EDWARDSVILLE – Marvin “Preach” Webb keeps his new portrait of Elvis on the bedroom wall at the house where he stays on Highland Street.
It was drawn by Stan Kincaid, an Edwardsville resident who has known Edwardsville’s unofficial goodwill ambassador since he was 18.
Kincaid finished the portrait last summer after spending what he estimates was a hundred hours drawing it at his home in Edwardsville.
He gave it to him on Jan. 12, Preach’s 82nd birthday.
“Man, I appreciate that. You did a great job,” said Preach’s brother, James Webb, who was at the house that day.
Preach was born a year and four days after Elvis. Preach has accumulated the complete set of Elvis movies, a collection that includes most of the movies starring his other hero, John Wayne.
Preach doesn’t get out as much as he once did, though his brother says that that is likely to change as spring nears. At one time, Preach was often seen walking up to North Main Street in Edwardsville, a couple of carnations on his lapels and some Phillies Blunts in his front shirt pocket.
He has been slowed by a couple of hip surgeries, but James Webb says there’s more to the infrequent appearances than that.
August Mirring, the floral shop that once supplied Preach with his carnations, is gone.
Imber’s Men’s Wear, where the affable Jerry Legow saw to it that Preach was perpetually outfitted in sartorial splendor, has been gone for years. And most recently, the Edwardsville police and fire departments moved a few blocks south to a new Public Safety Building on Plum Street.
And on Jan. 1, Laurie’s Place closed its doors.
“There’s really nothing much there. Everything has changed,” James Webb says. “Half the people that he really knew, that he spent a lot of time with, they’re gone.”
Kincaid pointed out that Preach still has plenty of “girlfriends” at the Madison County Administration Building, women who over the years have affectionately teased him as a “Six-timer” and showered him with attention.
Plus, there’s Eaker’s Family Barber Shop nearby. And the Wildey Theatre where, at a special lighting ceremony on March 29, 2005, Preach flipped the switch on a newly-restored marquee.
So James Webb says he plans to drive his brother up to North Main Street before long and let his brother walk around and visit old friends.
“He’s doing great. It’s just one of those things in life. Everything changes, nothing stays the same,” he says. “I love him and miss the old him, but I love the new him too. It’s just part of life.”