk Kerkorian (who built and owned Las Vegas Hilton venue for most of
Elvis concert dates in the 1970’s) and now owns the majority interest
of the controlling company, once dated Priscilla and reportedly wanted
to marry her years ago.
Priscilla has also supported (her significant other) Marco Garibaldi's
efforts with Rockster an internet privacy and security technology that
would enable, among other things, musical artists to sell their music
online while still retaining ownership rights to their master
recordings.
Marco as President and CEO of Rockster acquired Upgrade International
Corp. of Seattle, Washington, and controlling interest in Rockster
Records. P.S. It's a good bet that Rockster was inspired by Napster,
wouldn't you say?
Correction: Marco Garibaldi's firm, Rockster, did not acquire Upgrade
International. It was the other way around. Finally, Priscilla is one of
the ambassadors of the Dream Foundation, which helps dreams come true
for some very happy people. Although still a work in progress,
Priscilla's new website, priscillapresley.com
is already eliciting strong reactions. Now, there may be some proof that
Elvis is NOT alive, because if he was, he'd be addressing daughter, Lisa
Marie Presley, Keough, Jackson… soon to be Cage? On the credibility of
a company that bears his name, trademark and copyright to his image, and
would insist on some serious house-cleaning and completely management
re-structure.
THE BEST THING ABOUT THIS JOB IS THE FEEDBACK I GET FROM ELVIS FANS
WORLDWIDE. WITHIN HOURS OF POSTING THIS ARTICLE I GOT SEVERAL EMAILS
ADVISING ME OF THE MISGUIDED FACTS. THANKS BILL, FOR SETTING THE RECORD
STRAIGHT
Dear Lea, Just read your article about the backgrounds of the EPE
executives, you had a great 'read' on the entire situation with one
exception- Jack Soden. Soden was an investment advisor/broker in Kansas
City Missouri. This was shortly before Graceland opened to the public.
Soden's brother still lives in the Kansas City area, working for a
brokerage firm. Soden's claim to fame is he was 'best friends' with
Morgan Maxfield. Maxfield was an up and coming investor and politician
in Kansas City who had a penchant for being in the right place at the
right time. He was what one would call today a "player."
Maxfield was dating Priscilla Presley during the 70's.
There's a photograph at the Jaycee's Award banquet which shows Elvis
with a black gentleman and in the background there is a gentleman (I'm
going from memory now, I believe he's talking to Sonny West) this man
with the dark hair was Morgan Maxfield.
Somewhere behind Sonny West is Maxfield? When Maxfield's plane went down
(he was also a pilot, who enjoyed flying small planes) Priscilla flew in
to Kansas City to attend Maxfield's funeral. Soden was of course present
and "things took their course" shall we say. Sounds like some
of the former Memphis Mafia doesn't it? Thought you might enjoy hearing
the 'story' was. Take care. I enjoy your site. Best regards, Bill
