How are Elvis Presley, Richard M. Nixon, and local artist Wendell Rankin connected? TCB.
TCB, which stands for Takin’ Care of Business, was a widely used term in the 1960s and ‘70s by African Americans. Most Americans probably first heard the letters in Aretha Franklin’s version of her huge hit Respect. At one point she ad-libs “R-E-S-P-E-C-T, Take care…TCB” People often wonder what she is saying there since it is not part of the original Otis Redding Lyric—but that’s what she’s saying. Trust me, I’m a professional.
Elvis adopted “TCB in a Flash” as a motto and lived his life by it. Simply put, don’t procrastinate. Get your stuff done!
So how are these three men connected to TCB? Basically it is like this:
Wendell painted the TCB logo on Elvis Presley’s plane, spreading the word of TCB; Elvis was determined to meet President Nixon and living by his “TCB in a flash” motto, he arranged a meeting with the President; and Nixon made Elvis a “Federal Agent-at-Large" in the then Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs. (Insert joke here)
I mean no disrespect to Elvis. He is arguably the most influential artist to ever perform. But like most great artists he had his flaws. I suppose it is not a great idea to emulate bad habits, but I have always wanted to shoot a TV. The tube kind, not a plasma. (Of course if you are watching infomercials, who doesn’t?)
Check out this episode of Red Belly Radio and hear how these three men influenced history.
Links:
Artist Wendell Rankin's Web site
Star telegram story about Wendell
National Archives about how Elvis met Nixon
Elvis meets Nixon: a White House memory from CNN
Photos: (from top) The Lisa Marie plane (a Convair 880) tail that Wendell painted; the most requested photo from the National Archives--Elvis Meeting Nixon; Elvis Presley fingernail clippers purchased at Elvis' birthplace in Tupelo, Mississippi; and photo from my meeting Sonny West, longtime friend and bodyguard to Elvis. The signatures were both done by Sonny.