This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Here is what you need to know about Elvis' death, declining health and other aspects of his life. Dealing with addiction and health issues and having a difficult time adjusting to the shifting cultural climate of the '60s and '70s, Elvis died a Vegas showman rather than a groundbreaking rocker. The death of Elvis Presley came with a shock and sadness, one hot summer day--August 16th, 1977. . Most challenging during Elvis' final years was his nonstop schedule of his live performances. The 78-year-old recalled how Presley would look down as the doctors spoke with him. "He knew what he was doing," she said, "and people go, 'Why didn't anyone do anything?" Appropriation or appreciation? "Its hard for us to imagine [that he was in physical pain] because he once appeared so perfect on the outside that he couldn't have been flawed on the inside," author Sally A. Hoedel told Fox News Digital. The Colonel owes a lot of money in gambling debts and some of the guys will be in bad financial shape if I dont keep working. Had he had immediate medical attention, theres a big possibility [he might have lived], she said. Market data provided by Factset. ", Additionally, a report from the tabloid The Sun shows that Priscilla considered depictions of Elvis as a bystander in his own life to be inaccurate, only that he was dismissive of attempts to help him get treatment. It was claimed that over the last 20 months of Elvis' life, Dr. Nick prescribed him over 12,000 pills. As Elvis Presley embarked on a grueling tour, he was concerned about his health, Sally A. Hoedel claimed. The autopsy showed that Elvis was massively obese, had extensive plaques in his arteries and had a very enlarged heart. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Presley was born inTupelo,Mississippi, on Jan.8, 1935, and died in Memphis, Tennessee, on Aug. 16, 1977. Britney Spears had her trauma exploited: What it means to finallyhear her side. If he didn't prescribe the pills to Elvis, someone else would, and at least this way he wouldn't get them off the street. Elvis had a way of getting what he wanted, said Kirk. That one scene sums up how the real Elvis Presley spent his final years before dying of an apparent heart attack in 1977 at the young age of 42. First he complained of vertigo, back pain, and insomnia, eye infections and headaches, and in 1973 he was rushed to hospital in a semi-coma and found to be suffering from jaundice, severe respiratory distress, marked swelling of his face, distended abdomen, constipation, a gastric, bleeding ulcer and hepatitis. By examining his flaws and health issues, maybe we can start to see his humanity again.. Conditions such as post-concussion syndrome can lead to symptoms such as dizziness, headaches and difficulty concentrating. He was buried on the grounds of Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee. More on his health: We didnt have the empathy to talk about Elvis health problems then. He just took more medication to keep going. He was not only my patient but a good friend., LIBERACE TOLD ELVIS PRESLEY HE NEEDED MORE GLITZ IN HIS SHOWS BEFORE LAS VEGAS TRANSFORMATION, BOOK CLAIMS, Elvis Presley in his final years. Elvis Presley's former private nurse Letetia Henley Kirk has had the King on her mind. He allegedly told her, "I cant baby, I cant stop right now. She has a new book about the King coming out in September. The autopsy results are due to be unlocked in 2027, but until then, the biggest insight into the star's mysterious death has come from prominent California physician, Forest Tennant, who actually reviewed the report while defending Elvis' doctor, Dr. George Nichopoulos, who was later acquitted of over-prescribing drugs. "We see that when he tours, he takes more medication than when hes not touring. He had back pain, digestive troubles, and eye afflictions, including glaucoma. Hugely overweight, his mind dulled by the pharmacopeia he daily ingested, he was barely able to pull himself through his abbreviated concerts.". While this is a cruel and derogatory way to describe someone dealing with personal health problems, it's undeniable that Elvis' eating and weight issues colored his last year on Earth. Here's why. His mothers family including three uncles were cursed by early death, the author Sally Hoedel says. A diagnostic screening tool for EDS didnt exist when Elvis was alive and few physicians were even aware of the condition. Three of his uncles died of heart, kidney and liver issues in their 40a and early 50s. If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Elvis Presley had multiple diseases. Pain News Network is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit charity. Despite his introverted personality, Presley had immense musical talent. They were all connected. He needed a full-time nurse and apparently refused to bathe throughout 1975, causing him to develop sores on his body. ", "Its been documented that right before he went on his last tour, he had phone conversations with several people where he said, I just dont feel good,'" she shared. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. This manifested most egregiously in March 1977 during two stops in Louisiana. