He was one of the greatest entertainers of all time and exuded confidence in his public appearances and performances. Yet under the surface, Elvis Presley was a worrier. The King of Rock and Roll struggled with stage fright his whole professional life and often feared for the future of his career. Ex-wife Priscilla Presley, who turns 80 today, has opened up on Elvis’ anxieties in the past and how the King overcame them.
Speaking previously on This Morning, Priscilla said: “He did worry. Of course, he worried. He worried when he was in the army coming back to the States after being drafted. He was out of the limelight for two years. He didn’t know if the fans would still be supporting him, [or] if he’d lost all his fans because newer, upcoming rockers were coming up in the business. Even when he did the ’68 special: nerve-racking. He wanted to stop right then and there. He didn’t feel like he was going to perform the way that they saw him because he has grown up, matured.”
She continued: “And, of course, going into Vegas, you couldn’t talk to him before the show. You didn’t go into his dressing room. He had to do his own mental, emotional meditation for himself to get out there.” Nevertheless, once performing, Elvis was the confident and charismatic personality his fans know and love so well. Priscilla added: “But once he was on that stage, you would never know it because he enjoyed it so much and loved it.”