67, 68, 76, 100, 107, 117, 142, 149, 169, 185, 203–4, 207–8, 224, 241, 243, 252, 366, 464, 477–78, 486, 499, 505, 526, 531, 536, 596; education of, 28, 29, 30, 31, 37, 39, 45, 54–57; eye problems of, 510, 511, 540, 566, 589; fame/popularity of, 77, 96, 97, 103–4, 113, 129, 131, 132, 133, 147, 215, 349–50; family background of, 2–3, 9–10; fears and phobias of, 28, 54, 173; financial affairs of, 89, 109, 132, 133, 142, 172, 185, 191–92, 275, 316, 332, 386, 389, 403, 405, 408, 414, 419, 422, 424, 433–34, 437–38, 440, 449, 459, 472, 479, 489, 500–501, 519, 521, 534, 574–75, 597; generosity of, 433; gold lamé vest for, 203–4, 207–8, 241; gold suit of, 243; grave of, 14; hair of, 211, 466; health problems of, 334, 406, 425–26, 511, 515, 540, 559, 587, 593; hedonism of, 216, 426; hospitalizations of, 171, 228, 293, 510, 528, 532, 535, 537, 540–41, 561, 567, 590; identity of, 26, 33, 188–89; image of, 208, 215, 288, 290, 321, 325, 341, 440, 450, 464, 525; infantalization of, 25; influences on, 35–37, 460; injuries of, 436–37; intelligence of, 131; legacy of, 268; loneliness and isolation of, 229; moods of, 361, 421, 423, 536, 566, 576, 599; musical advice from, 118; nicknames for, 386; in the nude, 516–17; personality and character of, 32, 47, 52, 54, 86, 109, 135, 140, 157, 268, 335, 348, 361, 366, 395, 409; plastic surgery for, 211; poetry of, 11; as preaching to party guests, 426–27; Priscilla’s divorce from, 519–20, 523, 528, 534–35, 537, 556, 583, 593; racism of, 565–66; reputation of, 47; as role model, 249; security for, 197, 419; self-confidence of, 380; self-destruction characteristics of, 489, 513, 517; self-image of, 26, 375, 508; senior prom of, 60–61, 63; skin problems of, 315–16, 435, 461, 502–3, 509, 601; sleep problems of, 53, 157–58, 162; stress of, 226–27; suicide thoughts of, 584; as teen heartthrob, 61; threats against, 489, 492, 494; “twin toe” of, 24; underwear of, 90, 355; wedding of Priscilla and, 440–41; weight of, 434, 435, 436, 442, 459, 461, 477, 530–31, 535, 536, 559–60, 565, 567, 571, 575, 593, 598; white buck shoes of, 201; will of, 587–88, 589; youthful jobs of, 50, 51, 54, 58, 59, 60, 65, 70–71. See also specific person or topic
Presley, Elvis Jr., 247
Presley, Gladys Love Smith (mother): appearance of, 1, 4–5, 136; baby joke of, 28–29; Billy’s closeness to, 412; Biloxi visit of, 165; birth of, 2; birthday presents for Elvis from, 34; blue-eyed girl warning of, 300; bond between Elvis and, 2, 217, 251, 454; and buying of Audubon Drive House, 217–18; childhood and youth of, 1–3, 4–8; and compartmentalization of Elvis’s behavior, 85; control of Elvis by, 25–26; and
Presley, Gladys Love Smith (mother) (continued)
criticisms of Elvis, 168, 169; death and funeral of, 25, 257, 259–68; dog of, 136, 189; drinking and drugs of, 136, 195, 216, 250–51, 339; and Elvis’s appearance, 51, 211; and Elvis as a child musician, 45, 46; and Elvis as sex star, 89, 90; and Elvis’s birth, 11–12; Elvis’s challenges to, 33; and Elvis’s childhood and youth, 14–19, 22–23, 28, 32–34, 45, 46, 47–48, 91; and Elvis’s dreams/aspirations, 58, 81, 173; and Elvis’s early recordings, 75; and Elvis’s early success, 175, 186; Elvis’s feelings about, 25, 54; and Elvis’s financial affairs, 192; Elvis’s gifts for, 65, 81, 245, 250; and Elvis’s girlfriends, 48, 50, 69–71, 83, 103, 104, 122, 134, 136, 137, 150–51, 162, 165, 172–73, 183, 188, 195–96, 198, 210–11, 216, 218–19, 225, 227–28, 236, 237, 239, 245, 280, 313, 329, 346, 368, 390, 510, 514, 530, 548, 564, 565; and Elvis in talent contest, 30; and Elvis in the army, 244, 247, 251, 252, 254, 255, 256, 257; and Elvis’s interest in spirituality, 399; and Elvis’s “Judy incident,” 354; and Elvis’s legacy, 268; and Elvis’s letters to Rowland, 162, 171; and Elvis’s marriage, 70, 183, 510; Elvis’s mourning for, 274, 282, 287, 298, 303, 324, 356, 432, 543; and Elvis’s need for mother figure, 547; and Elvis on Louisiana Hayride, 86, 90; and Elvis on tour, 86; at Elvis’s performances, 186; and Elvis’s personality and character, 86; and Elvis’s prom picture, 61; and Elvis’s relationships with