For his dedication as president of the Elvis Presley fan club, Sterling Gary Pepper Jr. was awarded with keepsakes from the King himself: a gold jumpsuit, a clump of hair, a 1957 Chevy, and more. Presley also paid for medical care for Pepper, who suffered from cerebral palsy until his death in 1980. Towards the end, Pepper was looked after by a nurse, Nancy Pease Whitehead, who said Pepper gave her his Elvis memorabilia before passing away. Relatives of Pepper disagree, claiming Whitehead stole the items, and have filed a lawsuit against her seeking $75,000 and the return of the property. Whitehead, through Leslie Hindman Auctioneers in Chicago, sold the collectibles at auction on October 18, 2009. The clump of hair, apparently cut in 1958, when Presley entered the army, alone brought $15,000.

-Noel Brinkerhoff

 

Family Says Nurse Stole Elvis Memorabilia From Dying Man (by Bridget Freeland, Courthouse News Service)

Elvis Memorabilia Lawsuit (U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois Eastern Division) (PDF)