The Secret Life of Elvis Presley
I’ve spent the last year researching the life of Elvis Presley for a writing project. It wasn’t an endeavor I planned to start; it sort of hit me in the face and sucked me in. I’ve written previous articles about Elvis along my journey, but this discovery surpasses anything I have unveiled thus far. It’s raw, deeply human, and one of the greatest love stories I have ever come across. It validates my assumptions about Elvis as a unique individual with a vulnerable soul.
Within Elvis existed something ancient, worldly, and supernatural like he was placed on this earth to teach our society something valuable and eternal. Those with little interest in the spiritual and occult might scoff at my description of Elvis. So, to those who are skeptical or choose to set limitations on their thinking and understanding of what it means to be human, you are missing the purpose of life, that is to seek meaning and a connection to our divine spirit.
Elvis was a multi-talented, deeply soulful man with an immense amount of empathy and compassion that left him vulnerable to the dark forces that permeate the realm of power and influence. He died a gruesome and shameful death before he could redeem himself. He exists in the public eye as an icon, divided into decades, each with its own two-dimensional version: Rock ’n’ Roll Rebel — the handsome, daring Elvis, the King who transformed the 1950s and disrupted American culture; Hollywood Elvis — the dashing ladies’ man, prancing in front of movie screens, belting whimsical show tunes, and breaking hearts with his slick black hair and romantic tenor. A brief segue into ’68 Special Elvis, the sex symbol for the ages who resurrected himself from career suicide to become a leather-clad god, grinding out soul-shattering acoustic classics. He did MTV Unplugged Grunge before the term was even coined. Then there was Vegas Elvis, with Liberace-like stage performances, dressed in dazzling jumpsuits made for a decade of flash and pomp. This would be his final incarnation, leading to his eventual destruction and sorrowful demise. Elvis Presley, the King, would be immortalized through museum-like displays at his beloved home, Graceland, and by the impersonators who became living shrines for his fans.
Despite the two-dimensional character that is displayed to the public via the media and the corporation that manages Elvis’ image, he was an enigma. Elvis changed the course of music history, but he also showed us what it means to be human in a society obsessed with materialism and keeping up appearances. He was the first truly famous modern-day entity worshiped by millions. The combination of his statuesque appearance, thunderous body language, and rhythmic voice are rare traits that are born of another time. He has amassed an unprecedented following, fan dedication, and public obsession that no other artist has been able to garner in our known history. His manager, Colonel Parker, propped him up on a pedestal and guarded the public’s access to his boy, as he referred, but Elvis was already something special before the fast-talking carnival king ever set eyes on him, and he was much more than the image that Elvis Presley Enterprises curates today.
Just as Elvis explained in a 1972 interview, the image is not the man. The truth of Elvis is much more nuanced and multi-faceted. In fact, what I’ve been able to uncover is a complex symphony that weaves a tale of romance, heartbreak, loneliness, despondency, and a pain so deep it was impossible to heal without divine intervention. This revelation brings me to a story I happened upon while seeking information about a distant relative of Elvis’ for another writing project about the history of the American Civil War. It was an unexpected and immensely powerful story that has curiously been the victim of cancel culture as if someone has gone to great lengths to hide its truth and sabotage its messenger to maintain a narrative and agenda.
I can smell a lie like a fart in a car and I know when someone’s telling the truth. There are patterns that exist to detect these things. Anyone who is denying this story does not see what I see. They have not looked beneath the surface. I am not surprised. It is common for many to only see what appears in front of their eyes and believe what they hear, neglecting their intuition and ability to see beyond the physical and materialistic realm of understanding. Communication is not simply a tool; it is magic that holds intricate meaning. We must observe the message and sift through it with a fine-tooth comb if we are to hear the truth. Ignorance only leads to lies.
