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In 1985, Priscilla Presley published her memoir. Four years later, Depeche Mode had a hit that sold 7,000,000 copies
Martin Gore says reading Priscilla Presley’s 1985 memoir, *Elvis and Me*, helped inspire Depeche Mode’s 1989 hit “Personal Jesus”. The song explored how people can treat a romantic partner as an idol and source of devotion, a dynamic Gore saw in Presley’s account of her relationship with Elvis.
The article notes that Priscilla was 14 when she first met Elvis, who was serving in Germany, and that their relationship involved a ten-year age gap. “Personal Jesus” initially reached number 13 in the charts, has sold more than seven million copies and has around 125 million streams, according to the article. Johnny Cash later covered it, and Gore described its subject as being someone who offers another person hope and care.
In short
- Priscilla Presley’s memoir helped inspire “Personal Jesus”.
- Martin Gore wrote about devotion and idealising a partner.
- The Depeche Mode hit has sold over seven million copies.