Elvis Presley, the King of rock 'n' roll, is widely regarded as one of the greatest cultural icons of the 20th century. While the legend remained a public figure, his personal life was full of secrets. Did you notice that he always wore high collars? And did you know that he had a twin brother? Read on to learn these and more!
1. Elvis Didn't Naturally Have Black Hair
Elvis Presley was famous for many things, one of which was his signature black hair. But it's actually not his natural look. The rock icon was born blonde and started dying his hair at a young age to look edgier. Funnily enough, Elvis confessed that he initially used black shoe polish to get the job done.
2. Elvis Married Only Once
Elvis was widely known to be a ladies' man, but he only ever married one woman, Priscilla Beaulieu, throughout his life. They met in 1959 when he was 24 and she was just 14. Despite the huge age gap, the two fell in love immediately and eventually married in 1967. To the public, they made an adorable couple, but there's more to the story than meets the eye...
3. Elvis Never Saw His Wife Without Makeup On
When Elvis and Priscilla were together, Priscilla said she had to wear cosmetics, as he hated her being less than perfect. She also revealed in an interview that "he never wanted to see me getting dressed. He wanted to see the end result. Mystique was very important to him." It sounds strange, but it makes sense. However, Priscilla's next revelation about their marriage is absolutely beyond our comprehension.
4. Their Relationship Went From Bad To Worse After Their Child Was Born
Sadly, like many other celebrity marriages, the couple's official union didn't last long. In fact, shortly after they married, their relationship began to deteriorate. According to Priscilla, they became more distant after their daughter Lisa Marie was born. Ultimately, the two split up in 1972.
5. Elvis Was A Germaphobe
The King of rock 'n' roll was terrified of germs and didn't like eating at others' homes, as Priscilla told talk show host Jonathan Ross in 2015. When he did, he would use his own cutlery. Moreover, Priscilla disclosed that he would drink where the handle was because he knew nobody would ever drink at that side. Sounds a little bizarre, huh? Wait until you see this!
6. Elvis Had A Pet Chimpanzee
It seems that no wacky rock star's image is complete without an exotic pet, and as the King of rock 'n' roll, Elvis owned an active chimpanzee called Scatter. The name couldn't have been more fitting, as he liked running around at Elvis' parties, screaming and scaring guests. Scatter apparently learned a few naughty tricks, which sometimes would earn him a punch on the chin from Elvis' lady friends.
7. Elvis Loved Guns
Elvis loved guns maybe as much as he loved music. He had a great many of them, but unfortunately, he was far from a responsible owner. Singer Tom Jones said he once found a gun that Elvis had casually discarded in a dressing room. Elvis' ex-girlfriend Ginger Alden also said the king once fired at a TV whilst in a rage.
8. That's Elvis' Way Of Getting Attention
In her memoir, Ginger Alden wrote that Elvis once shot a bullet into their bed headboard while she was sleeping. He called it an "attention getter." Phew. If you think that was crazy, take a deep breath before you see the next.
9. Elvis Was A Mommy's Boy
It may surprise you to hear that Elvis was a mommy's boy. The King was extremely close to his mother, Gladys. He even called her by pet names and spoke to her in baby talk after he had reached adulthood. That might explain why Elvis and Priscilla's marriage came to an end after they had a baby. Psychologists have speculated that due to his adoration of his own mom, it was hard for him to sleep with a woman who had a child.
10. Why Did Elvis Always Wear High Collar?
Have you ever noticed that Elvis always rocked high collars? The collars weren't just there to make a fashion statement. Lisa Thompson, one of his ex-girlfriends, revealed the reason in her 2016 memoir, A Little Thing Called Life. Elvis had been insecure about his "skinny little chicken neck," ever since his parents teased him about it as a child.
11. Elvis Had A Stillborn Twin
Maybe a lesser-known fact about Elvis is that he had a twin, but his brother, Jesse Garon, was sadly stillborn. Jesse was put inside a shoebox and buried in an unmarked grave because that was all the family could afford. This clearly haunted Elvis, as he later searched for Jesse's resting place. But he never found it.
12. Elvis Was Very Close With Johnny Cash Fan
Being a music legend himself, Elvis also appreciated the talents of other famous artists. One of his favorites was Johnny Cash, the singer, songwriter, guitarist, actor, and author. The two were actually friends, and they admired each other so much that they even tried to imitate each other. That's what you may call a bromance.
13. He Trusted Only One Hairdresser
Elvis Presley trusted only one man to cut his hair, and that man was Mr. Gill, who was also his mother Gladys' hairdresser. Mr. Gill was ready to travel anywhere to cut Elvis' hair. Spookily, Mr. Gill kept many of Elvis' hair trimmings and later auctioned them off after his death. That's a strange hidden secret, but the next two seem even stranger.
14. Elvis Liked Disguising Himself As A Policeman
Elvis loved his fans so much that he often pulled various stunts to surprise them. According to Priscilla Presley, Elvis would sometimes dress as a policeman, stop cars on the road, and give the driver a "ticket" - his autograph. Harmless, but definitely illegal. Luckily, the King received a real badge later in his life.
15. Elvis Employed An Illegal Immigrant
Elvis hired an illegal immigrant, Colonel Tom Parker, as his manager. Parker was born in the Netherlands and never became an American citizen after moving to the United States. But that didn't matter to Elvis. His ability to sell did. And we all know that Parker never disappointed Elvis. Accordingly, Elvis rewarded him more than fairly: he gave Parker up to 50 percent of his earnings toward the end of his life.
16. Elvis Had A Face-lift At Age 40
It's not uncommon for celebrities to undergo plastic surgery to maintain their youthful looks. At the age of 40, the heartthrob had a facelift, according to his ex-girlfriend Linda Thompson. It was said to be the only surgery the King received to preserve his image.
17. Elvis Dyed His Eyelashes Black
As we mentioned earlier, the rock legend was a natural-blonde and dyed his hair black. So, it makes sense that he also dyed his eyelashes black. However, this dying habit caused Elvis many health problems in his later life.
18. In His Later Years, The King Could Barely Eat
The rock superstar undoubtedly lived a glamorous life in his younger years, while his later days were far from pretty. Based on his stepbrother David Stanley's account, at that time, Elvis would often fall asleep mid-meal and choke on his food. Stanley would have to physically take it out of his throat.
19. The King Was Given A Modest Send-Off
The King passed away on August 16, 1977, and it's only natural for some to have expected a big funeral for him, one that would match his grandiose parties. As it turned out, besides his family and friends, only three stars came to see him off: George Hamilton, Ann-Margret, and James Brown. Maybe that was in line with what Priscilla had said, "He really was alone." And what happened to his famous house, Graceland?
20. Graceland Has A New Meaning
After Elvis died, Graceland became a contentious mansion because of its financial problems. Bankers wanted to sell it, but Priscilla had other plans. She believed opening the house to the public would bring in more money than selling it, and Priscilla was proved right. The house has now become a U.S. National Historic Landmark.
