George Klein, a longtime friend of Elvis Presley and a member of the King of Rock & Rolls Memphis Mafia entourage, died Tuesday in a Memphis hospice after a two-week illness, which included pneumonia. Priscilla Presley, Elviss former wife told the Associated Press she had been in close contact with Klein during his illness. Their friendship was golden, truly golden, she said in a phone interview with the AP on Tuesday night. I dont think Ive ever heard George say anything bad about anybody. Klein was 83.
George Klein and Elvis Presley first met in 1948 at Humes High School in North Memphis when Presley was in eighth grade. Later, Presley served as Kleins best man at his wedding, and Klein was a pallbearer at Presleys 1977 funeral. Klein, whom Elvis nicknamed GK, appeared in bit parts in several of Presleys films including 1957s Jailhouse Rock. When the entertainment icon was posthumously inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1986, Klein gave the acceptance speech.
Born in Memphis, Klein was also a popular radio host for several years, hosting WHBQ-TVs Talent Party and George Kleins Rock & Roll Ballroom on WMC radio. In his role as disc jockey, he would be the first to play a record on-air by a then-unknown Louisiana piano player named Jerry Lee Lewis. In his later years, Klein was one of the hosts on SiriusXMs Elvis Radio channel. His broadcasting career spanned more than 50 years. He was inducted into the Memphis Music Hall of Fame in 2018.