Elvis Presley - Devotion to his mother

The first woman in Presley's life was his mother Gladys. In a newspaper interview with The Memphis Press Scimitar, Elvis himself was open about the close relationship to his mother. "She was the number-one girl in his life, and he was dedicating his career to her." Throughout her life, "the son would call her by pet names", and they communicated by baby talk. Presley even shared his mother's bed "up until Elvis was a young teen." According to Elaine Dundy, "it was agony for her to leave her child even for a moment with anyone else, to let anyone else touch Elvis." His father still openly talked about Elvis's close relationship to his mother after his son had become famous.

During Presley's rising career, Gladys became despairing, depressed and lonely and began to neglect her health. She put on weight and began to drink everyday. She'd wanted Elvis to succeed, "but not so that he would be apart from her. The hysteria of the crowd frightened her.". Doctors diagnosed liver problems, and Gladys's condition worsened. At that time, Elvis was still staying in Germany to fulfill his military obligations, but he got emergency leave to see her, and a special plane was chartered to bring him home. There he spent two days with his mother. However, shortly after his return to Germany, Gladys died on August, 14, 1958. When he heard that his mother had died, Elvis was "sobbing and crying hysterically", and eye-witnesses relate that he was "grieving almost constantly" for days.