News Update
From a Chance Encounter to a Lasting Bond: The Story of Elvis and Tura Satana
LOS ANGELES, CA – A new documentary, Tura!, narrated by Emmy-nominated actress Margaret Cho, is set to unravel a compelling, lesser-known chapter in the life of Elvis Presley: his alleged passionate romance and surprising marriage proposal to the iconic showgirl and actress Tura Satana. The film, which draws on intimate accounts from Satana’s closest friends and collaborators, posits that the “King of Rock and Roll” considered Satana “the one that got away.”
The alleged affair, which blossomed in the nascent stages of both their careers, forms a central narrative in Tura!. One of the most striking revelations comes from Pamela Des Barres, author of the 2008 book Let’s Spend the Night Together: Backstage Secrets of Rock Muses and Supergroupies. Des Barres, who had previously interviewed Satana about her relationship with Presley, recounts a party where the subject of famous paramours arose. As women exchanged names like Mick Jagger, Satana’s mention of Frank Sinatra caused a stir. However, it was her quiet declaration of a past intimate relationship with Elvis Presley that brought the entire conversation to a silent halt. “The competition was over: She slept with Elvis,” Des Barres recalls in the documentary, highlighting the profound impact of Satana’s disclosure.
According to Satana’s own recollections, recounted by Cho in the film, her first encounter with Elvis was serendipitous and low-key. They met “when he was a nobody,” simply “walking down the beach,” with Satana initially unaware of his identity. The spark truly ignited, however, when Presley was brought backstage at a club where Satana was performing as a dancer. “I could’ve fallen through the floor. It was the man I’d met on the beach,” Satana is quoted as saying in archival material.
Their connection deepened with flirtatious exchanges. Satana claimed Presley approached her after a show, expressing admiration for her moves. “I really enjoyed your show. Some of those moves, the shimmy, the high kicks. Would you show those to me?” he allegedly asked. Satana, quick-witted, retorted, “From what I understand, you can do the shimmy already, at least with one leg. Are you trying to turn on every girl in the audience?” Presley’s earnest reply solidified their bond: “Well no, ma’am. I want to learn them in case I’m ever lucky enough to get close to you.” Their relationship progressed, and Satana later recounted feeling Presley’s presence the moment he entered the theater for subsequent shows, inspiring her to deliver “the best show of my life.”
The documentary also delves into a poignant moment in a Chicago park where, according to old interview footage, Presley knelt and proposed. “Will you please marry me?” he reportedly asked, to which Satana, ever independent, replied, “I’ll think about it.” While Satana’s longtime manager, Siouxzan Perry – also the CEO of Tura Satana Productions – asserts that Satana “never would’ve married him,” she emphasizes the profound and unique friendship that endured between them. “They were friends until he died,” Perry states, revealing that Satana was deeply concerned by Presley’s drug use and that he frequently sought her advice, valuing her as a “real person” who was never “infatuated by him.” This enduring connection is further symbolized by a large diamond ring Presley reportedly gave Satana, which she wore throughout her life and which Perry now proudly wears in her honor.
The film offers glimpses into the personal life of Satana, who married twice before her passing on February 4, 2011, at the age of 72. She was a mother to two children, Jade and Lani. Lani, featured in the documentary, recalls meeting Presley as a young girl, remembering him saying, “You were supposed to be my little girl.” Tura! also clarifies long-held family mysteries, as Lani, who for years believed jazz crooner Tony Bennett was her biological father due to her mother’s assertion, discovered through a DNA test that her father was, in fact, comedian Marty Allen, who once opened for Bennett.
Beyond her romantic entanglements, Tura!, directed and produced by Cody Jarrett alongside Perry, Cho, and others, provides a comprehensive exploration of Satana’s multifaceted life. It showcases her roles as a dancer, actress (notably in Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!), mother, and feminist icon. The documentary bravely addresses her challenging upbringing, which included experiences of racism and rape. Through interviews with figures like John Waters, Dita Von Teese, Kitten Natividad, and Peaches Christ, the film paints a vivid portrait of a resilient and influential woman.
Elvis Presley died on August 16, 1977, at the age of 42, at his Graceland home in Memphis, Tennessee. Decades after their initial encounters and his alleged proposal, Tura! sheds new light on the untold story of a bond that transcended celebrity and endured through significant personal and professional milestones for both the King of Rock and Roll and the fiercely independent Tura Satana. Tickets for Tura! now available at the Lumiere Theater in Los Angeles.
