Elvis Presley’s Friend Claims Intense Relationship With Gladys Presley Dominated Both Their Lives and Deaths

Elvis Presley‘s close friend Lamar Fike reveals that the King of Rock and Roll’s intense relationship with his mother, Gladys Presley, dominated not only their lives but their deaths, too. Mother and son were extraordinarily close, leading to an eerie circumstance surrounding the end of their lives.

Elvis Presley’s life and death were rooted in his relationship with his mother

In a story reported by Express, Lamar Fike, one of Elvis Presley’s best friends, believed Presley’s life and death were rooted in his relationship with his mother. Fike said Gladys Presley was the most critical relationship in Elvis’ life.

“Basically, Elvis’ personality was that of Gladys’. There wasn’t a dime’s worth of difference between them,” he revealed.

Mother and son’s close relationship was complicated because Gladys was reportedly so protective of Elvis that she never let him out of her sight. He, in turn, felt the same toward her, trying to guard her from life’s difficulties by lavishing on her clothes, cars, and their Graceland home filled with modern amenities.

However, one little-known fact about their relationship was that it was so close their deaths mirrored each other. Gladys died at 46 on Aug. 14, 1958. Presley died at 42 on Aug. 16, 1977, the same day Gladys was buried 19 years prior.

Elvis Presley was serving in the United States Army when his Gladys died

Elvis Presley was at Army basic training at Fort Hood, Texas, when he learned his mother had fallen ill. He flew into Memphis and went straight to her hospital bedside. At the urging of a Memphis physician, Elvis had been granted an emergency 7-day leave from his army station at Fort Hood. 

According to the Elvis History Blog, Gladys Presley’s physician, Dr. Charles Clarke, called Presley’s mother “A desperately ill woman.” Clarke said Gladys had jaundice “with evidence of severe liver damage.”

Just days after Presley arrived at Gladys’ bedside, she died. The blog reports that Elvis “sank to his knees beside his mother’s bed and wept.”

“She was all we lived for,” Elvis said then. Subsequently, “It broke my heart. She was always my best girl.”

Gladys Presley was buried at Forest Hill Cemetery before Graceland

Gladys Presley’s funeral was held at the National Funeral Home in Memphis. Following, she was buried in Memphis’s Forest Hill Cemetery.

The Elvis History Blog shared details of Gladys Presley’s funeral, as reported by AP and UPI. “Spectators lined the sidewalks along the three-mile route from the funeral home to the cemetery. About 700 persons were at the gravesite.”

The reporting continued, “They stood around talking and craning their necks to catch a glimpse of (Elvis) Presley.” Following, the news sites noted Presley’s words at his mother’s gravesite.

“Goodbye, darling. We loved you. Oh God, everything I have is gone,” a grieving Presley stated.

“I lived my life for you. I loved you so much,” he concluded.

Both Elvis and Gladys Presley’s remains were interred at Forest Hill Cemetery. However, just two months after Elvis’ death, their bodies were permanently interred in the Meditation Garden at Graceland.