REVIEW ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Faith of Elvis by Billy Stanley is the story of the iconic singer’s Christian faith as shared from the perspective of his stepbrother. This firsthand account of Elvis’s life and abiding belief in Jesus and Heaven explores a subject rarely touched upon in most other biographies. This well written account is emotionally charged and gives the reader a glimpse of the legend’s intense spirituality, kindness and generosity. It is refreshing to find a book of the life of Elvis Presley that is not seeking out insignificant tidbits to exaggerate and exploit for the sake of sensationalism or to merely sell more books and gain the author their fifteen minutes of notoriety. I have read a great number of books by a great number of people about the life of Elvis and this is one of only a few that is written from a place of genuine love and the utmost respect. ⠀

Many books have been written about the life of Elvis Presley, but few authors have had a 17-year first-hand experience like Billy Stanley, Elvis' step brother who joined the Presley family at age 7 when his mother married Vernon Presley. Stanley has focused on how important faith was to his step-brother, who discovered his love of music in gospel singing at an early age in Tupelo, Mississippi. "Most people who talk to me about Elvis will share that they loved this or that song, but I rarely hear people talk about his gospel music. It's funny that Elvis's rock and roll music received almost all of the attention, yet it was gospel music that was closest to his heart. Elvis saw it as more than a performance. To him, it was a calling and a ministry, " writes Stanley. Filled with personal stories and amusing anecdotes, Stanley shares the personal side of Elvis and his love and generosity towards his family and fans, including the importance of the Bible passages that influenced his life. In the Bible which traveled with him, Elvis wrote personal notes, including: "There is a season for everything, patience will reward you and reveal the answers to your questions". Elvis only received Grammy Awards for his gospel music, and his passion for racial injustice and treating people equally shows in this note when he wrote in his Bible near Psalm 137, "The highest graces of music flows from the feelings of the heart and soul". In this latest book, Stanley also describes how faith and religion have influenced his own personal journey, and show a side of Elvis Presley that many people have not thought of or discovered.

Thank you to NetGalley and Nelson Books for an advanced reading copy of this book.

I was really looking forward to this as an avid Elvis fan. It gives a fantastic insight to his personal faith and as it is different from all the other books about Elvis I loved every page!

A different look at the life of Elvis by his step brother Billy Stanley. This book is very different than the ‘somewhat dishy’ book Billy wrote years ago.
In 2018, Billy suffered a heart attack and was clinically dead for several minutes at which time he was visited by Elvis. This event begins Billy’s story of faith.
He describes the exciting world of Elvis. The travel,, touring, brotherly dating advice and the love of cars and racing. Billy makes note that beneath all of the fame there was a foundation of faith. Even while touring amidst adoring fans, Billy carried Elvis’s bible for him. He recorded Gospel themed albums and incorporated those songs into his live performances. Elvis’s belief in Jesus and the rewards of Heaven carried him through the most difficult of times and this is a story that shines a bright light on this facet of Elvis’s life.
Thanks to NetGalley, Billy Stanley & Eason, Thomas Inc for an ARC in exchange for a book review.

I was so excited to read this book and learn more about the spiritual side of Elvis. While I am a fan of Elvis music/movies/artistry, my true draw to him has been the man he was when he was off of the stage. I have read countless credible books, watched many official interviews/documentaries, as well as visited Graceland on a private tour to truly get a glimpse of the essence of Elvis Presley.
I unfortunately found this book very disappointing. Elvis had countless amazing qualities as stated in this book, but he also had his demons. Demons that this book doesn't truly address. And while I am not a fan of the cash-grab exploitation books written by some of the people who were close to Elvis, this book felt like a less harsh but still impersonal and empty cash grab.
There are so many resources regarding Elvis' spirituality and his passion for the more metaphysical topics. Larry Geller was not only Elvis hairdresser, but he was also his spiritual advisor. Besides Larry's excellent book (Leaves of Elvis' Garden) on the spiritual side of Elvis, Priscilla (Elvis and Me), Linda (A Little Thing Called Life), and Ginger (Elvis and Ginger) all wrote books that go into detail the spiritual books Elvis read, Elvis spiritual practices, and even exact notes that Elvis would write in his books.
While Billy does state in his book : 'Elvis pointed to his Bible and said, "Everything you should believe is right there. Don't put labels on anything. That's where you get hung up."' , he continues the book with a very limited/closed-off perspective. What I admire about Elvis is that he had his own personal relationship with God beyond the walls of a church building. He could think for himself about his relationship with God without a pastor telling him what to think. And Elvis could also dive into the different realms of spirituality at a time that 'New Age' wasn't 'trendy' like it is now. As taboo as things like numerology, gnostic studies, energy work, etc. might still be to some people, you can't discuss Elvis spiritually without those topics. Two profound books that were Elvis favorite were The Prophet and The Impersonal Life. If you want to observe Elvis from a spiritual level, outside of any third party wife/girlfriend/step-brother/friend, read Elvis's two favorite books.. That will tell you everything.
While this books was a fine read, it felt like a version of Elvis that was wrapped in a pretty bow for Sunday church service. Elvis and his spirituality were so much more than that.

If you want to learn more about Elvis from someone that learned a lot from him this is the book for you. If you want to learn more about Elvis' faith and how it shaped him as a man this is a must read.

