Gladys Presley

ABOUT GLADYS PRESLEY

Woman from Pontotoc County, Mississippi most famous for being the mother of rock and roll icon Elvis Presley . She died of a heart attack in August 1958. In 2022, she was played by the actress Helen Thomson in the biopic Elvis .

She was one of nine children born to her mother, Octavia, who had tuberculosis and was bedridden for much of her life.

She had a family history of twins and gave birth to a stillborn identical twin of Elvis thirty-five minutes before Elvis' birth. She developed depression and began drinking heavily after Elvis was drafted.

She married Elvis' father, Vernon Presley , in June 1933. Her sister, Clettes, was married to Vernon's older brother, Vester.

Her son, Elvis Presley , grew up to become one of the most popular figures in American music, recording enduring classics like "Love Me Tender" and "Suspicious Minds."