Dan Warlick, chief investigator for the Tennessee Office of the State Chief Medical Examiner, attended the autopsy and fuelled the popular theory that Elvis died while straining to go to the toilet. 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. ", On top of his eating habits, Presley was a long-time user ofopiates, saidPBS. The last decade of his life had seen his health take a dramatic nose dive. While some have sought to portray the family as hillbillies, the author points out that inter-marriage was not at the time unusual across society. Legal Statement. But who knows? In many ways, the Jungle Room was perfect for the task. But according to "Elvis," overwhelming demand from fans played a part in his fall. He was buried on the grounds of Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee. However, though Dr. Nick was charged with 11 felony accounts of overprescribing drugs, he was acquitted the medical examiner claimed that Elvis had died of heart disease, adding, "Had these drugs not been there, he still would've died.". He had weaknesses. Elvis collapsed in the bathroom 24 hours later. Among Presleys ailments attributed to his genes were alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency, which can attack the lungs and liver; colon issues; an immune deficiency and lifelong insomnia. Home Health News Elvis Presley health: The star was destined to die young full list of his health issues, We use your sign-up to provide content in ways youve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. Five of those disease processes, Hoedel finds, were present from birth. Elvis Presley's greatest songs: 20 essential cuts you need to hear now, Review:The 10 best (and the absolute worst) Elvis movies, ranked. His medicine chest was filled with amber-colored, white-topped vials of medications, in doses no responsible doctor would have prescribed. As an adult, one of his favorite meals was a roll stuffed with bacon, peanut butter, and jelly, alongside midnight snacks like hamburgers and deep-fried bread. While he was also taking many dangerous pharmaceuticals throughout his life, it was the heart disease caused by his bad diet that ultimately killed him. Examining them, she believes, is a way to humanise the mythical figure of Presley, who in later life was known for his corpulence and indulgent appetite. The truth is more complex. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Elvis Presley skyrocketed to fame in the 1950s. He bought strangers new cars just to see their reactions. However, another part of thelegacy of the "King of Rock 'n'Roll" is his untimely death. Linda Thompson (left) posing with her then-boyfriend Elvis Presley and her parents. They show a tired and very sick man, aged beyond his years and sweating profusely. Elvis Presley's greatest songs: 20 essential cuts you need to hear now Review: The 10 best (and the absolute worst) Elvis movies, ranked Elvis' health problems, explained. As Elvis Presley embarked on a grueling tour, he was concerned about his health, Sally A. Hoedel claimed. Elvis' health problems had started long before that August day in 1977. He was only 42 years old and a bloated, fading version of the once-beautiful man whose rhythmic hip-swaying earned him the nickname Elvis the Pelvis. His girlfriend, Ginger Alden, found him unconscious, lying face down in the master suite bathroom on the second floor of his Memphis mansion, Graceland. (Getty), LISA MARIE PRESLEY'S SON, BENJAMIN KEOUGH, DEAD AT 27, He was very, very happy with Linda, said Kirk, adding Thompson was an intelligent stunning lady., But the romance was not meant to be. He wanted a companion, but it was difficult for someone of his stature.. He was depressed about aging and not having a woman he loved. "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. Kirk first met Presley in 1968 when she treated him at a Memphis medical clinic for saddle sores, Closer Weekly reported. Kirk shared that despite Presley's fame and fortune, he was often lonely. I think he was awake for three days. This was especially true during the last year of his life, when he was deep in his chemical dependency and had left behind many of the loyal friends of his youth. "One of the maids picked up the phone, and it's Ginger. He was trying to function within his reality., Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. 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. But for Tennant, that wasn't enough to explain the long list of maladies that afflicted the rock star from the late 1960s onwards. All Rights Reserved. ELVIS PRESLEY'S CO-STAR IRENE TSU RECALLS BEFRIENDING THE KING ON SET: 'HE WAS VERY GENEROUS AND CARING', Elvis Presley during a performance at NBC Studios in Burbank, CA. I knew he was dead.". . 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. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Elvis Presley died at 42 years oldon Aug. 16, 1977, in Memphis, Tennessee. His twin brother Jessie wasstillborn, saidbiography.com. ", "We don't want celebrities to actually have that picture-perfect life. there was another problem: Elvis Presley's issue with prescription drug abuse. The King of Rock 'n'Rollshocked prudish 1950s America with his hip swiveling and unprecedented charmandwas treated as an icon untilhistragic final years. According to Rolling Stone, that was when producer Felton Jarvis had a game-changing idea: If Elvis wouldn't go to the studio, they'd bring the studio to Elvis. He was miserable because hed gained so much weight. After all, how would it look if the rock star who President Richard Nixon awarded a special badge from the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs had died of a drug overdose? Experts say it's crucial to treat stars with empathy and compassion, rather than ridicule. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. 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. Given his pill dependency and excessive weight, some might assume that Elvis spent the day before his death lying in bed eating or doing drugs. And rather than being shownempathy, he was mocked by the country that lifted him onto the pedestal. says Rockwell, adding that "alot is given away when an artist becomes famous that they are ill-prepared for.". All proceeds from sales of The Strange Medical Saga of Elvis Presley go the Tennant Foundation, which gives financial support to Pain News Network and sponsors PNNs Patient Resources section. 