NEW YORK (AP) — Cassandra Peterson has entertained Halloween lovers as Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, for more than four decades.

Peterson developed the character in the 1980s, after leaving her career as a showgirl — a decision she credits at least in part to Elvis Presley, whom she says essentially saved her life.

“He absolutely changed my life, 100%. I was a showgirl in Las Vegas. I was 17 years old, and he said, ‘This is no place for a 17-year-old girl. You need to get the hell out of here,’” Peterson, now 74, recalls. Presley told her she had a nice voice and could become a singer.

“And I was like, seriously? Really? But when Elvis tells you something, you think, maybe I can do this,” says Peterson, who did indeed do a stint as a singer.

After Peterson turned to comedy, a local

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