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To help, Presley recorded hours of memoir tapes that Keough listened to months later to finish the book.
I was so proud of him.
Usually with [Elviss father] Vernon.
She remembered the electricity of his performances.
Sometimes Id see him and he was out of it.
Sometimes I would find him passed out.
I wrote a poem with the line, I hope my daddy doesnt die.
Elvis went to her parent-teacher conferences at school.I could feel the teachers nervousness and excitement, too.
My little student friends were so excited that I got even more excited everybody was just running around crazy.
Then my dad showed up.
He was smoking a cigar.
I asked him, Why is this happening?
And why are you doing this?
She felt I could have a more holistic view of her life than she could.
A month later, she died.
She had deep compassion for her children.I fell in love with being a mom.
He even looked like him.
I didnt want to tell him because I thought it was too much to put on a kid.
We were very close.
Hed tell me everything.
Ben and I had the same relationship that my father and his mother had.
It was a generational fing cycle.
Gladys loved my dad so much that she drank herself to death worrying about him.
Ben didnt stand a fing chance.
I got so used to him, caring for him and keeping him there.
It was an absolute matter of addiction, withdrawal in the big leagues.
He said Madonna had tried to hook up with him once, too, but nothing happened.
I was terrified because I didnt want to make the wrong move.
I want us to get married and for you to have my children, Presley wrote.
I didnt say anything immediately, but then I said, Im really flattered, I cant even talk.
By then, I felt I was in love with him too.
