The King’s heartbroken when he heard mother Gladys had died.The pair were so devoted, Elvis collapsed over her coffin and cried, “Please don’t take my baby away.” One friend worried “he wouldn’t be able to go on.”Glady’s greatest fear was always losing her son, so she was devastated when he received his military papers in December 1957, at the height of his early fame.
• Billy Smith: “Aunt Gladys could find humor in small things. That was a gift both she and Elvis had.”
•”I have this vivid memory of going over to Lauderdale Courts one summer when Elvis was at Humes (High School). They were playing music, and Gladys was dancing around. And Elvis was dancing with her. They were having a ball. And Vernon and my mom were over there, and my brother, too. Of course, I was kind of small. And Gladys said, “Well, it don’t look like they’re having too much fun.” So she went in there and got all Elvis’ toys for us to play with while they played cards. She was always jolly. Always laughing and carrying on.” -Excerpt from Elvis and the Memphis Mafia by Alanna Nash.
▪︎Elvis about his parents: “I just enjoy having my family around. I don’t look on it as just duty- something I ought to do. I love ’em and I like ’em, and I like to have ’em around. They can’t be replaced. We didn’t have nothin’ before. Nothin’ but a hard way to go. I like to do what I can for my folks now. Doesn’t everybody feel that way?”