From Graceland To Las Vegas, Singer & Musician Nick Bruno Shares Stories From His Years With Elvis

Nick Bruno is a multi-talented singer, musician, and record producer who has worked with many different artists throughout his impressive and lengthy career. In the early 70s, he joined J.D. Sumner & The Stamps who, at the time, were singing backup for Elvis Presley.

They spent a lot of time with Elvis and got to appreciate his dedication as a performer, which the rest of the world knew and loved, but also got to experience a more spirited, playful side the public never got to see. Bruno says Elvis was like a little boy at heart.

“Elvis had a private side to him not many people were aware of. I could talk to you until tomorrow morning about some of the things that happened,” he says with a laugh.

Like the time J.D. Sumner and The Stamps got a brand-new tour bus, parked it at Graceland, and Elvis decided he wanted to drive it. Elvis grabbed the driver’s gloves, put them on, and was ready to roll.

“He started driving down what is now Elvis Presley Boulevard,” Bruno says, “and I looked back at J.D. who was as white as a ghost. Elvis looked around at the same time and said, in his inimitable voice, ‘J.D, you don’t have anything to worry about. If I bust up the bus, I’ll buy you a new one.’”

Elvis drove for a bit, got tired, then headed back to Graceland.

“But instead of just turning around on the street, he took a nosedive and drove right through a potato or corn field or whatever,” Bruno says. “And there we were with the front of the bus and the back end going up and down like a rollercoaster. Suddenly, Elvis swerved that thing around and got back on the highway. That’s the kind of stuff that was crazy.”

One night, during the wee hours of the morning, Elvis called everybody outside the mansion with an “idea.” They secured two golf carts from the garage, grabbed two boxes of Roman candles, cut the lights off on the golf carts, and drove around the property shooting each other in the dark.

“The next thing you know, someone shot a Roman candle under the back porch and set the house on fire,” Bruno says. “Within minutes there were fire trucks and police cars all over Graceland.”

Then, there was the incident at the Las Vegas Hilton when The Stamps were told of a rumor there might be an attempt on Elvis’ life, and they should all be wary and watchful.

“Later that night, all of a sudden, a couple of guys came barging through the door with guns blazing,” Bruno says. “Elvis grabbed his chest like he’d been hit and fell to the floor. Being the brave soul I was, I dove behind the couch. J.D, who was close to Elvis, dove on top of him. J.D. later said he knew right away it was a joke because he could feel Elvis laughing.”

There are warm and wonderful memories, too, especially centered around the music.

“Elvis loved music, especially gospel music,” Bruno says. “The most important part of my job was to be in the suite after the shows, so Elvis could spend time with the quartets and sing gospel songs.”

Elvis would often invite others to his suite and as you would expect, everybody wanted to be in the room.

Bruno remembers one night Elvis asked him to play piano, so Sumner could sing “You’ve Got To Walk That Lonesome Road.”

“It’s a low bass song and most people in the secular world have never heard that kind of bass singing. Elvis wanted to show J.D. off a little bit.”

Bruno sat at the piano with Sumner directly in front of him and Elvis to his right. There were a couple of others gathered there and they all seemed to be glancing over Bruno’s head. He began to play and since there were no microphones, everyone began leaning in closer to better hear Sumner. Bruno felt someone on his right, his left, and even behind him – all pressing forward to hear Sumner sing.

“When the song was over,” he recalls, “I looked back and on my right shoulder leaning in was Frank Sinatra, on my left was Dean Martin, and the guy on top of my head was Sammy Davis Jr. It was the rat pack.”

They’d come to spend time with Elvis and hear a little gospel music.

Bruno has another Elvis story that relates to his love of karate.

“Elvis was a big karate buff, but he wasn’t that good at it. It was all go and no show, if you know what I mean.”

He recounts how they were all gathered in the suite and Elvis called him over, telling him, “Stand right there, don’t move, I’m not going to hurt you.”

Suddenly, Elvis gave a karate yell.

“Then he kicks, and he was supposed to miss my leg, but he didn’t. He hit my right knee, on the side of it, with his heel. Man did that hurt! Of course, I couldn’t say anything. But to this day I still have trouble with that knee.”

Looking back, Bruno believes Elvis’ massive success was a bit overwhelming for the singer. It dominated everything he did. He points to a time Elvis wanted to make a phone call but had no idea how to operate a pay telephone. Someone else had to show him how to insert the coins and dial the number.

His fame, Bruno says, made Elvis a prisoner.

“One time he wanted to go see a movie, but he couldn’t do that. He couldn’t just go see a movie, he had to rent the entire theater. So, he wasn’t able to live a normal life, he was always in the spotlight.”

Bruno later left J.D. Sumner & The Stamps to pursue othere career options. But he recalls exactly where he was when he learned Elvis had passed away.

“I was on a cruise ship, and someone said, ‘I don’t know if you heard, but Elvis died.’ And man alive, it was awful.”

He’s grateful for the time shared with the man who gave so much to the world through his music.

“I always found Elvis to be a gentle soul. Just a guy who was catapulted into stardom.”