ELVIS ON GENE VINCENT, PAT BOONE, MARIO LANZA

EP: I met Gene in New York. I met him last week. He was in the train station up there. I was going from New York to Memphis, and Gene Vincent was in the train station. I didn't know who he was. One of the boys in my band knew him. I walked over and introduced myself to him. The first time I had ever seen him. He had seen me on shows, but I had never met him. I told him, I said, "Gene, congratulations on your record." I said, "You really got a hit." And right immediately, the first thing he said was "I wasn't trying to copy you." He said, "I wasn't trying to sound like you." I mean just right off the bat he said this, see, without even being asked. I told him, I said, "Ah, I know that. That's just your natural style." But the boy has got out a very good record. I mean, I have people ask me all the time what I think about these people that sound a lot like me. Well, I was the first one to come out with it, I reckon, as best I -- as far as I can remember. But those people that are using the style, I don't blame them. I'd probably jump on the bandwagon too, you know.

Q: Speaking of [rivals], what's the Pat Boone situation with you? You know Pat Boone?

EP: Well, I know Pat very well. I didn't know anything about anything like that. Except when I read this Radio TV Mirror, or whatever it is, when they said, "Presley and Boone Battle it Out". Why, that's nothing. I mean, ah, Pat Boone and I are very good friends.

Q: You’re not fighting with Pat Boone at all?

EP: Never. Pat's one of the nicest guys I've ever met. And I'm sure he, I mean, I don't think he'd say anything bad about me, you know.

Q: I think the only time you've crossed swords on a tune is TUTTI FRUTTI?

EP: Well, both of us had a flop on it, so we didn't have anything to fight about, really.

Q: Who do you think it is the greatest country and western singer alive?

EP: I like Sonny James. I couldn’t mention them all. I admire anybody that’s good, you know, regardless what kind of singer they are, whether they’re religious, rhythm and blues, hillbilly or anything else -- if they’re great, I mean, I like them. From Roy Acoff all the way up to Mario Lanza, I just admire them if they’re really great, if they have a really built a name for themselves.

Q: Listen to any opera?

EP: No, I like Mario Lanza, I like anything he records.

ELVIS ON HIS SUCCESS