[Excerpts] This is part of a letter from "Barbara" the showgirl from the 60's who met Elvis, later got married and went to Elvis; Vegas show, sent up a note asking him if he remembered her and received a note from him wherein he lets her know beyond a doubt that indeed he remembered. She did not want her full name used, and wanted to let his fans know that he was a kind, understanding and loving man who didn't change through out his entire lifetime.]
Received 1980- [Quote] I didn't consider that I would ever meet him, I mean, how many chances would I have to meet a rock 'n roll idol while going to a Christian College and studying religion with the intentions of becoming a Reverend's wife? How ever, things change; thank the good Lord!

My fiancee decided to marry another girl whose parents were loaded and dumped me at the alter. I moved to Las Vegas, had some dance training and tried out for some of the shows and landed a job as a trainee dancer at the Flamingo Hotel in the early 60's. It took me 3 months to became a member of the main liners. From there I went to the Sands and joined the 6ft and over Follies. One night we heard that Elvis was in the audience and as I was doing my routine with the 27 pound headgear on I looked down as best I could because we couldn't bend our necks or lose our balance with that rig on. I saw him sitting at a front table right in front of me, those blue eyes were like neon and he was smiling right at me. He got up, came to the stage edge grinning up at me with a little piece of paper in his hand. We could not take things from patrons; I looked straight at him and mouthed, "back stage" and rolled my eyes that way. He nodded and blew me a kiss.
I thought that 10 minute show would never end! With heart racing like a wild animal I had to do two more turns before I could leave! It was an eternity; what saved me was he didn't leave-he stayed for the whole thing, standing at the foot of the stage looking up at me with such a cute grin on that handsome face. I have to say never in my life have I ever so looked forward to anything as much.
We hurried back to the dressing rooms; all the girls were excited as me-so thrilled he was even in the audience and had stayed for the entire show! One would have thought we were all going to be his date! He came right back into our dressing rooms, alone with 22 women in various stages of undress but he didn't seem to mind at all. To say that he didn't look would be silly, he did! And grinned at them all but when he came to my station he was suddenly serious. I was about to remove the heavy eye make up and lashes and he stood behind me looking at me in the mirror.
Hi, I said, give me about 20 minutes. He smiled and sat down in RayeAnn's chair next to mine-she was showering. How tall are you, he asked and I said how tall are you? He kind of grinned and said 6 feet, barely. I said 6'2" barefoot. He got a silly grin on his face and said "Oh man, could of sworn you were 15 feet tall in that get up when I first saw you-that's damn heavy, isn't it?" I said not too, my neck is built up now. He said, Honey, you're built up all over! He laughed and everyone hushed at once and he suddenly seemed to realize where he was-with a bunch of women and we were all about to pounce on him! He stood, said he would wait outside in the hall and then leaned over me and said, "Will you come with me to my hotel-I'm at the Flamingo down the street. I said sure and I'd hurry. He grinned, kissed my cheek and made his way through the other girls who were touching him, hugging him and wanting kisses. He obliged with quick little kisses and kept moving toward the door. The room was abuzz, no one wanted to leave until I did; they wanted to see me go off with Elvis Presley-it was something how all us girls "bonded" that evening!
Elvis was surrounded by hotel employees and musicians but when he saw me, he excused himself and came over saying, Lordy, even out of costume you're beautiful-and tall too! He took my arm and said shall we go. We went. It took 20 minutes to get to his hotel suite and another 10 to get rid of his friends (male) who appeared to want to hang out with us. Elvis told them to go find something to do-and they left.
It was 62 degrees out and freezing in his suite-so cold I was shivering in my low cut, very thin evening gown. Elvis wasn't cold at all, in fact when we came in the door he thought it was hot and asked if I minded if he took off his suit coat. Such politness was astounding-and didn't end. He turned on the tv, asked me if I was hungry and found a comedy station then invited me to sit on the sofa and then he sat down beside me. He noticed I was cold, pulled me close beside him with his arm around me and asked if I was "afraid of being alone" with him. I said, no and he said he was "warm blooded, take advantage of the heat" and he kissed me. I'm no beginner, have been around lots of guys, star attractions as well, but had never had kisses affect me quite like Elvis' kisses. He was gifted, my head spun and I warmed up! He asked how long I had been dancing, when did I come to Vegas and where I was from and was I really tall as a girl and did it bother me? I was hardly able to get two intelligent words out of my mouth but he didn't seem to notice. He talked for some time, which was a good thing as I couldn't concentrate being so close to him. I felt like a fool-he was younger than me and here I was acting like a silly school girl.
He wanted to go out and look at the night sky-the stars he said and took a blanket off the bed to wrap around me as we stood on the balcony. He went back in and brought out two tall glasses of orange juice with a little vodka and though he barely sipped his, I drank mine pretty quickly, I was nervous around him and thought it would help. He was one great looking guy and I wasn't sure how long I could keep my hands off him!
The breeze was slowing some on that side of the hotel and the sky was brilliant though the bright lights from the hotels hid some of the star views. He asked questions and was surprised when I said I had planned to marry a preacher but got sidetracked when my guy chose a non-college girl. He said, yeah, he had that happen to him also....she chose a non-entertainer guy.
Elvis asked me to stay with him and I did. He came to the shows, stayed through the whole thing and at least once each night he came to the stage edge and looked up at me with those shining eyes and that grin. He liked the fact I was taller than he and from that angle, I did look about 15 feet tall-he said looking up at me thrilled him.
I had heard rumors that he was rough, tended to be nasty and uncouth, demanding and macho in the bedroom- he was anything but those-he was playful and funny and very tender. I would have married him on the spot if he had asked me but I knew from the first he would never do that-in fact, I was surprised when he did marry-he didn't seem to be the marrying kind of guy. He loved women too much for any one of them to keep him content for long-it didn't surprise me when she left him.
I saw him off and on for about 3 years when he came to play in Vegas and relax with his friends. Once he rode his motorcycle and we spent time riding in the desert. He liked to stop and sit or lay on a blanket and look up at the stars and talked about what it must be like being out there in space on another planet somewhere looking at earth. He told some interesting stories about where he thought he might have originated-out in space on some other planet-I have to say he was quite entertaining.
A few years later he was married, appearing in Vegas and I was having babies with my husband whom I adore and who knows I was with Elvis long before I met him and he's okay with that. We went over in the mid seventies and saw his show; I sent a note up to him telling him we were there, loved his show, he was so tall and handsome up on that stage and I was thrilled to look up at him. I asked him if he remembered me and gave him our mailing address. I received a two page hand written letter from him and was delighted. My darling hubby who has always been a fan, had tears in his eyes when he read it. I want to share the second page with you, it is so much the man who was Elvis, the king of rock 'n roll and my friend. It's yours, my way to thank you for writing so lovingly about him. Barbara]

