Linda Thompson talks about Elvis (Teen Greats, May 1978)

[The fool]

Nothing special here. But Linda did talk about Elvis in different articles soon after Elvis´ death. I might scan those other magazines as well and post them here, in case there is interest for it. In the meanwhile, this is...

From the May 1978 issue of Teen Greats magazine:
A New Look At Elvis Presley from The Number One Woman In His Life... Linda Thompson

[elvisjock]

Nice find!

The author wasn't aware of the baby-talk language that Elvis and Linda shared. "Little Button" was actually "Little Buntin'."

Interesting, and somewhat dismissive, comments about Priscilla.

[brian]

This article is interesting to me because Linda admits that she agreed to let Elvis see other women.

[The fool]

Nice find!

The author wasn't aware of the baby-talk language that Elvis and Linda shared. "Little Button" was actually "Little Buntin'."

Thanks, elvisjock!

To me, the most interesting part of this is this Elvis´ quote: "They don´t know me. They don´t know me as "Little Button", they know me as Elvis Presley, Superfly".

Well, obviously, Elvis wanted to be known as "Superfly". Something very special. And at the same time he was complaining that people only knew him as "Superfly". How did he want people to know him? I´m sure he wanted to be the superstar that he was. But at the same time, he knew he was not that. He was more than that. He was not a one-dimensional poster boy. So, why did he not do something to change that conception of him? What was he afraid of?

This is something I have never understood about Elvis.

[elvisjock]

Elvis had a flair for the dramatic. He delivered a number of variations on the Private Elvis/Public Elvis perception. "They know the Elvis on the marquee. I'm not that street out there." Yet, he thrived on the attention, going out of his way to attract it, on the rare occasions that his mere presence didn't cause an uproar (example: his rare outing to a restaurant, with his Denver friends, in '76.)

The content of the article may not seem all that revelatory now, but in 1978, she hadn't yet given many interviews.

[The fool]

To me, it´s given that in public Elvis had to be this "Superfly". Even among his friends. He was, after all, Elvis Presley.

But in private, with Linda, he did not have to be this Superfly. Sandi Miller has told wonderful stories that Elvis was different when he did not have his male friends around. Somehow, I can relate to that. The games people play.

Public Elvis and private Elvis were two differet things. I´m sure Elvis realized that. And I´m sure he acted accordingly.

[Delboy]

Elvis had a flair for the dramatic. He delivered a number of variations on the Private Elvis/Public Elvis perception. "They know the Elvis on the marquee. I'm not that street out there." Yet, he thrived on the attention, going out of his way to attract it, on the rare occasions that his mere presence didn't cause an uproar (example: his rare outing to a restaurant, with his Denver friends, in '76.)

The content of the article may not seem all that revelatory now, but in 1978, she hadn't yet given many interviews.

elvisjock

What's the story behind this?

Thanks for posting The fool

[promiseland]

Elvis had a flair for the dramatic. He delivered a number of variations on the Private Elvis/Public Elvis perception. "They know the Elvis on the marquee. I'm not that street out there." Yet, he thrived on the attention, going out of his way to attract it, on the rare occasions that his mere presence didn't cause an uproar (example: his rare outing to a restaurant, with his Denver friends, in '76.)

The content of the article may not seem all that revelatory now, but in 1978, she hadn't yet given many interviews.

elvisjock

What's the story behind this?

Thanks for posting The fool

IIRC that would be the trip they took just to get a special peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and back that cost $5500.00 in pilot and fuel expenses .

[keninlincs]

Thanks for posting this,very interesting to read

[DarrylMac]

What's the story behind this?

IIRC that would be the trip they took just to get a special peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and back that cost $5500.00 in pilot and fuel expenses .

No, it's a different story. This happened when he went to attend the funeral of Eugene Kennedy, one of his Denver police friends, arranging for JD & The Stamps to sing at the funeral. He was in full uniform, and they suggested going to the Colorado Mine Company, a local hangout. They arranged a quiet table in a corner, and for a while, no one noticed, until Elvis made repeated trips to the mens room, first unnoticed, them a second time he paused, waiting for two women to notice him. When one of them said, "No, it can't be him", he gave the classic Elvis smile and said, "Can't be who?", and they just started to scream!

The story is on page 593/4 of Careless Love.

[promiseland]

Thanks DarrylMac for the correction, and the story.

[Wibi08]

If you ask me, Linda sounds a bit full of herself in that interview.
It wasn’t up on her to judge in which way Elvis loved Priscilla.
Elvis surely wouldn’t get married to a woman he had only platonic feelings for.

[KHoots]

If you ask me, Linda sounds a bit full of herself in that interview. It wasn’t up on her to judge in which way Elvis loved Priscilla.
Elvis surely wouldn’t get married to a woman he had only platonic feelings for.

I don't think Linda came off that way. Sounded to me like she answered questions in a way which is consistent with what we've heard before from her.

Something rings a bit hollow with her giving the "ok" for Elvis to see others, while she stayed faithful, though. She would likely be the only woman in history to willingly allow that behavior.

[Wibi08]

I normally really like Linda and i also agree with you i cant believe she accepted the fact that Elvis wanted to see other woman that easily.
I also doubt that Elvis told her straight in her face, i guess it was more a given fact as she states in the interview with Larry King.

[KHoots]

I normally really like Linda and i also agree with you i cant believe she accepted the fact that Elvis wanted to see other woman that easily.
I also doubt that Elvis told her straight in her face, i guess it was more a given fact as she states in the interview with Larry King.

Yeah, that just doesn't sound like a very plausible conversation. No way she'd be so open and understanding to something like that. If she was, she didn't love Elvis the way she claimed.

[drjohncarpenter]

What's the story behind this?

IIRC that would be the trip they took just to get a special peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and back that cost $5500.00 in pilot and fuel expenses .

No, it's a different story. This happened when he went to attend the funeral of Eugene Kennedy, one of his Denver police friends, arranging for JD & The Stamps to sing at the funeral. He was in full uniform, and they suggested going to the Colorado Mine Company, a local hangout. They arranged a quiet table in a corner, and for a while, no one noticed, until Elvis made repeated trips to the mens room, first unnoticed, them a second time he paused, waiting for two women to notice him. When one of them said, "No, it can't be him", he gave the classic Elvis smile and said, "Can't be who?", and they just started to scream!

The story is on page 593/4 of Careless Love.

Your information on the Denver funeral is somewhat incorrect. J.D. Sumner was not there.

Elvis brought "four gospel singers" who performed at the service. They were the current edition of Stamps Quartet (Bill Baize, Ed Enoch, Ed Hill and Larry Strickland). All four were at Graceland for his first RCA recording session five days later, on Monday, February 2, in the "Jungle Room."




Denver Police Captain Jerry Kennedy, "Captain" Elvis Presley and Police Chief Art Dill
Funeral of Detective Eugene Kennedy, Denver, CO - Wednesday, January 28, 1976


Elvis' visit made the national press:



St. Joseph News-Press, Thursday, January 29, 1976

[DarrylMac]

Your information on the Denver funeral is somewhat incorrect. J.D. Sumner was not there.

I was going from Peter Guralnick's Careless Love, page 593 Doc - "Elvis flew out to the funeral. In addition, he arranged for JD Sumner and the Stamps to sing at the service, which he himself attended wearing the Denver police captains uniform that his friends on the force had given him."

Do you have evidence that JD wasn't present - was he performing elsewhere that night, or is there a mention from one of the other stamps that he wasn't there?

All four were at Graceland for his first RCA recording session five days later, on Monday, February 2, in the "Jungle Room."

As was JD Sumner....