Priscilla Beaulieu Presley

This was a book that made me re-evaluate my perspective of Elvis Presley. I grew up on his music, went to see Graceland as a kid, and watched his movies with my Mom. This book changed the way I looked at him, his music, and his character. I had heard stories about him when I was younger but most of it had been over his love for collecting badges and his favorite peanut butter and banana sandwiches.

When my Mom picked up this book, I was eager to read it. I wanted to know how Priscilla lived show more with Elvis, how their relationship had started, and what made it end. All of this I was eager to read.

Looking back, I saw Elvis was not a great person of character. He was controlling of his wife, made her dress a certain way, and believed once she gave birth he could not touch her anymore. He went on to have numerous affairs even going as far as to flaunt them in the newspapers. He did not care whether he hurt her feelings or not.

No matter how much you spin it - Elvis was a horrible human being. He did not care for anyone except himself (there was an exception to this equation as he adored his mother, Gladys, beyond all measure).

Priscilla tries to spend a romantic relationship with Elvis but it is anything but. She might love him, the lifestyle he could provide her, and the daughter they had together, but he kept her eyes in rose-colored glasses and in a bubble I doubt she realized he had placed her in. When he met her, she was young, impressionable and he was something new and shiny in her life. I think, because of this, she never realized that he was the one controlling the puppet strings he had placed on her.

Final Thought:
I wish I could say I liked this book, but that would be an entire lie. show less

Look at life with Elvis from Priscilla's viewpoint. She was a child of 14 when she met him and 17 when she moved into Graceland to live with him. As a "mama's boy" Elvis did not have sex with her until they married but they did heavy petting. Essentially she was a child he groomed. She could not express her own opinion about his music, even though he asked for it, as he became angry if she disagreed with him. After they married and she had a child, he became more distant and she knew he was show more seeing other women. For her own sanity and personal growth she had to leave him. A good move on her part. Essentially Elvis wanted her to be the good little wife to meet his needs but not have any thoughts of her own. A good book. show less

The audiobook of Elvis and Me by Priscilla Beaulieu Presley has been sitting in my Audible library for a while. I was motivated to listen to this book after recently reading From Here to the Great Unknown by Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough. While I was never a fan of Elvis Presley exactly, my upbringing was marked by my parents listening to his music and watching his movies. Upon discovering books written by his immediate family, I was naturally captivated. It is likely that this show more fascination stems from a sense of nostalgia.

Elvis and Me, originally published in 1985, was released as an audiobook in 2022. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Priscilla narrate the audiobook. It was such a joy to hear her laughter when she recounted funny stories. Priscilla provided a detailed account of her encounters with Elvis Presley, spanning their relationship, marriage, the birth of Lisa Marie Presley, their divorce, and Elvis’s passing. I commend Priscilla’s willingness to share such intimate and personal stories. The 1950s and 1960s were a unique era and culture. I had to keep that in mind when she recalled Elvis’s expectations for the type of woman he envisioned being with. It appears that Priscilla wanted to convey an accurate, human account of her life with Elvis. While she acknowledged his controlling tendencies, quick temper, and substance abuse, she also emphasized the numerous joyful moments they shared.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I was genuinely surprised by the revelations I gained, and I must admit to being somewhat disappointed to discover the extent of Elvis’s unfavorable traits. While I do not pass judgment on these behaviors, I am instead curious about the inherited traits, the effects of drug use, and the underlying personality factors that contributed to them. I empathized with the treatment Priscilla endured, while simultaneously admiring her personal growth and insightful perspective. Despite the fact that I was aware of their divorce, it was still emotionally moving to listen to her recount the moment she made the decision to leave Elvis. Regardless of the triumphs and tribulations they experienced, Priscilla’s deep love for Elvis remained undeniable. It is evident that he had a profound and enduring influence on her life, which continues to shape her even after his passing.

There’s a movie, Priscilla, based on this book that was released in 2023. I haven’t seen it, but it looks pretty good. I've included the trailer on my blog.

I have photos, videos, and additional information that I'm unable to include here. It can all be found on my blog, in the link below.
A Book And A Dog show less

Hooooo boy, this was a doozy. Now, I'm a huge Elvis fan - I have his name tattooed on my arm for Pete's sake. But I know that he had his own problems and demons, and that he never wanted to actually address those problems, which contributed to his downward spiral and death in 1977. What I didn't fully know were the details of Elvis and Priscilla Presley's courtship and marriage. Of course, it goes without saying that I took Priscilla's account with a grain of salt - not that I think she was show more outright making things up, but I'm sure there are things that were embellished or left out for the sake of the story, and for the sake of Elvis's memory.

Even so, their relationship - and Elvis himself - were not always presented in the best light. Priscilla admits that their relationship (while filled with love), was not healthy. First of all, they started dating when she was 14 (he was 24), and that's just weird. Elvis was able to mold Priscilla into his perfect woman, train her to be the perfect wife (one who was there for him whenever he needed her, had no other job or hobbies to distract from him, offered no opinions, and who always looked her best). Then there was the pills: sleeping pills, diet pills, uppers, all which contributed to Elvis's declining health and mental state (Priscilla said she took those pills as well, but claimed to have stopped after one particularly frightening, pill-fueled encounter with Elvis). Despite all the bad times (and there seemed to be mostly bad times), Elvis did have his moments of genuine love, affection, and generosity.

All that I have read so far about Elvis has been taken from biographies or accounts from members of his Memphis Mafia. It was interesting to see him from Priscilla's point of view, someone who met him and was deeply in love with him at such a young age, then had the veil lifted from her eyes as the years of manipulation and emotional turmoil continued. It's a shame that someone so talented just could not get out of his own way. show less