Donna Presley:Elvis Cousin and Author

When Elvis first picked him up, his (the baby's) hat fell off and Elvis just rolled. He just fell in love with Stacy. He kept saying,'Look at this baby's hair, it sticks straight up !' He was sitting there, holding him and playing with him and he was calling him 'little Elmer Fud.' He would kiss him on the the back of his neck; you know, the little indentation on the back of a baby's neck. He just kept on playing with him and then he said, 'What's his name ?' I said, 'Stacy Aaron and he just stopped dead in his tracks. He said, 'Aaron, tha's my name.' I said, 'I know, Elvis, I named him after you.'I wish you could have seen the look on his face. It was so full of love and joy. He was like a little kid. Like I had given him a prize. He was thrilled to death."

This story and numerous others fill Donna Presley's excellent new book Elvis:Precious Memories.

As we continue our talk with Donna Presley Early, we get down to the nitty gritty of what Elvis was really like.

June: What was Elvis like as a kid growing up in Tupelo ?

Donna: My mother, Nash was 9 years old when Elvis was born and she lived next door to him. So I included mom's memories in my book to tell about some of the adventures she and Elvis has together. He was a very loving child and could be a precocious young man.

June: Are there any special experiences you can share with us about Elvis when he was growing up?

Donna: When Elvis was a baby my mother was reaching him and Aunt Gladys came to get him from my mom. When mom stood up to hand him to his mom, she dropped him, just before he hit the stone hearth, she caught him by the diaper. Thank goodness it was cloth and not a disposable one.

June: When did your family move to Graceland ?

Donna: We moved to the Circle G ranch in 1967 and then in 1969 we moved to the Graceland grounds.

June: Where was your trailer located in proximity to the mansion ?

Donna: We lived directly behind the house next to the back fence.

June: How did you become aquatinted with Priscilla ?

Donna: When I was a young teen-ager I always spent my summers at Graceland with my grandmother Dodger. Sometimes Elvis was home and sometimes he wasn't but Priscilla was there and we spent a lot of time together.

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