JK: He has done that many times in my life as well Stump.
Stump: Well like I said life is nothing but a memory, and I’ve had some very good memories in my life.
JK:Yes you have. What did you think about Colonel Parker? Did you ever have any run-ins with him?
Stump: I never had a problem with the Colonel. He tried to hypnotize me when I talked to him. But he did nothing to me.
JK: What, he tried to hypnotize you?!
Stump: Yeah, he wanted to do it before I played behind Elvis. He knew going out there playing those drums. I mean Ronnie Tutt is Ronnie. You know what I mean. Nobody will be able to play like Ronnie Tutt. Ronnie is a great drummer I respect him to the highest. So I didn’t go out and try to play like Ronnie. All I wanted to do is do some hits like he did and play 2001, and CC Rider like the way I had to do that because the band had to go into the song. I had to try and remember everything. Let me tell you, I would not wish it on anybody.
JK: Stump, how did you find out Elvis had passed?
Stump: I was on the TCB plane - it was a private plane we had. We landed someplace. You have to understand, it’s been many years and I’ve had two strokes since then.
JK: I understand
Stump: My memory sometimes is not that good. So we landed at the airport and we were on the ground and went into the airport. Someone said Elvis was in the hospital. I said, “Don’t go playing like that.” We were going some place on a tour. I think it was Portland Maine, something like that, I could be wrong. Anyway, they were saying he was in the hospital. So we stayed on the ground and we stayed there and we later found out that Elvis had died and nobody could believe it. Everybody just walked around crying and stuff. It took me about two years to believe Elvis was gone. I didn’t want to believe it. I cried so many times and I thought about everything we did and the show. Then you have to think of what you’re going to do now. I was with that show for nine years. What am I going to do now? I never even thought about leaving the show.
JK: What did you do after Elvis?
Stump: After Elvis I stayed in Vegas and played with the Flamingoes. “I Will Only Have Eyes For You”; I played with those cats. Like right now I play with “A Touch Of Silk”. We formed the group from the Flamingoes. So we formed a group. I got married. I’m happy.
JK: There you go. Now did you go to the funeral?
Stump:No. I will tell you, I can’t handle funerals. I am the type of person that I don’t want to see somebody I love or that I know in a casket. To me, now this is my opinion. Everybody has the right to feel the way they want to feel. It just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. A person in a casket is bad for me. I don’t like to see that. I like to remember Elvis walking around and joking like he used to do.