Linda Thompson, who shared a deep relationship with Elvis Presley in the 1970s, has reflected on their years together—sharing stories of love, challenges, and the emotional decision that led her to walk away.
Both born in Memphis, Tennessee, Linda grew up listening to Elvis’s music. As a young girl, she even told her family she would marry him one day. In 1972, shortly after being crowned Miss Tennessee, fate stepped in. Linda met Elvis at a private film screening shortly after his divorce from Priscilla Presley. When she learned he was single, an instant connection began—a whirlwind romance that soon led her to Graceland.
In her memoir A Little Thing Called Life, Linda described their bond as multi-layered. “Sometimes we were lovers, sometimes brother and sister, sometimes best friends. Elvis was always everything to me.” But behind the glamour, there were difficult moments. Elvis’s health was declining, and he was increasingly reliant on prescription medication. Linda often stayed up at night to make sure he was still breathing—an exhausting emotional burden.
She stood by him during major milestones, including his historic 1973 Aloha from Hawaii concert, the first live satellite performance by a solo artist, broadcast in over 40 countries. But his worsening health took a toll. On one occasion, she rushed him to the hospital when he struggled to breathe, later learning his liver had been damaged from years of medication use.
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