The story begins with Lucy de Barbin. She was 3 years old when her 75-year-old French American father died of tuberculosis. She was the 12th of 13 children. Her mother and their family burned their house down with a superstitious impulse. They believed the disease would cease its spread if they incinerated everything they owned. Left with nothing, Lucy’s mother took her family to live with her abusive and over-bearing grandmother who eventually sold Lucy to a man in his 40s when she was 11, a common practice in Southern French American families at the time and I suspect still common in dark corners of society, hence the media’s unrelenting focus on pedophilia rings and personalities such as Jeffrey Epstein.
The man Lucy was sold to was a mean, disgusting alcoholic who beat and raped her when he returned from long excursions away. She had two daughters by the time she was 14. Left destitute with children to feed, she relied on her beauty and talent to provide for her little family. Lucy could sing and she was born with an astute intellect that protected her with perseverance and ambition. She was offered a job on a t.v. variety show and worked at a local clothing department store to make ends meet. Various men would make advances and ask for her hand in marriage, but she was traumatized by the pain her much older husband inflicted on her and had to hide the darkness that lived in the home she returned to each night in a small Louisiana town.
Lucy lived a double life. A young mother in survival mode and a young beauty with a beautiful voice and knack for business. When Miss de Barbin was asked to sing at a party on a large ranch estate, she was reluctant. The shear terror of her husband finding out she was working and displaying herself on stage while he was away was enough for her to have second thoughts about appearing at the ranch. With some encouragement from co-workers, she swallowed her fear and agreed to perform.
18-year-old Elvis was performing with his band when he met Lucy at the party. He noticed her immediately and waited for her after they performed. Their connection was short-lived as Lucy feared her husband, whom she referred to as “the Man” would return home and find her gone. This would result in a beating and rape. Time would pass, but in an interesting turn of fate, Lucy would travel to Memphis for a modeling job and to see her much older sister who happened to have tickets to see Elvis. Her sister also lived near Lauderdale Courts, the housing projects that Elvis and his parents lived in in the early 1950s. By coincidence, Elvis also mowed Lucy’s sister’s lawn in the summers while he was in school and played with her young son when he visited. It was surely kismet.
Elvis approached Lucy after his performance that night and introduced himself officially. He pursued Lucy despite her reluctance. He was smitten. He showed up at her modeling assignment the following day. They rode horses together and engaged in flirtatious banter. Lucy found herself falling in love. Lucy was 16 turning 17. To Elvis, Lucy was a young girl who caught his eye and stirred him. To Lucy, Elvis was a love she hadn’t experienced before. He was romantic, gentle, and kind. He was a world away from the tyrant that she was forced to obey. She would return to Memphis to see Elvis several times before she could bring herself to reveal her pain.
One day, Elvis took Lucy to a hill where they watched the sunset. He set up a picnic and professed his undying love for her. He placed flowers in her long black hair and gazed into her emerald, green eyes as he promised himself to her. They made love in the grass and vowed to remain with each other before God. Their love was undeniable, but Lucy remained guarded. The guilt of keeping her secret from Elvis ravaged her heart. When Elvis took her for a drive to Tupelo to see his birthplace, she finally confessed. Tears welled up in Elvis’ eyes. He loved Lucy. How could such a nightmare hover over their union? Elvis realized Lucy was 12 when she had her first child. He was mortified that such a young girl was sold and used for a greedy old man’s desires and evil whims, but this didn’t change how he felt about Lucy. He loved her even more. He protected her in his heart.
Their romance cooled as Elvis’ fame and fortune escalated, and Lucy was trapped with the Man. She would go on to have her third daughter, after another beating and rape. The shame and heartache would keep her from seeing Elvis for several years, but he would call to reconnect, and they would meet again and make love before Elvis entered the army. He would again profess his undying love for Lucy. Their connection was unbreakable. They both loved God, music, philosophy, things of a spiritual and intellectual nature. Lucy spoke French to Elvis, and he reveled in it. They laughed and played together with ease. They were long lost soulmates destined to remain together forever, no matter the odds.
Before I read Lucy’s story, I read several books about Elvis and watched countless interviews with people who knew Elvis both professionally and personally. As we all do, our experiences with someone are subjective and personal, but each individual exhibits patterns of behavior and expressions of their personalities, the life of their soul. In every book I’ve read about Elvis, especially the personal relationships he’s had, there is a definitive pattern that he follows. It is subtle, but detectable if you approach it with intuitive curiosity and empathic insight. Elvis is everything we all are, the good, the bad, and the ugly, but beyond this two-dimensional façade is a sensitive, vulnerable, wise, dynamic, and deeply passionate individual who sees the world from a unique perspective. Elvis had a certain way of expressing himself, a particular way of speaking and communicating his thoughts, especially to those he was closest to. He’s one of those souls that must have lived a thousand lives. Everyone who knew him says that he had an energy about him that would vibrate. Every personal account of Elvis includes the claim that when he entered a room it was electric. He had a presence beyond comprehension. I believe we all have this, but our soul lives must run deep through the honing of a well-developed character. A spiritual life must exist beneath the surface.
When I read Lucy’s story, I had no doubt in my mind that she was telling the truth. It took the first paragraph to be convinced. If she was fabricating her story, the pieces wouldn’t fit. Her story reads like life. There is no sign of boasting, grandiosity, or false claims. Her stories check out and her and Elvis’ mutual connections, geographical locations, and timing are precise. She tells it like someone who has weathered great storms and survived to live again. She overcame dark beginnings and made a success of herself in all facets of her life. She didn’t depend on Elvis. She made her own way and often kept him at arm’s length to protect her children and her independence. Sometimes she made mistakes and missteps, but she lived a life that made sense to her. She raised six confident and resilient children and never asked for a dime from Elvis or his estate despite some dubious claims online. She acted with integrity and anyone out there trying to destroy her reputation or her daughter’s paternal claim are likely acting in their own self-interest. That’s the thing about a materialistic society obsessed with image, we forget the human heart and our greater connection to each other. We value our public persona and our rigid belief systems over the deep spiritual bond we all share.
In 1958, Elvis was sent to Germany and Lucy bore their child, who she named Desiree, a pet name Elvis called Lucy based off a Marlon Brando film. Elvis and Lucy would keep their romance a secret fearing the Man and their privacy, but Elvis would never forget Lucy. He would meet Priscilla overseas and upon his return find Lucy had disappeared. A rumor circulated that she died in a snowstorm, but she was caught in one heading the Colorado to see her sister and run from the Man, who threatened to kill both her and Elvis.
Ten years later, in 1967, Elvis finally found Lucy after an old coworker who was answering his calls at Lucy’s former workplace met her at a fashion tradeshow in Dallas, Texas. Lucy was then living with her second husband and six children.
There were so many distractions in Elvis’ life and commitments, but his love for Lucy remained true. She signified freedom to Elvis, a time that was innocent and distant from the public scrutiny that he was now under. She loved him for who he was, not the image that was created.
Elvis is known for having multiple girlfriends and being seen with women much younger than him. Much of this, as he would explain to Lucy in his pleas of devotion, was part of the deal as a famous entertainer, and isn’t unusual in this the industry today. Of course, he had women throwing themselves at him and I have no doubt he loved many of these women, including Priscilla. What isn’t to love about the complexities and beauty of women as a heterosexual man. As a woman, I can appreciate the power and pull that feminine energy holds. Elvis made promises to the women he shared his life with and oftentimes he acted on his impulses and relented to his loneliness. Unfortunately, his short-term thinking and temporary denial resulted in unsavory consequences. He hurt the women he loved, but not because he couldn’t commit. He was already committed. Lucy held his heart.
Elvis would spend his life trying to mold the women he loved into the image of Lucy, going as far as to convince Priscilla to dye her hair black and take French lessons to emulate Lucy. Perhaps he wanted Priscilla to think it was to match his own image, but the French lessons don’t fit into that narrative. It was always Lucy, day and night. He could distract himself and pretend for a little while that he could forget her, but he would pick up the phone and call her. He wanted her attention and valued her opinion. Lucy was wise and patient. She was religious and conservative. She was beyond her years, and Elvis trusted her advice, even if he made his own decisions.
