When you reach a point where you are known as the “King of Rock 'n Roll,” you have probably led a fascinating life full of salacious tales. Beyond the heavy drug use, Elvis Presley was known to the general public as a clean cut country boy from Mississippi. But he had a dark side.
Elvis Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi. His deep love and devotion to his mother has always been part of Elvis’ lasting image. Elvis was drafted in 1958, but he was already a world famous rock 'n roll star, which made his enlistment into the U.S. Army unique and admirable.
In 1956 with the release of “Heartbreak Hotel,” Presley was a certified superstar. The way he gyrated his hips while singing was considered too sexual for national television and the networks would only show Elvis from the waist up. But even with the controversy over his sexual moves, Elvis was generally considered a good ol' country kid.
Even though Elvis had become a superstar, when he was drafted in 1958, he decided to pass up any opportunities to use his fame and his money to get out of the draft. Instead, he enlisted.
In the Army, Elvis wanted to show that he was not above doing what everyone else did; and he was determined to demonstrate that he would not rely on his celebrity status during his time in the military. The pompadour hairstyle that had become the signature of his physical image was the first thing to go. Elvis’ head was shaved just like the others entering the Army.
Presley was stationed in Germany on October 1, 1958. In less than a year, in mid-September of 1959, Elvis met a young girl, Priscilla, at a party at his house. The man Priscilla knew as her father, Paul Beaulieu, was an officer in the Air Force and was invited to the party. Priscilla later learned that her biological father was a Navy pilot who was killed in a plane crash when she was 6 months old. Her mother tried to keep her real father a secret for years.
So Elvis had a party at his place in Germany, and Priscilla’s father brings her along. Elvis and she meet. He is instantly infatuated with Priscilla and takes her out on a date. The father agreed to let Elvis go out with his daughter; but when Elvis brought her home quite late, her parents were extremely upset. Oh, at the time, Elvis was 24 and Priscilla was just 14 and in the 9th grade.
Priscilla’s parents forbade Elvis to ever see their daughter again, but Elvis charmed his way into winning their approval for them to continue seeing each other.
As amazing as it seems, it is reported that Elvis and Priscilla never had sex until they were married in 1967. However, there is evidence that he played sexual games with her, like “the teacher seduces the student.” Obviously, Priscilla had the wardrobe to play her part.
Apparently, Elvis’ infatuation with Priscilla was based on the idea that she was young and a virgin, and his goal was to train her to be everything he wanted in a woman. That fits the classic definition of a “sexist.”
Priscilla had reached the point where she wanted to have sex with the King, but he told her that she was too young. Elvis appeared extremely virtuous; but while with Priscilla, Elvis had affairs with many women, including Nancy Sinatra and Ann-Margret, who was his co-star in the movie, “Viva Las Vegas.”
After Elvis purchased Graceland for $100,000 cash, he convinced her parents to let her live with him at Graceland. For years, Priscilla lived with Elvis but their relationship was kept a secret from the press because she was just a child when they met.
Elvis finally proposed to Priscilla on Christmas Day, 1966 and there were many stories and rumors that Elvis did not want to marry her but was forced by her father. Priscilla’s father threatened to take criminal action against Elvis because he had taken a minor across state lines.
Priscilla also apparently threatened Elvis with revealing to the press details about their relationship when she was a child. Did Elvis actually have sex with Priscilla when she was a child? We don’t know for sure, but Elvis was quick to propose to Priscilla when threatened with exposure.
The press was ready for a spectacular wedding, but the wedding ceremony at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas lasted only 8 minutes, which may have been an indication that Elvis was not really serious about getting married.
Priscilla first came to Los Angeles to be with Elvis. When she fell behind in her school work, Elvis gave her amphetamines to keep her up and sleeping pills at night to help her sleep.
Priscilla continued sharing pills with Elvis as the only way she could keep up with her life, and his performances always meant very late nights.
After Elvis died, Priscilla opened up about a darker side of Elvis. He was extremely controlling with her - telling her what to wear and encouraging her to wear a lot of make-up. In fact, Priscilla says Elvis never saw her without make-up and never saw her apply it. He only saw the finished product. Priscilla said that Elvis had been paranoid about her getting old and would often slap her forehead if she frowned, telling her that she would get wrinkles from frowning.
Elvis even demanded that Priscilla like the things he liked and she essentially had no life beyond the life she had under his control. Priscilla had also grown to fear Elvis. He was fascinated with guns and at times he would fire his .357 Magnum at the TV when something upset him.
After the two were married in 1967, Priscilla got pregnant immediately. Lisa Marie was born 9 months after they tied the knot. Elvis was not celebrating her pregnancy, and he was concerned that being married and having a child would damage his image as a heartthrob. At one point Priscilla considered having an abortion.
During their relationship and marriage, Elvis remained sexually active with countless other women, and Priscilla knew that was going on. When she reached a point where she knew Elvis was having affairs and she had no distinguishable life of her own, she wanted a divorce.
While still married and feeling desperately alone, Priscilla had sex with her karate instructor, Kiley Stone. Elvis encouraged her to take up karate as a way of filling her life with an activity. What started out as a sexual encounter soon became a full blown affair. Elvis learned of the it and was furious. After Elvis and Priscilla were divorced in 1973, Elvis tried to hire a hitman to kill Kiley Stone, but was he convinced by a friend not to follow through.
Four years after he and Priscilla divorced, Elvis died. After all she had been through with the man who earned the title of the “King of Rock 'n Roll,” she said Elvis was “the love of my life.” At the time of the divorce, Elvis’ health had deteriorated; and he was in and out of the hospital on a regular basis.
Priscilla also talked about the vulnerable Elvis she knew. He was a loner and did not have many friends. She often felt like one of her duties as his wife was to provide a shoulder for him to cry on.
When Elvis died, Priscilla inherited Graceland; and she created Elvis Presley Enterprises. Today, Priscilla is worth $50 million. She went on to have long-term relationship with another man, and the couple had a child. But, today, Priscilla is alone.
I have written and talked about the real story behind the murder of Marvin Gaye and the reasons many believe Kurt Cobain was murdered and did not commit suicide and now some interesting things about the dark side of Elvis.
Each week I hope to bring you parts of the real story behind the public image of rock stars. Obviously, these are brief capsules of stories revealing a mostly unknown side of famous rockers and books have been written about their personal lives, but it is entertaining to get a glimpse into what went on in the lives of rock stars beyond the image they project.
You can find all these stories - and my other blogs - on my page here on WWL.com. Additionally, these stories appear on the Scoot On The Air YouTube channel.
Thank you for taking the time to read or view these revealing stories about iconic rock stars.
