From KCRW and KCRW.com, I'm Bob Carlson, and this is Unfictional.

Unfictional is KCRW's program of stories and original documentaries. It's a part of KCRW's program of stories and original documentaries.

It's a part of KCRW's independent producer project

and on this episode of Unfictional,

Holiday Visitors.

The King of Rock and Roll makes an unannounced visit to the White House just before Christmas.

And later, a woman reluctantly home for the holidays has an unexpected meeting in the sparkling white expanse of the Utah Salt Flats.

First, this story.

It's quite possible that you're familiar with a famous photograph of former President Richard Nixon standing in the Oval Office, shaking

hands with Elvis Presley.

While Nixon is wearing his usual gray conservative suit, Elvis is wearing a high white collar, gold chains, a cape, a huge gold belt.

It seems so unlikely that these two were ever together that when you see the picture, a thought may cross your mind along the lines of

how did this photograph happen? Well Jerry Schilling knows exactly how that picture

happened because he was there. Jerry Schilling has been a talent agent, an actor, a producer, a film editor.

He's represented huge performers like Billy Joel and the Beach Boys.

But way before all that, back in 1954 when he was just 12 years old,

Jerry Schilling met the young Elvis Presley at the start of his career and over the next

23 years Jerry was at the center of the Elvis

Presley universe. He was part of Elvis's legendary entourage, the Memphis mafia. He lived at

Graceland for a while and he called Elvis Presley his best friend.

But by 1970, Jerry felt like he had to make his own way a bit.

So while he was still tight with the Elvis crew, he got a job as a beginning editor at Paramount

...