Secret Agent Man

Today in rock history, in 1970, Elvis Presley paid a visit to President Richard M. Nixon at the White House in Washington, D.C. The meeting was initiated by Presley, who wrote Nixon a six-page letter requesting a visit with the President and suggesting that he be made a "Federal Agent-at-Large" in the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs.

Seems incredible, but it’s true! The back story is the following: On December 19, 1970, Presley was confronted by his wife, Priscilla, and his father, Vernon, over his spending habits. Angered by their confrontation, Presley left Graceland and made his way to the airport, boarding a flight to Washington D.C. After checking into the Hotel Washington, Presley flew to Los Angeles to meet his friend Jerry Schilling.

Due to an allergic reaction Presley experienced with medication for an eye infection, aggravated by chocolate that he ate on the plane, a rash had developed on his face and neck. After seeing a doctor and getting some sleep, Presley informed Schilling that he wanted to return to Washington D.C., and arranged for another friend, Sonny West, to meet them. On the flight Presley met California senator George Murphy. Presley showed an interest in acquiring a Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs badge, and Murphy suggested that Presley write to President Nixon offering his services to help combat illicit drug use. Presley wrote a letter on the plane and hand delivered it to the White House at 6.30am on the morning of December 21.

A few hours later Presley visited the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs headquarters in Washington D.C., meeting with Deputy Director John Finlator. He was unsuccessful in persuading Finlator to give him a BNDD badge. Schilling received a call at the hotel from Egil Krogh, President Nixon's deputy counsel, to arrange a meeting between Presley and Nixon. After picking up Schilling and West from the hotel, Presley made his way to the White House. (He came bearing gifts for the President, once of which was a silver-plated Colt 45 revolver – can you imaging trying to wander into the White House packin’ heat in this day and age – you’d be shot on sight! Ah well, it was 1970!). All three met with Nixon and received gifts. Presley persuaded Nixon to give him a BNDD badge, and after an official photograph was taken, the trio left, with Presley returning to Graceland the following day.

On December 30, Presley returned to Washington D.C. with a few friends to visit the National Sheriffs Association head office. The next day they were given a tour of FBI headquarters, where Presley offered his services as an undercover agent. Despite never getting to meet FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, Presley did receive a letter from him on January 4, 1971, acknowledging his offer of assistance.

And that, thankfully, was the end of that – Elvis undoubtedly moved on to other things, and a national crisis was averted!

This song by Johnny Rivers seems appropriate, and is incidentally one of the songs on the set list when I played my first ever paying gig with my band “The Rebellious Revelles” in Fall of 1965.

Thanks to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvis_Meets_Nixon, and keep on rockin’!