Priscilla Presley Admitted She and Elvis ‘Were Seldom by Ourselves’: There Was Always an ‘Entourage’
Life with Elvis Presley was unlike any other admitted Priscilla Presley. The king of rock and roll was happiest when surrounded by family and friends, with whom he enjoyed many happy times. However, that presented a challenge to his marriage. Prisiclla says she and Elvis “were seldom by ourselves,” and there was always an “entourage.”
Priscilla Presley says there was always an ‘entourage’ surrounding Elvis
One of the aspects of life at Elvis Presley’s Graceland home was that there was seldom a private moment. In a 1973 interview for Ladies Home Journal, as reprinted by Elvis Presley Music, Priscilla admits that the couple rarely had time together without someone within listening distance.
“If Elvis got time off, we’d take a trip, but we were seldom by ourselves,” she admitted. “For instance, our stay in Hawaii was supposed to be a cozy family vacation.”
She continued, “Elvis had finished filming Blue Hawaii and wanted to show me the islands. So we rented a bungalow with a private beach. But with an entourage of twelve people (each guy and his wife), how intimate can you become?”
Priscilla concluded, “I accepted it, but occasionally if I became resentful, Elvis would tease me out of it.”
Elvis Presley tried to soothe Priscilla’s feelings
Although Elvis and Prisiclla spent a lot of time apart due to his filming and recording schedule, he was determined to make it up to her when he returned home. He was famously generous and tried to soothe any issues in his marriage with extravagant gifts. Cars were a favorite indulgence.
“It was difficult for Elvis to buy for me. He would often tell me to get what I wanted, which I liked,” she explained.
“He gave me all of the cars that I have had. We started with a little red Corvair, then a Chevrolet, a Toronado, an Eldorado, and then the Mercedes, a white one,” she revealed.
Priscilla also revealed that Elvis drove her around in a Lincoln Continental, equipped with a television and a bar serving soft drinks. She revealed, “We had a day cook and a night cook, who prepared simple American food,” eliminating that day-to-day task from Priscilla’s repertoire.
Ultimately, the couple split in 1973
Priscilla and Elvis Presley were together from 1959 through 1973 when their divorce was finalized. The couple was separated for more time than they were together, which was one contributing factor to their split.
She told Ladies Home Journal that the come-and-go aspect of Elvis’ life and career became routine. “For Elvis to come home from a trip and leave again was routine.”
“The times that Elvis couldn’t make an anniversary became a way of life. I may have been hurt, but you make an adjustment as a wife,” Priscilla assessed.
She continued, “I kept thinking, ‘It will work itself out. We’ll make it somehow!'”
“I had to because if you think ‘I’m always going to be alone,’ you’ll go crazy. You have to live one day at a time and hope that things aren’t always going to be like that,” Priscilla concluded.
Elvis and Priscilla Presley welcomed one daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, in 1968. After their split, they co-parented until Elvis’ death in August 1977.
