Elvis and Me: Encyclopedia II - Elvis and Me - The '68 Comeback Special to the end

Elvis and Me - The '68 Comeback Special to the end

Free to shape his own career after the MGM motion picture contract expired in 1968, although still bound to complete two more films, Presley accepted an offer from the NBC network to do a television special. Priscilla wrote that NBC executives offered "open development" along with a young director named Steve Binder who was receptive to presenting Presley in a way he could be himself. Elvis Presley's '68 Comeback Special was an enormous success, the highest-rated television special of the year and his closing song titled If I Can Dream became his first million-selling record in several years.

The television special motivated him and he began recording at the African American-influenced American Sound Studios in Memphis owned by Chips Moman. Priscilla writes that, filled with new energy, he recorded so many songs RCA Records needed a year and a half to release them all. Included in these sessions were hits such as Suspicious Minds that went to No.1 on the Billboard Charts, In the Ghetto and Kentucky Rain. He signed to perform for a month at the new International Hotel in Las Vegas. Every show was sold out with thousands turned away at the door. This success led to a five-year contract for appearances twice a year, with the largest fee ever paid to any singer in history. Unfortunately his renewed popularity brought a large increase in the number of death threats, requiring a significant increase in personal security.

Priscilla Presley said that after years of unhappiness over his career, for a time his triumphant return to a live stage brought new vitality to their marriage. However, before long the renewed stardom with regular touring around the United States and appearances in Las Vegas meant he was away from his family more, reviving the problem of other women in his life. The day he suggested she cut back on her regular visits to see him in Las Vegas only added to her anxieties and things grew worse when she went to their Palm Springs home and found a number of letters from girls showing they had obviously been there.

In her book Priscilla Presley admits she had two affairs of her own and their up and down marriage was irreparably broken down by 1972. The last straw came when Elvis, possibly having learned of the second affair with her karate instructor, forced himself on her in his Las Vegas hotel room, telling her, "This is how a real man makes love to a woman."

Separated on February 23, 1972, the Presleys divorced amicably on October 9, 1973, mutually agreeing to share custody of their daughter. Elvis had made another televised special called Elvis: Aloha from Hawaii in January of 1973 but after not seeing him for several months prior to the actual court hearing, Priscilla was bewildered by his physical appearance, remarking on how swollen his hands were when she held them in hers. Less than four years later, he was dead.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "The '68 Comeback Special to the end", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki