The name Elvis doesn’t need a lot of explaining. Very few people on the planet haven’t heard the name and know who you are talking about. We know the man, of course, but sometimes those surrounding him prefer to shun the spotlight and just keep out of the way.

Some of the Presley family have felt like that, especially Elvis’ mother. But who was this woman that raised someone who would, for a few years, shake the music world? So, let’s have a closer look and ask the question, “Who was Elvis Presley’s mother?“

Born Before Rock and Roll

Born in January 1935, Elvis actually had a twin, but his brother was stillborn. That may be an indication as to why in his early his mother was so protective of him.

He was born into a place where Country and Bluegrass Music were the norm. Rockabilly, that fusion of Country Music and Rhythm and Blues, hadn’t arrived quite yet. Elvis Aaron Presley, usually referred to as just ‘Elvis,’ was born in Tupelo, Mississippi. He was a singer and actor and was also a sergeant in the US Army. Although, he was kept well out of the way of any potential combat situations. 

He was nicknamed the “King of Rock and Roll”… 

That might have been different if Buddy Holly and Eddie Cochran hadn’t both tragically died so young. Both wrote their own songs, and both played good guitar, so it would have been an interesting period. Sadly, it was not to be.

Nevertheless, he became one of the most significant figures in music of the 50s and early 60s. And, he drew his fair share of criticism from the more conservative onlookers. His stage performances were aimed very clearly at the young girls in his audience. The shows and his style were provocative, to say the least.

He became more controversial because he crossed racial lines in his music that were forbidden, especially in the South. This was the beginning of an era that attempted to rewrite the code of race relations. White singers and what was seen as “black music” was a potential powder keg.

The Move To Memphis

Elvis was 13 in 1948 when his mother, Gladys, and father, Vernon, moved the family to Memphis, Tennessee. It was a significant decision. We will never know what would have happened if they had stayed in Mississippi.

Elvis Presley’s career in music began in Memphis in 1954. It might be hard to believe, but at this time, Elvis was quite an introverted character. Therefore, it took some courage to go down to the Memphis Recording Service for an audition on June 26, 1954.

Where it all started…

Sam Phillips opened up his studio in 1950 and auditioned and recorded plenty of people. But Elvis was something different. His musical style was a lot different from the usual Neo-Rhythm and Blues singers he saw most of the time. And, he was white.

Phillips played Elvis’ audition tape to guitarist Scotty Moore. Moore thought he had a good voice but wasn’t that impressed. Nevertheless, Phillips decided to invite him in any way. Presley came back one evening, and the result of that launched his career. 

Elvis only worked with Phillips for 18 months, but he certainly helped to shape the young singer’s beginnings. Elvis’ first release in 1954 was a Sam Phillips recording, “That’s All Right.”

Essentially, it was Phillips who introduced him to the world…

RCA Victor offered Presley a recording contract, and the music started to flow. It was in 1956, with his first RCA Victor single, “Heartbreak Hotel,” that it really all happened.

This was when the “classic quartet” of Scotty Moore, Bill Black on bass, and D.J. Fontana on drums with Presley out front was formed. From this era started the seemingly endless Rock n Roll classics by Elvis. Songs like “Hound Dog,” “Blue Suede Shoes,” and “Love Me Tender.” That period from 1956-1958 created what we would come to know as Rock and Roll. The rest is history.

What Did Mum Think?

He was close to his mother, so it is not unreasonable to expect that he must have discussed all this with her. It is quite likely that she thought it would be a quick “flash in the pan,” so wasn’t worth getting excited about.

The Early Rock In His Life

Gladys Love Smith, Elvis Presley’s mother, was born in 1912 on April 25th. She grew up as the daughter of a cotton farmer, so life would not have been easy. Her existence was a million miles away from what her son was going to provide for her later in life. They were also regular churchgoers, and it was there she met her future husband and the father of Elvis, Vernon.

