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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E144]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
IN REMEMBRANCE OF GEORGE KLEIN
______
HON. STEVE COHEN
of tennessee
in the house of representatives
Thursday, February 7, 2019
Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to George
Klein, a Memphis original and one of the late Elvis Presley's longest
and closest friends after they met at Humes High School in 1948, both
aged 13. Mr. Klein died Tuesday evening in Memphis at the age of 83.
George Klein, known as ``GK,'' was Memphis disc jockey and protege of
pioneering disc jockey Dewey Phillips, hosting WHBQ-TV's ``Talent
Party'' (1964 to 1973) and WMC radio's ``George Klein's Rock & Roll
Ballroom. `` He later hosted SiriusXM satellite radio's Elvis Radio
channel until last year. Mr. Klein was inducted into the Memphis Music
Hall of Fame in 2018. A member of King of Rock & Roll's ``Memphis
Mafia'' traveling entourage, Mr. Klein was a groomsman in Presley's
wedding to Priscilla Beaulieu in 1967 in Las Vegas (Elvis served as his
best man when Mr. Klein married in 1970) and served as an Elvis
pallbearer after the singer's death in 1977. Mr. Klein also had bit
parts in some of Elvis' movies, including ``Jailhouse Rock'' in 1957.
When Elvis was posthumously inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
in 1986, it was his loyal friend Mr. Klein who gave the acceptance
speech. For Memphis, Mr. Klein was our Bob Hope, hosting many civic
affairs programs and producing the annual George Klein Christmas
Charity Show that people looked forward to seeing for years and which
raised a lot of money for various charities. As a radio personality, he
had a variety of career highlights, hosting Johnny Cash's radio debut;
bringing the first African American recording artists--Fats Domino, Sam
Cooke, James Brown, and Jackie Wilson--to play on live Memphis
television; and introducing The Beatles when they played the Mid-South
Coliseum in August 1966. Everybody loved George Klein. He was always
cheerful and upbeat and made life better for all he met; you could say
he helped make your day. Mr. Klein very closely followed Memphis State
and later University of Memphis sports, particularly basketball.
University of Memphis basketball coach John Calipari said he used to
talk to Mr. Klein before basketball games and called him ``an
unbelievable ambassador'' for Memphis. George and I had a mutual friend
in Irvin Salky, who was his contemporary and occasionally his
counselor. Priscilla, who visited my office last month, recognized Mr.
Klein's influence. She released a statement Tuesday evening calling Mr.
Klein ``a legendary broadcaster,'' adding ``but he was so much more to
our family. George has been there from the beginning . . . He was a
true Memphian and always made it feel like home on trips back to
Graceland. I will forever cherish our memories together, they will stay
with me always.'' George was my friend and his was a life well-lived.
He will be missed.
____________________
