Why is this the first
time you’ve spoken about your time
with Elvis? I really don’t do any
interviews because it makes me sad
sometimes when I think back to Elvis’
tragic death, he should still be here
with us and I just get upset. So I’ve
stayed at home in Mississippi with my
husband, three children and six
grandchildren.
Tell me about your
first date with Elvis?
I went on to do Dance
Party with Wink Martindale
which was a Saturday
programme for teenagers
where George Klein worked.
I really was not an Elvis
fan before I met him but I
was a disc jockey and I
did play his records.
Well, one particular
Saturday Lamar Fike called
me and said that Elvis
would like to meet me and
I told him that I was
sorry but I already had a
date for that night. I
explained that I couldn’t
let my date down, Elvis
wouldn’t have liked it if
it were him and that I was
very sorry.
A couple of weeks later
Lamar called again and
said Elvis would like a
date and was I free that
night. At the time I was
living with a lady that I
had met called Miss Patty
who became a real mother
figure to me and I told
Lamar to ask Elvis to pick
me up there and we set a
time. When he came buy in
his Cadillac, Elvis was
driving. He sent George
Klein up to the door,
which was a big mistake,
and Miss Patty told him
that she was sorry but
Elvis would have to come
himself if he wanted a
date. Anyway, Elvis came
back with George, this was
just after he had made
Loving You and he wore a
red velvet shirt and
looked very, very
handsome. I must say that
he was the best looking
man that I have ever seen.
Anyway, George made the
introductions to me and to
Miss Patty who told them
to have me back at a
sensible hour or she
wouldn’t let me go. I went
out to the Cadillac and
there was Lamar and a few
other guys. We just drove
around laughing and
talking, having a great
time.
Elvis got hungry so he
stopped by the store for
some hamburgers. We drove
up to Graceland were I
remember he had a whole
lot of teddy bears in the
dinning room. All of a
sudden Elvis said, “I want
to show you my bedroom”
and so we went upstairs
and he started to kiss
me. Now, this was the
first date and his hands
started to move were I
thought they shouldn’t so
I said, “I think I need to
go home now.” He acted
real nice, we went down
stairs and he took me
home. And the second date?
The second date was a
couple of nights later and
we went up to Graceland
again.
You know Elvis still had
an old truck and we’d get
in it and he would drive
me down to Lauderdale
Courts to show me where he
used to live. He’d show me
around Memphis and nobody
would ever bother us
because they really didn’t
recognize him in that
truck. We just went back
to his house, we watched
television, ate and had a
good time, then Elvis took
me home.
How long were you with
Elvis before you both felt
that you were really in
love with each other?
Well, I’d never really had
a serious boyfriend
because my parents were
very strict. I wasn’t
allowed to go on dates and
I was nineteen when I met
Elvis so he was really my
first one. I’ve always
said that Elvis was my
first love but Johnny is
my true love. Elvis and I
saw each other a lot and
after about two months we
were on a date and after
he took me home we stood
on the porch and he said,
“Little, I think I’m
falling in love with you.”
He was loving, kind and he
made me laugh.
What
are you recollections of
Elvis’ army induction? When
Elvis was inducted into
the army I had to go to
New York for thirteen
weeks to work on the Andy
Williams talk show. Before
this though, Elvis took me
to Killeen, Texas where he
was stationed.
His mother wasn’t feeling
to good at this time and I
thought the world of her.
She and I often talked
about the time that Elvis
would marry me and we
would have a little boy
and that just made her
very happy. But anyway,
she got real sick and
Elvis called me one
morning and told me of her
death. I drove up to
Graceland and there was
Mr. Presley and Elvis
sitting on the front porch
and they were so sad. I
couldn’t really sympathize
with them because at that
time I didn’t know what it
was like to lose a parent.
When I did loose my Dad, I
talked to Elvis to let him
know that I knew how he
had felt.
After that I spent time
with Elvis on base at Fort
Hood with his family.
Elvis looked tanned and
wonderful. He had no dye
on his hair, it was not a
crew cut but it was cut
short, he looked great. I
would just go over and it
was like a regular date
but the guys had to be
with us all the time but I
love them, really. We’d go
to Waco to visit friends
and have a really good
time.
How was it for you when
Elvis left for Germany?
It was not very nice as
Mrs. Presley was not there
and there were lots of
women and girlfriends
around and I felt uneasy.
Do you remember the last
thing Elvis said to you
before he left? Do I
remember the last thing he
said to me? Yeah, I
remember, he said, "I love
you, Little...."
I
understand Elvis bought you a 1957
Ford and a diamond friendship ring
before he left? He
gave me a lot of things but I never
asked for anything because I loved
him. The ring was the first thing he
ever gave me and now my daughter has
it and she wears it to this day. I
gave the car to my brother when I got
married and I gave certain toys and
jewelry that he gave me to my
bridesmaids. I thought that my husband
would not appreciate me bringing these
things into our marriage, gifts I
received from another man. I would not
appreciate him doing that so I gave
everything away except that little
ring.
Do you
have any photographs of Elvis that we
haven’t seen?
You know, I do have one of Elvis
when he came by Miss Patty’s. We were
standing out front talking when the
picture was taken. I do have some
pictures but Elvis did not want the
newspapers to know anything about how
serious we were so not many
photographs were taken.
In all
honesty, why didn’t you two get
married?
Elvis told me that Colonel Tom Parker
had said no because if he got married
or engaged or anything, with that kind
of career, he didn’t need that kind of
publicity. How did you finally find
out about Priscilla? I was with Elvis
when he was shooting movie in 1962 and
one time when he went to the studio I
stayed at home. I was up in Elvis’
room looking through some books in the
library and inside one was a letter. I
opened the letter and it was from
Priscilla. Let me tell you, I was mad
because he had not mentioned any other
women. When I asked him about it he
got upset and told me that it was just
a love letter from some fan. We had a
big fight and Elvis grabbed me and
threw me up against the closet.
Thing’s obviously became
difficult from then on. How did it
finally end?
One afternoon Elvis was sitting in
the kitchen, I think he was with Alan
Fortas, and I was on my way down the
backstairs. All of a sudden I heard
Elvis say, “I’m having a hard time
making up my mind between them.” I was
hurt and I walked in and simply said,
“well, I’m going to make your mind up
for you” and I left. I wasn’t going to
remain there in that situation. Elvis
came after me and said, “I prey to God
you’re doing the right thing” and I
told him that it didn’t matter and it
didn’t make any difference. Elvis
became upset and Mr. Presley began to
cry too. Elvis was trying to put money
in my purse and I just didn’t know
what was going on. It was very hard
but I never went back.
