Elvis’ Mom Had A Wild Side Most Fans Aren’t Even Aware Of
Any fan of Elvis knows he was incredibly close to his mom, Gladys. Over the years, though, a narrative has formed of her being suffocatingly overprotective of her son. While this may have been partially true, she also had a different side to her personality. And this wild, free-spirited Gladys is a far cry from the image that most people have of The King’s mother.
Elvis’ best girl
Elvis and Gladys were so close that the iconic star often referred to her as his “best girl.” In fact, the first piece of music Elvis ever recorded at 18 years old was a song called “My Happiness” and it was a present for his beloved mom. You see, Gladys always believed her son was special, and fiercely supported his musical efforts.
Mama’s boy
Their bond was so intense that Elvis gained a reputation as a “mama’s boy” at school. For instance, Gladys would walk her son to school every day until he was well into his teens. According to website Neatorama, when he eventually rebelled against this, she simply took it upon herself to secretly shadow him on his way to and from school. She had to make sure he got there and got home safely, after all!
A psychic connection?
As her son got older, their connection somehow became intrinsic — almost as if they were psychically connected. For instance, it’s believed Gladys woke in a panic one night and told her husband Vernon, “I see our boy — he’s in a blazing car!” The story goes that Elvis called the next day to tell his parents his Cadillac rental car had caught on fire, and he’d been lucky to escape unharmed.
Struggles with fame
Sadly, Gladys doted on her son so intensely that she wound up struggling to come to grips with him becoming famous. At an early show in a high school, when the crowd mobbed the stage in an attempt to get to Elvis, Gladys reportedly waded in and pushed many of the young girls away. In a panic, she yelled, “Why you trying to kill my boy?”