glad she wrote to you Wanda.. thanks

Wanda, thanks for sharing these letters. Really enjoy reading them. Are you going to put the 2nd page of the letter from Elvis to her in one of your books?

It is in WR,E in his own handwriting along with a typed copy for those who need translaution of his writing. Also, it is on ELC website-Maia has it on there but right now don't know exactly where. You probalby have read it, he says you ask me if I remember you, I do. and he talks about standing on the balcony, the wind was crisp, she said she liked winter bnest and her eyes reminded him of the morning glories growing around the old place in Tupelo and it made him cry. She thought he was sick but it was just the beauty of that time and her and he says, so I do and I will never forget. It is a very tender, romanticly written piece and he intended to leave no doubt that he did recall. So like him, and in his own hand writing. I read it and it brought tears to my eyes also, that he would take the time and write in such a way as to let her know she left an impression on him that he would never forget. That it was not just a frivilous thing to him, he remembered. wjh

I wonder if Elvis was referring to June Juanico here??

I think it was Dixie Locke who "jilted" him-he was on the road and she took up with a friend of his and married him before Elvis returned with a ring he'd bought for her. He saved his money and said he sent it to his mom and then got a ring and was going to ask her when his mom sat on the porch with him and told him she'd married another guy and he didn't even know she was seeing the guy. It seems like the story of his life???? He sure was "blinded" by "love" I guess or just too "blinded" by his music and efforts to get there in the business? Whatever, small wonder he mistrusted females promises and was reserved about his inner most thoughts and feelings with women. I kind of thing that he was-if he sincerely thought maybe this one, I think he was careful and more reserved about his feelings with them-which might have given them the feeling he wasn't as interested as he might say? I don't know, having not known that side of him or been around him with anyone he was "attached to" other than Pris when she was just a young girl-she wasn't yet 20 when I first saw her at his place in Bel Air-she looked about 16 and was very shy though she sure could give dirty looks at him and other girls coming on to him. She had on false eyelashes, lots of eye make up and her eyes looked huge-that was the style then-especially in Hollywood area so she was right in style and I have to say, maybe he was strict and picky about what she wore but in every picture seen of her back then she looked great-she was dressed perfectly for her height and size and she didn't look any different than most young women her age at that time. The press now makes it out like she looked way over dressed etc: for her age, bla-bla and her behive etc: and eye make up but THAT is exactly what we all were wearing-even me! I wore those things as a teenager and I had after I left home, spike heels and a black dress almost like the one she was wearing at l7 thought I was 18 at the time. The press just blows it out of portion now that those times are gone. The things she picked after she left Elvis were gawd awful to borrow his words.
Especially those with the belt tied at her crotch area and cut at the length that made her look like her short legs were chopped in two! Elvis had better taste for her than she did-that's for certain! wjh

I have to say that Priscilla when she grew up, did have good taste in many clothing articles she sold and wore. She looked stunning several times in photos and she was always beautiful and had lovely hair and eyes. She learned from him and he learned from her, and both suffered later, and I know she still misses him dearly. It's just when she was younger, we all looked like she dressed and nearly forty years later it does look silly in ways although, I hear that those behives are returning!!!
And we know the clothing styles are reverting in many ways also-even the "gawd awful polyester" as Elvis called it. It was hot, scratchy and didn't feel "nice" on in his opinion... He would love the materials they have now-soft on his sensitive skin. I thought Priscilla looked very elegant dressed in the white pant suit when visited by the Presidents and the guy from Japan. It was just her hair that doesn't do her justice now...maybe it's just very thin and she wants to hide that and look hip and younger. Whatever, I liked her white outfit and she still looks great in her clothing. wjh

Thank you, Sue Lenora!

It's so touching to read that letter that speaks of the sweetness and tenderness of Elvis as a caring friend and lover.

A beautiful letter that truly shows what a loving, fun, caring and compassionate man Elvis was. Thanks for sharing it with us Wanda and thank you Sue-Lenora for bringing this back up again.

She sure does dear Sue!

Thanks for Doing this RainBowLight!

What a great story. I just love reading these kinds of stories. So many people these days could use a good dose of the class Elvis exuded from every pore on his body. He certainly was a gentleman. He was so chilvalrous. It gives me goosebumps. I am just an old fashioned girl whom loves a gentleman.