One lesser-known reason for Elvis Presley’s closeness with his mother had to do with his identical twin brother. Presley had a twin brother named Jesse Garon Presley, but he died at birth. In “Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley,” biographer Peter Guralnick claimed that Gladys Presley said “when one twin died, the one that lived got all the strength of both.” The loss of Jesse essentially strengthened the bond between Elvis and Gladys (per Cheatsheet).
Despite the fact that Jesse died at birth, he has been the subject of conspiracy theories perpetuated by fans. One theory holds that Jesse did not die at birth, but has been used as a body double to stand in for Elvis at various appearances. For example, in footage from a 1970 interview, fans have pointed out inconsistencies with Elvis’s eye color and mannerisms to support their theory that Jesse was actually doing the interview instead of Elvis.
