I just got Sandi’s book this past Elvis Week, the 40th Anniversary. It is a first edition signed by Sandi herself. I read Raised on Elvis! Elvis! Elvis! A Look Back at the Good Times with Sandi Haynes Pichon on my birthday October 4th, which coincidentally is a day after Sandi’s birthday. I started and finished the book in the same day – it was 150 pages and had a lot of photographs, so it was a quick read. Sandi is a huge Elvis fan, obviously, and met him as a teen at his house on Audubon Drive and didn’t meet him again until he was touring again in the 1970s. She became friends with the guys, especially Sonny West.

I enjoyed Sandi’s book, but I must admit I enjoyed Donna Lewis’ diaries much more. I have just recently started reading the Elvis books written by fans about their experiences and encounters with Elvis. I wish Sandi would have provided a bit more detail about all of her encounters, unless she did and that is all there was. With the exception of her first meeting with Elvis, Sandi’s experiences included mostly of seeing Elvis in concert and hanging out with the guys. Although her first experience meeting Elvis, Gladys and Vernon at their home on Audubon Drive was a doozy and is etched in my memory forever. Elvis wasn’t home when Sandi’s mom drove her over to Elvis’ home on Audubon Drive, but she met Gladys and Vernon. They gave her some of Gladys’ homemade lemonade. Sandi got on Elvis’ bike just to see what it would be like. All of a sudden, Elvis slid on behind her and wrapped his arms around Sandi and whispered in her ear “Do you want to go for a ride?” She didn’t, and I can’t believe she didn’t. Unfortunately, her family moved away from Memphis and Sandi wouldn’t see Elvis again until the 1970s where she got many kisses and scarves from Elvis.

I recommend Raised on Elvis! Elvis! Elvis! to all Elvis fans, but I am someone who reads every Elvis book – the good, the bad and the ugly. Sandi’s wasn’t a bad book, but it wasn’t one of my favorites. It was an quick, easy read and interesting if you are an Elvis fan.