Linda Thompson was in a relationship with Elvis Presley during the 1970s, and they broke up just a year before he died at the young age of 42.
Now, she has shared her thoughts about her time with Elvis and the reasons behind their split.
One thing I really enjoy about music is how personal it can be. Someone might claim that a certain song is the greatest of all time, while another person could argue that it doesn’t even come close to being the best.
And then there are those who might not have heard that song at all!
With the countless songs created throughout history, each one has its own unique qualities, whether they are good or bad. But when it comes to who reigns supreme in the music world, there’s only one true king: Elvis Presley.
Elvis Presley – The King
The King of Rock gave the entire world something new with his music. He was one of the greatest entertainers we’ve ever seen, and was every bit as talented as he was charismatic.
Elvis Presley was not just a huge music icon known for hits like Jailhouse Rock, In The Ghetto, Hound Dog, and Love Me Tender; he also starred in several movies that took his career to new heights. Some of these films include King Creole (1958), Viva Las Vegas (1964), and The Trouble with Girls (1969), among other well-known titles.
Sadly, Elvis passed away in August 1977, leaving fans around the world to grieve the loss of a music legend.
One person who was very close to him was his former girlfriend, Linda Thompson. She stayed in touch with him until the end and has now shared why she decided to leave Elvis and what transpired in his final days.
Linda Thompson was born on May 23, 1950, while Elvis was already making a name for himself by winning talent contests at Humes High School in Memphis, Tennessee. It would take 22 years for them to finally meet, but she had always loved The King’s music since she was a kid.
Linda Thompson – childhood
Linda Thompson was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee, just like Elvis Presley. When Elvis released his hit song “Heartbreak Hotel,” which became his first No. 1 song, many people were crazy about him, but Linda had a special feeling.
She always believed she would meet and marry him someday.
“I remember when I was six years old, sitting at the breakfast table, I told my parents, ‘I am going to marry Elvis Presley,'” Thompson said.
As a teenager at Kingsbury High School, Linda participated in several beauty pageants. In 1969, she was crowned Miss Shelby County, and the next year, she won the title of Miss Mid-South Fair.
Linda’s success didn’t end there. Over the next few years, she earned several more titles, including Miss Liberty Bowl, Miss Okra, and Memphis State’s Golf Queen. While she was studying English at Memphis State University, she also got to be part of MSU’s Homecoming Court.
In 1970, Linda was crowned Miss Memphis State University and finished in third place at the Miss Tennessee pageant. Just two years later, she was named Miss Tennessee and went on to secure third place in the Miss USA competition.
Meeting Elvis Presley
While Linda Thompson was busy with beauty pageants, Elvis Presley was rising to fame all over the world. In 1970, he released his 12th studio album called That’s the Way It Is, and during that time, he was married to Priscilla Presley.
They had just welcomed their daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, two years before. But by 1970, their marriage was starting to fall apart.
In 1972, Elvis and Priscilla got divorced. Not long after, Elvis found a new love.
After his breakup with Priscilla, he met Linda Thompson at a private event. At the Las Vegas Elvis Festival last year, Linda talked about how Elvis first came up to her at that screening.
He said, “Well, hello honey!”
“I thought he was still married, so I didn’t have any plans to do anything,” she remembered, according to Express. “I was just so excited to meet my idol.”
After the film started, Elvis came down to sit next to her. She thought he was still married, but soon, she understood that wasn’t the case.
Move to Graceland
He started to stretch and yawn, putting his arm around the chair, which made Linda think back.
He said, “I haven’t been with my wife since last year. We’re getting a divorce because she met someone else and moved on.” I said, “Oh, that’s tough to hear, but maybe you should have picked a southern girl to marry.” He always kept that in mind.
Soon after, Linda Thompson and Elvis Presley began dating, and for the next four years, Linda experienced a rollercoaster of emotions before she chose to break up with him.
I always thought he was great, but I never thought he would turn into such a big legend, almost like a religion, Linda told Closer.
Linda started living at Elvis’s place, Graceland. But soon, she noticed Elvis’s “self-destructive” habits firsthand.
In 1973, during their first year together, Linda witnessed Elvis Presley make history. After two benefit concerts for a Cancer Fund, his TV special movie Aloha from Hawaii became the first concert by a solo artist to be broadcast worldwide.
Linda Thompson – Elvis book
On January 14, 1973, a concert happened at the Honolulu International Center in Hawaii, and it was broadcasted to more than 40 countries through satellite, reaching places like France, Italy, Singapore, and South Korea.
The concert featured all of Elvis’s greatest hits. At that time, it was the most expensive entertainment special ever, costing $2.5 million, as stated by Elvis.com.
Linda Thompson had a unique relationship with Elvis. She described them as “kindred spirits.”
In her book, A Little Thing Called Life (2016), Thompson shared that their bond was very special.
“Ours was a complete relationship—when the need arose, we got to be everything to each other. He was almost sixteen years older than I, so it was natural for me to sometimes be the little girl, with him playing the daddy. More often than not, though, I was the mommy, and he was the baby,” Linda Thompson wrote. “Sometimes we were lovers, sometimes we were brother and sister. Sometimes we were best friends. We were all things to each other at one time or another. And Elvis was always, always everything to me.”
