Is Elvis was a recluse a myth?

[Donut]

Do you think Elvis lived as a recluse for his huge popularity or do you think he just didn´t like to mix with other celebrities and live like them?
Many celebrities live almost a normal life and go out, travel...
My guess is he was an insecure person and that´s the reason he created his own world of family and friends. But anyway Elvis was seen going out in public to concerts in Vegas and even shopping in Memphis or LA so maybe it´s another myth that he couldn´t go out in public or do normal things like everybody.
What do you think?

[SeeSeeRider777]

I think he couldnt go out because he was bigger than any other celebrity. He would get hounded everywhere and plus there were a lot of jealous people who might have wanted to kill him.

[Gary1]

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee141/e-cats/IMG1.jpgWell this photo was taken either August the 11th or 14th 1977 he was returning from visiting his mothers grave after leaving some flowers so it proves he could go out on his own and he wasn't staying in his room at Graceland all the time in his last month on earth.As some would have you believe.

[Diane]

I think Elvis was unable to go out in public without being mobbed other than the rides he took around his hometown of Memphis and I also think you are right Donut in that he didn't like to socialize with Hollywood types and that he was insecure and needed familiar people constantly around him.

Diane

[JDD]

I've never seen that photo before Gary. Its amazing how often he was photographed in his life.

JD

[Tony Trout]

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee141/e-cats/IMG1.jpgWell this photo was taken either August the 11th or 14th 1977 he was returning from visiting his mothers grave after leaving some flowers so it proves he could go out on his own and he wasn't staying in his room at Graceland all the time in his last month on earth.As some would have you believe.



Sources please??






As far as Elvis being a recluse the last few months of his life, I believe that's very possible because you don't see a lot of photos of Elvis prior to 8/16/77 of him out in public....

[Jumpsuit Junkie]

Good question and one that is not often covered.

Celebrity nowadays is a different ball game to what it was back in the 50's, 60's & 70's you have to be seen out there otherwise you are nobody.

I don't think that Elvis was a reclusive as much as people would have you believe, when people are ill they tend to stay in more than they would otherwise, I also believe that due to his heavy tour schedule that Elvis would have spent time recuperating at home.

Also not to start a debate or run Elvis down, perhaps the meds he took had a detrimental effect?

I think that you only have to look at the candid photo section to see that Elvis was not Howard Hughes by a long chalk ;)

[utmom2008]

I think Elvis was unable to go out in public without being mobbed other than the rides he took around his hometown of Memphis and I also think you are right Donut in that he didn't like to socialize with Hollywood types and that he was insecure and needed familiar people constantly around him.

Diane
I totally agree with you Diane. I'm betting the only place he ever felt comfortable venturing out on his own was Memphis....

[iamhekev]

The picture with EP on his bike,is from 1976.

Ep never went out much because he had BAD depression.

In the 50" and 60"s he was out and about in vegas seeing other singers etc...he was well then of course.

[utmom2008]

The picture with EP on his bike,is from 1976.

Ep never went out much because he had BAD depression.

In the 50" and 60"s he was out and about in vegas seeing other singers etc...he was well then of course.
what are your sources that say it's 1976??

[franny]

I don't think Elvis was a recluse. He just preferred to have family and close friends' around and he was not into the hollywood circles...Didn't he usually have a hard time, when someone new came to the house...:hmm:

I think today celebs travel more because they have much tighter security then they did back then...

He just preferred the comfort and surroundings of home...IMO..

franny

[iamhekev]

what are your sources that say it's 1976??

2 things...it was the summer of 76,sep.

And EP only rode his 3 wheel trike bikes in 1977...not his 2 wheel bike.

[utmom2008]

2 things...it was the summer of 76,sep.

And EP only rode his 3 wheel trike bikes in 1977...not his 2 wheel bike.
Again.....what are getting this info from???

[utmom2008]

I think today celebs travel more because they have much tighter security then they did back then...



They also love to be in the spotlight these days....they seek the attention.

[iamhekev]

Again.....what are getting this info from???


Were am i getting this info from???

From the person who took the photo...wrong date by the way...April 3rd 1976.