He was 17, and she was 21, and according to the law, he was underage to get married. So, they lied about his age and married in 1933. She gave birth to Elvis, and his stillborn twin brother Jesse, on January 8th, 1935.

Who Was Elvis Presley’s Mother?

Elvis was the only surviving child that Gladys bore, and Elvis had no biological siblings. It was understandable then why they were so close. There are stories about when she went to work in the cotton fields, she would put the baby Elvis in a sack. She would then drag him behind her as she worked. They had special names for each other and communicated at times in an infantile way.

The relationship grew even deeper in the late 30s when Vernon was sent to prison for forgery. They only had each other, which bound them even closer.

Fate Was To Intervene

There are two issues to consider that apply to Elvis’s relationship with his mother at this point. Firstly, her son’s fame increased rather rapidly. Suddenly, he was not at home so much. There were recording sessions, films, and photo shoots, and maybe the final straw was his military service which took him away permanently.

Secondly, this constant attention, which by now was becoming quite extreme, she found very difficult to deal with. No one in the family had been exposed to anything like this. Furthermore, there could be no learning curve for her or her son. Fate had taken over, and it seems there was little she or even he could do about it.

Was She Proud Of Him?

I don’t think there is any doubt she would have been proud of him. She had doted on him almost from the time he was born. So, to see him so popular and becoming financially secure must have generated pride in what he had become.

But the irony was that while he was doing well, she wasn’t. Her physical and mental health started to deteriorate. She was struggling to deal with it all. It was the start of a downward spiral that she wouldn’t really recover from.

To Graceland

Gladys spent time at Graceland, but even there ran into opposition and almost ridicule. She was a country girl, born and raised. So, she did things that the “city folks” didn’t understand or appreciate. But, they were natural to her and things she had done all of her life.

She washed clothes and did her laundry outside, much to the amusement of neighbors or onlookers. And she would feed her chickens on the manicured lawns until her son’s management told her to stop.

Back To How It Was

She is said to have confided in a friend that she wanted things to go back to being as they were. “I wish we ‘was’ poor again,” she is reported to have told her. But that was never going to happen now. As is quite common in similar situations, people turn to external support. In Gladys’ case, it was alcohol. She was already taking some pills to help with her diet, and her alcohol consumption increased.

By now, Elvis was away in Germany with the military, and whether he was kept fully informed, we don’t really know. Gladys developed hepatitis in 1958 and became very ill. Elvis was told the news, and he was allowed compassionate leave to go home to see her.

He got there just in time, as she died on the 14th of August 1958. She was just 46. The cause of Elvis’ mother’s death was a heart attack. However, it was later established that liver failure due to alcohol consumption and alcohol poisoning was a major contributing factor.

A Broken Heart

I suppose that was something they both suffered. Gladys because the son she doted on was not with her anymore. And she was surrounded by a lifestyle she didn’t understand and couldn’t cope with. Elvis, purely because of the loss of his mother. He was inconsolable at her funeral, and people later remarked that he changed as a person after his death.

She was buried at Graceland. Vernon married again, and he died in 1979, two years after his famous son. All three are now buried side by side on the grounds of Graceland, which has become a shrine to the man who helped to change music.

Want to Learn More About Some of the Most Famous Musicians?

Well, check out our thoughts on the Most Famous Singers Of The 1950s, the Most Famous American Singers Of All Time, the Most Famous Black Singers Of The 1960s, the Most Famous Blues Singers, and the Top 10 Famous Blind Musicians for more incredible musicians and song selections.

Who Was Elvis Presley’s Mother? – Final Thoughts

Mothers and sons often share this strong bond, as do fathers and daughters. But, with Elvis and his mother Gladys, it was stronger than most. I doubt whether he would have become what he did without her love and support.

It’s ironic that, in the end, that love was what separated them. It was a momentous time in musical history, and you can relive it all with 90 Greatest Hits of Elvis Presley. And, perhaps, spare a thought for Gladys, without whom none of it may have happened.

Until next time, happy listening.