Elvis and Me

One

It was August 16, 1977, overcast and dreary, not a typical Southern California day. When I walked outside, there was a stillness, an unnatural calm in the air that I have not experienced since. I almost went back into the house, unable to shake my uneasiness. I had a meeting that morning and by noon I was racing to meet my sister, Michelle. On my way into Hollywood I noticed the atmosphere had not changed. It still seemed unusually silent and depressing and it had begun to drizzle. As I drove down Melrose Avenue, I saw Michelle standing on the corner, a look of concern on her face. "Cilla, I just got a call from Dad," she said as I pulled up. "Joe's been trying to reach you. It's something about Elvis in the hospital." Joe Esposito was Elvis's road manager and right-hand man. I froze. If he was trying to reach me, something must be terribly wrong. I told Michelle to take her car and quickly follow me home.

I made a U-turn in the middle of the street and raced back to the house like a madwoman. Every conceivable possibility went through my mind. Elvis had been in and out of the hospital all year; there were times when he wasn't even sick that he'd check in for a rest, to get away from pressures, or just out of boredom. It had never been anything too serious.

I thought about our daughter, Lisa, who was visiting Elvis at Graceland and was supposed to come home that very day. Oh, God, I prayed. Please let everything be all right. Don't let anything happen, please, dear God.

I ran every red light and nearly hit a dozen cars. At last, I reached home, and as I swerved down the driveway, I could hear the phone ringing from inside the house. Please don't hang up, I prayed, jumping out of the car and running toward the door. "I'm coming," I yelled. I tried to get my key in the lock, but my hand wouldn't stop shaking.

Finally I got into the house, grabbed the receiver, and yelled, "Hello, hello?"

All I could hear was the hum of a long-distance line, then

Priscilla Presley is an American actress and business magnate. She is the former wife of the late entertainer Elvis Presley as well as co-founder and former chairwoman of Elvis Presley Enterprises (EPE).

Her love for him...jumps out from between the lines. Marilyn Beck, New York Daily News

A sad, sweet book...the story it tells is fascinating. Washington Post

This honest, full-lenth portrait paints him as he really was both in and out of the spotlight...his wife, who knew him better than anyone else, sees him clearly, steadily, and sees him whole. John Barkham Reviews