- His girlfriend found him in the bathroom, they found a cocktail of tranquilizers in his blood
- His grandparents were cousins, did the King of Rock suffer from a genetic disease?
“Elvis Presley is the greatest cultural phenomenon of the 20th century,” famous composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein told a TIME reporter in the late 1960s. When the reporter replied that there were other artists with great influence, such as Picasso, Bernstein simply repeated, “No, this is Elvis.” 44 years have passed since the death of the iconic artist, who has 108 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, 129 albums and 67 weeks at the top of the charts. What are the tragic circumstances that lead to the premature end of the music icon, writes Lauren Hubbard in Town & Country.
Born in Tupelo, Mississippi, on January 8, 1935, Elvis Aaron Presley was at the height of his fame when he died at the age of 42 at his mansion in Memphis, Graceland, on August 16, 1977. That afternoon, the singer was found by his girlfriend Ginger Alden lying unconscious on the bathroom floor in his apartment. Elvis was quickly taken by ambulance to the Baptist Memorial Hospital and, after unsuccessful attempts to bring him back to life, was pronounced dead at 3:30 p.m. as a result of many years of serious drug abuse. Like many performers at the time, Elvis was a serious user of prescription drugs, including opiates, barbiturates, and sedatives. The toxicological analysis of his blood showed that there were high doses of the opiates Dilaudid, Percodan and Demerol in his body, as well as Quaaludes and codeine.
Charges against his doctor, Dr. Nick
Elvis’ doctor in Memphis, Dr. George Nicopoulos, also known as “Dr. Nick,” was later investigated for involvement in the singer’s death. Nicopoulos began treating the star in 1967. In 1980, his medical license in Tennessee was terminated for three months for indiscriminate prescribing and dispensing of controlled substances. According to the accusations, in the last 20 months of Elvis’ life, the star has been prescribed more than 12,000 pills and other pharmaceutical products. Elvis carried three suitcases of drugs when he traveled (Nicopoulos claims that these drugs were used by the entire environment of the star). Later, the doctor testified that he gave Elvis the drugs he wanted, because if he did not In November 1981, Nicopoulos was charged with 11 crimes of prescribing drugs, but was eventually acquitted. He retained his medical license until 1995, when he was suspended by the Tennessee Medical Experts Council.
The family is hiding the results of the autopsy
It is common knowledge today that Elvis used drugs (this was done by many famous artists of the time, including Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis). However, at the time of his death, Elvis’ family and team were able to keep the confidential details of his life a secret. Immediately after the singer’s death, his family requested a private autopsy to determine the cause of death. Tennessee chief medical expert Jerry Francisco released the official death certificate a few days later, citing a non-drug-related coronary heart disease. “Elvis Presley died of heart disease and the prescription drugs found in his blood did not contribute to that,” Francisco told American Medical News at the time. “If he hadn’t taken medication, he would have died again.” However, several pathologists involved in the autopsy criticized Francisco’s tactics (he apparently favored family privacy) and the conclusion. Many doctors claim that the cause of the musician’s death was a toxic combination of drugs. As the request for an autopsy came directly from the family and not by order of the state, the full findings of the death certificate were classified. Over the years, many attempts have been made to print the documents. In 1993, the investigation into Elvis’ death resumed and the doctor’s notes were obtained, but not from the autopsy itself. Two weeks after the star’s death, Ballantine Books published Steve Dunley’s book, Elvis: What Happened? There are stories in it, told by three former bodyguards of the singer. The book’s debut did not receive much attention, and it became known only after journalists and the public began to denigrate Dunley, a former reporter, for his allegations that Elvis had used drugs. Only two years later, this version gained popularity.
The new version
A new cause of death for the King of Rock and Roll Elvis Presley has been announced, The Guardian reported a few days ago. It is revealed in the new book by historian Sally Hödel – “Elvis Presley: Born to Die Young”. The monograph claims that the cult singer died not because of problems with alcohol and drugs, but because of a number of genetic diseases. age. The singer’s mother, Gladys, passed away at the age of 46. She and her son, who died at the age of 42, had a similar 4-year degenerative period of deteriorating health before their deaths, although Gladys did not take the medication. Elvis had become addicted. This is not a coincidence, the researcher of his biography is convinced. The historian writes that Elvis Presley suffered from nine diseases related to various systems in the body, five of which were congenital. According to Hödel, this new information is able to change the perception of the singer as a “wild rock’n’roll star who died in his bathroom due to swallowing too many pills.” In fact, Elvis has tried to hide his many health problems, including insomnia, immune deficiency, colon disease and alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency, which leads to damage to the lungs and liver.
– .
