Priscilla Presley’s Parents Were Never Impressed by Elvis’ Celebrity Status
Priscilla Presley was 10 years younger than Elvis, meeting him when she was 14 and he was 24. He was one of the biggest celebrities in the world, and he wanted a relationship with her. Priscilla’s parents did not approve of this. They didn’t understand what Elvis wanted to do with her daughter. According to her, they weren’t even charmed by the fact that he was famous.
Priscilla Presley’s parents weren’t impressed by the fact that Elvis was famous
After Priscilla had gone on several dates with Elvis, her parents demanded to meet him. The fact that he wasn’t picking up Priscilla and dropping her off bothered them. They wondered why he hadn’t made an effort to greet them.
“By our fourth date, Dad had laid down the law: ‘If you want to continue seeing Elvis, we’re going to have to meet him,'” Priscilla wrote in her book Elvis and Me. “My parents weren’t so enthralled with his celebrity status that they were willing to compromise their principles.”
When Priscilla told Elvis that her parents wanted to meet him, he “bristled.” Still, he agreed to visit her home.
“‘I mean,’ I said nervously, ‘I can’t come see you anymore unless you come and meet my parents.’ He agreed — provided he could bring his father along.”
Elvis made a good impression on Priscilla Presley’s parents
As Priscilla waited for Elvis to arrive, she feared the worst. He was late, and Priscilla worried about her father’s reaction. Ultimately, though, his manners won her parents over.
“Instead of saying, ‘Hi,’ as most young men would have done, Elvis put out his hand and said, ‘Hello, I’m Elvis Presley and this is my daddy, Vernon,'” Priscilla recalled. “It sounded silly to me, they knew who he was, as did the whole world. But Elvis was the perfect gentleman. My father was visibly impressed, and from that moment on, Elvis always addressed him as Captain Beaulieu or Sir.”
Her mother was even more difficult to win over. Before Priscilla began dating Elvis, her mother railed against Elvis, calling him a bad influence on young women. Still, he charmed her.
“He was on his best behavior and it was endearing,” she wrote. “Mother was reserving judgment about this rock-and-roll star she had professed to dislike so much. I could see that his Southern charm was winning her over.”
The musician shared his intentions with her parents
At the dinner, Priscilla’s father laid out his rules for dating and asked Elvis what his intentions were for Priscilla. Priscilla noted that Elvis seemed caught off guard by the question.
“Elvis said, ‘Well, sir, I happen to be very fond of her. She’s a lot more mature than her age and I enjoy her company. It hasn’t been easy for me, being away from home and all. It gets kinda lonely. I guess you might say I need someone to talk to. You don’t have to worry about her, Captain. I’ll take good care of her.'”
Priscilla said Elvis’ honesty appeared to impress her parents. Still, they weren’t entirely sold on the relationship. As Priscilla pushed to get closer to Elvis, they grew increasingly concerned about the romance.
