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A Little Thing Called Life: On Loving Elvis Presley, Bruce Jenner, and Songs in Between
Award-winning songwriter Linda Thompson breaks her silence, sharing the extraordinary story of her life, career, and epic romances with two of the most celebrated, yet enigmatic, modern American superstars—Elvis Presley and Bruce Jenner
For the last forty years, award-winning songwriter Linda Thompson has quietly led one of the most remarkable lives in show business. The longtime live-in love of Elvis Presley, Linda first emerged into the limelight during the 1970s when the former beauty pageant queen caught the eye of the King. Their chance late-night encounter at a movie theater was the stuff of legend, and it marked the beginning of a whirlwind that would stretch across decades, leading to a marriage with Bruce Jenner, motherhood, and more drama than she ever could have imagined.
Now, for the first time, Linda opens up about it all, telling the full story of her life, loves, and everything in between. From her humble beginnings in Memphis to her nearly five-year relationship with Elvis, she offers an intimate window into their life together, describing how their Southern roots fueled and sustained Graceland’s greatest romance. Going inside their wild stories and tender moments, she paints a portrait of life with the King, as raucous as it is refreshing. But despite the joy they shared, life with Elvis also had darkness, and her account also presents an unsparing look at Elvis’s twin demons—drug abuse and infidelity—forces he battled throughout their time together that would eventually end their relationship just eight months before his untimely death.
It was in the difficult aftermath of Elvis’s death that Linda found what she believed was her true the arms of Olympic gold medal—winner Bruce Jenner. Detailing her marriage to Bruce, Linda reveals the seemingly perfect life that they built with their two young sons—Brandon and Brody—before Bruce changed everything with a secret he’d been carrying his entire life, a secret that Linda herself kept for nearly thirty years, a secret that Bruce’s transition to Caitlyn Jenner has finally laid bare for the world. Providing a candid look inside one of the most challenging moments of her life, Linda uncovers the struggles she went through as a woman and a mother, coming to terms with the reality of Bruce’s identity and resolving to embrace him completely no matter what, even as it meant they could no longer be together.
And yet, despite her marriage unraveling, her search for love was not over, eventually leading her to the legendary music producer and musician David Foster—a relationship that lasted for nineteen tumultuous years, resulting in a bond that spurred her songwriting career to new heights but also tested her like never before. Filled with compelling and poignant stories and sixteen pages of photographs, A Little Thing Called Life lovingly recounts Linda’s incredible journey through the years, bringing unparalleled insight into three legendary figures.
For the last forty years, award-winning songwriter Linda Thompson has quietly led one of the most remarkable lives in show business. The longtime live-in love of Elvis Presley, Linda first emerged into the limelight during the 1970s when the former beauty pageant queen caught the eye of the King. Their chance late-night encounter at a movie theater was the stuff of legend, and it marked the beginning of a whirlwind that would stretch across decades, leading to a marriage with Bruce Jenner, motherhood, and more drama than she ever could have imagined.
Now, for the first time, Linda opens up about it all, telling the full story of her life, loves, and everything in between. From her humble beginnings in Memphis to her nearly five-year relationship with Elvis, she offers an intimate window into their life together, describing how their Southern roots fueled and sustained Graceland’s greatest romance. Going inside their wild stories and tender moments, she paints a portrait of life with the King, as raucous as it is refreshing. But despite the joy they shared, life with Elvis also had darkness, and her account also presents an unsparing look at Elvis’s twin demons—drug abuse and infidelity—forces he battled throughout their time together that would eventually end their relationship just eight months before his untimely death.
It was in the difficult aftermath of Elvis’s death that Linda found what she believed was her true the arms of Olympic gold medal—winner Bruce Jenner. Detailing her marriage to Bruce, Linda reveals the seemingly perfect life that they built with their two young sons—Brandon and Brody—before Bruce changed everything with a secret he’d been carrying his entire life, a secret that Linda herself kept for nearly thirty years, a secret that Bruce’s transition to Caitlyn Jenner has finally laid bare for the world. Providing a candid look inside one of the most challenging moments of her life, Linda uncovers the struggles she went through as a woman and a mother, coming to terms with the reality of Bruce’s identity and resolving to embrace him completely no matter what, even as it meant they could no longer be together.
And yet, despite her marriage unraveling, her search for love was not over, eventually leading her to the legendary music producer and musician David Foster—a relationship that lasted for nineteen tumultuous years, resulting in a bond that spurred her songwriting career to new heights but also tested her like never before. Filled with compelling and poignant stories and sixteen pages of photographs, A Little Thing Called Life lovingly recounts Linda’s incredible journey through the years, bringing unparalleled insight into three legendary figures.
403 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 3, 2016
490 people are currently reading
1758 people want to read
About the author
Linda Thompson
6 books17 followersLibrarian’s note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Linda Thompson is a singer/songwriter, actress, Grammy winner, former Miss Tennessee and a former girlfriend of Elvis Presley. She was married to former Olympian Bruce Jenner (Caitlin Jenner). They has two sons, Brody and Brandon. Thompson was also married to musician and music producer David Foster.
Linda Thompson is a singer/songwriter, actress, Grammy winner, former Miss Tennessee and a former girlfriend of Elvis Presley. She was married to former Olympian Bruce Jenner (Caitlin Jenner). They has two sons, Brody and Brandon. Thompson was also married to musician and music producer David Foster.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 272 reviews
October 13, 2016
I didn't know if I was going to make it to the end of this book, but I managed to power through. It was interesting enough, but Linda spent soooo much time telling us what a good person she is, I didn't know if I could take any more. After just about every story she told about Elvis, Bruce or David (her second husband) she would tell us how caring and nurturing she is, how everyone says she is the nicest person in the world, how much the men in her life loved and needed her, etc, etc ., etc. It was exhausting!
October 1, 2019
I've been on a tear reading a backlog of Elvis biographies. This one is a memoir written by Linda Thompson, Elvis's girlfriend following his separation from wife Priscilla. Linda was from Memphis, and in fact was Miss Tennessee Universe at the time she met Elvis in 1972. She was just twenty years old at the time. But this is not just an autobiography about Linda's time with Elvis; it's a memoir split across her three life loves: Elvis Presley, Bruce Jenner, and David Foster.
Even though Elvis got engaged to Ginger Alden inside a year of dating (which was cut abruptly short by his death in 1977), I think Linda Thompson was his most serious girlfriend. In fact, Linda considers Elvis the greatest love of her life, and she lost her virginity to him. She left him after four years of dating. The reasons are good ones. While at first insisting Linda accompany him everywhere he went, Elvis eventually began having Linda stay behind on trips while he cheated with other women. Linda spent much of her night hours with Elvis keeping watch over him so that he didn't die, and they spent many hours indoors instead of enjoying the outside world...even when they travelled to places like Hawaii. One time they were together in Elvis's bedroom (his favorite place to hang out) where chicken soup was delivered, and put at the end of his bed on a long towel. Linda left the room for a short while, only to return and find Elvis face down in his soup. In a panic, she feverishly cleaned out his mouth and airway and called for medical services. In fact, she spent more than one hospitalization with him in a second hospital bed while he detoxed from a multitude of medications. In one delightful passage, she shares the exact way to make Elvis's favorite culinary treat, the peanut butter and banana sandwich. She was also responsible for some crucial Graceland re-decoration choices that still exist today, like the peacock stained glass accenting the doorway in the living room that leads into the music room (my favorite touch in the house), the iconic Jungle Room and Pool Room. Her favorite color was red and she also redecorated the downstairs with garish red curtains and extremely high backed red velvet dining room chairs. Thankfully, once Graceland became a tourist attraction, those rooms were reverted to their former tasteful elegance, white walls with blue stately draperies. Despite their breakup, it was very clear that these two loved each other very much. There was a lot of tenderness still there, and Elvis understood why Linda felt she had to leave. Elvis could never be faithful to one woman, no matter how much he loved them.
