Elvis Presley and Linda Thompson: The Song That Marked the End of Their Love Affair

Elvis Presley and Linda Thompson’s relationship was one of the most defining of Elvis’ life. He loved Thompson’s nurturing ways. In turn, she cared deeply for Elvis, and often acted as his confidante and caregiver, offering emotional and physical support. However, the end of their four-year relationship marked a turning point for both. Thompson used a song to convey to Elvis that their time together had come to an end.

Linda Thompson said it took a year before she could tell Elvis Presley she was leaving him

Elvis Presley’s declining health and pill dependency frightened Linda Thompson, his girlfriend of four years. He relied on her tending to his needs, giving her the nickname “Mommy.”

However, Thompson said in her book A Little Thing Called Life: On Loving Elvis Presley, Bruce Jenner, and Songs in Between that she was tired of being Elvis’ caregiver; she wanted something more.

Thompson said that on their first night together, she was shocked by the number of pill bottles on Elvis’ nightstand. She asked, “Have you been sick? He claimed that he needed a sleeping aid, but it knocked him out cold. There were many times when I saved his life by clearing his breathing passages.”

Thompson added, “I would wake up constantly while we were sleeping to check on him. Exhausted, I also knew that he was seeing other women, which hurt.”

“I thought that without my care he may very well die, but I knew it wasn’t my role in life to stay and keep him alive. I also knew that I may find him deceased anyway, and I would be devastated if it happened on my watch. It took me nearly a year to wean myself away from him in increments, taking vacations with my family.”

Finally, Thompson used the Rolf Lovland song “Fairytale “to convey her feelings. “It has a line: ‘I tried my best to love you and now I’m walking out the door.’ He didn’t get the hint, but he recorded the song,” she explained in her book.

When was the last time Linda Thompson saw Elvis Presley alive?

The last time Linda Thompson saw Elvis Presley alive was in December 1976, approximately eight months before his death. By that time, their romantic relationship had ended, but they remained on friendly terms.

Thompson and Elvis had broken up earlier in 1976. Despite their separation, she continued to care about him deeply and they saw one another from time to time.

During their final meeting, Thompson felt Elvis was in declining health. Elvis suggested Thompson fly back to Memphis to rest and leave the tour she accompanied him on.

“I said, ‘Are you sure you don’t have another girl waiting downstairs?’ because I knew he did. ‘Oh, no, honey…’ He was lying through his teeth, but by that point, I was too jaded to argue. I just said, ‘OK, I love you, too’. That was the last time I saw him alive.”

How did Linda Thompson find out Elvis had died?

Linda Thompson found out Elvis Presley had died after his nine-year-old daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, called her. Linda was reportedly the first person Lisa told of her father’s passing.

Thompson admitted to People Magazine, “I will always be profoundly grateful to the little nine-year-old Lisa Marie, who had the presence of mind to call me from Graceland the fateful day her daddy died to give me the news. I was the first person she called. To me, that spoke volumes of how close we were, and how sure she was of my love for her daddy.”

“When Lisa was a little girl, I played Santa Claus to her four times at Christmas, and I was the Easter bunny on Easter, hiding eggs around Graceland,” Thompson added. “We took golf cart rides together, and Elvis trusted me and my love for her enough that he let me drive her to the movies, and to visit my family.”

Thompson concluded, “Lisa Marie was, without a doubt, the greatest love of Elvis’s life. I think most parents understand that unconditional love can compare to no other. He was happiest and felt most complete when she was with us. The three of us would press our foreheads together, rocking back and forth. We called that mugging. I could hear Elvis grind his teeth, the love was so intense.”

Linda Thompson dated Elvis Presley from July 1972 through December 1976. Less than one year later, Elvis died on Aug. 16, 1977.