1968 marked a turning point in Elvis Presley’s career. After years of focusing on films and stepping away from live performances, he returned with the television event ’68 Comeback Special. It was not only a chance for Elvis to prove that the “King of Rock & Roll” still had his magic, but also a moment for him to reconnect with the man he was before the spotlight consumed him.
According to members of his crew, the day before the official taping, Elvis held his final rehearsal in a small space with just the band, a few technicians, and an old microphone. Wearing his trademark black leather outfit, guitar in hand, he stepped up to the mic and began to sing Can’t Help Falling In Love. No one had planned for this song to be part of that rehearsal, and no one expected him to sing it with such a different look in his eyes – deep, deliberate, as if he were sending each word to someone far away.
That someone was his mother, Gladys Presley, who had passed away a decade earlier. Elvis often said that this song reminded him of her, carrying a tenderness and unconditional love that he could never put into words. In that moment, the entire room fell silent. Those present recalled never hearing Elvis sing Can’t Help Falling In Love with such emotion – his voice warm but trembling slightly, holding back a wave of longing.
The next day, Elvis took the stage at the ’68 Comeback Special and delivered one of the most iconic performances of his career. While viewers at home saw a confident, magnetic Elvis, those who knew about the rehearsal understood that behind the dazzling lights was a son’s heart, still devoted to his mother.
From that time on, Can’t Help Falling In Love became the song Elvis often used to close his shows – a gentle goodbye to his audience, and a quiet whisper to his mother, somewhere beyond.
🎵 Suggested listening: Can’t Help Falling In Love – Elvis Presley (1968 Comeback Special)
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