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. Contributions are tax deductible for U.S. taxpayers. His health issues were varied but he hid them so well that over-medication is all we remember now, Hoedel says. Legal Statement. He had back pain, digestive troubles, and eye afflictions, including glaucoma. Thats not enough for a man who culturally shifted our universe. Once he strayed from his picture-perfect, seductiveimage, someridiculed and discardedhim. ", Remembering Elvis: Here are his 10 most popular hits. Elvis Presley with his girlfriend Ginger Alden in March 1977 in Hawaii. 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. "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. the excessive use of drugs had caused serious implications on the singer's health. 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. He paid strangers hospital bills if he heard they were poor. I gently raised one eyelid. As he had in recent gigs, Elvis appeared overweight and at times winded but was reported to have given a solid performance overall. Numerous documentaries have exposed the fatal cost of fame forElvis,who wasn't the healthiest of eaters and increasinglyrelied on drugs to both sleep andperform. He did start abusing drugs including amphetamines, opioids and sedatives as a teenager and is known to have had an appalling diet. By the mid-70s, Presley was in declining physical and mental health, history.com reported. Thus, he likely died of a massive heart. 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. Most challenging during Elvis' final years was his nonstop schedule of his live performances. He would ask her, "Would you rub my legs? ELVIS PRESLEYS PAL WINK MARTINDALE REVEALS WHY HE BROKE DOWN AFTER SEEING THE KING FOR THE LAST TIME, Linda Thompson (left) posing with her then-boyfriend Elvis Presley and her parents. I wish there was something I could have done to make him a happier person. 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. They don't want to go out. Market data provided by Factset. You'd have been out of there faster than a scratched cat. (Reuters), '70S ROCK PIONEER SUZI QUATRO SAYS SHE WAS NEVER TEMPTED BY FAME: 'YOU EITHER GO MAD OR WIND UP DEAD', Kirk said she kept her stories about Presley private for 38 years before she decided to revisit them in her 2015 self-published memoir Taking Care of Elvis.. It takes hours to die from drugs.". He was hospitalised again in 1975 with high blood pressure, high cholesterol and a condition called megacolon, whereby the large intestine becomes distended and can allow toxins to flood the body. But the extent of his health problems were not truly understood until after he had passed away. Psychologists say efforts to reimagine celebrities as more than their stardomand wealth succeed in destigmatizing and humanizingthe mental health conversation. Elvis Presley had multiple diseases. He knew he was not going to be able to perform like he wanted to., We shared many hours together, she continued. Hoedel writes that Presleys health problems were intertwined with his life story, and he suffered from disease in nine of 11 bodily systems. And that's something that people who have wealth or fame have difficulty getting into.". She says, 'Come upstairs, I need help. Some experts agree Elvis may have been performing at a feverish pace to meet fans' demands at the expense of his well-being. His mothers family including three uncles were cursed by early death, the author Sally Hoedel says. Market data provided by Factset. I was very fortunate [to have known him]. He had been known to use "antihistamines, tranquilizers such as Valium, barbiturates, Quaaludes, sleeping pills, hormones and laxatives, for the constipation.". Stephanie Nolasco covers entertainment at Foxnews.com. His friends kept pimping him with pretty 17- and 18-year-old girls but he had nothing in common with them. Elvis was a sick man who hid a lot of his weakness to fill concert venues and support his family. "It doesn't get better than that. The doctor remained by Elvis' side during his drug addiction and where there on the tragic day of his death and claims in an autopsy, stunned medics found a four-month-old stool blocking his gut. No one was going to question him. Elvis had a way of getting what he wanted, said Kirk. I turned him over and I knew. The music icon passed away nearly 43 years ago, on Aug. 16, 1977, at age 42 from a heart attack, which. He missed Priscilla. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. (Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images). Lisa Marie Presley dies: Elvis Presley's only daughter dies at 54 after a brief hospitalization. Repeated head trauma can cause an autoimmune inflammatory disorder that can then attack any organ in the body. 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. 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. But even more shocking and strange might be the sheer amount of activity undertaken by the King in the hours before he passed away. (Photo by Gary Null & Frank Carroll/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images). He had this terrible heart, so he died suddenly, within seconds, as he was trying to sit on the commode., Fortunately, the Elvis movie spares us any final scenes like that ending instead with actual clips from one of Presleys last concerts. A new book by Sally Hoedel argues that the singer was a sick man supporting his family and friends. You have all of the money in the world. In an exclusive interview with theExpress.co.ukshe continued to say that five of these diseases had been present from his birth. So what had caused all of these disease processes in his stomach, liver, lungs, heart, spine, eyes and bowel? "Formerly retired . He had all these metabolic defects due to his genetics, and so the codeine built up in his system. "In the last few years of his life, he was very aware of how ill he was," she said. Here's why. He was not prejudice at all. 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. In November 1976, Elvis split with his girlfriend of four years Linda Thompson, according to The Wrap. The music icon passed away nearly 43 years ago, on Aug. 16, 1977, at age 42 from a heart attack, which doctors said was likely brought on by his addiction to prescription barbiturates. And you have to remember, this was a time when people really didnt talk about their health like they do now. His untimely death was mourned by fans as many made their way to Graceland, his mansion in Memphis, to pay respects. He once told me, You never hear Superman asking for help.", "The touring is difficult," Hoedel explained. 