Elvis Online Issue 1 | Page 11

JK: Now what was your role for the show? You played with the Sweets and if you were needed you would play for Ronnie Tutt?

Stump: Well my job was playing the first opening number for Jackie Kahane or Sammy Shore whoever it was. They would do their show, JD Sumner and then we would come on the Sweets. We were like co-stars. Then Elvis would come on. They would take an intermission, then Elvis would come on. I wouldn’t play behind Elvis. That was never even in my mind. I said, “Me play behind Elvis, no way.” Ronnie was a mad man. He was a very good drummer. He showed me how to hold my sticks a certain way so I would not get sores on my my hands. So I really respect what Ronnie taught me. So I never thought I would ever play behind Elvis. I would play for anyone else but Elvis, me, no way. So when they came up to me and told me that, I mean I almost fainted. I was so nervous that my legs were shaking, and the high hats, the two cymbals that my feet are on.

JK: Right

Stump: They were playing by themselves. I mean that’s how bad I was shaking. I had no rehearsal or anything with Elvis. I was going on stage and play cold. He had me do it three times so I was ok for him.

JK: Do you remember the reasons why?

Stump: One time I know, Ronnie’s wife had a baby.

JK: That was in Las Vegas, 1975.

Stump: Other times I don’t remember. But it was three times. I was one of the last drummers that played behind him.

JK: It was Philadelphia 1971, because Ronnie had the flu; Las Vegas 1975 because Ronnie’s wife had a baby; Madison, Wisconsin in 1977 because of a family emergency.

Stump: That’s what it was?

JK: Yes, I did some homework!

Stump: They didn’t tell me why. I just came off the stage from the Sweets show and somebody said, “You have to play behind Elvis.” I said, “No, don’t do that to me!”

“You have to get ready to play behind him.” Like I said I was very scared. I could have had a heart attack.

JK: What did Elvis say to you? “You’ll be fine Stump don’t worry about it”?

Stump: He said, “You just go out there and play and watch me.” He told me to watch him. “Keep your eyes on me.” That’s what I did, I watched Elvis. I watched his head, his hands. I watched his behind because I didn’t know what to watch. Elvis moved everything. I mean everything would be moving. So I didn’t know what to watch. All I know is he did a Karate thing. So I would try and catch it the best way I could do it. I heard Ronnie took Karate lessons with Elvis so that’s how he knew all that stuff.