[presley31]

souce: http://www.elvis-collectors.com/candid-central/040376riding.html

same bike and this was 76 too.

sorry everyone link not working and l can't copy and paste

[iamhekev]

http://www.elvis-collectors.com/candid-central/040376riding.html...my souce

same bike and this was 76 too.

Thank you...

[presley31]

Thank you...

your welcome:)

[presley31]

http://ca.geocities.com/paulselvispage@rogers.com/
oops link wasn't working

[utmom2008]

souce: http://www.elvis-collectors.com/candid-central/040376riding.html

same bike and this was 76 too.

sorry everyone link not working and l can't copy and paste
Thanks Jen...that's what I was looking for!

[ksimms2]

thanks for the picture, never saw this one before.....he looks pretty good I think - from what we can see in the pic.

[Gary1]

Sources please??






I spoke to a friend of Elvis' about this photo a while ago.I've since been in touch to ask if i can name the person beause i don't want to do it without their permission.So now i'm waiting for a reply.
If they say yes i'll get back to you.

[iamhekev]

The picture was/is in a book...and that book was done by the person who took this picture...it"s out there in the public domain...why all the secrets...dear oh dear.


This photo was published in the Betty Page book "I Got Ya Elvis! I Got Ya!" The caption identifies April 3, 1976 as the date of the photo.


;)

[Joe Car]

Howard Hughes was a recluse, he never left his hotel room at the Desert Inn in Vegas, never for anything, was their 24/7-52 weeks a year and only spoke to his henchman, or his right-hand man. Though Elvis didn't go out to restaurants, he did venture out, not to mention the ton of concerts he performed. After doing a long tour, he would stay in room for a week or so, but I can see that, just to get away from the chaos that was the concert scene. He also went to Vail in 76, went to Hawaii in 77, and was not in hiding. He always said he was "sneaky" which was very true, he was always great at sneaking around, but keep in mind, unlike a lot of todays stars, he wouldn't tip off paparazzi to where he was going just to get publicity. The man liked his home, since day one, very seldom if ever going to a restaurant.

[Gary1]

The picture was/is in a book...and that book was done by the person who took this picture...it"s out there in the public domain...why all the secrets...dear oh dear.


Maybe that person doesn't want their name to be said.I respect that even if others don't.As i said if they say yes i'll let you know.

[Getlo]

Well this photo was taken either August the 11th or 14th 1977 he was returning from visiting his mothers grave after leaving some flowers so it proves he could go out on his own

Sorry, but this pic was taken in 1976. There is a thread about it on FECC, and it has been discussed on other forums. The woman who had it in her original book (and may have even taken the pic) got the date wrong.

[Getlo]

Elvis certainly was reclusive, in the sense that he didn't go out to the usual parties and such.

But he wasn't a full-blown recluse in the Howard Hughes sense, no.

Except for the last six weeks, when he rarely if ever ventured from his bedroom.

I think, had he started going out more, the fans and public would've eventually become used to it, and he could have led a more normal life. But it was his choice.

[Kris P]

recluse
/riklooss/

• noun a person who avoids others and lives a solitary life.

It is ludicrous to call Elvis a recluse. The hundreds of concerts he gave disprove this theory completely.................I mean a public appearance in front of 10000+ people, month in month out!?
Hardly the actions of a recluse.

[Joe Car]

Sources please??








As far as Elvis being a recluse the last few months of his life, I believe that's very possible because you don't see a lot of photos of Elvis prior to 8/16/77 of him out in public....

I love that pic!

[iamhekev]

The guy was ill...deep depression...how he got out of bed to do shows is a big effort by him.(y)

And as for the picture...as i said...its in the public domain...it"s in a book.


Nuff said.

[cameron]

The guy was ill...deep depression...how he got out of bed to do shows is a big effort by him.(y)

And as for the picture...as i said...its in the public domain...it"s in a book.


Nuff said.