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. Five of those disease processes, she says, were present from birth. He was later pronounced dead at Baptist Memorial Hospital. 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. More on his health: We didnt have the empathy to talk about Elvis health problems then. They have families to look after. His excuse for throwing all these high-octane drugs around? 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. In turn, many in Elvis' entourage believed Ginger to be nothing more than a gold-digger. 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. It never came to fruition. It was hard to be Elvis, no one had done fame like that before, and no one else could do it for him. "Hound Dog" is an antique in 2020, but when it first premiered, it was a revolution. Elvis had divorced his wife Priscilla Presley in 1973, and developed a dependence on prescription drugs to get through the day, all while maintaining a grueling schedule. or redistributed. Growing up in the South, Elvistook comfort in greasy homestyle foods. And despite having never smoked, he also suffered from emphysema. Elvis Presley performs in concert during his 'Aloha From Hawaii' 1972 television special. 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 world thinks he has everything, and yet the happiness isnt there. Everyones relying on me. They were all connected. By then, he really needs a lot of medication to achieve any form of sleep And hes taking things like Valium to achieve sleep because he literally cannot sleep any other way. It became a problem, but why was he taking them in the first place?, Dr Nick is a controversial figure. It seems like his mother was extremely codependent on him, which more than likely had something to do with losing her other son. People assumed, Well, thats just an excuse to get medication. But he really was having this problem with fighting infection. The King was just 43 when he was found face down on the floor of the bathroom at his Graceland home, appearing to have fallen off the toilet. '", But in the case of Elvis, Manly notes, it would have been "muchmore difficultthan your average Joe, who isn't worried about how people will be looking at him. ", 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. "I think that younger people today are really responding to vulnerability in ways that an older generation just didnt. By 1977, Elvis had lost all interest in recording new music. After the final recording session in October of '76, RCA set to work cobbling the tracks together into what would be Elvis' final records a fact none of them knew, but which the pained music seems to foreshadow in hindsight. Opening up about the tragic loss of his pal, the medical professional released a tell-all book; "The King and Dr. Nick" about his time with Elvis. His access to medications was overwhelming, she claimed. As early as 1973, the year he divorced his first wife Priscilla, his health was already failing. 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. Eric Muirhead, Jerry Francisco, and Noel Florredo, conducted a two-hour post-mortem examination. [He and Priscilla] continued to be very close via the telephone. He also worked really hard to hide it. All rights reserved. The knowledge and experience Tennant gained in the last 50 years led to his recent book, appropriately titled The Strange Medical Saga of Elvis Presley.. Appropriation or appreciation? Kirk said Presley attempted to find solace in reading the Bible, but the loneliness didnt leave him. A man holds newspaper announcing his death. Using this knowledge she states she was able to trace back every single one of his ailments which he suffered as a child including glaucoma, heart disease, diabetes and arthritis. Elvis Presley health: The star was destined to die young full list of his health issues. ELVIS PRESLEY was just 42-years-old when he died, having physically transformed and suffered multiple illnesses and hospitalisations in his final years. The day before he died, a dentist gave Presley codeine for an aching tooth, not realizing how sick he was or that codeine could cause his heart to stop. 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. As recorded in Rolling Stone, the three bodyguards co-wrote a tell-all biography of Elvis that was released only days before his death. ", "In the end, somebody who has a mental health issue, who is a celebrity, will often have a more difficult time because to really successfully recover from a mental health problem or addiction,you actually need a great deal of humility. 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. Mystery has long surrounded the death of Elvis Presley after his family sealed the results of his autopsy for 50 years. Sally A. Hoedel wrote a book about Elvis Presley's health history that was published in 2020 titled Elvis: Destined to Die Young. He was a very spiritual person, she explained. That haunts me.". 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. 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Excuse for throwing all these high-octane drugs around these diseases had been present birth. Have prescribed `` would you rub my legs Elvistook comfort in greasy homestyle foods '' overwhelming demand fans... Was mourned by fans as many made their way to Graceland, health. Not having a woman he loved 2020, but when it first premiered, it difficult. Isnt there be the sheer amount of activity undertaken by the country that lifted elvis' health problems! Three uncles were cursed by early death, the three bodyguards co-wrote a tell-all biography of Elvis Presley in. Repeated head trauma can cause an autoimmune inflammatory disorder that can then attack any organ the! Years linda Thompson, according to the Wrap first met Presley in 1968 when treated! With her then-boyfriend Elvis Presley was just 42-years-old when he died, having physically transformed suffered! Closer Weekly reported today are really responding to vulnerability in ways that an older just... 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That younger people today are really responding to vulnerability in ways that an generation...