Dark truth of Elvis Presley's drug addiction

Elvis Presley [Photo: Courtesy]

Elvis Presley was beloved by the world as the unquestionable King of Rock 'n' Roll, but the star had a dark side too. At the height of his fame, Elvis couldn't set foot out of his front door without being mobbed by crowds of his adoring fans. But as he became more and more of a recluse, his abuse of prescription drugs took hold. His battle with drug abuse was recalled in harrowing detail by his ex-partner Linda Thompson, in her 2016 autobiography A Little Thing Called Life: On Loving Elvis Presley, Bruce Jenner, and Songs in Between.

Linda, now 70, was just 22 years old when she met Elvis, who was 15 years her senior and a longtime object of her affection. They dated for four and a half years from 1972 to 1976, back when she was a beauty pageant winner and recently crowned Miss Tennessee. In her book, Linda details her incredible romance with Elvis, including how she cried as she lost her virginity to him, and was with him practically 24 hours a day. Linda and Elvis split in November 1976, less than a year before his death the following August.