The Tiki Statue
Not long after Elvis' death, Wanda June Hill received a phone call from
songwriter with whom they shared a mutual friend -- Elvis Presley. This
songwriter
told her that Elvis had called him after his divorce from Priscilla, saying
that if he would go and pick up some boxes at the LA house Pris was now
selling, could keep the contents of these boxes. Elvis just did not want
them thrown away, as this is what Priscilla was telling him she would do, if
the boxes were not removed from the house. There were only I believe 2 or 3
boxes, and these the songwriter took into his possession. He was now calling Wanda to
tell her that he would give her one of the boxes, which contained some
apparent keepsakes. He intended to keep the other one or two boxes, which
had within them some reel-to-reel tapes...some of which contained Elvis'
informal jam sessions on them.
When Wanda looked inside the box the songwriter gave to her she found that it indeed
contained items which would have been of sentimental value to Elvis. I have
personally seen these items. One was a New Year's paper whistle (the kind
that rolls out when you blow it). On it was written, "I Love Elvis,
Priscilla". There were several ceramic poodles, which Wanda happened to know
from Elvis that his mother had collected. The box also contained some rather
cheap-looking 1950's-style jewelry, which I would imagine had belonged to
Gladys. I can see her buying what she LIKED, even if it came from the dime
store! The real treasures buried inside the box, though were the Tiki God
statue and a small box containing a letter from Gladys to Elvis, tied with a
ribbon. In this touching letter Gladys warns a young Elvis who was then on
tour--probably in 1956: "Now son, remember not to go near any of those women
or your liable to get real sick."
The Tiki God statue Wanda recognized, as she had seen it in Elvis' home
in LA (forget which house) and Elvis had commented on it to her, saying that
it was special to him and he meditated with it. Wanda felt that since he had
meditated with this statue, it was a "spiritual" object for him and
therefore I should have it. It is one of my most treasured possessions.
Several years after having been gifted the statue by Wanda, she called me
to say that she had rented a new release of "Roustabout" and it had a
previously unseen (by her) scene in it, where Elvis' character is being
given back his possessions after a stay in jail. As he picks up each item he
comments briefly on it before tucking it in his jacket. Lo and behold he
picks up what could be none other than the little Tiki statue and declares
to the policeman, "My lucky Tiki God." I rented the movie and saw this scene
myself.
