Priscilla Presley Said Her Marriage to Elvis Became ‘Strictly Superficial’ When His Career Improved
Priscilla Presley noticed her relationship with Elvis Presley suffered whenever his career dipped. Unfortunately, career success didn’t exactly help their marriage. While Elvis wasn’t prone to mood swings when he was enjoying his career, there was still a distance between them. Priscilla explained why she felt her marriage became superficial when Elvis’ career began to improve.
Priscilla Presley felt a growing distance between herself and Elvis when her career improved
In 1968, Elvis had the opportunity to film a TV special. He hadn’t appeared on television in years and had recently experienced a series of career disappointments. This special allowed him to take creative control for the first time in several years, which he found thrilling. He threw himself into preparations for it.
“Elvis knew this special was a big step in his career,” Priscilla wrote in her book Elvis and Me. “He could not fail. For two straight months he worked harder than on all his movies combined. It was the most important event in his life.”
As Elvis worked on this, Priscilla threw herself into music and dance, which she wanted to share with her husband. Ultimately, though, all he could think about was the special. This put some distance between them.
“He was away much of the time, and when we did see each other our level of communication was strictly superficial,” she explained. “Each absorbed in our own separate pursuits, we had little in common except our daughter.”
Priscilla wasn’t sure what to do about this. She wanted to bring attention to the problems in their marriage but didn’t want to damage his excitement about the special.
“My approach with him was delicate: I was aware of the distance growing between us,” she wrote. “But because of his preoccupation with the special, I realized the last thing he needed from me was a statement that I feared we were drifting apart.”
She was still proud of his success
While Priscilla was concerned about her relationship, she was still excited about Elvis’ success. The special proved he could still command audiences and gave him a new vigor in recording sessions.
“Watching Elvis sing with confidence again, honing each word in his own style, filled us all with pride,” she wrote. “What a contrast to sessions in the past that had been filled with anger, frustration, and disappointment, resulting in late arrivals or, on occasion, no-shows.”
Priscilla had worried about Elvis’ career for so long that the success was a relief.
Priscilla Presley said her relationship with Elvis also suffered when his career wasn’t going well
While Elvis’ career highs put distance between himself and Priscilla, his career lows were even more damaging to their relationship.
“When he had low points, nothing could get him out of it. I also believe that that’s why Elvis felt his help with some of the pills would get him out of that,” she told Barbara Walters, adding, “I mean, he went through an awful lot. A lot was expected of him. A lot of demands were put on him.”
When he struggled with his career, he refused any help from Priscilla. She grew so upset about her inability to help him that she eventually developed an ulcer. While his new success might have put distance between them, it was preferable to the agony of his career lows.
