“Jailhouse Rock”

Vernon, Gladys, and Grandma Minnie Mae lived in a rented house in Killeen, Texas, near the army base. Private Presley could live with his parents instead of on the base because they were his dependents. Gladys Presley had a weak heart, and her hepatitis, a liver ailment, was made worse by her abuse of diet pills and alcohol. Elvis asked for leave to see her when she was hospitalized, and the army reluctantly let him go. In August 1958, Gladys passed away.

Back at Graceland for the funeral, Elvis told reporters, “She's all we lived for. She was always my best girl.” Elvis grieved for weeks. He returned to Fort Hood after an extended leave.