The Dark Truth about Elvis Presley's relationship with his mother

in the captivating story of Elvis Presley's life one often encounters the celebrated bond between the king of rock and roll and his mother Gladys however beneath the surface of the seemingly idyllic relationship lies a darker truth that unveils the complexities and struggles that both Elvis and Gladys faced this exploration delves into the intricate Dynamics unfulfilled dreams and heart-wrenching tragedies that shaped their connection shedding light on the profound impact of their shared journey and the haunting presence of a love that could never be fully realized watch this video to learn more in the 1957 movie musical loving you the character Deke Rivers played by Elvis Presley performs the song got a lot of living to do in a nationwide broadcast that captures the hearts of Americans who had once dismissed him as a troublemaking youth in the audience captured on film is Elvis's real life Mother Gladys despite being considerably overweight and appearing older than her 44 years she sits at the end of a row clapping along and exuding pride and excitement This Moment On Screen portrays Gladys as a proud mother reveling in her son's remarkable success just like the thousands of girls who attended Elvis shows Gladys was an integral part of Elvis's image from the beginning early magazine articles often highlighted Elvis's close relationship with his parents particularly his mother the story suggested that his devotion was deepened by his upbringing as a God-fearing Southern boy and as an only child whose twin brother died at Birth Elvis once mentioned in an interview that whenever he couldn't sleep his mother would rise from her bed to comfort and discuss his worries with him regardless of the late hour however behind the media portrayal of a blissful American Dream fueled by Elvis's skyrocketing Fame Gladys actually experienced deep despair vladis love Smith was 21 years old when she met Vernon Presley in her hometown of Tupelo Mississippi in 1933. they eloped and got married that summer lying about their ages to make it legal their passionate love affair quickly cooled and in 1938 Vernon was sentenced to three years in parchment Penitentiary for Czech forgery during his absence three-year-old Elvis became the man of the house gladys's older sister Lillian recounted how Elvis would comfort his mother by patting her on the head and saying there there my little baby even as Elvis Grew Older he and his mother had their own language with words like sooties for toes Butch for milk Saturn for Gladys and naughty for Elvis unable to have more children Gladys was reluctant to let Elvis out of her sight believing that when one twin dies the other gains all their strength Elvis as a young boy promised to pay off the family debts buy fancy cars and provide them with a big house a pledge he fulfilled as the sole Breadwinner from the age of 19. some perceived Gladys as an overbearing mother and Elvis as a helpless mama's boy or worse Vernon's second wife D Stanley even spread rumors that Elvis had a sexual relationship with his mother however there is no evidence to support such claims while they did sleep together when Elvis was a child due to the lack of mattresses in their home the Presley's living conditions were far from extravagant while Gladys may have been controlling in some aspects she recognized the importance of allowing Elvis his freedom in the realm of music from the age of nine Elvis would attend local radio broadcasts alone and listen to various genres of music after the family moved to Memphis he frequented the blues joints on Beale Street but he always returned home and shared everything about his day with his mother gladys's dream for her son was for him to become a businessman settle down with a wife and family however when Elvis was 19 and spent a year trying to get noticed by Sam Phillips the manager of Sun Records he recorded that's all right which was played on the radio Gladys recalled being so shaken by hearing Elvis's name mentioned by the DJ that she couldn't even hear the song this moment signified a mix of excitement and fear for Gladys as the last time her husband's name was publicly spoken was during his sentencing gladys's fears were not unfounded during the initial months of Elvis's success she and Vernon attended his shows at one High School Dance the audience mocked the stage and Gladys threw herself into The Fray protecting her son and demanding to know why the girls were trying to harm him in May 1955 hundreds of teenage girls broke into his dressing room and stripped him of his clothes while Elvis found the incident amusing Gladys began to fear for her son's life Elvis was determined to seize every opportunity his Fame afforded him and his womanizing