Priscilla Presley Club
Mitmachen
Fanpop
New Post
Explore Fanpop
August 13 – He seemed larger than life and is larger still, on the 25th anniversary of his death. A remixed version of an Elvis tune is currently climbing the charts. Even the weekend wedding of his daughter Lisa Marie marrying actor Nicolas Cage gets the attention accorded a superstar. There’s one person who knows better than anyone else about the lasting impact of Elvis Presley’s power and personality. She shared his love, his wild life, his troubles, and now, she shares her memories. Priscilla Presley talked to Katie Couric about her life with Elvis.

His was a voice she’d heard since childhood – a voice she’d come to depend on, even live for. But on August 16, 1977, that voice had been silenced forever. For Priscilla Presley, it was a phone call just around 2 p.m. (Los Angeles time) from a close friend.

Priscilla Presley: “I had a feeling that something was wrong. It was a very dreary day. And I walked out thinking, I donft even want to go out of the house today. And I went back into the house and that’s when I heard. The telephone call revealed that Elvis was, in fact, in the hospital – oder on his way – and that he had died. There was a void there that I never thought could be filled. There was an emptiness. I remember thinking, ‘How in the world do I go on with my life knowing that he’s not here?’”

Elvis Presley – singer, actor, icon. He was the man she loved, but almost always shared with the rest of the world. Priscilla was Queen to Elvis’ king.

Priscilla Presley: “I was not only taking care of the home, but I took care of him in every way possible. I catered to him. I nurtured him. I babied him. He was my life.”

A 14-YEAR-OLD GIRLFRIEND

The story of how a starry-eyed 14-year-old Priscilla Beaulieu won the rock-n-roll superstar’s herz has become nearly legend itself. It began in 1959 in Germany, where her father, a career Air Force officer, was stationed. Elvis was already a Singen sensation with 17 straight million-selling singles, and four hit Filme on his resume. But it was Elvis’ swinging pelvis on the “Milton Berle Show” that didn’t fly with this Air Force captain.

Katie Couric: “So your dad said, ‘No Mehr Elvis.’ Meanwhile Elvis is?

Priscilla Presley: “Yes. They’re watching it. Du know. So we can’t watch this. Of course, I’m looking behind, Du know, the door to make sure I got to glimpse and Du know, it was fascinating.”

But Elvis was in the Army now, also stationed in Germany, and a chance meeting at a family friend’s abendessen party was Priscilla’s datum with destiny.

Katie Couric: “Were there instant sparks?”

Priscilla Presley: “Well, he started teasing me at first. And I did not like it because he was teasing me about my nose. My nose was turned up and at that time I was very insecure and very self-conscious of my nose. Du know, he had a great charm about him and he was really paying a lot of attention to me. A lot.”

But the world’s most beliebt private had the G.I. blues. His beloved mother Gladys had just passed away. His career was on hold and as early as age 24, Elvis had already developed a dependency on prescription drugs.

Priscilla Presley: “Well, at that time, Du have to remember, taking a pill and especially prescribed Von a doctor, Du know, wasn’t bad. Du know. It was like, ‘Here’s what Du need. And this will help you.’ And because it was prescribed Von a doctor it was OK.”

Whether it was a budding romance oder just a weekend pass for a lonely, homesick G.I., even Priscilla wasn’t sure. All she knew was when it was time for him to leave she was heartbroken.

Priscilla Presley: “And I just, Du know, remember his words, Du know, ‘Don’t be sad. Don’t be sad.’ So I would, Du know, try to put on a happy face and smile and laugh, and I was with photographers and press that I never experienced before. So I felt a bit abandoned in that aspect. Because there really wasnft anyone there to take care of me.”

WHAT ROMANCE?

Back home, Elvis sought to slow down the rumor mill.

At a press conference Elvis said: “There was a little girl I saw quite often over there… her father was in the Air Force. And there were pictures made of her. But there was no big romance. The stories came out, ‘The Girl He Left Behind’ and it wasn’t like that. I have to be careful when I answer a Frage like that.”