Nope, I don't think Elvis was a recluse . He WAS pretty ill by that time.
I remember after work, I was tired of dealing with the people all day.
It was nice to "get away from everybody" for a day or so..:P

I've enjoyed reading your "matter of fact" comments. ;)

[MissyM]

I'll try to explain as best as I can figure. Elvis grew up in a small town. And friends and family back then were very close knit. (lived close by too) They relied on each other heavily for companionship, a helping hand, and sense of kinship. (think of the era and the environment) As a teen Elvis was different, staying close by friends and family provided him the acceptance/security he needed. Why would he not carry that into adulthood? In many ways when fame came to him he was like a fish out of water. My husband is a shy man, but when he performs you'd never, ever know it. His balance is his family and friends. They are were he goes when the stage (and all that goes with it) becomes artificial to him.
Yes, I believe Elvis could be social at times, and yet would always fall back on what was most comfortable for him, something he had known as an oasis his whole life. I think the more stressfull things got the more he stayed within himself and within familiar surroundings. I also think this is what he inwardly knew and embraced in order to keep him grounded. By that I mean, no going Hollywood like many celebs do. I also think that this was a man source of problems for him and Pricilla. I don't think she ever really "got it". (my opinion of course) Stress produces depression and I won't go into the old arguement of if it was clinical or situationally produced. I just feel that each of us hangs on to certain things, familiar habits when the world becomes too much at times. It is a longing to go back/relive a simpler time. Some people say Elvis never totally grew up. I wonder, perhaps if it was because returning to a likeness of what once was safe and easier, is where he had to go, to find some solace in a much bigger world that awaited him outside of Graceland.

[cameron]

I agree with you, Missy .As I was raised the same way.
It was family and friends that was our support group.
Sometimes, when we grew up, we changed friends.;)

[Gary1]

Right. i've had a reply From Elvis' Friend Sandi Miller and she has told me the photo is indeed from August 1977 it was taken by a lady called Shantay Parrish. The photo along with Shantays story is in the book Behind The Image Vol2.I've also been told that she is very accurate with dates of when she took her photos.

So in the words of iamhekev.......Nuff said.

[cameron]

Thank you, Gary. And, thank Sandi too. I know her from long ago.;)

[Gary1]

Thank you, Gary. And, thank Sandi too. I know her from long ago.;)Will do;) i doubt that'll put an end to the question but at least it is confirmed by someone who was there as to when this photo was taken.

[iamhekev]

1976...FACT.

Nuff said.

[iamhekev]

As i said and is also a FACT..EP NEVER rode his 2 wheel bikes in 77...he went around on his 3 wheel trike bike.

4 nuff"s...:D

[Gary1]

Oh well if you can't take the word of someone who was there then there's no point in going on.

[cameron]

:doh: Maybe you're both right , from the information each are privy to.
I won't dispute either, because I wasn't there .

[presley31]

I think Sandi may be wrong in this case cause these pictures are from 77

[cameron]

I have no idea, Jen. Maybe some can search further if they like.
But, by the picture on his 3 wheeler; it does show he got out of the house .(y)

[presley31]

He got out in 77 but not as much as the early years.

[utmom2008]

I'll try to explain as best as I can figure. Elvis grew up in a small town. And friends and family back then were very close knit. (lived close by too) They relied on each other heavily for companionship, a helping hand, and sense of kinship. (think of the era and the environment) As a teen Elvis was different, staying close by friends and family provided him the acceptance/security he needed. Why would he not carry that into adulthood? In many ways when fame came to him he was like a fish out of water. My husband is a shy man, but when he performs you'd never, ever know it. His balance is his family and friends. They are were he goes when the stage (and all that goes with it) becomes artificial to him.
Yes, I believe Elvis could be social at times, and yet would always fall back on what was most comfortable for him, something he had known as an oasis his whole life. I think the more stressfull things got the more he stayed within himself and within familiar surroundings. I also think this is what he inwardly knew and embraced in order to keep him grounded. By that I mean, no going Hollywood like many celebs do. I also think that this was a man source of problems for him and Pricilla. I don't think she ever really "got it". (my opinion of course) Stress produces depression and I won't go into the old arguement of if it was clinical or situationally produced. I just feel that each of us hangs on to certain things, familiar habits when the world becomes too much at times. It is a longing to go back/relive a simpler time. Some people say Elvis never totally grew up. I wonder, perhaps if it was because returning to a likeness of what once was safe and easier, is where he had to go, to find some solace in a much bigger world that awaited him outside of Graceland.
What a great post Missy...(y) I totally "get" everything you are saying. I do think some simply can't understand what the south was like back then, especially for those that were poor. My dad's family came from Mississippi....everything you have said rings so true. And, yes....we all handle stress in different ways, VERY different ways...

