Lamar Fike | Elvis confidant, 75

Lamar Fike, 75, a member of Elvis Presley's famed inner circle called the "Memphis Mafia" who had a long career in the music industry, died Jan. 21 at a hospital in Arlington, Texas, said his son, James Fike. Mr. Fike was suffering from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

"He did everything first-class. He was very brilliant. He had a tremendous presence. When he walked in a room, he lit it up," said David Stanley, Presley's stepbrother, who first met Mr. Fike as a toddler.

James Fike said his father held various roles with Presley, including as a lighting director, bodyguard, and manager of Presley's music publishing group. He said his father continued to work in Nashville, Tenn., after Presley's death in 1977, in music publishing, managing artists, and brokering music and memorabilia deals.

He said that in 2006, his father moved to Texas, where he had relatives.

Mr. Fike would recall when Presley and the "Memphis Mafia" would decide they needed a cheeseburger somewhere and hop on their plane to take them to whatever city they chose, said his son, who called his father a great storyteller. - AP