I've followed Billy Stanley on Facebook for years. He's shared many stories of his life with his stepbrother, Elvis. It's been great getting stories of firsthand experiences. That being said, this book is a beautiful tribute to a superstar who never turned his back on his religious beliefs. Billy shares some of Elvis' struggles but doesn't make them the main point of the story. This is a great book that all Elvis fans should take the time to read.

Very interesting story from a different perspective. I loved the personal stories about Elvis seen through Billy's eyes. Elvis' deep faith in God and his struggles with his own personal demons should inspire readers. It's encouraging to read that Elvis loved God and wanted others to know God's saving grace. Having not read anything about the three brothers, this story was very touching. Recommended.

Elvis “light” - written by his stepbrother the book examines Elvis’ faith while skimming over the scandals, conflicts and the contradictions about Elvis that make Elvis interesting - I didn’t learn anything new with this one

Interesting book. A bit biased, as it's written by Elvis's brother. A different perspective on Elvis' life for sure. Overall, well written. A little sad in the end.I
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advance e-copy. All opinions are entirely my own.

This is more than about the faith in Elvis himself. It us from one of his step brothers perspectives as they were all growing up as kids. The stories in here show Elvis faith as growing up with his brothers, going to church, and even at Christmas time. This book even showed how Elvis generosity of helping people and giving to people grew his faith. The stories were well written by his step brother. Well one of them.
This book was approved for me to read and review by netgalley and the publisher.

The Faith of Elvis is one of the most wonderful, heart touching stories I have read in some time. Elvis was much more than just a musician and singer, he was much deeper than any of his fans could ever imagine. He loved the Lord God with a passion that overflowed into many of the lives he touched, spilling over even further than even he realize. This book is a must to have and I truly recommend it; you won’t be able to put it down until you close the cover.

3.5

I've owned/read many Elvis books over the decades. He's one of my passions to read about, because he's such an interesting and multi-faceted personality. I was lucky enough to visit Graceland in 2019 to get up close and personal with all the things I read about. I was surprised to see this author writing a book again because he wrote a book called "Elvis, My Brother" back in 1989, which I read. I wondered what more he had to say on the subject. Apparently, in 2018 Billy had a heart attack and was clinically dead for about 12 minutes. During that time he encountered what appeared to be heaven and also met up with Elvis. He starts off the book with this revelation, then retreats back to 1960 when he first met Elvis.

Billy Stanley's mother Dee married Elvis's father Vernon Presley in 1960. Dee was divorced with three young boys, Billy, Rick and David. Billy describes how when he first went to Graceland, he didn't even know that Elvis was a famous person. All he knew was the love that Elvis showed the boys as he embraced them as the brothers he never had, showering them with presents and making them feel like true brothers- not stepbrothers. Elvis also instilled in the boys his fervent Christian faith. Elvis always had his Bible with him, which had many personal notes handwritten in the margins. In fact, when Billy and his brothers grew up and became "The Wrecking Crew" that accompanied Elvis on tour, it was one of Billy's responsibilities to make sure Elvis had his Bible with him.

Billy tells a lot of fascinating personal stories about Elvis such as an incident where Elvis tracked down/confronted a fellow student who had been harassing Billy, handling an abusive customer at McDonalds, and an impulsive visit to The White House. Interspersed with these stories are some pertinent Bible passages, including Elvis' personal Bible notations. I wasn't always that interested in these brief passages and occasionally skimmed.

It's been decades since I read Billy's original book about Elvis, but I've retained some memories about it. I think it was more "dishy" and a bit snarky regarding interactions with Priscilla. I remember him saying that Priscilla was much more sophisticated than Elvis's current fiancee at the time of his death in 1977, Ginger Alden. In comparison I found this book more "watered down" with a gentler tone, focusing on all the beautiful moments and important conversations with Elvis. There was nothing mentioned about drug misuse or any tawdry details. However, as simplistic and pared down the focus was in this book towards uplifting, spiritual matters involving Elvis, I felt good after reading it. The writing style was very easy and free flowing. Elvis knew he had a God given gift, and he tried to use it to the best of his ability. He included gospel songs in his concerts, something perhaps his fan base might have not expected, but probably came to appreciate. Interestingly enough, the only Grammy awards he ever won were for his gospel recordings.

Thank you to the publisher Thomas Nelson Books who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

For a lifelong Elvis fan this is a window into a different side of Elvis that was never talked about or revealed to the public. I was excited to read about his enduring faith and the loving and inspirational impact he had on his brother. The author honors his brother throughout this book and handled his failures with dignity. The best message from the book is that Elvis recognized Who gave him his gifts and talents and his life’s motivation was to bring Jesus glory and this inspired him to love others. The author also honored everyone who was involved in Elvis’s life and never wrote a word of gossip or maligned anyone’s character, I respect him for that.

The Faith of Elvis by Billy Stanly was an interesting book. When someone passes away, a lot of stories come out about the bad things about the person who is no longer able to defend themselves. This book is the complete opposite.

All words and opinions are my own. I was given a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher for my honest review.

This was a wonderful book. Anyone who thinks they know the King would do well to read this one. This book puts Elvis in an entirely new light. Well worth the read.