As Elvis and Linda's steady relationship was coming to a close, she found her first employment as one of the Hee Haw Honeys on the show Hee Haw. She later scored a multitude of roles in various Aaron Spelling series (Elvis is responsible for introducing Linda to Mr. Spelling). After the breakup, Linda had a light flirtation with Elvis's keyboard player, who noticed Linda's flair for writing poetry/lyrics. One evening when she was having dinner with country icon Kenny Rogers and his then wife Marianne, she shared a cassette tape of a song to which she had written the lyrics. Kenny was so impressed that he recorded the song on his next album. This sparked a long career as a lyricist, especially in collaboration with her second husband David Foster.
Linda met Olympian gold winner Bruce Jenner and they later married and had two boys, Brandon and Brody. While the boys were still young, Bruce confessed to Linda that he was really a woman in a man's body, and he planned on transitioning accordingly. He started taking female hormones and having electrolysis to remove facial and body hair. This was back in the eighties when the topic was much less accepting. Bruce had hoped to stay married to Linda even though he was transitioning, but she did not want that. She kept his secret all these years and did not write this book until after the time Bruce (now known as Caitlyn) announced his transition to the world. She was also offered a lot of money decades ago to write an Elvis memoir, but declined back then. She even kept the real reason for her divorce from her boys until they were old enough to handle the information. One time Bruce was watching the boys at his house when they were still little, and they observed breasts on their father. This was after he had started taking the female hormones. Linda had to come up with a believable explanation to stave off the boys from finding out just then. At first Bruce kept up with spending time with his boys after the separation and divorce, but once he married Kris Kardashian he abandoned his family with Linda for years, instead focusing on Kris's existing children and the two girls he had with Kris- Kendall and Kylie.
The last third of the book involves Linda's marriage to David Foster, a Canadian musician, record producer, composer, songwriter and arranger. Their marriage was at its best when they were working together making music. He thought she was an amazing lyricist, and they wrote many songs together. Probably the most famous one they wrote together was for the Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner vehicle, "The Bodyguard"... "I Have Nothing". Linda and David had both been married before and tried to have a blended family with mixed results. David also mentally abused Linda by suddenly disappearing for various lengths of time following arguments without being available for contact. At first she would get really upset and want to file a missing persons report, but after years of the same behavior she became used to it. After years of silence she finally consented to a television interview about Elvis with Larry King. He questioned Linda about the fact that she lost her virginity to Elvis. A short time later Linda and David encountered Larry King at an entertainment gathering. When Linda introduced David to Larry King, David blurted out, "FU@K YOU!!!", his anger simmering regarding that Elvis interview. Linda and David eventually divorced, and her analysis of losing self-esteem and respect for herself in such a relationship was spot on.
I think she's had an amazing life with the highest highs and some major bumps in the road, but she's a strong and talented lady grounded by her faith in God. I learned a lot about her that I never knew, and hold her in much higher regard now that I know the details. In her acknowledgements at the end of the book, I was blown away by the sheer number of celebrities that she's friends with such as Barbara Streisand, to name one of a ton. This is a very well-written book...not really a surprise considering she's an award winning lyricist!
Even though Elvis got engaged to Ginger Alden inside a year of dating (which was cut abruptly short by his death in 1977), I think Linda Thompson was his most serious girlfriend. In fact, Linda considers Elvis the greatest love of her life, and she lost her virginity to him. She left him after four years of dating. The reasons are good ones. While at first insisting Linda accompany him everywhere he went, Elvis eventually began having Linda stay behind on trips while he cheated with other women. Linda spent much of her night hours with Elvis keeping watch over him so that he didn't die, and they spent many hours indoors instead of enjoying the outside world...even when they travelled to places like Hawaii. One time they were together in Elvis's bedroom (his favorite place to hang out) where chicken soup was delivered, and put at the end of his bed on a long towel. Linda left the room for a short while, only to return and find Elvis face down in his soup. In a panic, she feverishly cleaned out his mouth and airway and called for medical services. In fact, she spent more than one hospitalization with him in a second hospital bed while he detoxed from a multitude of medications. In one delightful passage, she shares the exact way to make Elvis's favorite culinary treat, the peanut butter and banana sandwich. She was also responsible for some crucial Graceland re-decoration choices that still exist today, like the peacock stained glass accenting the doorway in the living room that leads into the music room (my favorite touch in the house), the iconic Jungle Room and Pool Room. Her favorite color was red and she also redecorated the downstairs with garish red curtains and extremely high backed red velvet dining room chairs. Thankfully, once Graceland became a tourist attraction, those rooms were reverted to their former tasteful elegance, white walls with blue stately draperies. Despite their breakup, it was very clear that these two loved each other very much. There was a lot of tenderness still there, and Elvis understood why Linda felt she had to leave. Elvis could never be faithful to one woman, no matter how much he loved them.
As Elvis and Linda's steady relationship was coming to a close, she found her first employment as one of the Hee Haw Honeys on the show Hee Haw. She later scored a multitude of roles in various Aaron Spelling series (Elvis is responsible for introducing Linda to Mr. Spelling). After the breakup, Linda had a light flirtation with Elvis's keyboard player, who noticed Linda's flair for writing poetry/lyrics. One evening when she was having dinner with country icon Kenny Rogers and his then wife Marianne, she shared a cassette tape of a song to which she had written the lyrics. Kenny was so impressed that he recorded the song on his next album. This sparked a long career as a lyricist, especially in collaboration with her second husband David Foster.
Linda met Olympian gold winner Bruce Jenner and they later married and had two boys, Brandon and Brody. While the boys were still young, Bruce confessed to Linda that he was really a woman in a man's body, and he planned on transitioning accordingly. He started taking female hormones and having electrolysis to remove facial and body hair. This was back in the eighties when the topic was much less accepting. Bruce had hoped to stay married to Linda even though he was transitioning, but she did not want that. She kept his secret all these years and did not write this book until after the time Bruce (now known as Caitlyn) announced his transition to the world. She was also offered a lot of money decades ago to write an Elvis memoir, but declined back then. She even kept the real reason for her divorce from her boys until they were old enough to handle the information. One time Bruce was watching the boys at his house when they were still little, and they observed breasts on their father. This was after he had started taking the female hormones. Linda had to come up with a believable explanation to stave off the boys from finding out just then. At first Bruce kept up with spending time with his boys after the separation and divorce, but once he married Kris Kardashian he abandoned his family with Linda for years, instead focusing on Kris's existing children and the two girls he had with Kris- Kendall and Kylie.
The last third of the book involves Linda's marriage to David Foster, a Canadian musician, record producer, composer, songwriter and arranger. Their marriage was at its best when they were working together making music. He thought she was an amazing lyricist, and they wrote many songs together. Probably the most famous one they wrote together was for the Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner vehicle, "The Bodyguard"... "I Have Nothing". Linda and David had both been married before and tried to have a blended family with mixed results. David also mentally abused Linda by suddenly disappearing for various lengths of time following arguments without being available for contact. At first she would get really upset and want to file a missing persons report, but after years of the same behavior she became used to it. After years of silence she finally consented to a television interview about Elvis with Larry King. He questioned Linda about the fact that she lost her virginity to Elvis. A short time later Linda and David encountered Larry King at an entertainment gathering. When Linda introduced David to Larry King, David blurted out, "FU@K YOU!!!", his anger simmering regarding that Elvis interview. Linda and David eventually divorced, and her analysis of losing self-esteem and respect for herself in such a relationship was spot on.
I think she's had an amazing life with the highest highs and some major bumps in the road, but she's a strong and talented lady grounded by her faith in God. I learned a lot about her that I never knew, and hold her in much higher regard now that I know the details. In her acknowledgements at the end of the book, I was blown away by the sheer number of celebrities that she's friends with such as Barbara Streisand, to name one of a ton. This is a very well-written book...not really a surprise considering she's an award winning lyricist!
