(yelling)
♪ Well, it's one for the money ♪
♪ Two for the show ♪
♪ Three to get ready ♪
♪ Now, go, cat, go ♪
♪ But don't you ♪
♪ Step on my blue suede shoes ♪
- One thing about Elvis is, he was authentic.
He was the real deal.
♪ Ah, honey, lay off of my shoes ♪
♪ And don't you ♪
- Stage appearances or when he would go on tour.
You couldn't help but fall in love with him.
♪ Don't procrastinate, don't articulate ♪
♪ Girl, it's getting late, ♪
♪ gettin' upset waitin' around ♪
♪ A little less conversation, a little more action, please ♪
- He just seemed to have it all.
He was every general's soldier.
He was every son to every mother.
I mean, he just connected, he connected.
♪ Well, that's all right, mama ♪
♪ That's all right for you ♪
- [Alex] And no-one was as connected to Elvis
as his wife, Priscilla.
♪ That's all right ♪
- [Alex] She was with him for the best times.
And witnessed the devastating lows.
Now, forty years since Elvis died,
Priscilla is celebrating their life together
at their home, Graceland.
♪ It's now or never ♪
- [Alex] Sharing her most precious memories.
- I walk in that front door,
I just feel his presence here.
And this being the room that he would play gospel music in,
I'd sit over here on the couch.
Had him all to myself and listening to his music.
- I liked all different types of music
when I was a child.
♪ Well, lawdy, lawdy, lawdy, Miss Clawdy ♪
Country music and gospel and rhythm and blues.
I was influenced by all that.
♪ Ah, please don't excite me, baby ♪
♪ I know it can't be me ♪
- I look at some of these photos
and my dad had that haircut.
- Yep.
- 'Cause ever man wanted to be like Elvis.
- Yes, yes.
- I might've even had that haircut.
(laughing)
- Yeah, he was, he set the styles for a lot of things.
For fashion, of course his haircuts
and his smirk and his high collars and
and the eyes. - His eyes, look,
he's a handsome cat. - Oh my goodness.
- [Announcer] Elvis switches to a new beat.
Hup two, three, four.
♪ I got to hup two, three, four ♪
- [Alex] Elvis's attraction to Priscilla was immediate.
But their love story was unconventional.
He was the superstar who'd been drafted
and sent to an army base in Germany.
Priscilla Beaulieu was the teenager step-daughter
of a US Air Force major.
They met at a party.
Do you remember the first time you laid eyes on him?
- Yes, I do, very much so.
I was only 14, actually only three months into 14
and visited him at his home.
- 'Cause he was a superstar.
- Of course, my God he was
on top of his game. - He was 24.
- He was 24 years old, yeah.
- What were your dear parents thinking to allow that?
- My parents were a nervous wreck.
Elvis came in full uniform which my dad liked a lot.
And shook his hand.
And they started talking right away,
I mean for an hour and I'm looking at my watch,
he's taking up my time.
(laughing)
But yes, they were nervous and I think it was
when I told my parents that they had to let me go
or they would ruin my life.
♪ Love me tender, love me sweet ♪
♪ Never let me go ♪
- [Alex] After a seven year courtship,
Elvis and Priscilla finally walked down the isle.
♪ Life complete ♪
- [Alex] Then along came daughter, Lisa-Marie.
They were the most famous family on earth.
♪ love me tender, love me true ♪
♪ Thank you, never let me go ♪
♪ You have made, hi dear, my-- turn blue ♪
♪ And I love you so ♪
- [Alex] We see him performing
on stage, "Love Me Tender".
I mean he spent more time kissing women in the crowd
on the lips than he did singing.
I mean, was that difficult to watch?
- Yeah, because they'd start showing up after the show.
- [Alex] I bet they did.
- Kinda hanging out, waiting around for possible more.
(laughing)
♪ But if you're gonna start a rumble ♪
♪ Don't you try it on your own ♪
♪ 'Cause I'm evil, whoo ♪
- [Alex] After four years of marriage,
Priscilla decided she would no longer put up
with his infidelities.
♪ I'm evil ♪
♪ So don't you mess around with me ♪
- You know, he wasn't faithful.
