A few of Michael McLeavy's life story might simply cross for fiction - however the Lanarkshire man's new ebook is all truth.
Michael moved from Rutherglen to Hollywood within the Nineteen Sixties, deciding to embark on an American journey in a bid to fulfill his hero, Elvis.
Unbelievably, that is precisely what occurred, as he met the King and ended up working in Tinseltown, assembly celebrities like Burt Lancaster, Orson Welles and Mia Farrow within the course of.
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Michael, who hoped it make it as a singer, ended up settling within the USA and carving out a profitable profession within the insurance coverage enterprise.
Now, he is penned a ebook about his life story, known as What Now? What Subsequent? The place To?, with the autobiography out there via the likes of Amazon.
"Once I initially joined Fb I wrote in my feedback that I had a diversified background and hoped to write down a ebook sometime", explains Michael.
"As writing was not my forte, I joined a category that was filled with writers 4 years in the past and that gave me the motivation as I needed to have a chapter accomplished for every class on varied topics, together with my very own. This prompted me to inform my story."
The ebook focuses on Michael's willpower to make it, an perspective that goes proper again to his preliminary resolution to maneuver to America.
A singer with native band the Fireflies, Michael's friends good naturedly teased me about his goals of assembly the King.
Residing close to Bel Air, Michael beforehand informed us how he grew to become pleasant with Elvis' buddies Sonny West and Jerry Schilling, who ultimately invited him to fulfill the music legend.
“Elvis stated: ‘Hello Mike, so glad you can make it’. He made me really feel utterly comfy.
“He talked about Scotland and the way he had touched down at Prestwick Airport on his approach dwelling from the Military.
“He stated he needed me to remain the complete day! It was unbelievable – I felt so fortunate. On the finish of the day, Elvis himself walked me out and stated, ‘I hope you loved the day Mike. Better of luck’."
When writing his ebook, Michael says it was that willpower, whether or not assembly Elvis or in his enterprise profession, that stood out essentially the most to him.
"Once I was trying again for the again, nothing stunned me and I remembered every thing. I believe perhaps my stubbornness and sheer single mindedness to achieve success stands out.
"Everyone has robust instances and fairly a bit I’ve talked about within the ebook covers varied conditions that I had encountered. I picked myself up after one in every of them and went for a skydive!"
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The 79-year-old additionally loved a spell working alongside Laurence Harvey, star of 60s thriller the Manchurian Candidate and a bunch of different movies.
This meant he attended a string of umpteen events at Harvey's seaside home, staying inside yards of the likes of Burt Lancaster and Doris Day, and assembly the likes of Orson Welles, Mia Farrow and Sharon Tate.
Nonetheless though it wasn't fairly as glamourous, Michael seems again on his youthful days in Rutherglen equally fondly.
"Rising up in Rutherglen at the moment was the best studying expertise for any child. Nice dad and mom and lecturers that might provide the self-discipline that might repay in a while.
"Having good friends who would play from morning to nighttime, and having the ability to come and chap your door with out safety and ask, are you popping out to play?"
After retiring from the insurance coverage enterprise, Michael resumed his old flame of singing and has since launched a number of albums, earlier than his gigging was halted by the Covid pandemic.
He stays an enormous fan of Elvis, and will likely be intrigued to see the upcoming movie biography popping out this summer time, with Austin Butler because the and Tom Hanks as his supervisor, Col Tom Parker.
Michael added: "Something on Elvis. particularly one other film on him, I reserve judgement on till I see it. Let’s hope it does The King justice."
What Now? What Subsequent? The place To? is on the market now right here.
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