August 30, 2016
If anyone could say anything negative about Linda Thompson from what we learn in her book, it would be that she is too kind, too patient and too trusting. Being an Elvis fan, I've waited years for her to write of her time with him. It was worth the wait. This is a book about Linda Thompson and the men she loved and still loves. She began her first relationship with the most famous man in the world and ended her second marriage to a wonderfully talented, if not complicated music writer and producer. In the middle of all of this was her marriage to a man who was one of the greatest Olympians to ever compete. And he was keeping a secret that would soon end their short marriage, leaving her to raise their sons alone. She protected her children from the truth that their father was a woman trapped in a man's body until they were old and wise enough to handle it. She also protected all 3 of her loves from themselves and the rest of world. David Foster could be verbally brutal, often leaving Linda for weeks on end. Perhaps the greatest story in this book is the one she shared with Elvis. He seemed genuinely happy with her, at least for a time. Too bad he always needed someone new. It seems he could never be true to any one woman for any length of time. Whatever drove him to constantly seek out other women certainly added to his demise. Linda took extremely good care of him, which has been attested by many who were present during this time period. I cannot recommend this book enough. We all know how it ends for all 3 relationships, and certainly for Elvis. But what happens "In Between" is worth the ride.
"There's black, there's white, there's right, there's wrong, and then there's Elvis Presley", Linda Thompson.
"There's black, there's white, there's right, there's wrong, and then there's Elvis Presley", Linda Thompson.
November 3, 2016
I would officially like to nominate Linda Thompson to sainthood. No, really, I insist. Talk about a gloss over; I mean could anyone be that flawless??? I think when you decide to tell your story you should present it with shortcomings and all. In reading this it is obvious that A) either Ms. Thompson had absolutely no failings and had never made any poor choices or mistakes or B) didn’t want to go into them. Personally I’ll go with B). Maybe it has something to do with having a relationship with Elvis. I read Ginger Alden’s book and she was the same way.
May 24, 2017
Well, I read this because of Elvis. That being said, their baby talk really was strange to me and a bit unsettling. I powered through the rest, and I guess it's good to know there's actual saints in this world. Yes, that is a bit of sarcasm. I think if the editor had cut out all the times she mentions how nice she says she is it would have been a much quicker read.
October 5, 2016
OK let's face it. I read this book for the smut about Elvis Presley as I am a huge fan and have always wondered about the intimate details of the final years of his life! And while this book is well written, I cannot stand how she victimizes herself in every situation and every relationship she's in. All three of the "loves of her life" were married at the time when she met them, and yet she continuously says that she wouldn't get involved with married men. She also makes sure several times in the book to add that somebody told her she was "the nicest person in the world ".. come on! She goes on to talk about her immediate acceptance of Bruce Jenner's decision on the transition, (as if any woman wouldn't be devastated by this) and her teachings to her boys of total acceptance, and then continues to bash Bruce Jenner for being an absentee father. She also made it a point several times to talk about the fact that she wouldn't take money from any of the very wealthy men she was with when they split up, even though she got houses, cars and jewelry.. Like I said.. the Elvis stuff was awesome and I enjoyed the pics at the end, but she seems like a total phony to me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 25, 2016
“A Little Thing Called Life: On Loving Elvis Presley, Bruce Jenner, and Songs in Between” Linda Thompson recalls the extraordinary excitement and wonder of her relationship with Elvis Presley, and her marriage to Gold Medalist athlete Bruce (Caitlyn)Jenner, with whom she had two sons. Linda’s long marriage followed-- to Grammy award winning Canadian music producer/composer David Foster.
After winning the Miss Tennessee beauty pageant (1972), Linda was 22 years old when she met Elvis Presley at a movie theater. Aside from being utterly star-struck by Elvis’ “gloriously complex personality” she bonded with Elvis feeling as if she had already known him, and by their common Southern heritage. Though her parents both smoked, there wasn’t ever any alcohol around. Linda was unaccustomed to the pills Elvis took, and atmosphere at Graceland took some getting used to. Elvis showered her with exquisite gifts and the couple routinely flew to Las Vegas on his private jet . Lisa Marie and Linda were very close, as Linda’s story began, unfolding with a terrible call from Lisa Marie on August 16, 1977.
Wanting to distance herself from Graceland, she moved to Los Angeles only 8 months before Elvis died. When she first noticed Bruce Jenner on TV in the 1976 Olympics, she had no clue how her life would eventually connect to his. Linda met Jenner after a tennis tournament in 1979. At that time Linda lived in Nashville, and was a famous easily recognized “Hee-Haw Honey” on the national Hee-Haw TV comedy show. Linda was always comfortable around Bruce, how candid, truthful and open he was about this life: she would guard his deepest secrets during their marriage (m. 1981-1984) and for decades afterwards. Bruce's celebrity allowed a visit to the Oval Office where they met President Ronald Regan, he readily put them at ease. To her credit, despite the fact that Bruce had limited involvement with his sons Brandon and Brody, there would be no father-son “Hallmark Moments”: Linda would insist on respect and tolerance of others, and was among the first to publically embrace Caitlyn as she transitioned in 2015.
In writing about her 15 year marriage to David Foster (m. 1991-2005), their musical collaboration inspired some of the most beautiful song compositions ever recorded. Not at all the submissive young woman she once had been, Linda was confident and expert at handling the “yin/yang” of the positive and negative tensions and intimacy that formed her marriage to Foster. Linda, a romantic optimist, had high hopes for a happily blended family that never quite worked out; despite several attempts with counseling/therapy.
Independent and on very good terms with her former spouses, Linda, a grandmother, enjoys a happy joyous family life and many lifelong friends. While fans may or may not remember Linda’s appearances on Hee-Haw, or reading about her incredible romance with Elvis Presley in collector books/magazines, she gave her first interview about Elvis on Larry King in 2002. With so many seeking to shine in the spotlight of celebrity culture, Linda has kept a surprisingly low profile. Several pages of great personal photos included.
After winning the Miss Tennessee beauty pageant (1972), Linda was 22 years old when she met Elvis Presley at a movie theater. Aside from being utterly star-struck by Elvis’ “gloriously complex personality” she bonded with Elvis feeling as if she had already known him, and by their common Southern heritage. Though her parents both smoked, there wasn’t ever any alcohol around. Linda was unaccustomed to the pills Elvis took, and atmosphere at Graceland took some getting used to. Elvis showered her with exquisite gifts and the couple routinely flew to Las Vegas on his private jet . Lisa Marie and Linda were very close, as Linda’s story began, unfolding with a terrible call from Lisa Marie on August 16, 1977.
Wanting to distance herself from Graceland, she moved to Los Angeles only 8 months before Elvis died. When she first noticed Bruce Jenner on TV in the 1976 Olympics, she had no clue how her life would eventually connect to his. Linda met Jenner after a tennis tournament in 1979. At that time Linda lived in Nashville, and was a famous easily recognized “Hee-Haw Honey” on the national Hee-Haw TV comedy show. Linda was always comfortable around Bruce, how candid, truthful and open he was about this life: she would guard his deepest secrets during their marriage (m. 1981-1984) and for decades afterwards. Bruce's celebrity allowed a visit to the Oval Office where they met President Ronald Regan, he readily put them at ease. To her credit, despite the fact that Bruce had limited involvement with his sons Brandon and Brody, there would be no father-son “Hallmark Moments”: Linda would insist on respect and tolerance of others, and was among the first to publically embrace Caitlyn as she transitioned in 2015.
In writing about her 15 year marriage to David Foster (m. 1991-2005), their musical collaboration inspired some of the most beautiful song compositions ever recorded. Not at all the submissive young woman she once had been, Linda was confident and expert at handling the “yin/yang” of the positive and negative tensions and intimacy that formed her marriage to Foster. Linda, a romantic optimist, had high hopes for a happily blended family that never quite worked out; despite several attempts with counseling/therapy.
