Elvis Presley was an American superstar for a large portion of his career and won the hearts of innumerable women. However, some claim that the legendary performer had feelings for just one woman—his mother Gladys Presley.
Gladys had a significant influence on Elvis. She showered her only kid with her ambitions and emotions while being too protective and adoring. She, however, withered under the harsh limelight while he rose to fame and prosperity.
Elvis was terribly crushed by her untimely death in 1958, which predicted his own premature demise nearly exactly 19 years later.
Gladys Presley And The Birth Of Elvis
Gladys Presley, who was born Gladys Love Smith on April 25, 1912, grew up in a very different environment from the fame and wealth that her son would one day experience. She was born and raised in Mississippi as the daughter of a cotton farmer.
Gladys met Vernon Presley in a church in the 1930s. They lied about their ages in order to get married in 1933, despite the fact that she was four years older than him and Vernon, at 17, was underage. Gladys soon became pregnant.
But on January 8, 1935, disaster struck as she was about to give birth. Gladys gave birth to twins, but Jesse Garon Presley, the first boy, died during delivery. Elvis Aaron Presley, the second boy, was the only one to live.
Gladys believed that this meant Elvis had absorbed the full potential that his twin brother would have possessed if he had lived. “When one twin died, the one that lived gained all the strength of both,” she apparently thought.
She would also show Elvis twice as much love in the years to come.
The Devastating Death Of Elvis Presley’s Mother
The illness of Elvis Presley’s mother was announced in August 1958. Elvis, who was then a member of the American Army stationed in Germany, made a hasty return home to see her and made it in time. Gladys Presley died on August 14, 1958, at the age of 46. Although a heart attack was the initial cause, it was later discovered that alcohol poisoning’s impact on the liver was a contributing factor.
Elvis Presley declared, “It broke my heart.” She has always been my favourite girl.
Elvis was inconsolable during her funeral. “Goodbye, sweetheart. The singer told Gladys Presley at her grave, “We loved you. Oh my God, everything I own has been lost. I made my life a living for you. You had my utmost love.
After burying his mother, Elvis could hardly walk. And many people who knew Elvis well claimed that after Gladys passed away, he underwent an irreversible change, grieving her loss for years, and considering her in relation to almost everything he did.
Elvis Presley’s mother continued to have a significant impact on the singer even after her death. When he first met Priscilla, who would become his wife, he spoke nonstop about Gladys. He may have even noticed similarities between the two of them. Furthermore, as Priscilla would later observe, Elvis’ mother was the real “love of his life.”
Though many people were moved by his deep bond with Gladys, others questioned how “unusually” close they were. The deep bond between mother and son seemed to astound even Elvis’s father Vernon, who was extremely close to his son. Elvis never forgot about it.
In a strange manner, even Elvis’ passing complemented his mother. Elvis Presley passed away on August 16, 1977, almost precisely 19 years after burying Gladys.
Ever the devoted son, Elvis reunited his family after his passing. At his Graceland estate, he is interred next to his parents.
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What led to the death of Gladys Presley?
Gladys Presley’s life started to get depressed. She apparently confided in a friend that she wished they were back in poverty. The life they were currently leading was so different from what she was used to.
She would then start drinking more frequently and start using diet medications. Later, in 1958, Gladys would contract hepatitis.
On August 14, 1958, Gladys would fall unwell and tragically pass away. She died of a heart attack, but it was later determined that alcohol poisoning’s effect on her liver contributed to her early demise.
Gladys Presley’s passing would alter Elvis for good. After the funeral, according to friends, he could not move and was inconsolable. It would be unexpected given the nature of their relationship if he didn’t feel that way.
Elvis died of a heart attack on August 16, 1977, almost exactly the same day as his mother passed away. Two more years passed before his father, Vernon, also passed away from a heart arrest.
At the Graceland estate in Memphis, Tennessee, the Presley family’s graves are situated side by side.
Final Words
Elvis Presley and his mother Gladys Presley were well recognised for their strong relationship. He would never be the same after she sadly died of a heart attack in 1958.
