Elvis Presley’s death was sudden and tragic. The iconic King of Rock and Roll passed away from a heart attack inside his infamous Graceland mansion.
This means that there were certainly no opportunities for goodbyes with the people he loved the most. His current lover at the time of his death, Ginger Alden, was the one that had to discover his dead body.
Presley was no stranger to women or love during his life. He had many high-profile relationships throughout the course of his life. That includes his ex-wife Priscilla Presley, also the mother of his only child, as well as his co-star Ann-Margret. The two starred together in the 1964 movie, “Viva Las Vegas.”
The two had an instant connection that Ann-Margret described as an “unbridled force” that had no way of being stopped. Although quite the romantic statement, it turns out the romance could very much be put on the back burner.
At the time, Elvis Presley was in a long-term relationship with his then-girlfriend, Priscilla. She found out about Ann-Margret and Elvis and the rock and roll icon had to end their fling. The pair lost contact with one another.
According to Express, it wouldn’t be a permanent loss of contact. In December 1972, the two were reunited one last time. Elvis Presley would die suddenly four years later.
Ann-Margret had a residency in Las Vegas during the 1970s. Elvis decided to go to one of these as well as an after-party later in the evening. The two were cordial and chatted throughout the night. What shocked Ann-Margret was receiving a phone call from him later that night when she was going to bed.
Ann-Margret Looks Back on Troubled Elvis Presley Relationship
She told the story in her memoir. She recalled him telling her it was great to reconnect. Elvis Presley also said that he had been lonely in recent years and yearned to get to see her again. It all came to a heartbreaking question.
“He asked if he could see me. It was a question I’d anticipated since [that] afternoon but hoped that he wouldn’t really ask,” Ann-Margret said. She replied back “you know I can’t.”
Morally, this was beyond true. At the time, Ann-Margret was married to a producer named Roger Smith. She married him a week after Elvis married Priscilla in 1967. Elvis said he understood on the phone.
It all makes sense, given the timeline of Presley’s romances. At the beginning of 1972, Priscilla had moved out of Graceland. She was instead living in her own two-bedroom apartment. By the fall of the next year, they were officially divorced.
The lyrics, “Always so unhappy / Taking shelter where he can / Here I am / Come meet a lonely, lonely man,” ring a little too real in relation to this story. Although Elvis Presley and Ann-Margret had a complicated friendship and relationship, both seemed to be incredibly fond of each other throughout life.