[utmom2008]

Right. i've had a reply From Elvis' Friend Sandi Miller and she has told me the photo is indeed from August 1977

Isn't the pic actually dated as the summer of 77???:blush::supriced: That's what 1 website shows...

[presley31]

What a great post Missy...(y) I totally "get" everything you are saying. I do think some simply can't understand what the south was like back then, especially for those that were poor. My dad's family came from Mississippi....everything you have said rings so true. And, yes....we all handle stress in different ways, VERY different ways...

i agree but not just the south was poor, it happens all over the world.

[utmom2008]

i agree but not just the south was poor, it happens all over the world.
Yes Jen, poverty is everywhere. But, unless you have been raised in the deep south it's difficult to comprehend how southerners handle things. There are cultural differences between the North and the South that exist to this day. I attended college here in the south, a private college. We had alot of kids from Memphis, and alot of kids from Chicago. They were as different as night and day..............

[presley31]

Yes Jen, poverty is everywhere. But, unless you have been raised in the deep south it's difficult to comprehend how southerners handle things. There are cultural differences between the North and the South that exist to this day. I attended college here in the south, a private college. We had alot of kids from Memphis, and alot of kids from Chicago. They were as different as night and day..............

my mom grow up just like elvis and she wasn't living in the south so its not fair to say it just happens in the south.

[Gary1]

Isn't the pic actually dated as the summer of 77???:blush::supriced: That's what 1 website shows...It may well be dated summer of '77.I'm just saying what i've been told.
Anyway i've said all i'm going to say about this.If people don't want to believe the word of someone who was there there's nothing i can do about it.

[utmom2008]

my mom grow up just like elvis and she wasn't living in the south so its not fair to say it just happens in the south.
OK...what did I say "happens only in the south"????? Poverty....don't think so. There are cultural differences...that's not an opinion, merly a fact..

[presley31]

OK...what did I say "happens only in the south"????? Poverty....don't think so. There are cultural differences...that's not an opinion, merly a fact..

ok lets just say it happens all over the world, l feel for my mother she lived in one bedroom apartment and had to sleep with her parents till she met my dad and she had to go to work at a early age like elvis so she could put food on the table cause my gramma couldn't work and my grandpa was to lazy to get out and work.

[utmom2008]

ok lets just say it happens all over the world, l feel for my mother she lived in one bedroom apartment and had to sleep with her parents till she met my dad and she had to go to work at a early age like elvis so she could put food on the table cause my gramma couldn't work and my grandpa was to lazy to get out and work.
Sorry to hear that your Mother had a rough time when she was young.....are things better for her now???

[presley31]

Sorry to hear that your Mother had a rough time when she was young.....are things better for her now???

much better, she went back to school and got a good job in nursing. She holds great respect for elvis cause like her he grow up poor and had to help his mom and dad making a living and when he become famous he never forget about his folks or where he came from and that for one is one of the most admirable things l like about elvis.

[Tony Trout]

I still say that the picture is from 1976 as someone else has already stated....

[Getlo]

I still say that the picture is from 1976 as someone else has already stated....

It is from 1976.

[Cryogenic]

Elvis was insular -- he liked the same friends, the reliable creature comforts, the familiar places etc.

But he wasn't a recluse.

He went out and about on his own terms in every year of his life. Unfortunately, the level of fame he generated was simply ... OFF THE SCALE. As Vernon says in EIC, he couldn't go out like a normal person; Elvis may have been human, but he wasn't normal .... he was extrarodinary, and so was his life.

I think a lot of the trips that Elvis undertook were done on the quiet. His wedding to Priscilla in Vegas is a prime example (though the Colonel had a major hand in that). The most eligible bachelor in the world was getting married ...... and virtually nobody knew about it (until it had happened)! That's how the game had to be played.

While a perfectly fair question, I don't think many people seriously entertain the idea of Elvis as a recluse, though I'm sure that myth rears its head from time to time. I think most people recognise that Elvis was kind of shored in by circumstance and by choice, but that he still went out and caught a bit of the outside world from time to time.

[Kris P]

Elvis was insular -- he liked the same friends, the reliable creature comforts, the familiar places etc.


That's it, in a nutshell.
Thanks, Cryo.