Ann-Margret's Relationship History: The Men Who Charmed Her Before She Married Her Husband

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With her long red hair, bright green eyes, and energetic hip-shaking dance moves that rocked a nation in the 1960s, Ann-Margret was bound to be an icon. One of the biggest sex symbols of her time, Ann-Margret first came on the scene in 1961 when she released her first album, "And Here She Is... Ann-Margret," and made her theatrical debut in "Pocketful of Miracles," and was quickly heralded as the next big thing. She won a Billboard award and was nominated for a Grammy for her album, and took home a Golden Globe for her acting. Ann-Margret's overwhelming sex appeal led to her often being cast as the "bad girl," but audiences, especially teens, loved her anyway. It was impossible to deny that whatever "it" is, she had it. And her many paramours would agree.

Ann-Margret married fellow actor Roger Smith in 1967, and the two were together until his death in 2017. But before she fell in love with Smith, the beautiful and charismatic dancer who seemed to embody 1960s pop culture, dated a few famous men, and, for at least one of them, became "the one who got away." And, much like the fearless characters she is known for playing, Ann-Margret was very open about her past loves in her autobiography "Ann-Margret: My Story," revealing what happened with each one of her beaus while always keeping things classy. 

Ann-Margret was 18 and attending Northwestern when she first met Scott Smith. Smith was looking for a singer for his band, the Suttletones, and the moment he heard her sing, he knew Ann-Margret was exactly who he needed. As Ann-Margret related in her autobiography, "Scott sat down at the keyboard and I sang along. After a few numbers, I was hired and rehearsals began a few days later." She and Smith started dating shortly after that, and, before long, the band took off quickly and soon found themselves in Las Vegas.

Things weren't easy in Vegas, and two members of the quartet left the Suttletones. Still, Ann-Margret and Smith kept working at it, at least for a while, but they eventually ended their romantic relationship. Ann-Margret soon met Bobby Roberts, who offered to be her manager, but only if she went solo. She took him up on his offer and was hired to work with George Burns, and from there, her career skyrocketed. But Ann-Margret never forgot Smith. Smith became a popular nightclub fixture in Des Moines, Iowa, and in 2019, to celebrate six decades of performing, Ann-Margret joined Smith on stage at the Noce' nightclub. 

Not long after she ended her relationship with Scott Smith, Ann-Margret started dating Peter Brown. Brown was already famous, starring in the hit series "Lawman," and it was through him that Ann-Margret got her first taste of stardom, writing in her autobiography, "Peter even took me to several Hollywood parties and premieres. In fact, that was my first introduction to the glitter and hoopla of 'Hollywood.'" But Brown showed the young and rising actor more than just the glitz and glamour. He also introduced Ann-Margret to Disneyland. He even brought her parents and a family friend along to meet Mickey Mouse.

The two only dated for a summer, but Brown left an impression on Ann-Margret. As she elaborated, "Peter handled everything so smoothly, including his fans, and he was always wonderful to them. That's something I've alsways remembered and admired about him." Brown and Ann-Margret would reunite years later for "Kitten with a Whip," but the biggest effect he would have on her life happened by chance. It was Brown who first introduced Ann-Margret to her future husband, Roger Smith, while they were dating.

Ann-Margret met Burt Sugarman when she was 19 and he was 21. They met shortly before she went off to film "Pocketful of Miracles" and dated through the production and into her next film, 1962's "State Fair." Sugarman had already been married and divorced by then, and, as Ann-Margret explained in her autobiography, "Burt was light-years ahead in terms of experience." Sugarman was just what the young star was looking for: someone who would protect her, but also be fun at parties. 

The two spent New Year's Eve in Las Vegas, dancing the night away, and that February, Sugarman presented Ann-Margret with a diamond ring, asking for her hand in marriage. She accepted his offer, but Ann-Margret's parents soon put an end to it. According to the icon's book, "They adored Burt and they respected his intelligence. But they didn't want me to get married." In the end, she took her parents' advice. Sugarman went on to become a producer, creating the classic 1970s variety show "The Midnight Special" and receiving an Oscar nomination for "Children of a Lesser God."

When it comes to scandalous Hollywood affairs, Eddie Fisher is sure to come up. While he was one of the biggest teen idols of the 1950s, these days he is best remembered for his affair with Elizabeth Taylor, which broke up his marriage to Debbie Reynolds, who, before that, was Taylor's close friend. Shortly after things fell apart with Taylor, Fisher met Ann-Margret, and the two started dating. in 1963. 

Ann-Margret was 22 at the time, and Fisher was 35. According to Ann-Margret, her parents accompanied the duo on their first few dates, writing in her autobiography that "Eddie understood. He was very into family, too, and quickly grasped that my attitude was love me, love my parents." And while Fisher appeared to be looking for something long-term — he even gave Ann-Margret a dog named Scoobie — she wasn't ready for anything too serious. The relationship didn't last long, and the two parted ways amicably. Fisher went on to marry three more times.

Ann-Margret and Elvis Presley met on the set of "Viva Las Vegas" in 1963 and hit it off. Elvis even bought her a $780 bed that was, as she explained in her book, round and pink and given to her "in a moment of tenderness.  Undoubtedly her most famous relationship outside of her marriage, she and Elvis seemed almost destined to be together. As the "Bye Bye Birdie" star put it, "We both felt a current, an electricity that went straight through us. It would become a force we couldn't control."  Elvis and Ann-Margret seemed made for each other; both were amazing singers and dancers who experienced overnight success and desired a sense of privacy that the press wouldn't allow them. Or, as Ann-Margret claims, Elvis' road manager Joe Esposito once said, "She's the female you!" 

The two dated for a year, but, as Ann-Margret explained, "There were other factors in Elvis' life that forced him apart from me." The main factor was Priscilla Wagner, Elvis' future wife. Elvis and Priscilla were married on May 1, 1967. Ann-Margret married Roger Smith a week later. Still, the two remained friends. Whenever Ann-Margret performed in Las Vegas, Elvis sent her flowers. It was the lack of flowers before one performance in 1977 that tipped Ann-Margret off that something was wrong. The next morning, Ann-Margret learned that Elvis had died. She and her husband rushed to Graceland for the funeral. When they arrived, Elvis' father embraced her and, through tears, told her, "He was so proud of you."