Softish Throat Drops
Elvis Presley’s kindness and generosity were legendary. His friend and original opening act, Rockabilly Hall of Fame performer Rudy Tutti Grayzell remembers one extraordinary example of generosity early in Elvis’s career.. “One story I have about Elvis’s kindness was when he’d just made his first real money. He was still a teenager and we were playing softball with the crew in Mobile on our day off, and he took me aside after the game and said, “Rudy, come with me. I’m going to buy a Cadillac.”
So the two of us drove over to a car dealer on the edge of town, I think the place was called Mr. Lamont’s Autos. So we park next to where a little black boy was washing the cars, and walk around the lot, still dressed in our tee shirts and dungarees from the softball game, and we look at this beautiful new Cadillac. And this kind of wise guy salesman comes over dressed in a suit and tie and he says, “What can I do for you two?” It was clear the guy had never seen or heard of Elvis. And Elvis says very politely, ‘I want to buy this Cadillac, sir.’ And the salesman gives us a sharp look and says, ‘Yea, you and everybody else. Don’t play with me, boy, because I’m busy.’ And Elvis said, ‘I’m serious,’ and the guy says, ‘So am I,’ and walks away just like that.
So Elvis gets mad and says, ‘Come on, Rudy,’ and we walk into the office on the edge of the lot and Elvis asks the lady at the front desk to see Mr. Lamont. And after a minute this big older man in a cowboy hat comes out and says, ‘I’m Mr Lamont. How can I help you?’ And Elvis says, ‘Sir, my name is Elvis Presley and I’m a performer and I’d like to buy that Cadillac you have outside.’ And Mr Lamont says, ‘Son, that’s an expensive car..’ So Elvis takes out a wad of cash from his pocket and says, “I have the cash.’ Well, Mr. Lamont’s expression changes and Elvis adds, ‘But that salesman out there was rude to us, so here’s my offer. I buy the car, but you give the commission to that little colored boy out there washing the cars.’ And Mr. Lamont nods his head yes. So we go outside again, and the wise guy salesman comes up to us and Mr Lamont says simply, ‘You’re fired,’ and we walk over to the little colored boy and Mr. Lamont hands him the commission from the stack of cash and the boy’s eyes get as big as saucers and he runs away, screaming, ‘I’m goin’ to show my mama!’ And that was how Elvis bought his first Cadillac.”
…Rudy has many fond memories of Elvis and credits Elvis with introducing him to Pine Bros throat drops, for whom Rudy became a spokesman later in life. “Elvis was very careful about his voice and throat and carried a box of Wild Cherry Pine Bros throat drops with him wherever he went. He swore by them. I lived on them then and I live on them now, and as Elvis said to me, “they’re a singer’s best friend.” The company is from 1870 and they’re still amazingly effective at soothing a throat. Rudy Tutti appeared in a series of hilarious tv commercials for Pine Bros and toured the country in the Pine Bros mobile, handing out Pine Bros throat drops to lucky fans.