Independent and on very good terms with her former spouses, Linda, a grandmother, enjoys a happy joyous family life and many lifelong friends. While fans may or may not remember Linda’s appearances on Hee-Haw, or reading about her incredible romance with Elvis Presley in collector books/magazines, she gave her first interview about Elvis on Larry King in 2002. With so many seeking to shine in the spotlight of celebrity culture, Linda has kept a surprisingly low profile. Several pages of great personal photos included.
April 20, 2018
I couldn't get past the second chapter. I love Elvis Presley but this book is so sugary sweet in its remembrances of her life with him that I felt like I was reading a fairy story. I think Ms Thompson should stick to writing love songs.
September 6, 2016
I was very pleasantly surprised with this book. Not knowing anything about Linda Thompson , I assumed that she was just some bimbo after Elvis's money. I have a low regard about his "Memphis Mafia" and I thought she'd fit right in with them. How wrong I was.
This book was very well written. It appears that Ms Thompson wrote it without the assistance of a ghost writer, as I can't find any mention of one, either in the book, or on-line. I mostly read this book because of her time spend and writings of them with Elvis. She certainly took the "high road." While she detailed life with the King, there were no "dirty bits." Other books, including the ex wife's gave us dirt on his bad hygiene habits, what he named his "privates", his almost obsession with watching two women wrestle in white underwear and so forth. None of that in this book. Linda wrote a very classy memoir.
The rest of the book was also good, although I wasn't as interested as the Elvis period. Heck, I didn't even know that she was married to Bruce Jenner. I do think that she was able to reflect on the sad, confusing times with Bruce and his trans-sexual issues. Her writings about this were very heartfelt.
I was least interested in her time with David the songwriter, although it did encompass, what, nineteen years of marriage. The guy seemed like a real ass.
I had no idea that Linda was a very accomplished songwriter , who has had a long and successful career at that profession.
All and all this was a very good book. It was interesting and enlightening, and made me feel her pain and struggles.
I would recommend this book to others/
This book was very well written. It appears that Ms Thompson wrote it without the assistance of a ghost writer, as I can't find any mention of one, either in the book, or on-line. I mostly read this book because of her time spend and writings of them with Elvis. She certainly took the "high road." While she detailed life with the King, there were no "dirty bits." Other books, including the ex wife's gave us dirt on his bad hygiene habits, what he named his "privates", his almost obsession with watching two women wrestle in white underwear and so forth. None of that in this book. Linda wrote a very classy memoir.
The rest of the book was also good, although I wasn't as interested as the Elvis period. Heck, I didn't even know that she was married to Bruce Jenner. I do think that she was able to reflect on the sad, confusing times with Bruce and his trans-sexual issues. Her writings about this were very heartfelt.
I was least interested in her time with David the songwriter, although it did encompass, what, nineteen years of marriage. The guy seemed like a real ass.
I had no idea that Linda was a very accomplished songwriter , who has had a long and successful career at that profession.
All and all this was a very good book. It was interesting and enlightening, and made me feel her pain and struggles.
I would recommend this book to others/
September 3, 2016
Hi ,
So far , so good .
Hope it's as good as or better than Ginger Aldens , which I loved
Happy reading
D :)
So far , so good .
Hope it's as good as or better than Ginger Aldens , which I loved
Happy reading
D :)
September 8, 2016
3 weeks ago one of my kids' friends liked a photo on instagram from Brody Jenner. I clicked on the photo and that led me to his post about this memoir. I was always a Brody fan from his part on The Hills and he was so sweet and kind in his post talking about his mama and her new book coming out - I had no idea who Linda Thompson was! The title really says it all - I can't believe this lady seriously dated Elvis and was married to Bruce Jenner and David Foster.....oh and she acted and was a poet who eventually put her written words to beautiful songs....really well known songs - that get Grammy nominations. I figured it would be quite the story!
I listened to the Audio Version and Linda reads it herself. I love when the author's do the narration. It makes it so authentic that way! I honestly had no idea what info this book was going to provide...so if you are like me and knew nothing I will give you an idea of what you can look forward to. First and foremost - I don't know if you will find a sweeter, kinder, nicer lady than Linda. Wow, she really was a caretaker at heart and she LOVED her family and she acquires a lot of family members in her lifetime!! If anyone ever said a bad word about this lady I would be shocked!
The first 50% of the book is her life with Elvis, that was pretty eye opening and all new info to me. I really knew nothing about him in his final years, and she obviously spent most of their relationship taking care of him and keeping him alive! The next section of the book is about her marriage to Bruce, it was a much shorter story in comparison to her time with Elvis - but her and Bruce were not together very long. Once the book moved into her life with David Foster, which was almost an 18 year relationship - it did flip flop between her and David and more of her and Bruce, which included bits about her 2 boys and then eventually Caitlyn. I thought the book was very well written, a very easy read and I learned a lot about many iconic hollywood figures. If that interests you - definitely read this. The juiciest thing I learned.....Bruce actually told Linda he wanted to transition back in the 80's and there was a good handful of people who knew these last 30 years...it just surprised me that they all protected the secret that long(kudos) - seems like nothing is sacred in that corner of the golden state!!
I listened to the Audio Version and Linda reads it herself. I love when the author's do the narration. It makes it so authentic that way! I honestly had no idea what info this book was going to provide...so if you are like me and knew nothing I will give you an idea of what you can look forward to. First and foremost - I don't know if you will find a sweeter, kinder, nicer lady than Linda. Wow, she really was a caretaker at heart and she LOVED her family and she acquires a lot of family members in her lifetime!! If anyone ever said a bad word about this lady I would be shocked!
The first 50% of the book is her life with Elvis, that was pretty eye opening and all new info to me. I really knew nothing about him in his final years, and she obviously spent most of their relationship taking care of him and keeping him alive! The next section of the book is about her marriage to Bruce, it was a much shorter story in comparison to her time with Elvis - but her and Bruce were not together very long. Once the book moved into her life with David Foster, which was almost an 18 year relationship - it did flip flop between her and David and more of her and Bruce, which included bits about her 2 boys and then eventually Caitlyn. I thought the book was very well written, a very easy read and I learned a lot about many iconic hollywood figures. If that interests you - definitely read this. The juiciest thing I learned.....Bruce actually told Linda he wanted to transition back in the 80's and there was a good handful of people who knew these last 30 years...it just surprised me that they all protected the secret that long(kudos) - seems like nothing is sacred in that corner of the golden state!!
March 18, 2017
Trite
Amateurishly written, full of platitudes, banality and self deception. Very little accountability for the path she chose, her young age no excuse for those decisions. She was pretty and wanted to be famous. She willingly elected to be a groupie and a fame-whore, no matter how you slice it. We all make poor choices. If you're going to write a book about them, own it. There is nothing new here, everything sugar coated and watered down by someone trying to downplay their part in it, but without the depth of character to make the "deep" observations she attempts. Sorry. She's probably a "very nice" person, as she continually ascertains her acquaintances ascertained
Amateurishly written, full of platitudes, banality and self deception. Very little accountability for the path she chose, her young age no excuse for those decisions. She was pretty and wanted to be famous. She willingly elected to be a groupie and a fame-whore, no matter how you slice it. We all make poor choices. If you're going to write a book about them, own it. There is nothing new here, everything sugar coated and watered down by someone trying to downplay their part in it, but without the depth of character to make the "deep" observations she attempts. Sorry. She's probably a "very nice" person, as she continually ascertains her acquaintances ascertained
May 20, 2021
I read it in 2016 and loved it; read it again in 2021 and saw all sorts of flaws.
