Elvis Presley: Why Singer Darlene Love Refused to Sleep With Him

Elvis Presley was a legendary ladies’ man, however, not every woman he desired decided to sleep with him. For example, singer Darlene Love worked with him but she turned down his advances. Here’s why she decided not to get intimate with him — and where her career went from there.

What happened when Elvis Presley asked a singer to see him alone

Firstly, a little background. Love is mostly known for her collaborations with Phil Spector. She sang a Christmas song penned by him called “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).” She was also in a girl group called The Blossoms which performed backup for Elvis. Love even appeared in Change of Habit, the final film in which Elvis acted. 

She told Dazed that Elvis made an advance on her during the film’s production. “While we were doing the movie we broke for lunch and I told the girls, ‘Go on ahead, I’ll catch up with you,’” Love recalled. “I had to get my sunglasses and on the way back to my car Elvis was still in his trailer. His door was open and he saw me pass by and said, ‘Oh Darlene, would you come in for a minute?’ He was always surrounded by people so I figured he must want something really important, because there was nobody around.”

Afterward, Elvis revealed his intentions. “He said, ‘Well, I’ve had this thing on my mind for a while. You know, I’ve never had a relationship with a Black woman.’ Before he could say anything else, I said, ‘…And you ain’t getting ready to have one with this one either!’ We both fell out laughing.”

Why Darlene Love turned down the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll

In a separate interview with The Village Voice, Michael Musto asked Love if there was any sexual tension between Elvis and herself. “There was. It could have been. But I was too scared to do anything.”

In addition, Musto asked if she wanted to be professional around Elvis. “And I definitely did. Something about dating someone you’re working for, it takes away from that.” Love said Elvis wouldn’t see her the same way if they got intimate. She revealed Elvis respected her a great deal. Love said she feels Elvis died too soon and hopes to see him again in the afterlife.

The surprising places Darlene Love’s career went from there

Although Love released her most famous song — “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” in the 1960s, her career didn’t stop there. Afterward, she played the wife of Danny Glover’s character in the Lethal Weapon movies. In addition, she performed a song called “All Alone on Christmas” for Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. The song sounds like a belated sequel to “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” with similar lyrics and Spector-esque production. Both tunes remain seasonal favorites. Love didn’t get intimate with Elvis, however, she had a notable career nonetheless.