Michigan Man Interviewed For His Friendship & Time Spent with Elvis Presley
I can honestly say that I shook the hand that shook the hand. That's at least what my Uncle Bean, Johnny B, whose real name is Johnny Lang told me the last time I saw him a few years ago. Johnny has always been one of the most colorful, lively and entertaining people I've had the pleasure of calling my extended family, but it wasn't until my early 20's that I truly understood just why he was filled with such life. Johnny has 5 kids, won multiple awards from Forgotten Harvest for excellence in community service and still has many gifts in life.
One special gift dealt to him was a coincidence of being drafted at the same time with Elvis Presley in the Army, which led to a long time friendship, as Johnny spent the better part of 2 years with Elvis and his crew. In that time Johnny really got to know who the man Elvis Aaron Presley truly was, as they grew really close. Elvis one of the most famous people in the world at this time, but Johnny would insist he was the one who should have been in Hollywood. He's seriously hilarious and to know Johnny is a serious blessing. In a recent interview he talks about how Elvis wanted to give him a gift and Johnny felt awful about it:
He comes up and goes "Here Johnny I got somethin' for ya." Well, I didn't wanna take nothing from the guy. I didn't even want a take a pop from him, cause' everybody always wanted somethin' from him. He says "TAKE THE DAMN THING"
The gift was a watch that he later had Elizabeth Stefaniak, Elvis' secretary engrave, "To Johnny, From Elvis." In the video Johnny talks about how he introduced Elvis to Elizabeth and Rex Mansfield, who she later married. But to watch him glow when he talks about his kids is what really shows you the kind of guy Johnny is:
They could be good lookin, they could have a lot of money, but it don't mean sh-t if ya don't have the heart to go with it, and they got the heart.
Below is another video where he shares some funny Elvis stories