Originally I thought this was a great book filled with rare amazing stories about some of the key figures in entertainment history. But it has a huge flaw, that the author insists on seeing everything positively, placing her ex-lovers in the best possible light, and paints herself as being miss perfect. She comes across as a delusional Pollyanna type, who cheerleads for her men when she should be eviscerating them after they've mistreated her. And worst of all is how she tries to make excuses for Bruce Jenner's lies and horrible mistreatment of his family. So while the book is worth reading at least once simply due to the author being the only woman in American history with this kind of access to the private lives of Elvis, Michael Jackson, The Kardashians, the Jenners, and David Foster, it remains incomplete because the author has failed to really let the wall down on her own life.
Where does one start with a book filled with graphic negative stories about three of the biggest names in entertainment? Thompson reveals shocking things about Elvis (he takes up about 55% of the pages), who treated her like a prized slave and abuses her by forcing her to stay with him every moment of the day and night. She, of course, sees this as being a wonderful sign of love. The rest of us will see this as a man mistreating a woman and not allowing her to have independent thoughts. For years she is not allowed to do anything without him, never straying from Graceland or Vegas, but she praises him for all the love he shows her by buying her huge rings or flying her on private jets. And when he flies into a drug-induced rage? She again excuses his behavior away as him just being tired after giving so much to others!
Thompson is guilty of enabling Elvis's addictions. The picture she paints of him is horrifying: he never is told "no," he orders everyone around to serve him like a king, and the combination of drugs and alcohol make him do crazy things. Yes, she was there for the shooting of the TV set. And she tells you exactly how she made his peanut butter and banana sandwiches (mush the bananas and peanut butter together!). Elvis is sick and while she claims to be a dedicated Christian in love with another believer, in truth the two sin freely together without any guilt. She is an agreeable doormat that Elvis walks all over.
She finally comes to her senses when he cheats on her with someone in "their" home Graceland (she's fine with his cheating away from home!). So she moves out and runs into Bruce Jenner at the Playboy Mansion. That starts the next section of her life (and book) with the "perfect man." And as a couple she claims they were perfect at well. The two literally never had an argument in all the years they were together and he appeared to be the perfect husband...until he tells her that he feels like a female inside and wants to begin the transition to becoming a woman. This is decades before the rest of know the Jenner story. And while she states words that express her support for Bruce's transition, she then begins to reveal the true Jenner, the man behind the fake smile--the self-centered jerk who appears to have feelings for no one else but himself.
When she refuses to stay married to what will be a woman, he abandons the marriage and their two sons--going years without seeing his boys after marrying Kris Kardashian, who appears to have considered Linda Thompson to be an enemy. The picture painted here of Bruce Jenner is not a positive one. He was a seriously screwed-up guy with some major mental health issues. Even in his current persona as a female, the conclusion you get from reading the book is that Jenner is one of the most selfish, psychologically confused persons who ever lived. His slow transformation to becoming a woman almost comes across as self-hatred by abusing his body, and the author claims to go along with it, except she refuses to stay married to the guy who wants to live with her as a woman.
Jenner is not someone to be admired but to be condemned for how he mistreated others through his lying and abandonment. It begs the question--why does society make excuses for someone with gender issues when they abuse everyone else around them? Why does society try to cover up mental health issues by overpraising someone like Caitlyn Jenner? He/She should be held accountable for his/her terrible actions. Once Bruce hooked up with the Kardashians (in an apparent change of heart where he stopped becoming a woman) he had nothing to do with his four other children, and for that he should be ashamed. There's no excuse for being an irresponsible parent no matter what you're feeling about yourself inside--he made bad choices.
Linda made the nonsensical decision of not asking for alimony or child support from Jenner in the divorce. That makes no sense and shows how misguided she is with her need to feel empathy for everyone. The men in her life literally screwed her over and stomped on her, yet she kept a smile on her face telling everyone how wonderful they were. While some could defend that as Christian ("turn the other cheek") that's not a good character quality when trying to support small children, though she brags about it throughout the book.
Then she meets David Foster (with some other famous names tossed in along the way, such as Dodi Fayed). Foster is another self-centered egotist who wanted to be treated like royalty just like her other lovers. He mooches off her for a while and she uses his musical abilities to further her songwriting career. They spend almost 20 years together, with him cheating on her and her "practicing forgiveness" on him. She paints herself as a saint in suffering with his outbursts, but in truth she can be blamed for much of the chaos because of her failure to deal with reality head-on and taking a stand for herself or her kids. When she finally does after two decades, the marriage ends the day after their reality TV show premieres.
She throws Foster under the bus big time and in his case it's not a surprise--we've seen him on TV shows and on Princes of Malibu, where he's the male version of control freak Barbra Streisand (and that's not a compliment!). The question here is why Linda put up with Foster for so many years, then blames him when she let him get away with so much abuse? It appears it took her over thirty years to go from a subservient plaything for Elvis to the ideal mother and wife for Bruce Jenner to Oscar-nominated songwriting partner who wanted to be treated as an equal to the mega-talented David Foster. Once she stands up to Foster she finally becomes a woman. And the book pretty much ends--even though that was 11 years before publication. The final pages are a quick coda that says she's single and happy, proud of her two boys (ignoring the crazy lifestyle Brody in particular has shown on television), getting along with Caitlyn Jenner (who comes for Thanksgiving dinner!), and is still the good Christian girl her parents raised her to be.
The book is not really about Linda--it's totally devoted to the men. A few paragraphs mention her TV work and her ridiculous claims of incredible acting talent. It is, however, one of the most revealing autobiographies ever published because of what she tells about the men in her life, not about herself.
Almost all of her songs are simplistic and unmemorable (most chapters end with her lyrics). The woman, honestly, doesn't have unique lyrical talent and was partnered with some wonderful composers. However, the goal of this book in her eyes appears to make everyone believe she is one of the top lyricists that has ever lived and to be taken seriously.
Sorry, Linda, but after reading about how you only pick rich men to live with (I believe we call that a golddigger), fail to react to their mistreatment of you, and fail to act as a responsible independent woman, I just can't take you seriously. I do appreciate, though, your willingness to tell a lot of great inside stories about these men who were completely different in private than they were in public. Revealing secrets is what a memoir should do--now all you need to add is some serious introspection and see where you failed. Life, especially your life, isn't the fairy tale you make it out to be.
Originally I thought this was a great book filled with rare amazing stories about some of the key figures in entertainment history. But it has a huge flaw, that the author insists on seeing everything positively, placing her ex-lovers in the best possible light, and paints herself as being miss perfect. She comes across as a delusional Pollyanna type, who cheerleads for her men when she should be eviscerating them after they've mistreated her. And worst of all is how she tries to make excuses for Bruce Jenner's lies and horrible mistreatment of his family. So while the book is worth reading at least once simply due to the author being the only woman in American history with this kind of access to the private lives of Elvis, Michael Jackson, The Kardashians, the Jenners, and David Foster, it remains incomplete because the author has failed to really let the wall down on her own life.
Where does one start with a book filled with graphic negative stories about three of the biggest names in entertainment? Thompson reveals shocking things about Elvis (he takes up about 55% of the pages), who treated her like a prized slave and abuses her by forcing her to stay with him every moment of the day and night. She, of course, sees this as being a wonderful sign of love. The rest of us will see this as a man mistreating a woman and not allowing her to have independent thoughts. For years she is not allowed to do anything without him, never straying from Graceland or Vegas, but she praises him for all the love he shows her by buying her huge rings or flying her on private jets. And when he flies into a drug-induced rage? She again excuses his behavior away as him just being tired after giving so much to others!
Thompson is guilty of enabling Elvis's addictions. The picture she paints of him is horrifying: he never is told "no," he orders everyone around to serve him like a king, and the combination of drugs and alcohol make him do crazy things. Yes, she was there for the shooting of the TV set. And she tells you exactly how she made his peanut butter and banana sandwiches (mush the bananas and peanut butter together!). Elvis is sick and while she claims to be a dedicated Christian in love with another believer, in truth the two sin freely together without any guilt. She is an agreeable doormat that Elvis walks all over.
