Book Review: The Faith of Elvis by Billy Stanley

“Elvis wasn’t perfect. Just like the rest of us who walk this earth, he was broken. Even so, Elvis knew he was blessed, and he loved to give to others. He extended the same generosity to everyone. His message was always clear: treat everyone the same.”

Billy Stanley & Kent Sanders, The Faith of Elvis

Review:

Elvis Presley has always been a staple in my life. Aside from family members being fans, I was a Lilo & Stitch kid, which is how I developed my own love for him as an entertainer. As an adult, I’ve been able to visit Graceland a couple of times, and it seems like as more time passes, I appreciate him even more. I came across this book after going to see Baz Luhrmann’s EPiC (three times…). Not many performers who reach Elvis Presley’s status strongly associate with their faith as he did. I was so excited to see a book that discusses this side of him.

Elvis’ stepbrother Billy Stanley reflects on his relationship with Elvis, with their talks about faith and spirituality largely emphasized. This is less of a biography about Elvis and more of a testimony through the eyes of someone close to him.

As much as I enjoyed reading this book and getting a glimpse of the more spiritual side of Elvis, it was obvious throughout the tone of the book that this is very much an account from a little brother looking up to his big brother with adoring eyes. And that’s totally okay, and really sweet. I felt like I had to take some of the information with a grain of salt, especially after further research into the Stanley family (particularly Dee) as there seems to be an unsteady narrative.

Another element that had me on edge was how detailed the conversations between Billy and Elvis were. While no doubt inspirational, I’m always wary about nonfiction/memoirs that present dialogue so heavily. Validity questions aside, I did enjoy these portions as they offered wonderful advice and insight. As a factual account, I have to maintain a level of wariness. As the reader, I’m happy to imagine these conversations were word for word.

From my own observations as a distant outsider, I have seen for myself that there was a deeply spiritual side of Elvis, and I’m so glad that this book exists to emphasize that part of him. The book doesn’t spend much time on his darker struggles, which felt appropriate given it’s not Billy Stanley’s story to tell, but there was a general acknowledgement that most of us can relate to on some level. Throughout my time reading this, I’ve developed an ever deeper appreciation for Elvis’ Gospel music. 

Likes & Dislikes:

What I liked:

• Explored the spiritual side of Elvis.
• Didn’t delve deep into controversies.

What I didn’t like:

• It didn’t feel like the most reliable narration between biases as well as previous books members of this family have published and comments made about Elvis.

Afterthoughts:

I’m curious to read Billy Stanley’s first book about Elvis to see how it compares to this one.

Where to buy the book: