Elvis Presley: Was Ginger Alden Banned From Graceland After King of Rock and Roll’s Death?
Elvis Presley was engaged to Ginger Alden upon his death. She was the first person to find him unresponsive in his bathroom on the afternoon of Aug. 16, 1977. Shortly after, Ginger was no longer part of Elvis’ inner circle. Was she banned from Graceland after Elvis’ untimely death?
Ginger Alden reportedly never returned to Graceland after Elvis Presley’s death
After Elvis’ death, Ginger Alden left Graceland for good. However, much speculation has been regarding her exit.
Several of Elvis’ inner circle members weren’t too fond of Ginger. Reportedly, neither was the entertainer’s father, Vernon Presley.
He told Good Housekeeping Magazine that he didn’t know Ginger well when Elvis announced he wanted to make her his second wife. “Elvis told me he’d fallen in love with her.”
Vernon wrote, “She’s not much of a talker.” He clarified the king of rock and roll told him he wanted to have children with the then 20-year-old.
However, after Elvis’ death, Vernon’s brother, Vester Presley, was more outspoken about Ginger. Additionally, Express reported, “Ginger Alden is dead now as far as the family is concerned. We don’t even recognize her as a human being.”
Vester continued, “She couldn’t get in here [Graceland] on her own to save her life. She’s barred from inside the house. She can go to the grave by calling and asking. Any time she comes to this gate, I’ve got to call Vernon and OK it.”
“We’re not interested in her. She took advantage of Elvis’ name,” he concluded.
Ginger Alden didn’t live at Graceland full-time with Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley and Ginger Alden’s relationship progressed quickly. The couple dated from November 1976 to his death on August 16, 1977.
The king’s friend, George Klein, tried to set him up with Ginger’s sister Terri Alden. However, Elvis was reportedly smitten with Ginger when the sisters visited Graceland.
Ginger described in her book Elvis & Ginger how, after less than one year, Elvis proposed. He said: ‘Ginger, I’ve been searching for love so long, and never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would find it in my own backyard.”
About two months into their relationship, Ginger wrote that Elvis asked her, “Would you like to move in?” she claims, “To just move into Graceland without being married first was something I didn’t believe in, or feel was appropriate at the time. I came from a pretty conservative background.”
She continued, “My sisters and I were brought up believing that you lived with someone only after marriage. Hoping he would understand, I looked him in the eye and nervously said, ‘Elvis, it just isn’t my way.’ Fortunately, Elvis seemed OK with that, smiled, and said, ‘Fine, I respect you for that.’”
Ginger Alden honored Elvis Presley and their relationship on his 2023 death anniversary
In the years since Elvis Presley’s death, Ginger Alden has been interviewed regarding her relationship with the king of rock and roll. Subsequently, she penned a retelling of their relationship.
Ginger remains active on social media and continues to share her memories regarding her short-lived relationship with Elvis. She honored the king of rock and roll on his 2023 death anniversary.
Her Facebook post contained photos and little-known information regarding their union. She only shares positive commentary regarding the king of rock and roll.
She wrote, “In late 1976, Elvis came into my life and profoundly impacted it. Our nine months God gave us together seemed to equal that of a few years as I jumped onto what felt like a fast-moving train with Elvis teaching and confiding as he shared his thoughts and feelings, wanting me to ‘catch up’ and become a part of his amazing life.”
Ginger continued, “He was older, I was young, but I would not have changed our age difference for the world. It was where it was supposed to be for us, where God placed us.”
Then, she dove into some little-known facts about their relationship. “I loved him deeply and knew he felt the same. I cared for, pampered, and tried to understand him as complex as I learned he could be.”
She concluded she was “thinking of Elvis” with “the deepest love for his concern and compassion for others, his overwhelming generosity and oh, that beautiful voice. Never to be forgotten and so very, very missed.”
Elvis Presley and Ginger Alden’s relationship lasted less than one year. However, she married attorney Ronald Leyser in 1991, and they were wed until he died in 2015. Additionally, they had one son, Hunter.