She finally comes to her senses when he cheats on her with someone in "their" home Graceland (she's fine with his cheating away from home!). So she moves out and runs into Bruce Jenner at the Playboy Mansion. That starts the next section of her life (and book) with the "perfect man." And as a couple she claims they were perfect at well. The two literally never had an argument in all the years they were together and he appeared to be the perfect husband...until he tells her that he feels like a female inside and wants to begin the transition to becoming a woman. This is decades before the rest of know the Jenner story. And while she states words that express her support for Bruce's transition, she then begins to reveal the true Jenner, the man behind the fake smile--the self-centered jerk who appears to have feelings for no one else but himself.
When she refuses to stay married to what will be a woman, he abandons the marriage and their two sons--going years without seeing his boys after marrying Kris Kardashian, who appears to have considered Linda Thompson to be an enemy. The picture painted here of Bruce Jenner is not a positive one. He was a seriously screwed-up guy with some major mental health issues. Even in his current persona as a female, the conclusion you get from reading the book is that Jenner is one of the most selfish, psychologically confused persons who ever lived. His slow transformation to becoming a woman almost comes across as self-hatred by abusing his body, and the author claims to go along with it, except she refuses to stay married to the guy who wants to live with her as a woman.
Jenner is not someone to be admired but to be condemned for how he mistreated others through his lying and abandonment. It begs the question--why does society make excuses for someone with gender issues when they abuse everyone else around them? Why does society try to cover up mental health issues by overpraising someone like Caitlyn Jenner? He/She should be held accountable for his/her terrible actions. Once Bruce hooked up with the Kardashians (in an apparent change of heart where he stopped becoming a woman) he had nothing to do with his four other children, and for that he should be ashamed. There's no excuse for being an irresponsible parent no matter what you're feeling about yourself inside--he made bad choices.
Linda made the nonsensical decision of not asking for alimony or child support from Jenner in the divorce. That makes no sense and shows how misguided she is with her need to feel empathy for everyone. The men in her life literally screwed her over and stomped on her, yet she kept a smile on her face telling everyone how wonderful they were. While some could defend that as Christian ("turn the other cheek") that's not a good character quality when trying to support small children, though she brags about it throughout the book.
Then she meets David Foster (with some other famous names tossed in along the way, such as Dodi Fayed). Foster is another self-centered egotist who wanted to be treated like royalty just like her other lovers. He mooches off her for a while and she uses his musical abilities to further her songwriting career. They spend almost 20 years together, with him cheating on her and her "practicing forgiveness" on him. She paints herself as a saint in suffering with his outbursts, but in truth she can be blamed for much of the chaos because of her failure to deal with reality head-on and taking a stand for herself or her kids. When she finally does after two decades, the marriage ends the day after their reality TV show premieres.
She throws Foster under the bus big time and in his case it's not a surprise--we've seen him on TV shows and on Princes of Malibu, where he's the male version of control freak Barbra Streisand (and that's not a compliment!). The question here is why Linda put up with Foster for so many years, then blames him when she let him get away with so much abuse? It appears it took her over thirty years to go from a subservient plaything for Elvis to the ideal mother and wife for Bruce Jenner to Oscar-nominated songwriting partner who wanted to be treated as an equal to the mega-talented David Foster. Once she stands up to Foster she finally becomes a woman. And the book pretty much ends--even though that was 11 years before publication. The final pages are a quick coda that says she's single and happy, proud of her two boys (ignoring the crazy lifestyle Brody in particular has shown on television), getting along with Caitlyn Jenner (who comes for Thanksgiving dinner!), and is still the good Christian girl her parents raised her to be.
The book is not really about Linda--it's totally devoted to the men. A few paragraphs mention her TV work and her ridiculous claims of incredible acting talent. It is, however, one of the most revealing autobiographies ever published because of what she tells about the men in her life, not about herself.
Almost all of her songs are simplistic and unmemorable (most chapters end with her lyrics). The woman, honestly, doesn't have unique lyrical talent and was partnered with some wonderful composers. However, the goal of this book in her eyes appears to make everyone believe she is one of the top lyricists that has ever lived and to be taken seriously.
Sorry, Linda, but after reading about how you only pick rich men to live with (I believe we call that a golddigger), fail to react to their mistreatment of you, and fail to act as a responsible independent woman, I just can't take you seriously. I do appreciate, though, your willingness to tell a lot of great inside stories about these men who were completely different in private than they were in public. Revealing secrets is what a memoir should do--now all you need to add is some serious introspection and see where you failed. Life, especially your life, isn't the fairy tale you make it out to be.
February 6, 2017
I quite enjoyed this memoir of Linda Thompson. I was especially interested to read about her relationship with Elvis. I found her to be mostly open and honest in recounting her life with Elvis and then her subsequent relationships. I only ever thought of her as someone who once dated Elvis but soon found out that she was also married to and had children with Bruce Jenner, the Olympic Gold medalist, better known for his marriage to Kris Kardashian and now of course for his transition into Caitlyn Jenner. Linda Thompson went through some bizarre stuff in all three of her relationships and put up with some behaviour that was demoralising and took away her power but she grew from all those experiences and is a well known and awarded songwriter in her own right. I admire her for not ever using her relationship with Elvis to gain celebrity or to make money. Even now that she has revealed what she has, she has done so with reverence and respect for the man who was flawed in so many ways but was also an amazing human being and entertainer. She also extends this courtesy to both her other partners, telling it how it is without sensationalising it, which she could have done very easily. So much has been written about Elvis Presley but I found this refreshing as it did not rehash old stuff that has been written about time and again. Even without the Elvis connection this would have been an enjoyable read.
October 13, 2016
A book I bought for my Mum's birthday (at her request). Elvis was weird!
This was a very interesting and well-written autobiography. Linda Thompson's life with Elvis and her marriage to Bruce Jenner are told in a loving and introspective way, honest but without too much tale-telling. I didn't care much for her personally - she seemed a little too goody-two-shoes and self-promoting to be true - but she was and is very beautiful and is quite a talented writer. I highly recommend the book for anyone interested in these celebrities.
This was a very interesting and well-written autobiography. Linda Thompson's life with Elvis and her marriage to Bruce Jenner are told in a loving and introspective way, honest but without too much tale-telling. I didn't care much for her personally - she seemed a little too goody-two-shoes and self-promoting to be true - but she was and is very beautiful and is quite a talented writer. I highly recommend the book for anyone interested in these celebrities.
September 2, 2016
If I had to describe this book in one word, it'd be, classy.
I love that Linda Thompson has told her life story in such an amazing fashion. A very interesting read that you won't want to put down. Bravo to Linda Thompson and thank you for sharing your life with us.
I love that Linda Thompson has told her life story in such an amazing fashion. A very interesting read that you won't want to put down. Bravo to Linda Thompson and thank you for sharing your life with us.
August 29, 2016
I loved this book!
Very honest and heartfelt. I highly recommend this book...you won't be disappointed! A lot about Elvis and I love how she writes honestly.
Very honest and heartfelt. I highly recommend this book...you won't be disappointed! A lot about Elvis and I love how she writes honestly.
September 15, 2016
The Elvis baby talk stuff creeped me out but it was a very interesting book.
April 25, 2017
I'm a huge fan of Elvis Presley so I knew without a doubt I would love this book. And I did. Absorbing and heartfelt.
I was surprised when I saw this book at the department store as I had no idea that Linda Thompson had even penned her life story. I Googled the libraries website and found it available so borrowed it the same day. Everything written about Elvis is just too tempting to not read especially by someone like Linda Thompson as I knew she had been with Elvis for quite a while and I wanted to know her story. And wow, what a story! She gives the reader a most remarkable, open and honest account of her time with Elvis Presley, Bruce Jenner and David Foster. This book left me in awe of Linda Thompson - I only ever knew her as Elvis's girlfriend and had no idea of her extraordinary life that was to follow. A five year marriage to former Olympic Gold Medal decathlete bruce Jenner (now known as Caitlyn Jenner), and (better known for his marriage to Kris Kardashian), with whom she had two sons Brandon and Brody. A 19 year marriage to Canadian composer and record producer David Foster. She's an accomplished songwriter/lyricist, a former actress and beauty pageant winner.
