Elvis Had Some ‘Pretty Strict Rules’ When It Came to Dating: ‘He Was Every Mother’s Dream’
In the mid-1950s, Elvis Presley learned that his fame gave a huge boost to his dating life. Before this, though, he didn’t have many girlfriends. According to his bodyguard and friend, Red West, Elvis had a set of rigid rules for his romantic life. West described him as every mother’s dream.
Elvis had strict rules for dating
In the early 1950s, Elvis had two serious girlfriends. He would later date around, but West said he never did this before fame.
“Up until he went into the army, he pretty much was only involved with two real girlfriends, both Southern, both charming, and both very pretty,” West said in the book Elvis: What Happened? by Steve Dunleavy. “One was Dixie Locke and the other girl was a lady named Anita Wood. He never took advantage of who he was.”
West said Elvis had a strict code of conduct for himself when he was around his girlfriends.
“He still had some pretty strict rules when dealing with women,” he said. “He would never tolerate any of the guys around him cussing in front of ladies, and he would really get turned off if any of his friends went with a married lady or even a divorced lady. Things changed, of course.”
West believed any mother would be thrilled to learn their daughter was dating Elvis, and not because he was a rising star.
“He was every mother’s dream,” West said, adding, “He would ‘yes ma’am’ and ‘no ma’am’ women half to death. He would always stand up when a woman came into a room. It was very natural at first.”
Elvis relaxed his rules for dating after fame
As Elvis became more successful, though, West saw Elvis begin to relax his rules for dating. His rising popularity increased his confidence, and he wanted to explore his options with women.
“Toward the end of 1955, and Elvis suddenly found that he was one helluv an attractive guy off stage as well as on,” West said. “And he started to realize that women liked going to bed just as much as men did. One day in Memphis we were just cruising around in the pink Crown Victoria and we just came across two gals. I guess we knew them vaguely. They were more pick-ups than anything else.”
Priscilla Presley’s mother railed against Elvis
While West said Elvis was every mother’s dream, he was Priscilla Presley’s mother’s nightmare. She had a problem with their relationship, but she disliked Elvis even before he met her daughter.
“Some members of his adult audience were less enthusiastic,” Priscilla wrote in her book Elvis and Me. “Soon his performances were labeled as obscene. My mother stated emphatically that he was ‘a bad influence for teenage girls. He arouses things in them that shouldn’t be aroused. If there’s ever a mothers’ march against Elvis Presley, I’ll be the first in line.’”
Despite her mother’s trepidation, Priscilla could never find it in herself to dislike Elvis.