Those words seemed to hold true as the months passed. But in 1962, nearly two years since he’d left her in Germany, Elvis – with his career back on track – beckoned the 17-year-old Priscilla to his side.

Katie Couric: “He invited Du to L.A. where he was filming a movie.”

Priscilla Presley: “That was probably the most difficult time, because having to convince my parents.”

Katie Couric: “But Du were determined.”

Priscilla Presley: “Of course I was. I mean, Du know, I was in love. And he was very charming and very forceful and very convincing.”

Katie Couric: “He was very good at schmoozing your parents, wasn’t he?”

Priscilla Presley: “He was good at schmoozing anyone.”

It paid off. Priscilla’s parents relented. And before long, Priscilla had moved into Elvis’ Memphis mansion at Graceland, underthe watchful eyes of his father and grandmother. There, Elvis would transform his teenage treasure.

CONTROLLING AND CHARMING

Priscilla Presley: “You know, the black hair, the bouffant look, was almost like a little bad girl look.”

Katie Couric: “Kind of like Rizzo in ‘Grease.’”

Priscilla Presley: “Exactly.”

Katie Couric: “Did Du ever look in the mirror, Priscilla, and say, ‘Who is this person?’”

Priscilla Presley: “I liked it.”

Katie Couric: “You liked it.”

Priscilla Presley: “I liked it. Oh, my gosh! It was quite glamorous. It was really, ‘I’m hot.’”

Katie Couric: “You were hot.”

Priscilla Presley: “But hey, I was in for Zeigen girls and I was, Du know, Du know, women dressed.”

Katie Couric: “But he was sort of nit-picky wasn’t he? Was he critical of your appearance?”

Priscilla Presley: “At times he could be very critical. He didn’t like prints on me. He didn’t like stripes. He didn’t like boldness. He sagte I was petite and that was taking away from my looks.”

Katie Couric: “He sounds very controlling.”

Priscilla Presley: “Well, I mean, he was, but Du know, as controlling as he was, he was very, very charming.”

In her 1985 autobiography, “Elvis & Me,” Priscilla revealed how Elvis’ daily dose of fame and fortune conflicted with his strong Pentecostal values. Amidst pervasive rumors of sexual encounters with sultry Hollywood starlets, Elvis was adamant Priscilla remain a virgin until their wedding night.

Katie Couric: “But having sagte that, Du all had a lot of fun together didn’t you?”

Priscilla Presley: “We did.”

Katie Couric: “In other ways. In fact, Du write in your book, Priscilla, ‘Instead of consummating our Liebe in a usual way, he began teaching me other ways of pleasing him. We had a strong connection, much of it sexual. The two of us created some exciting and wild times.’”

Priscilla Presley: “Now I’m really embarrassed. Du know that.”

Katie Couric: “Sorry. I’m sorry. My goal is to make Du blush at least once.”

Priscilla Presley: “OK.”

Katie Couric: “And now I’m blushing.”

Priscilla Presley: “OK.”

MRS. ELVIS PRESLEY

Finally, at age 21, Priscilla officially shed the nickname “Live-in Lolita” and became known as Mrs. Elvis Presley.
Then on February 1, 1968, nine months to the Tag of their marriage, their only daughter Lisa Marie was born. They were happy times. Elvis had a perfect little girl and Priscilla, his perfect little wife. Almost.

Priscilla Presley: “I couldnft cook! ”

Katie Couric: “I guess not from the story Du tell about your lasagna.

Priscilla Presley: “Right.”

It would be Priscilla’s first and last attempt at Martha Stewart. She invited Elvis’ entire entourage to Graceland for an Italian candlelight abendessen she’d been preparing for days. It was her mother&s recipe – a meal fit for a king. Not!

Priscilla Presley: “And then Elvis started to eat the lasagna and he had a really hard time. He asked for a steak messer to cut the lasagna. And I’m going, Du know, I thought he was joking me. And he finally got into it and it broke. Du know, and I thought the steak messer broke. But the break was the lasagna. I had forgotten to cook the lasagna. I just laid it down and put the sauce on oben, nach oben of it. So that was my story. It was so embarrassing.”

