Elvis' Mother

[Unchained Melody]

I agree, I have no idea what his lifes course would have been had she lived into the 70s. But we know how he loved and respected her from childhood until her death, so IMO thats some idea of his attitude towards her and it gives an indication of what his attitude would have been past 1958.
If Elvis ever had a "rudder" in his life to keep the ship on course I would have to give that distinction to his mom. But even with a good rudder, ships get off course so what difference in his life it would have made is surely debateable.
You would not think one persons life or death could affect someone so deeply but some cases it does.
Dean Martin was Mr. Cool- a true tough guy. IMO (like Sinatra appeared to be)He had been a boxer in his teens, a black jack dealer, and finally began to sing.
He very seldom let anything bother him-outwardly. His break-up with Jerry Lewis, his parents deaths, his divorce from his wife Jeanne, his health problems in the late 80s- he took them all in stride. Then in 1987 his favorite son, Dean Paul Martin, was killed in a jet fighter plane crash in the mountains while on training duty with the National Guard. According to many close to Martin, his ex-wife Jeanne, his other children, Jerry Lewis, and Sinatra-that is when Dean Martin began his slow death. It was something he could not deal with, and he began to retreat. Sammy Davis and Sinatra tried to get him out of his depression in 1988 by setting up a 3 man concert tour and Martin gave it a couple nights and just abruptly left. He quit performing altogether after 1991-horrid pictures showed up in the Enquirer of him without his teeth, looking sick. His health problems multiplied- emphysema and later lung cancer.
He died on Christmas morning in 1995 at his home- alone. But all who knew him well say he died in 1987 after his sons plane crashed.
Would he have retreated in 1988 if his son had lived? Would his health have gone downhill so rapidly if he had stayed active as he had always been, engaged in life, performing, having fun-instead of the depression which gripped his life after the sons crash. Something to think about.

Theres always so many things to think about like this Ken. There are so many What If's in Elvis' lifetime so many what might have been its depressing to the extreme to think about. I beleive in the saying everything happens for a reason....

[KPM]

Theres always so many things to think about like this Ken. There are so many What If's in Elvis' lifetime so many what might have been its depressing to the extreme to think about. I beleive in the saying everything happens for a reason....

Yes I agree-and so many "What ifs in everyones lifetime" its universal to all.

[Unchained Melody]

Yes I agree-and so many "What ifs in everyones lifetime" its universal to all.

Very true buddy !!

[dstrattenfan]

I believe that her death is what started the roller coaster ride downhill. She was E's world...

When I lost my grandpa who raised me I turned to drugs because I didn't know what to do I was lonely...Then 2 months later I found my brother who had overdosed dead on the floor...It took 5 years but I ended up having a nervous breakdown at 25..These 2 people were all I had and I just couldn't take it....With the loss of my papaw and then my brother I am surprised I lived...That was in 2001 .

So I do feel her death is what started his downfall....IMO I do think if she had lived E still maybe here..He would have felt that he had someone to turn too...Speaking from experience if my papaw would have lived I never would have turned to drugs because I would have been devastated if he had foundout...The one thing I could never stand was when he was disappointed in me that was worst than anything to me

And there is no doubt that Gladys would have been disappointed in E if she knew that he was on drugs....She hid her drinking because she was ashamed.
Any addict never wants a person they love to fallow in their footsteps. And I think Gladys would have been no different