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/elvis-addiction-was-the-perfect-prescription-for-an-early-death. "Theres no specific negligence on anyones part and definitely no cover-up or conspiracy of a criminal act. They finally had to give him medication just so he could sleep. She says, 'Come upstairs, I need help. Elvis Presley is seen performing on June 20, 1977. Something went wrong, please try again later. Kirk was working at her clinic when she received word that Presley had died. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. But Tennant thinks Presley had all the symptoms of EDS, including an unusual degree of flexibility and double jointness that allowed him to swing his hips and gyrate wildly. He paid strangers hospital bills if he heard they were poor. It takes hours to die from drugs.". 'Stan' culture: needs to stop or at least radically change. Manly adds the objectification of Elvis also played a role in this mistreatment: not only was he used as a "moneymaking machine" by power-hungry leadersin the industry, but he was also sexualized and reduced toan image by his youngfemalefans. The problem became alarming especially during his last decade of life. He once said: "Presley's chronic constipation - the result of years of prescription drug abuse and high-fat, high-cholesterol gorging - brought on what's known as Valsalva's maneuver. In fact, Danzig's vocal style is so reminiscent of Presley's that he's earned himself the nickname "Evil Elvis," a title he's happy to accept. It was hard to be Elvis, no one had done fame like that . His eye was staring straight ahead and blood red.". By then, he and his wife Priscilla Presley had separated. There, the body identified the matter as foreign and produced antibodies to destroy it, triggering hypogammaglobulinemia, a disorder of the body's immune system. During the final months of his life, Elvis Presley was said to be in a lot of physical pain. At his last concert, which took place in Indiana, Presley was quoted as saying, "My body really hurts, but no matter what Im going out there tonight and giving everything I have no matter what." (Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images), The fifth tour of the year, comprised of 10 cities, 10 shows in 10 days, began on June 17 and ended on June 26. Market data provided by Factset. Elvis grew up in a loving family with not much money. Subsequent armchair diagnosticians (and a few geneticists who claimed to have a lock of Elviss hair and performed a DNA analysis of it) have suggested Elvis had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a disease of the heart muscle in which there is thickening of the hearts walls, weakening and enlargement of the muscle itself, and, ultimately heart failure or sudden cardiac death. That always stayed with him. They don't want to go out. Moody Blue, released in February 1977, was a mix of live recordings and new studio tracks, containing two of Presley's most widely regarded songs. Nichopoulos, however, continued to over-prescribe to many other patients and in 1995, the Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners finally and permanently suspended his medical license. His friends kept pimping him with pretty 17- and 18-year-old girls but he had nothing in common with them. In 1980, the not-so-good doctor was indicted again for overprescribing to Presley as well as Jerry Lee Lewis, but was acquitted again. It was huge, and its shag carpeting naturally absorbed ambient sound, although the fake waterfall did have to be turned off. When the toxicology report came back several weeks later, however, Elvis blood was found to contain very high levels of the opiates Dilaudid, Percodan, Demerol, and codeine as well as Quaaludes. Market data provided by Factset. The singers incredibly unhealthy diet consisting mostly of cheeseburgers and chronic constipation inevitably contributed to these problems. Few if any figures in rock and roll history are as timeless or controversial as Elvis Presley. His body was swollen, he struggled to sleep, he was said to be constipated and everything just hurt. According to Elvis: Destined to Die Young, the singer's downward spiral, punctuated by health problems routinely written off as the consequences of addiction, could have been caused by. The outlet noted that during the last two years of his life, Presley made erratic stage appearances and lived nearly as a recluse. By 1977, Elvis had lost all interest in recording new music. The tip of his tongue was clenched between his teeth and his face was blotchy. At some point, Presley headed to the bathroom where he experienced a cardiac event. Get a daily dose of showbiz gossip direct to your inbox. In many ways, the Jungle Room was perfect for the task. During the autopsy it became clear that Elvis did in fact have multiple heart problems, including a strained aorta and atherosclerosis. Presley, as depicted by actor Austin Butler, collapses in a hallway minutes before being scheduled to take the stage at the International Hotel in Las Vegas. All rights reserved. Theyre killing me." "When Elvis wasdoing well, people were projecting onto him the rock