The Unique Gift Priscilla Gave Elvis on Their First Christmas Together
For six years, Elvis Presley, the famous musician and actor, and Priscilla Presley were husband and wife. They met in 1959, and were wed in 1967. Together they had a daughter, Lisa Marie, and everything seemed perfect for a time. But the happiness didn’t last, and Priscilla even had an affair. However, after their divorce in 1973, they remained amicable and on good terms.
How did Elvis Presley and Priscilla Presley meet?
Priscilla was only 14 when she first met Elvis in West Germany. He was serving in the U.S. Army, and Priscilla’s stepfather happened to be stationed there in the U.S. Air Force at the same time. On September 13, 1959, they met at a party Elvis had at his home.
According to Biography.com, Elvis played music and performed during the evening, and he was doing his best at impressing her. Elvis was 24 at the time, and Priscilla was only 14. But despite the age difference, they would start dating.
The unique gift Priscilla gave Elvis on their first Christmas together
What do you get for the person who has it all? It must have been a daunting task when Priscilla tried to decide on what to get Elvis for Christmas that first year together. According to the blog for Graceland.com on the official website for Graceland, Elvis Presley’s beloved Memphis, Tennessee home, she gave the icon a pair of bongo drums.
In 2014, Priscilla spoke with The Guardian in regards to an Elvis exhibit showcased in London. 300 different items from Graceland and his life were shown at the event, including the bongos she first bought Elvis.
“He loved them, I mean he obviously kept them,” Priscilla said. “It still puts a smile on my face when I see them because it brings back so many happy memories.”
She says she went “from store to store” trying to find what she could gift him, which we can imagine might seem like an impossible thing to accomplish at the time.
“This was the gift that, oh my gosh, I was so nervous about it because I was only 14 years old and what do I give Elvis Presley for Christmas?” Priscilla revealed. “It was in Wiesbaden and I would go from store to store looking for things I could possibly give him and I chose the bongos because he played music every night that he was there.”
What did Elvis gift Priscilla that year?
That same year, Elvis bought Priscilla a ring and a watch as gifts for the occasion, according to Priscilla who spoke on the radio program World Cafe in 2017 [via NPR]. They would go on to spend many more Christmases together and form lasting memories.
“And he’d given me a ring and a beautiful watch,” Priscilla revealed. “And it was the first piece of jewelry I’d ever gotten from anyone of course, as extravagant as that especially.”
It’s nice to reminisce about the past, especially when it comes to Elvis and Priscilla Presley’s first Christmas gifts to each other.
