Elvis Presley’s Ex Regrets Not Having Baby with The King: "I Was Too Stupid"
Carol Connors was just out for some milk when a "creepy guy" approached her. No, it wasn't the plot of a horror movie; it was her life. This mystery man recognized her from her hit song "To Know Him is to Love Him" and casually mentioned that Elvis Presley wanted to meet her. Naturally, she thought it was a prank. But two weeks later, her phone rang, and it wasn’t a telemarketer.
“He said, ‘I worked it out. Elvis would love to meet you,’” Carol recalls. “I went, ‘OK,’ because why not let a stranger take you to meet the King of Rock 'n' Roll?”
The next thing she knew, she was at a grand house in Bel-Air, face to face with a “beautiful man” who moved like a cat. No, not a guy in a feline costume, but Elvis himself. The encounter began with him asking why she named her group the Teddy Bears. In her head, she was screaming, “My God, that’s Elvis Presley!” Thus began their whirlwind love affair.
According to her new memoir, "Elvis, Rocky & Me", Carol and Elvis had a fling in 1964 after he finished filming "Viva Las Vegas". “I went with him for nine months,” she says, clarifying Elvis’s version of two and a half years. She admits she didn’t have a baby with him because she was “too stupid.” That’s one way to put it.
Carol was always a bit insecure about Elvis’s alleged affair with his co-star, Ann-Margret. “I believed Ann-Margret was one of the great loves of his life. I asked him once, but he wouldn’t answer.” Typical Elvis—smooth talker, but tight-lipped on the juicy stuff.
For years, Carol wondered if she meant anything to Elvis. So, she did what any of us would do—she asked his right-hand man, Joe Esposito. “He said Elvis adored me and thought I was pretty. In those days, Priscilla and I resembled each other.” She believed Joe because, well, why not?
When asked if Elvis was a good kisser, Carol laughed, “What do you think?” That’s a resounding yes, folks. Despite his public persona, she insists Elvis was a gentle soul, and they shared many beautiful moments. Once, when everyone laughed at his joke but her, Elvis asked why. She bluntly replied, “Because it’s not funny.” Elvis’s response? “You know that, and I know that, but they will laugh.” Classic Elvis.
Carol fondly remembers Elvis’s musical prowess. “He knew every single note happening on stage. He was a consummate musician.” But Elvis had Hollywood dreams that his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, squashed. When offered the role in *A Star is Born*, Parker refused, allegedly saying, “My boy ain’t gonna play second fiddle to no Barbra Streisand and end up a drunk.” The role went to Kris Kristofferson, and Carol believes it could’ve saved Elvis’s life.
Before her romance with Elvis, Carol was discovered by Phil Spector, who asked if she had $10 to kickstart her music career. She borrowed it from her parents, and the rest is history. Spector wrote the hit “To Know Him is to Love Him,” inspired by his father’s tombstone inscription.
Despite his musical genius, Spector had a dark side, which ultimately led to a murder conviction. But Carol remembers the early days when Spector and their other bandmate, Marshall Leib, were like big brothers to her.
Connors didn’t just ride Elvis’s coattails; she found her own success. She co-wrote “Gonna Fly Now,” the theme from *Rocky*. The line captured the spirit of triumph and perseverance, much like Carol’s own story. She believes anyone can achieve their dreams if they keep believing and pushing forward. Just ask her, she’s lived it.