Meet Elvis Presley's Longtime Cook, Mary Jenkins Langston

It's hard to name a star more widely known than Elvis Presley, the King of Rock and Roll himself. Over the course of his prolific, larger-than-life career, no matter the changes to his sound, his iconic looks, or the chapters of his fame, one thing remained steady: the style of food he ate, prepared for him at Graceland by his longtime cook, Mary Jenkins Langston. 

Langston, who prepped daily meals for Elvis and his family, was the chef behind the iconic meals we associate with Presley, including his favorite Southern comfort classics, and, of course, those fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches. Many a Memphis establishment and even the Graceland tours today give nods to his favorite foods on their menus, but it was Langston who made the originals for Presley in his gold and avocado green, wood-paneled kitchen. 

The details we know about her own upbringing are few and far between. Little of her own family survives, but we do know she had a penchant for preparing the style of down-home cooking Presley had grown up on during his childhood in Tupelo, Mississippi, and craved even as his stardom grew. Langston, too, was born in Mississippi, and it was her knowledge of soul food cooking that led the Presleys to promote her from Graceland maid to cook, a role which she'd hold up until 1989, still cooking for the remaining family at Graceland long after Presley's death.

Elvis Presley's stardom was already astronomical when Mary Jenkins Langston joined his staff in 1963 as part of a rotating team of other cooks, most notably Nancy Rooks and Pauline Nicholson, who kept the King and his family fed 'round the clock. Despite his fame, Presley cultivated a private home life at Graceland. As Langston became an integral part of his tight-knit inner circle, their relationship was clearly far more than that of just a star and a hired staff member. 

Mary Jenkins Langston recalled fondly her many years spent feeding Presley, including days before his death, preparing his requested favorite dishes like cornbread, biscuits, and sandwiches, such as his mammoth Fool's Gold loaf. In later years, Presley was put on diets, no doubt related to his years of choosing deep-fried, fatty, Southern foods (Langston used two sticks of butter to make three of his banana PB sandwiches!). Still, Langston fulfilled his requests to sneak him his favorite comfort foods, searching for some of familiarity during stressful times.  

Over the years, Presley purchased Langston multiple cars and a home as a gift, which she lived in for many years. From interviews before her death in 2000, it's clear her warm feelings toward Presley were mutual. She remembered him as a kind, sweet person who took great enjoyment and comfort from her Southern-style, down-home cooking.