As the King of Rock 'n'Roll, Elvis was idolized, but later mocked after displaying health problems. I have to make payroll, you know? He had such an obligation as a provider. "In 1956 they didn't understand that these pills could become addictive. But according to "Elvis," overwhelming demand from fans played a part in his fall. Experts say it's common for people to detach celebrities from reality and laugh at them for entertainment and amusement. Elvis Presley was pronounced dead at 3:30 p.m. Few if any figures in rock and roll history are as timeless or controversial as Elvis Presley. The gang held various roles, from sounding boards for Presley's personal problems to helping him wade through crowds of rabid fans. More: Austin Butler's 'Elvis' acting lessons began when Tom Hanks delivered a typewriter to his door. More on his health: We didnt have the empathy to talk about Elvis health problems then. His manager, Colonel Tom Parker allegedly shouted, "The only thing thats important is that hes on that stage tonight! The King of Rock 'n' Roll shocked prudish 1950s America with his hip swiveling and unprecedented charm and was treated as an icon - until his tragic final years. "He knew what he was doing," she said, "and people go, 'Why didn't anyone do anything?" The world thinks he has everything, and yet the happiness isnt there. ", "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. During the autopsy it became clear that Elvis did in fact have multiple heart problems, including a strained aorta and atherosclerosis. Sure, Elvis will always be remembered for "Jailhouse Rock" and "Can't Help Falling In Love With You", but these final tracks are a testament that even lonely, depressive Elvis had a message that would resonate with audiences for years to come. (Photo by Gary Null & Frank Carroll/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images). Elvis Presley health: The star was destined to die young full list of his health issues. According to Kirk, Presley was impressed by the nurse and her country ways. In 1972, he hired her as his nurse, as well as her husband for security. He spent most of his time holed up in the elaborate den nicknamed the "Jungle Room" for its exotic decor of his Memphis compound Graceland. He explained: "The position of Elvis Presley's body was such that he was about to sit down on the commode when the seizure occurred. Kirk, her husband and their daughters soon found themselves living in Graceland. He was later pronounced dead at Baptist Memorial Hospital. Indeed, the other two pathologists later admitted that Francisco was covering up the real cause of death at the request of Elviss mortified family who were concerned about the singers reputation. It was huge, and its shag carpeting naturally absorbed ambient sound, although the fake waterfall did have to be turned off. He says, Im sick, I dont feel good, but I cant stop because everybody is relying on me., Hoedel believes Presley was not a drug addict looking to escape reality. He would pass away that same year. "We see that when he tours, he takes more medication than when hes not touring. The singer, who made teenage girls hysterical with his movie star looks, catchy songs and gyrating. Elvis was know to be a prodigious eater. People there in the inner group did but you did not tell Elvis what to do. And I believe the explanation in this book is as close as well get to fully understand what was going on in his life and what led to his death.". He was often getting fevers and flu-type symptoms. Equally cryptic for some were the parting words the King said as he left the stage: "We'll meet again. And yet, when Elvis died on August 16, 1977, he had become something entirely different from his former self. In his opinion, as shared in a 2013 medical paper, when Elvis tripped over a television cord and knocked himself out on the bathtub, the injury was so severe that it caused brain tissue to dislodge and seep into his blood circulation. He gave his rings to his fans during concerts. It was hard to be Elvis, no one had done fame like that before, and no one else could do it for him. He did start abusing drugs including amphetamines, opioids and sedatives as a teenager and is known to have had an appalling diet. In an exclusive interview with Elvis cousin Annie Presley, it was revealed that as a toddler Elvis had needed help clearing his bowels. (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. He was last seen alive going into the bathroom to read. His health issues were varied but he hid them so well that over-medication is all we remember now, Hoedel says. Those sexy dance moves helped make Elvis famous, but they also foretold what lay in store for him. When critics and fans describe Elvis in his later years, one term used is "Fat Elvis." By examining his flaws and health issues, maybe we can start to see his humanity again.. His hip-swinging antics might seem tame to today's audiences, but when he first emerged as a pop star, Elvis introduced millions to rock's inherent sexuality. Sally A. Hoedel wrote a book about Elvis Presley's health history that was published in 2020 titled Elvis: Destined to Die Young. That haunts me.". ", "We don't want celebrities to actually have that picture-perfect life. And hes the head of his whole organization. There, the body identified the matter as foreign and produced antibodies to destroy it, triggering hypogammaglobulinemia, a disorder of the body's immune system. As early as 1973, the year he divorced his first wife Priscilla, his health was already failing. 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. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Most worrisome to his record label, RCA, was that the King had become entirely uninterested in going into the studio and recording. In her book Elvis: Destined To Die Young, Sally revealed that Elvis suffered from diseases in nine of the 11 bodily systems. He had all these metabolic defects due to his genetics, and so the codeine built up in his system. Elvis approved of the idea, and the label sent a studio truck to his home. Market data provided by Factset. 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. 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. Market data provided by Factset. 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. Since he died 45years ago, he has becomethe butt of "fat Elvis" jokes and is still mocked over the circumstances of his death. In a toxicology report, weeks after his death, Elvis' blood was found to have hadextremely high levels of the opiates Dilaudid, Percodan, Demeroland codeine,as well as Quaaludes. An autopsy was carried out that same day but the report was immediately sealed for 50 years by the family, sparking a slew of speculation as to what killed him. The pressure to perform, the loss of privacy and the incessant public scrutinycan also cause anxiety and depression leaving some to cope with medications, alcohol or other substances to reduce stress. 