Not that he had someone special,
but when you're in the entertainment business
there is always that.
And I tried to
to turn my back to that, but I just didn't wanna share him.
Simple as that.
As much as he wanted to be married and have a family,
I don't know if he was ever cut to be married.
Because I don't think he could ever,
ever be faithful to one woman.
♪ This time the girl is gonna stay ♪
♪ For more than just a day ♪
- [Alex] Even though Elvis and Priscilla were divorced,
they remained as close as ever.
There were other women, but Elvis never remarried.
♪ For more than just a day ♪
♪ Well, I just can't help believin' ♪
- We never lost our friendship and care for each other.
He would call me at night.
I really valued his calls, I valued him
telling me what was wrong and I haven't really said this,
because I value his trust in me so much.
Living a lifestyle of rock and roll,
it's difficult and especially rock and roll.
Because it's that old saying, sex, drugs and rock and roll
and it is there.
- He was living that life.
- They all did.
- Straight vodka, man.
Just for you.
♪ Maybe I didn't treat you ♪
♪ Quite as good as I should have ♪
- [Alex] Their life took an enormous toll.
Close friend, Jerry Schilling,
saw Elvis's decline first hand.
Fueled in his final years by an addiction
to prescription drugs.
- He had to numb himself to go out and do some of this stuff
that he did not wanna do.
It was a really rough time.
♪ Time goes by ♪
- And then when I saw this CBS special that they filmed
six weeks before he died, I was watching it in my home
that he had bought for me by myself.
I cried and then I got angry.
♪ I need your love ♪
- Could anyone have saved Elvis?
♪ I need your love ♪
- No, only Elvis could save Elvis.
♪ Wooo, woo ♪
♪ Yeah ♪
- [Alex] After recording what would be
his final television concert special,
(crowd cheering)
Elvis returned to Graceland.
- [Announcer] Ladies and gentlemen,
Elvis has left the building.
- [Alex] Less than two months later.
- [New Broadcaster] Pandemonium has broken out
here on Elvis Presley Boulevard in Memphis.
- [Alex] On August 16, 1977,
he suffered a violent heart attack and died.
- [News Broadcaster] The world is shocked
by Elvis Presley's sudden death.
Thousands of fans from all over the country are converging
on Graceland, trying to get in to view the body
of the 42 year old king of rock and roll.
- [Priscilla] You never thought of him passing away,
because he was so strong.
♪ This you can believe ♪
♪ I will never leave you ♪
- He would sometimes check himself into the hospital
because he wanted to get away from everyone.
He didn't want the demands,
he didn't want the phone calls.
So, you thought it was one of those times,
well, no, he can't be, he can't be,
this is a joke, this cannot be.
It was shocking, like to to the world,
only a million times more.
- [Alex] During his short life,
Elvis had made and spent a fortune.
When he died his estate was on the brink
of financial collapse.
Priscilla was advised to sell Graceland
to pay taxes and bills.
She refused and with the help of friends,
opened their home to the public.
- Did you think anyone would come?
- No.
No, never.
Never.
Elvis would never, ever have believed that,
that his home is now a museum,
but would have loved it and would have probably been
as we say around Graceland the first tour guide.
'Cause that's the firs thing he did,
was show his place.
♪ Train ride ♪
- [Alex] Graceland is the second
most visited home in America.
Only the White House has more tourists.
- Graceland is really the statement of him making it.
- 'Cause he was frightened he was gonna be forgotten.
- Yes. - He was not going
to be forgotten.
Yes, he was.
His thing was I can't be a 40 year old singer
doing rock and roll on stage.
He was already thinking that.
And yet he was still very very popular back then.
And I don't think ever in his wildest dreams,
he could've imagined being this successful,
this loved still 40 years later.
♪ Out there in the dark ♪
♪ There's a beckoning candle, oh yeah ♪
So every dream that I ever dreamed, has come true
a hundred times.
I learned very early in life that without a song,
the day would never end.
Without a song, a man ain't got a friend.
Without a song, the road would never bend.
Without a song.
So I keep singing a song.
♪ Right now ♪
♪ Oh let it come true right now ♪
♪ Oh yeah ♪