Tendencies began early in his career Jimmy Snow a country singer who roomed with Elvis on tour in 1955 remembered elvies bringing multiple girls back to the hotel each night while Gladys certainly chastised him for straying from Jesus's plan and we even smack him across the head she enabled his behavior to some extent Gladys actively supported Elvis's relationships with girls as young as 14. interviewing them to assess their suitability for her son and reminding them that Elvis had some Wild Oats to sow until they were ready for marriage whenever Elvis was away his current best girl would often sleep in his bedroom at the family home partly to keep Gladys company and partly so Gladys could keep an eye on her in 1956 Elvis faced a media frenzy surrounding his perceived provocative performances which led to him being blamed for various societal fears such as racial mixing riots and juvenile delinquency one Baptist Minister even prayed for Elvis's soul this must have been bewildering for Gladys who had raised her son to respect biblical teachings and always be polite as a way to cope she turned to alcohol secretly aware of Elvis's distaste for it due to his grandfather's reputation as a cruel drunkard Gladys concealed beer in a paper sack and tried to mask the smell on her breath by eating raw onions nevertheless Gladys did her best to live the life of a Superstar's mother albeit in her own unique way at their new house on Audubon Drive in Memphis Gladys would chat with fans at the gate and allow them to come up the drive to see Elvis's cars even providing them with tissues to wipe the dust off the fenders as a keepsake however the real trouble for Gladys was the growing distance between her and her son his career kept him away from home for months at a time taking him to places she could scarcely imagine in 1957 the family moved to Graceland the 14-acre Mansion Elvis purchased in the hopes of making his increasingly unhappy mother content initially Gladys enjoyed the luxuries of Graceland with Elvis buying her two mix master mixers for the kitchen so she wouldn't have to walk too far however she became frustrated with how her son's Fame isolated her from normal social interactions with neighbors the final blow came when she was forbidden from feeding her chickens in front of the house because it tarnished Elvis's image to Elvis Graceland represented the culmination of his dreams a public Declaration of his success and blessings but for Gladys it became a place of illness isolation and depression by early 1958 she was suffering from undiagnosed hepatitis a result of her alcoholism she confided in her cousin that she was the most miserable woman on Earth when Elvis was drafted into the army in March 1958 it marked the beginning of the end for glass especially upon learning that he would be stationed in Germany she was too unwell to travel and in her mind Germany only meant war and more life-threatening situations for her beloved Son at this point gladys's Health deteriorated significantly Elvis tried to keep her close by renting a house near his army training base in Texas but by August 1958 Gladys was back in Memphis hospitalized on August 14 1958 at the age of 46 she passed away from acute hepatitis and severe liver damage it is often said that Elvis's tragedy was the early loss of his mother and one can hear the haunting effect of her absence in his voice she was the woman he had to leave the only woman he truly loved the woman he could never make happy however gladys's own tragedy is often overlooked her son's success brought her the big house and fancy cars he had promised but she couldn't drive and she was left alone in the house waiting for his calls the relationship between Elvis Presley and his mother Gladys is a tale of love and tragedy marked by Deep affection and unfulfilled desires their bonds shaped their lives profoundly but the untimely loss of Gladys left Elvis Forever haunted and longing for the love he could never fully Attain their story reflects the complexities of human connections and the enduring impact of a mother's love on an iconic figure like Elvis how do you perceive the influence of Gladys on Elvis's life and career do you think her role as a mother had a significant impact on shaping Elvis personality and choices leave a comment below and let us know your thoughts and if you found this video interesting and want to stay updated on similar topics don't forget to subscribe to our Channel and click the notification icon we'll be sure to keep you in the loop on all the latest news and stories

Channel: Celebrity Lifestyle & Moments

Views: 130,863

Keywords: elvis presley, elvis, CL&M, lisa marie presley, priscilla, riley keough

Id: RzRnMqS2fGA

Length: 10min 39sec (639 seconds)

Published: Sat Jul 15 2023