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. Experts say it's crucial to treat stars with empathy and compassion, rather than ridicule. In recent years, Hollywood has tried to spread awareness about thehuman aspects of celebrities. ", 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. So when he was sick, he didnt stop as he should have. It seems like his mother was extremely codependent on him, which more than likely had something to do with losing her other son. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. What confused some people, though, was that Elvis took a portion of the show to introduce everyone from his life onstage. 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. Copyright 2023 Pain News Network / Terms of Use / Privacy Policy / Advertising / Surveys / Donors. The pressure to perform, the loss of privacy and the incessant public. But especially in his later years, he developed a range of phobias and obsessions, had trouble sleeping and gradually relied on drugs to get through the day. Three of the Mafia members, David Hebler, Robert "Red" West, and Robert's cousin Sonny West, had acted as Elvis' bodyguards for much of his career. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. It was claimed that over the last 20 months of Elvis' life, Dr. Nick prescribed him over 12,000 pills. The Presley family in general did not have a good track record for health. (According to the medical examiner's report,the singer died of hypertensive cardiovascular disease at 42.). In 2020, Glenn Danzig, heavy metal vocalist and frontman of horror-punk act The Misfits, released Danzig Sings Elvis, an album of Elvis covers. While many of Elvis' loyal fans refused the buy the biography upon its initial release in May 1977 in the UK and late July in the US the King's death soon thereafter, and the revelation that many of the book's stories were painfully accurate, turned it into one of the most successful Elvis books of all time. Lamar Fike, a member of Elvis' "Memphis Mafia"entourage, famously said Ginger "didn't give a rat's ass about him. Dr. Nick testified he gave into all of Elviss prescription requests because he wanted to keep Presley from seeking out these drugs on the street.. Now The King's cousin has shared specific . "Formerly retired . Presley was found unresponsive at Graceland. "Anytime someone mentions my name and Elvis' name in the same sentence, that's great," he told Rolling Stone. Elvis Presley skyrocketed to fame in the 1950s. Had he had immediate medical attention, theres a big possibility [he might have lived], she said. Thats not enough for a man who culturally shifted our universe. Kirk first met Presley in 1968 when she treated him at a Memphis medical clinic for saddle sores, Closer Weekly reported. Either way, not only do BPD parents often. Linda had been a stabilizing force in the singer's world, but she eventually left him because she wanted a more normal life. Throw in the obesity Elvis suffered from near the end of his life, what appears to be type II diabetes, an enlarged heart, and a steady diet of unhealthy, fatty and fried foods, along with his notorious prescription pill consumption, and you have the perfect prescription for disaster. Presley was born inTupelo,Mississippi, on Jan.8, 1935, and died in Memphis, Tennessee, on Aug. 16, 1977. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Indeed, his medicine chest was filled with amber-colored, white-topped vials of medications, in doses no responsible doctor would have prescribed. Put simply, the strain of attempting to defecate compressed the singer's abdominal aorta, shutting down his heart.". And that's something that people who have wealth or fame have difficulty getting into.". He said he has made it a point to ask every one of his patients about possible head trauma, and noted that . PBS reported that at the time of Presley's deathtwo pathologists "found evidence ofsevere and chronic constipation, diabetes and glaucoma." The truth is more complex. According to Elvis: Destined to Die Young, the singers downward spiral, punctuated by health problems routinely written off as the consequences of addiction, could have been caused by Presleys maternal grandparents, who were first cousins. 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. (Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images). At 10 years old, he placed fifth inthe 1945 Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show for a solo performance without musical accompaniment, saidbiography.com. Appropriation or appreciation? But certainly back in those days we didn't, Tennant explained. The maids were like family. Elvis Presley is seen performing on June 20, 1977. And theres evidence of that time and time again. Thus, he likely died of a massive heart. But now, "Elvis" (in theaters) strives to humanize the legendary singer beyond his musical abilities. ", Even Tish lives with pain surrounding Elvis' death, which she said came as "a complete shock" to her. In many ways, the Jungle Room was perfect for the task. Mystery has long surrounded the death of Elvis Presley after his family sealed the results of his autopsy for 50 years. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. ", In the year that Presley died, he had a fourth tour scheduled on May 20. Why the early death? (Getty Images). Get the best of Fox News' entertainment coverage, right in your inbox. By then, he and his wife Priscilla Presley had separated. And yet, the darkness and desperation surrounding Elvis' final months and death have made him an imperfect icon idolized by subcultures your average Graceland-bound tourist might not expect punks, goths, and modern-day rockabillies, who appreciate the mismatched sides of the singer's life. During the final months of his life, Elvis Presley was said to be in a lot of physical pain. Elvis at the end of his life had more issues than the biopic cared to admit. Elvis actually died a death that is quite common, albeit an embarrassing one. He took too much at times but he was self-medicating because he was trying to find a way to be Elvis Presley., Addiction specialists might term that elaborate rationalisation and justification of a king-size nature, but Hoedel says Presley also felt responsible for his family (as many as 10 members lived with him at Graceland), his band and the Memphis Mafia the courtiers who surrounded him. Since the June 2022release of BazLuhrmann's"Elvis,"starring Austin Butler and Tom Hanks, discourse surrounding Presley's life and death has become all shook up. Kirk shared that despite Presley's fame and fortune, he was often lonely. For fans of rock and roll everywhere, the King's death was a monumental blow. Why would you want to go out and have people staring at you and judging youall the time?" ", Why mental health is 'personal' for the singer, actress, Why celebrity mental health struggles matter, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Elvis' downward spiral of health struggles is intertwined with his life story, and for the first time, it is revealed that he suffered from disease in nine of eleven bodily systems. Hoedel writes that Presleys health problems were intertwined with his life story, and he suffered from disease in nine of 11 bodily systems. By the time hes touring again in the 70s, he was providing for more than 100 people. Please check your inbox to confirm. 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