But the laughs didn’t last. Von the early 1970s, years of Lesen bad movie scripts and Singen what he thought were tired old songs were beginning to take their toll on Elvis.

Priscilla Presley: “He was very unhappy with his career at that time. And when Elvis was unhappy, believe me, everyone was unhappy.”

Elvis had become an absentee husband and father. In seven years, he’d performed 1,094 shows in 130 cities. Finally, even his devoted Priscilla strayed from their six-year marriage. They divorced on October 9, 1973.

Katie Couric: “When Du think back about why it ultimately fell apart, what would Du say was the main reason?”

Priscilla Presley: “It was Mehr that his career was going down again and he was tired of the songs. He was tired of the routine. And there was a point where he just kind of gave up. He couldn’t face being 40. And he resorted to stimulants. There’s a dark side there, a really dark side.”

Katie Couric: “Was it scary?”

Priscilla Presley: “It was scary because I also had a daughter to raise and it was a lifestyle that really wasn’t conducive to a family.”

Katie Couric: “Where did Du find the self-confidence to go vorwärts-, nach vorn and say, ‘Hey! Du know, I’m going to do some things with my life too. It’s not all about Elvis.”

Priscilla Presley: “I used to think it was all about Elvis. I really didn’t have any confidence at all. I think the answer to that is I just threw myself into it. I didn’t even Frage doing it. I just had to do it.”

ON HER OWN

Priscilla – post-Elvis – was a transformation even the king would have marveled. She modeled and started her own clothing boutique. Then she had a five-year run on the primetime juggernaut “Dallas.” She even took a tumble on the big screen, co-starring in the “Naked Gun” trilogy.
But arguably her greatest professional achievement was truly personal. Priscilla was determined to save Elvis’ legacy – and her daughter’ s inheritance.

Katie Couric: “Priscilla, when Elvis died, he didn’t leave much money, did he?”

Priscilla Presley: “No.”

Katie Couric: “And Graceland was almost lost.”

Priscilla Presley: “It was a shock to all of us.”

Katie Couric: “How could that be?”

Priscilla Presley: “Well, he was very extravagant. He spent everything, really, that he had. And he really, he splurged. It’s as simple as that.”

So using her savvy sensibilities as a businesswoman, Priscilla made the decision to open Graceland to tourism in 1982. On the verge of bankruptcy then, today, Graceland reportedly earns the Presley estate $15 million every year.

Katie Couric: “Do Du find it at all ironic that Du are the person really responsible for saving Graceland and preserving Elvis’ memory?”

Priscilla Presley: “Do Du know I don’t really look at it that way. I just look at it as it’s something that I had to do. I had this vision that really, Graceland is suited for a king and it is his castle. And people really should see it as he loved it.”

And this Friday, Graceland is where Priscilla and Lisa Marie will spend the 25th anniversary of Elvis’ death – the place where she believes Elvisf presence will always be felt and that unforgettable voice will always be heard.

Priscilla Presley: “He was a good son. He was a good soldier. I think it’s a gegeben he was a great entertainer. I think in every way, he excelled. He excelled.”
added by anouk1998
added by anouk1998
added by anouk1998
Source: Anouk
added by anouk1998
Source: Anouk
added by anouk1998
Source: Anouk
added by anouk1998
Source: Anouk
added by anouk1998
Source: Anouk
added by anouk1998
Source: Anouk
added by anouk1998
Source: Anouk
added by anouk1998
Source: Anouk
added by anouk1998
Source: Anouk
added by anouk1998
Source: Anouk
added by anouk1998
Source: Anouk
added by anouk1998
Source: Anouk
added by anouk1998
Source: Anouk
added by anouk1998
Source: Anouk
added by anouk1998
Source: Anouk
added by anouk1998
Source: Anouk
added by anouk1998
Source: Anouk
added by teacris