Lamar was born and raised in Memphis. Already as a teenager he was very interested in the music scene and he often hung around the city’s various recording studios listening to the music and also meeting the musicians.
One day in 1955 he was at Sun Studio chatting with Sam Phillips when Elvis Presley walked in wearing one of his crazy colorful outfits. “He wanted his clothes to stand out from everyone else,” says Fike. “He needed them to draw attention to himself and to differentiate himself from all the other young guys that were also hanging around at the time. I would never have dressed like that myself, but I knew right away what he meant by it and I liked that.” Fike saw something special in Elvis and the unlikely duo became friends.
Already in 1957 he was a permanent member of the “Memphis Mafia” and always there. Fike was Elvis’ right-hand man: he handled touring and oversaw the technical aspects needed to get the shows on stage. At over 300 pounds, Fike – who has a “black belt in food,” as David Stanley put it – was gifted with a great sense of humor and a willingness to lend a hand not just for a meal but for a joke.
Elvis enjoyed cracking jokes at his expense, calling him ‘Buddha’ or ‘the great speckled bird’, but Fike’s loyalty was unquestioned and he was always there when Elvis needed him.
When Elvis was called up, Fike also wanted to sign up. However, he was rejected because of his weight. Nevertheless, he came to Germany with Elvis and lived with him and his family when Elvis did his military service.