star,sexual image …then as he began to get older and he lost the luster, people were no longer seeing him as a sex symbol, as the man of America, but they saw him as adeteriorating rock star. Elvis' drug problem was the result of prescription drugs, some of which were administered for health problems. But now, "Elvis" (in theaters) strives to humanize the legendary singer beyond his musical abilities. People assumed, Well, thats just an excuse to get medication. But he really was having this problem with fighting infection. (Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images). Movies like "Elvis" portraythe star beyond his music to showcase his flaws, dreams and humanity. His access to medications was overwhelming, she claimed. Most worrisome to his record label, RCA, was that the King had become entirely uninterested in going into the studio and recording. He had weaknesses. In . At 8:00 pm, Dr. Francisco, who only witnessed the autopsy, acted without the consent or agreement of the other two pathologists in announcing to the press that preliminary autopsy findings indicated that Elviss death was due to a cardiac arrhythmia and that drugs were not involved. Documentary claims Elvis signed his own death certificate, Elvis Presley was found dead on the floor of the bathroom at his Graceland estate, Elvis' body was discovered by his girlfriend Ginger, Elvis' health had deteriorated rapidly over the last decade of his life, Elvis had been a fit young man, but his health suddenly went down hill, A young Elvis pictured in his prime while in the Army. Forrest Tennant, author of The Strange Medical Saga of Elvis Presley, believed that the singer was actually suffering from Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a connective tissue disorder . ", WOULD ELVIS PRESLEY SURVIVE CANCEL CULTURE? Some experts agree Elvis may have been performing at a feverish pace to meet fans' demands at the expense of his well-being. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Like many stars who became hugely famous before the concept of celebrity handlers had been formalized, Elvis was surrounded by yes-men and sycophants. or redistributed. He pitched forward onto the carpet, his rear in the air, and was dead by the time he hit the floor. ", In the book, Hoedel described how Presley would confide in backup singer Kathy Westmoreland and said his "eyes were a constant source of pain along with other ailments." Pain News Network is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit online news service for information and commentary about chronic pain and pain management. And we love tocriticize the celebrity to bring them back down to our level. More: Austin Butler's 'Elvis' acting lessons began when Tom Hanks delivered a typewriter to his door. needs to stop or at least radically change. Early on, these were heavily pushed by his manager, the infamous "Colonel" Tom Parker, who many believe swindled the naive young Elvis while running him ragged. And driven to continue performing by Colonel Parker and others. A doe-eyed boy from the South whose unique mix of barking and crooning made him both a rebel and a heartthrob, Elvis changed the way the world thought about music, pop culture, and celebrity. I knew he was dead.". But his immune system wasnt fighting off infection as it should have. That added a lot of strain to this health. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. The setlist included many of his classic hits like "Hound Dog," "Don't Be Cruel," and "Jailhouse Rock," as well as newer numbers like "Hurt" and his cover of "Bridge Over Troubled Water." But he still sang like The King.. But he was found to have a wide variety of drugs in his system including amphetamines, barbiturates, and opiates. Why the early death? Elvis Presley skyrocketed to fame in the 1950s. As he began to age, his mental health problems began to surface and people didn't know what to make of that, because many assume that type of person should be impervious to human issues," says Carla Manly, a clinical psychologist and author ofJoy from Fear. "And he wasnt honest with everyone about that he was also surrounded with a lot of yes people. Get the best of Fox News' entertainment coverage, right in your inbox. According to LiveAbout.com, Elvis became dependent on several different types of prescription drugs, specifically amphetamines to keep him awake and barbiturates to help him sleep or relax. ", Elvis Presley with his girlfriend Ginger Alden in March 1977 in Hawaii. He had a private doctor who would prescribe him any pill he asked for, according to a People Magazine storyshortly after his death. But Donna Rockwell, a clinical psychologist specializing in celebrity mental health, says the cultural mockery of imperfect stars speaks to "a part of human nature we're not particularly proud of. "It doesn't get better than that. Atherosclerosis is a condition where arteries become clogged with fatty substances. Aside from"Elvis," newretellings like Netflix's "Blonde," starring Ana de Armas,"explore the widening split between (Marilyn Monroe)'s public and private selves.". Repeated head trauma can cause an autoimmune inflammatory disorder that can then attack