🥀🥀Interview with Bill Belew
🎙️Q: Did Elvis ever tell you anything that's always stayed in your mind?
✨A: No, no, not really. I think the only thing for me is, he called and said that Sonny West was gonna get married, and he wanted a suit. And so a tuxedo. So I designed a tuxedo for him. And he said to me, 'Go down to Schwartz and Albusser and have them make me some jewelry'. And I said 'Oh no, no, Elvis. That's too personal. You do that yourself', you know. 'No, no, no, you go on down there. You design me some jewelry'. And so I went down there and that's how I met Saul and Abe. And as time progressed we got to know each other.
And it's just one of the best stories of how generous this man was. And, Saul was tellin' me that there was a lady that had been coming in for quite some time, and had been admiring an emerald and diamond ring. And it was very expensive. And, she just would come in. And look at it and they'd been trying to talk to her about putting some money on it, paying it off. No, no, no her husband wouldn't allow her to do it. So anyway she was there that day when Elvis walked in.
And, she looked at it and he took it and put it back into the case. And Elvis said to him, you know, 'What's that all about?' And he said well, you know, and told him the story about her. And, how she'd always wanted this ring and she was afraid her husband would get upset if she bought it. And, he said, 'Go and box it up and give it to her'. And he said 'You really?' He said, 'Do it', and so he did. He went to the lady and she said What's this?
And he said, 'That gentleman over there, Mr. Presley, would like for you to have this ring'. And she got very emotional and she said 'No, no you can't do this' and he said, 'Anybody that wants something that bad, should have it'. And he said 'I want you to have it. And please, accept it with my love and my gratitude'. And I just thought that was the neatest thing in the world. Just the neatest thing.✨✨✨