This is a classy and beautifully written book by a sweet, kind and selfless person. I greatly respect that throughout this book she never said a bad word against anyone that was in her life. And neither did she reveal Bruce Jenner's issue with gender dysphoria when he told her back in 1985, until recently. She certainly comes across as an upstanding person and made this book a pleasure to read. It's filled with compelling and touching stories and sixteen pages of wonderful photographs.
I was surprised when I saw this book at the department store as I had no idea that Linda Thompson had even penned her life story. I Googled the libraries website and found it available so borrowed it the same day. Everything written about Elvis is just too tempting to not read especially by someone like Linda Thompson as I knew she had been with Elvis for quite a while and I wanted to know her story. And wow, what a story! She gives the reader a most remarkable, open and honest account of her time with Elvis Presley, Bruce Jenner and David Foster. This book left me in awe of Linda Thompson - I only ever knew her as Elvis's girlfriend and had no idea of her extraordinary life that was to follow. A five year marriage to former Olympic Gold Medal decathlete bruce Jenner (now known as Caitlyn Jenner), and (better known for his marriage to Kris Kardashian), with whom she had two sons Brandon and Brody. A 19 year marriage to Canadian composer and record producer David Foster. She's an accomplished songwriter/lyricist, a former actress and beauty pageant winner.
This is a classy and beautifully written book by a sweet, kind and selfless person. I greatly respect that throughout this book she never said a bad word against anyone that was in her life. And neither did she reveal Bruce Jenner's issue with gender dysphoria when he told her back in 1985, until recently. She certainly comes across as an upstanding person and made this book a pleasure to read. It's filled with compelling and touching stories and sixteen pages of wonderful photographs.
January 11, 2024
A lot of pages of Linda's loves that she had & lost.
She was with Elvis for almost 5 yrs. & left a little over 6 months before his excesses killed him.
While she was with him,he bought her a house,cars,unlimited jewelry & took her on outlandish trips.
She claims at the end,that she was more a wet nurse,than anything else,but she really loved him & stayed.
Then she met & married Bruce Jenner,they had two sons together & he told her that he was a woman in a man's body,but she also loved him & stayed thru many difficult situations.
Her second marriage was to David Foster, which out of utmost love,she put up with untold cruelty for almost 19 yrs.
Supposedly, they are all friends now & Bruce's sons have accepted their father as Kaitlyn.
This was an okay book,but I wouldn't recommend it to my friends,it's just too full of crap & they wouldn't care.
I should have stopped reading, once "Elvis Left the Building."
She was with Elvis for almost 5 yrs. & left a little over 6 months before his excesses killed him.
While she was with him,he bought her a house,cars,unlimited jewelry & took her on outlandish trips.
She claims at the end,that she was more a wet nurse,than anything else,but she really loved him & stayed.
Then she met & married Bruce Jenner,they had two sons together & he told her that he was a woman in a man's body,but she also loved him & stayed thru many difficult situations.
Her second marriage was to David Foster, which out of utmost love,she put up with untold cruelty for almost 19 yrs.
Supposedly, they are all friends now & Bruce's sons have accepted their father as Kaitlyn.
This was an okay book,but I wouldn't recommend it to my friends,it's just too full of crap & they wouldn't care.
I should have stopped reading, once "Elvis Left the Building."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 31, 2024
A story of Linda’s life in the context of the high profile men that’s she’s dated, which at least she acknowledges at the end that that’s how she lived her life and that she doesn’t regret it? Obligatory Elvis is a controlling freak and I can’t believe women or anyone put up with it!
September 12, 2016
To many people, Linda Thompson has been known for many years in music circles for her talented career as a lyricist. As a die-hard Whitney Houston fan, "I Have Nothing" one of the pop superstar's most iconic hits was written by Thompson for the meg-hit "The Bodyguard" and produced by David Foster, Thompson's former husband. The pair even have cameo roles in that film as the Academy Awards conductor and attendee, respectively. It is anecdotes such as these creating the vast, intricate tapestry in the engaging new memoir, "A Little Thing Called Life"
Linda Thompson's life reads like any small town girl's dream. As Miss Tennessee in 1972 she went on to catch the eye of Elvis Presley, arguably the most famous music legend of all time. They shared a tender, if not complex relationship, exposing Linda to a world of which she seemed ill-prepared but who handled with grace and maturity. Later, almost cryptically, after commenting to Elvis that "I am going to marry that man one day, Linda married Olympic Gold Medalist Bruce Jenner and they seemed the perfect couple having two boys, Brody and Brandon. But the truth about Bruce's inner genre identity crisis is as hard at times to understand and accept for the reader as it was by Linda.
Later, Linda's marriage to another superstar David Foster brought more headlines and heartache for the devoted mother ending in divorce which can never be easy whether you are famous or not.
What is truly fascinating about Linda Thompson and this book is she shines much of the spotlight on those in her life and less on herself leaving one to want more of HER. I am in a unique position because I am one of the lucky readers in Los Angeles who can say that I have met Linda Thompson, and her sons on different occasions and you could not meet people who are any kinder. To those wondering, Linda looked 38 in person! And that, made reading this touching book so much more enjoyable for me. I recommend it highly to anyone interested in not only the lives of celebrity marriages but how one woman managed somehow to raise two amazing sons without ever falling prey to the TMZ-esque downfalls of Hollywood.
Linda Thompson's life reads like any small town girl's dream. As Miss Tennessee in 1972 she went on to catch the eye of Elvis Presley, arguably the most famous music legend of all time. They shared a tender, if not complex relationship, exposing Linda to a world of which she seemed ill-prepared but who handled with grace and maturity. Later, almost cryptically, after commenting to Elvis that "I am going to marry that man one day, Linda married Olympic Gold Medalist Bruce Jenner and they seemed the perfect couple having two boys, Brody and Brandon. But the truth about Bruce's inner genre identity crisis is as hard at times to understand and accept for the reader as it was by Linda.
Later, Linda's marriage to another superstar David Foster brought more headlines and heartache for the devoted mother ending in divorce which can never be easy whether you are famous or not.
What is truly fascinating about Linda Thompson and this book is she shines much of the spotlight on those in her life and less on herself leaving one to want more of HER. I am in a unique position because I am one of the lucky readers in Los Angeles who can say that I have met Linda Thompson, and her sons on different occasions and you could not meet people who are any kinder. To those wondering, Linda looked 38 in person! And that, made reading this touching book so much more enjoyable for me. I recommend it highly to anyone interested in not only the lives of celebrity marriages but how one woman managed somehow to raise two amazing sons without ever falling prey to the TMZ-esque downfalls of Hollywood.
January 20, 2022
There are some things that you just don't share. Especially when you claim to have really loved someone. I would rather not know that Elvis liked to talk like a baby and be treated as such, would act infantile with her after his concerts and was insecure about his neck, because he thought it looked like a chicken neck, (thus the popped collars) and was insanely jealous and needy. Let's just strip Elvis of all dignity of his memory why don't we? Linda portrayed herself as a naive innocent, virtuous, kind-hearted and caring woman WAY TOO MUCH. She over stressed her virgin status and deep southern morals, and yet she practically moved in with Elvis within 2 weeks of knowing him and lived at Graceland as his little muse for many years. She fed him entire sticks of butter because "that's what Elvis wanted."
No wonder he looked the way he did while he was with her! WTH?
