The Rebel & the King
by Nick Adams
As a member of the board for the Hot Toasty Rag Awards, I was immediately drawn to read this mini-memoir written by Nick Adams, who took home a trophy in 1963. It’s a very sweet accounting of the beginning of Nick’s friendship with Elvis Presley, written in 1956. Packed away with his belongings after his untimely death, Nick’s daughter Allyson only recently came across his pages and decided to share them with the world. Quite a chunk of this book is Allyson’s own thoughts upon finding, reading, and digesting the story. As someone who watches Picnic every year and has seen The Interns, The Hook, and Pillow Talk many times, I was captivated just as much by the information about Nick as Elvis.
What struck me the most about this touching tribute was the sense of innocence present in both boys. A major superstar, detained for hours signing autographs wherever he went, Elvis was still a sweet, little boy. Polite, respectful, devoted to his family, trusting, and full of good intentions, it’s impossible to imagine that Elvis would have gotten into trouble later on in life – and Nick as well. Nick took his friend’s advice to heart, and it was very sad to read his inspiration and vows for a healthier attitude when I knew what would happen to him in 1968.
To Elvis, driving around town and picking out furniture for his parents gave him the biggest thrill. He melted at the sight of cute puppies, and he called everyone “sir” and “ma’am”. He loved eating crispy bacon and drinking milk before bed. This sweet, sweet kid seemed to be still ten years old – and that’s a wonderful thing. As Nick so perfectly described it, they had “good clean fun” together. It’s too bad kids today can’t enjoy good clean fun as much as 1950s teenagers did. Check out this quick read if you’d like to see a nicer, less explosive side of Elvis.
What struck me the most about this touching tribute was the sense of innocence present in both boys. A major superstar, detained for hours signing autographs wherever he went, Elvis was still a sweet, little boy. Polite, respectful, devoted to his family, trusting, and full of good intentions, it’s impossible to imagine that Elvis would have gotten into trouble later on in life – and Nick as well. Nick took his friend’s advice to heart, and it was very sad to read his inspiration and vows for a healthier attitude when I knew what would happen to him in 1968.
To Elvis, driving around town and picking out furniture for his parents gave him the biggest thrill. He melted at the sight of cute puppies, and he called everyone “sir” and “ma’am”. He loved eating crispy bacon and drinking milk before bed. This sweet, sweet kid seemed to be still ten years old – and that’s a wonderful thing. As Nick so perfectly described it, they had “good clean fun” together. It’s too bad kids today can’t enjoy good clean fun as much as 1950s teenagers did. Check out this quick read if you’d like to see a nicer, less explosive side of Elvis.