CityView Magazine

CityViewNC.com | 25 'Hoping that I wouldn't mess up' Smith played Elvis' Steinway grand piano at Graceland on the day of the funeral. On his own grand piano in his Fayetteville home, Smith keeps the artificial pink roses that decorated Elvis' piano during the funeral. ey are enclosed in glass, and he has added a colorful, artificial butterfly to the flowers. Smith remembers playing prelude music and gospel hymns in Graceland's dining room, which was set up with chairs to look like a little chapel. In attendance were Priscilla Presley, Colonel Tom Parker, guitarist James Burton from Elvis' band, singer James Brown, actor George Hamilton and actress Ann-Margret, Smith remembers. "ere were so many there," Smith says. "A lot of them worked for him." Elvis' body lay in his coffin just behind Smith at the piano. Earlier, rehearsals had been staged in front of the coffin. So what was it like for Smith to play at the funeral of a larger-than-life man he had always been a fan of ? "Surreal," he says, "that it's really happening." Smith played for the Stamps to sing, and he played "Danny Boy" for Vernon Presley, Elvis' father. Smith says there's no doubt that Elvis would have loved the music he played at the funeral. Elvis loved the sound of gospel, which influenced nearly everything he did. Among the songs Smith performed were "How Great ou Art," "He Touched Me," and "Amazing Grace." "We were so in awe of what was going on," he says. "I was just hoping that I wouldn't mess up." In and out of the spotlight Smith continued to perform on the road with the Stamps for several months. e group would perform in Elvis tribute shows. "It was a great situation," says Smith. "I met Tammy (Wynette), and that was a better situation for me." Smith met Wynette while performing at the MGM Grand hotel in Las Vegas, and she invited him to join her band, the Tennessee Gentlemen. Aer his stint with Wynette, Smith returned to Fayetteville to teach at Westover High School. For a time, he played with e Singing Americans, a North Carolina- based gospel band known for perky, upbeat performances in churches across the country. In 2010, he was inducted into the Fayetteville Music Hall of Fame. He performed twice for President Ronald Reagan, once at the Firecracker 400 NASCAR race in Daytona, Florida, and once at a political rally in Georgia. Eventually, Smith le the concert circuit and returned to Fayetteville to run his own business, producing and recording music in his studio. He is also a full-time keyboard player for Fayetteville Community Church. On occasion, he has taken a short break from the studio and the church to play for the gospel groups the Bill Gaither Trio and the Gaither Vocal Band. "My life changed just like that," he says of how Elvis' early death affected his career. "I think that it would have been somewhat different. But I wouldn't say totally different." Elvis has now returned to the public eye via a new movie that stars Austin Butler in the title role and Tom Hanks as Colonel Tom Parker, a Dutch-born musical entrepreneur best known for being Presley's manager. "Tom Hanks did a good job. I thought he did a good job," Smith added of Butler's performance. "eir guy had all the moves down." Smith says he took his 30-year-old son, Micah, to see the movie when it first opened in theaters. "He didn't really get into Elvis until he saw the movie. Now he loves his music," he says from the piano room of his Fayetteville residence where he runs his recording studio and Milton Smith Productions. We've moved! We have a new office, where (of course) you'll get the same great service. We're excited about serving you in our new space. Stop by and see us soon! Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. ® State Farm Bloomington, IL 1708168.2 Lynn Kelly, Agent 3061 N Main St Ste 101 Hope Mills, NC 28348 Bus: 910-423-6303 lynn.kelly.gdzi@statefarm.com LEARN MORE AT JETHL.COM WHERE DREAMS TAKE FLIGHT ©Jet HomeLoans, LLCSM NMLS ID# 1660135. Jet HomeLoans, LLC, a partnership with FBC Mortgage, LLC NMLS ID# 152859 and Dream Finders Homes. This is not a commitment to lend. Paid Advertisement. 833-270-7191 242 Hay Street Fayetteville, NC 28301

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