During the last couple of years of their relationship, Linda quickly saw how Elvis’s health declined. The rockstar was suffering and took sleeping medication, sometimes mixed with “other things”, according to Linda.
Elvis Presley – medication
She would sit by his side and keep an eye on him until he drifted off to sleep. Sometimes, she would wake up a few times during the night just to check if he was still breathing.
“It was really tiring, I have to say,” Linda shared. “I was just a young girl, but it was still tough not getting enough sleep. Plus, it was emotionally draining because I cared about him more than anything else, and seeing him slowly fall apart while feeling helpless was really hard…”
In early 1975, Elvis ended up in the hospital for what was called “a few days of tests,” according to AP. Linda had found him in bed, having trouble breathing, and he was taken to a hospital in Memphis.
In fact, he was experiencing liver problems, but it had nothing do to with alcohol. At the time, Elvis had health issues because of prescription medication.
Linda Thompson – Elvis relationship
The next few months were really tough. Elvis got Linda a house close to Graceland, but by October 1975, she just couldn’t handle it anymore.
After Elvis was hospitalized again, Linda decided to leave him and focus on her career in Los Angeles.
It was hard for her to deal with his downward spiral. They kept in touch, but she wondered why.
“I had this feeling that nobody would take care of him like I did,” Linda said.
“I was really in tune with his habits and what he needed. When you live with someone for so long, you just know them so well, and I worried that no one else would understand him like I did.”
Then, on August 16, 1977, a terrible event shocked everyone. Elvis Presley died at the age of 42.
Just a few days before that, Linda had tried to call Elvis for what would be their final conversation. She reached out to Graceland, and Elvis’s best friend and guitarist, Charlie Hodge, answered the phone.
Linda wanted to make sure that Elvis was OK and asked Charlie to go upstairs to check on him.
Elvis Presley’s last days
Linda remembered, “Charlie was a bit impatient with me. He told me, ‘He’s fine, honey. He’s just sleeping.’ But I insisted, ‘Please, just humor me and go check on his breathing.’”
Charlie went to see Elvis and confirmed he was breathing. That’s when Linda shared her final message through Elvis’s best friend while the King was still alive.
“I told him, ‘Just let him know I called, that I love him, and I was just checking in,’” she said. “He replied, ‘I’ll tell him. That will make him happy.’”
On August 16, 1977, Linda was at her home in Los Angeles when she received a shocking phone call. Elvis Presley had been discovered unconscious in his bathroom and was taken to the hospital, but sadly, he didn’t make it. He was laid to rest in the Meditation Garden at Graceland.
That night, the first person nine-year-old Lisa Marie Presley reached out to was Linda, right after her famous dad passed away.
Pictures of Linda Thompson and Elvis
Whenever pictures of Linda Thompson and Elvis Presley appear, it’s surprising how frequently the same remarks come up. A lot of folks say she wasn’t as pretty as Priscilla and that Elvis should have remained with his first wife.
I think that’s really unfair. Linda played an important role in Elvis’s life when he needed love and support, and their relationship was special in its own way. Still, it seems like people just can’t resist comparing them, sticking to the same old opinions without recognizing Linda for who she truly was.
Linda Thompson’s career
Linda Thompson was already building her acting career when she began dating Elvis. She appeared in the horror film Three on a Meathook in 1972 and made several guest spots on TV shows. At the same time, she was also pursuing music, which helped her gain a place in the glamorous Hollywood scene.
In 1981, she married Bruce Jenner, and they had their first son, Brody, that same year. Two years later, they welcomed another son, Brandon. However, they divorced in 1986.
Later on, in 1991, Linda married Canadian music producer David Foster, but they ended their marriage in 2005.
Linda Thompson’s music
In the 1990s, Linda Thompson created songs for a lot of movies, one of the most famous being The Bodyguard in 1992. Her work on that film earned her a Grammy nomination for Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or for Television. Then in 1993, she received another nomination, this time for an Academy Award for Best Music, Original Song for The Bodyguard as well.
Over the past ten years, Linda, who is now 70, has created original music for various TV shows like The Voice, The X Factor, Dancing with the Stars, and American Idol.
On her Instagram, Linda continues to share photos and videos of Elvis, paying tribute to him as The King he truly was.
On August 16, marking 43 years since his death, she posted a heartfelt message about her ex-boyfriend.
“He was not only the king of rock ‘n’ roll but also the king of cool. He had a huge heart, was incredibly generous, and had amazing talent. He was loving, caring, and deeply sensitive,” wrote Linda Thompson.
“He was one of a kind. He had a simple complexity and was very much human. The world lost a legend 43 years ago, but Elvis remains alive in the hearts of millions of fans everywhere. Many people visit Memphis each year to remember him on the anniversary of his passing, holding candlelight vigils in his honor.”
Rare recording with Elvis
An old recording that many people didn’t know about has become popular after being shared on YouTube recently.
This rare gem from 1973 features Elvis Presley and Linda Thompson singing together in a lovely song titled “Your Life Has Just Begun.”
Even though the sound quality isn’t perfect, you can still enjoy their amazing voices, and it offers a special glimpse into Presley’s later years.
It’s definitely a unique recording, so check it out below!
We will never ever forget Elvis Presley and all the wonderful music he made.
Please, share this story with friends and family to honor The King!