Elvis and Lucy’s relationship and secretive affairs spanned 24 years. He would go to great lengths to please her, even disguising himself to pick her up at the airport. She refused to take his money and buy her expensive things. She would eventually relent when he showed disappointment and anger when she refused a bracelet, but she would only accept small, inexpensive items, and very few of them. Elvis handed her an envelope of money in the early 1970s after making love in a Washington, DC hotel suite, during the time Elvis met with Nixon, but she used it to pay for their daughter’s music lessons and various other expenses. He tried to give her everything.
Despite naysayers, Lucy was the one. The only one. But as time passed and Elvis descended deeper into his depression and drug use, Lucy doubted Elvis’ devotion. She feared he would change his mind about her, even after years of reassurance and personal investment. Lucy was a survivor. She had to work for everything she had and protecting her children and providing for them was her priority, always. She sensed early that Elvis was not growing as a man and was not prepared to cope with the differences in their lifestyles. In fact, in her book, Lucy pinpoints the moment Elvis descends into depression, painting a picture of devastation over his divorce with Priscilla and the Graceland departure of his daughter Lisa, coupled with his inability to freely be with Lucy. Of course, Elvis loved his family, and in many ways, Priscilla was good for him and dependable, but she was a teenager when they met, and she needed to make a life for herself. I believe they loved each other as husband and wife, but it wasn’t enough to hold them together, and there was always Lucy. She was Elvis’ elephant in the room.
Priscilla would go on to admit how stifling it was to live in Elvis’ shadow and live up to his expectations. Lucy felt the same. That is why she kept their love a secret and her life separate. She understood what was at stake for both her and Elvis, but in the end, it only hurt them both. Elvis was never forced to face the truth of his pain and Lucy lived out the rest of her life after his death grieving and regretful. The denial of the validity of her story and the lambasting of her character in the public eye only made matters worse. Besides, the entity that is Elvis has an image to uphold to serve the public’s interests. Once again, an image obsessed materialistically focused society reigns supreme over deep human connection and truth. We sacrifice our morals and integrity for temporary satisfaction and to preserve our dignity fueled by our fragile egos.
But there is light at the end of this Shakespearean tragedy, her name is Desiree Presley, a resilient daughter who refuses to bow to the media and public pressure to stay silent. She continues to hold true to her identity as Elvis’ daughter. She doesn’t require anyone’s approval. She possesses the strength that her father could not find to let go of others’ preconceived notions and ignorance.
Fear drives the pressure to conform to the will of others. Yet, Elvis’ prayers were answered through all the pain and heartache. It’s heartbreaking that he died before he could see the fruits of his labor. His sins have been redeemed within the lives of his offspring, both his daughter Desiree and his granddaughter Riley who carry the torch of his legacy. Priscilla is an important part of this union as well. Without her determination, love, and astute business acumen, Elvis’ estate would not be what it is today. I don’t blame Priscilla for wanting to keep her family secure and protected from outsiders looking to take advantage, but how long do you deny a story that is undeniable to a keen observer? We can say that communications and protections exist behind closed doors that are not for the public’s prying eyes, just as Elvis and Lucy kept their secret to protect each other and Lucy’s children. Perhaps there is more we just don’t understand and never will. Lucy thought she was making the right choices by keeping her affair and love for Elvis private, and Priscilla likely feels that she is making the right decisions to protect the interests of Elvis’ estate. Maybe Elvis understood this about both women. He needed protection, but with a gilded cage comes consequences and a barrier to true communion and divine purpose, a revelation that we must act with love if we wish for truth to prevail, or we risk wasting away on a bed of lies.
I urge readers to pick up a copy of Are You Lonesome Tonight (de Barbin, 1987) and decide for yourself if what is claimed is true. Either way you will be surprised by what you learn and begin to understand the life of Elvis Presley a little deeper and experience what it means to be human profoundly so we can all learn to love with integrity and grace.
S. Angell is a published poet, writer, philosopher, and video blogger. She explores various topics, including love, life, death, history, and society from a philosophical perspective. You can find her on Instagram @rainydaypoetess