any organ in the body. The jury thought Dr. Nick was acting in the best interests of the patient (an extremely improbable conclusion, it seems to this doctor) and was acquitted. Elvis. In addition to the head and heart problems, author Sally A Hoedel lifelong Elvis fan, historian and journalism graduate delved into his family history discovering more about his health. Experts say it's crucial to treat stars with empathy and compassion, rather than ridicule. EDS is a genetic connective tissue collagen disorder, and what that means is that you are genetically predetermined to have your collagen in certain tissues either disappear or deteriorate or become defective, and to put it bluntly, you can have a rectal problem and an eye problem at the same time due to the same cause because your collagen is deteriorating in these tissues, Tennant told my colleague Donna Gregory Burch in a 2021 interview. Elvis' last live gig was on June 26, 1977, at the Market Square Arena in Indianapolis to a crowd of 18,000 fans, according to LiveAbout. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Her new book, which comes out on Sept. 15, is titled "Destined to Fly: The Story of Pilot Ron Strauss From Iowa to Elvis," which tells the little-known tale of Presleys pilot. This biographical musical drama chronicles the rock legend's rise to stardom, marriage toPriscilla Presley and overall legacy. I asked Dr. Tennant how we could use Elvis' predicament to help others in pain. According to Practical Pain Management irrational and illogical behaviour can also occur after sustaining a heavy blow to the head. "Anytime someone mentions my name and Elvis' name in the same sentence, that's great," he told Rolling Stone. Contrary to popular belief, celebrities aren't immune to mental health problems. However, this was later proved not to be the complete case. He had all these metabolic defects due to his genetics, and so the codeine built up in his system. "People think: Oh, you're a star or you have money. Dr. Nick admitted at a hearing before the Tennessee Board of Health that he had prescribed thousands of doses of various addictive pills for Elvis but also claimed he often slipped him sugar pills, or placebos, to try to control his addictions. Hoedel, a lifelong fan, believes that much of the reams of literature about the singer, starting with Albert Goldmans 1981 Elvis, have distorted his image, and she believes that a revision is overdue. The gang held various roles, from sounding boards for Presley's personal problems to helping him wade through crowds of rabid fans. LOS ANGELES - It has been widely reported that Elvis Presley died in 1977 from cardiac arrhythmia, an irregular heartbeat, possibly brought on by drug dependency, obesity and a weak heart. While some claimed this was because they'd been rough enough with fans to incite lawsuits, others countered that it was due to their criticism of Elvis' drug use. "He was miserable. Elvis did indeed suffer from heart problems aggravated by an excessive use of drugs, but Tennant believes the ultimate cause of his death was a connective tissue disorder called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), a major cause of intractable pain and other chronic health problems. (Robert Alexander/Getty Images). (Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images). He would pass away that same year. Atherosclerosis is a condition where arteries become clogged with fatty substances. He was terribly ill, and he died accidentally in some ways with a dentist giving him codeine for his bad tooth, and his bad teeth were also part of the same disease that gave him a bad colon and a bad eye and a bad liver. And yet, when Elvis died on August 16, 1977, he had become something entirely different from his former self. I gently raised one eyelid. In December 1976, after a brief courtship, the singer gave her a $70,000 engagement ring an expenditure that many thought was more for show than actual sentiment. Hoedel, an historian, claims it was not a coincidence, that Presleys mother, Gladys, died at 46 and Presley at 42. Elvis Presley had multiple diseases. (Red had known the singer since the '50s.) And with his gruelingrecording and concert schedules, many speculated that he was strugglingwith isolation in Graceland as well as the pressures to excelafter his hiatus inthe Army and the booming popularity of The Beatles. The music icon passed away nearly 43 years ago, on Aug. 16, 1977, at age 42 from a heart attack, which. the excessive use of drugs had caused serious implications on the singer's health. In 1967 Elvis was victim to just that, knocking himself out after falling in a bathroom. The singer, who made teenage girls hysterical with his movie star looks, catchy songs and gyrating pelvis during the 50s, was suffering from declining health in the 70s. Author Sally Hoedel's Elvis: Destined to Die Young notes that Elvis 's mother's parents were first cousins, with ill-health running through that side of the family. "People become agoraphobic. In an exclusive interview with theExpress.co.ukshe continued to say that five of these diseases had been present from his birth. 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