Was I the only one that found her to be a little off putting about her role in Elvis life as innocent and loving? I cringed at how she spoke about Lisa Marie Presley (those endearing names!) and thought it was very coy of her to get a good jab at Priscilla Presley by stating she had to "hide all the jewelry she was wearing that Elvis gave her upon meeting Priscilla, because he never doted on Priscilla the way he did her," Really? I couldn't make it so far in the book to read about what she had to say about Bruce Jenner because the circus she was creating in my head was too much to bear already. I had to leave the big top for fresh air. Wow!
No wonder he looked the way he did while he was with her! WTH?
Was I the only one that found her to be a little off putting about her role in Elvis life as innocent and loving? I cringed at how she spoke about Lisa Marie Presley (those endearing names!) and thought it was very coy of her to get a good jab at Priscilla Presley by stating she had to "hide all the jewelry she was wearing that Elvis gave her upon meeting Priscilla, because he never doted on Priscilla the way he did her," Really? I couldn't make it so far in the book to read about what she had to say about Bruce Jenner because the circus she was creating in my head was too much to bear already. I had to leave the big top for fresh air. Wow!
January 19, 2017
I really tried to like this book as Linda Thompson is a Tennessee girl and I think she is absolutely an accomplished woman,songwriter. AND although I am sure Linda Thompson is a "nice" person, this book is so slanted in its view as if she is applying for sainthood! We all know in reality that Elvis was not an angel, but my personal feeling is she can't absolve herself from her part in his demise by saying she loved him. Then she talks about how much she loves Bruce/Caitlyn Jenner, yet her painting of him/her as one of the worst "deadbeat dads" ever speaks loudly of the opposite. I personally think that she has a "savior complex" as far as men are concerned or at least pictures herself as the person that can fix it all with her love and beauty. Also, I feel a lot of this books is passive aggressive toward the "loves" in her life. Get some therapy, please! If I had it to do over again, I probably would have skipped reading this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 5, 2016
Linda's memoir was fantastic, and I just flew through the 360 pages. I thought it was significant that half of Linda's book was dedicated to her life with Elvis which was only 4 1/2 years.
October 2, 2016
This was a very interesting autobiography written by Linda Thompson who spend 5 years living with Elvis. She has waited until now to reveal the inside story of that relationship.
She also married Bruce Jenner and had 2 sons with him. She knew about his gender identity after they had been married for a few years. She always supported his choices but could not stay married to him once he decided he was going to transition into a woman. He was taking hormones and had some surgeries while she was with him. He wanted to stay married to her but she did not want to be with a woman as a partner. In respect to Bruce, until he came out as Kaitlyn, she decided not to write this book.
Then she met David Foster, the songwriter. She was with him for about 5 years before she married him. It was about the same time that Bruce Jenner met and married Kris Kardashian. Linda Thompson is very candid about her relationship with David Foster too.
She comments often on how small the "community" she lives in has been. She took care of Elvis's Lisa Marie when she was 4 years old until she split with Elvis. She raised her own boys, along with David's daughters for years.
She is not known as well for one of her biggest talents which is writing song lyrics. She wrote "I Have Nothing from The Bodyguard that Whitney Houston recorded along with 22 other songs that have been recorded by various artists.
There are several pages of photos with Elvis, Bruce Jenner and David Foster. The only thing I didn't like about this book was that I felt the words were sometimes stilted and could have been written in a more flowing style.
She also married Bruce Jenner and had 2 sons with him. She knew about his gender identity after they had been married for a few years. She always supported his choices but could not stay married to him once he decided he was going to transition into a woman. He was taking hormones and had some surgeries while she was with him. He wanted to stay married to her but she did not want to be with a woman as a partner. In respect to Bruce, until he came out as Kaitlyn, she decided not to write this book.
Then she met David Foster, the songwriter. She was with him for about 5 years before she married him. It was about the same time that Bruce Jenner met and married Kris Kardashian. Linda Thompson is very candid about her relationship with David Foster too.
She comments often on how small the "community" she lives in has been. She took care of Elvis's Lisa Marie when she was 4 years old until she split with Elvis. She raised her own boys, along with David's daughters for years.
She is not known as well for one of her biggest talents which is writing song lyrics. She wrote "I Have Nothing from The Bodyguard that Whitney Houston recorded along with 22 other songs that have been recorded by various artists.
There are several pages of photos with Elvis, Bruce Jenner and David Foster. The only thing I didn't like about this book was that I felt the words were sometimes stilted and could have been written in a more flowing style.
August 22, 2016
I have to say that I really enjoyed this autobiography by Linda Thompson. I thought I would just skim through it, but once I started reading, I was hooked! I had no idea who Linda Thompson was, but when I read the book flap was instantly intrigued by the woman who was Elvis's girlfriend for 4 years, married to Bruce Jenner ( and the mother of his 2 sons) and then married to David Foster, and is a fairly accomplished song writer in her own right......I mean seriously, I needed to know about her life! This was a beautifully written book- she seems to be such a nice , kind and good hearted person, she never said one bad word about any of the people in her life. I can't say this was a tell-all, but it provided a good glimpse into the lives of these famous people in the nicest way possible. I would definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys celebrity memoirs!
October 5, 2016
I'll be honest - I got this book because I knew Ms Thompson had had relationships with both Elvis Presley and Bruce Jenner. Gotta be a hell of a story there somewhere, am I right? This book surprised me for two reasons. First off, Ms Thompson doesn't trash talk any of her exes, nor does she try to act like they were anything but real, flawed people. You see Elvis, Bruce and her other ex-husband David Foster, as human beings, and they come off very well.
The second surprise was about Ms Thompson's songwriting. I knew that's how she made her living these days, but I was surprised at some of the songs I know well that I didn't realize she'd written the lyrics to. I Have Nothing, recorded by Whitney Houston, and Miracle, my favorite song performed by Celine Dion, were both written by Thompson, as well as many others.
This was a very interesting, very good book.
The second surprise was about Ms Thompson's songwriting. I knew that's how she made her living these days, but I was surprised at some of the songs I know well that I didn't realize she'd written the lyrics to. I Have Nothing, recorded by Whitney Houston, and Miracle, my favorite song performed by Celine Dion, were both written by Thompson, as well as many others.
This was a very interesting, very good book.
July 25, 2019
The author’s ego is such that in all 3 relationships and breakups she portrays herself as faultless - and perhaps that is true, but she only chose 3 famous, wealthy men and the advantages that came with that lifestyle. Her stories are sugar sweet with an underlying bite.
Elvis has never been an idol of mine but his looks and voice were extraordinary so it was depressing to know that privately he was a man-child who called his much younger girlfriend “mommy”, talked baby talk incessantly and slept, ate and basically lived in his bed. He never went anywhere without his coterie of a dozen men, cheated on his girls and didn’t like sleeping with women who were mothers, including his own wife. I think it is a disservice to his family to reveal his idiosyncrasies that she admits he would not want the public to know.
Elvis has never been an idol of mine but his looks and voice were extraordinary so it was depressing to know that privately he was a man-child who called his much younger girlfriend “mommy”, talked baby talk incessantly and slept, ate and basically lived in his bed. He never went anywhere without his coterie of a dozen men, cheated on his girls and didn’t like sleeping with women who were mothers, including his own wife. I think it is a disservice to his family to reveal his idiosyncrasies that she admits he would not want the public to know.
September 10, 2016
In good conscience, I must admit having grown up with Elvis' music, I have and always will be a FAN! So to state that I really enjoyed this book is a plus especially when someone as close to him as Linda reflects on her love for him. Unlike many memoirs, it was well-written and from the heart of Linda Thompson, his long time girl friend and the second wife to Bruce Jenner and David Foster. It gives the reader a glimpse into the real lives of these famous people, their struggles and hardships as she recounts her incredible journey through the years. Her glimpses brings insight into the lives of these three legendary men.
My only negative thought about this book is . . . she was too kind, patient and trusting in all of her love affairs.
My only negative thought about this book is . . . she was too kind, patient and trusting in all of her love affairs.
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