He didn't "jiggle" nearly as much as most do, nor did his legs or arms look especially fat. He was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead at age 42. ", CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER. At 10 years old, he placed fifth inthe 1945 Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show for a solo performance without musical accompaniment, saidbiography.com. He was later pronounced dead at Baptist Memorial Hospital. 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. I had a huge painting of Elvis -- a velvet painting he had given me, she said. He wasborn inTupelo,Mississippi, on Jan.8, 1935. Hoedel said Presley was "worried" about his health deteriorating. Legal Statement. 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. Here's why. "In 1956 they didn't understand that these pills could become addictive. Thus, he likely died of a massive heart. "Theres no specific negligence on anyones part and definitely no cover-up or conspiracy of a criminal act. Atherosclerosis is a condition where arteries become clogged with fatty substances. Elvis Presley had multiple diseases. And then it became about his health He achieved the American dream, but he was also human. Something went wrong, please try again later. Selena Gomez at the White House: Why mental health is 'personal' for the singer, actress, "What will create a better and more empathic relationship between fans and celebrities ismore celebrities empowering themselves to speak out about their authentic being,"Rockwellsays. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. When Elvis asked for sleeping pills during his final hours, it was she who told his private doctor where to find them, and she regrets not being there as he died. The colon is the longest part of the large intestine and when blocked causes a megacolon. His health issues were varied but he hid them so well that over-medication is all we remember now, Hoedel says. Evidence from the official autopsy, medical professionals and Sallys book all point to the same thing, that Elvis had serious health issues long before his death in 1977. He paid strangers hospital bills if he heard they were poor. His manager, Colonel Tom Parker allegedly shouted, "The only thing thats important is that hes on that stage tonight! Westmoreland said she was horrified to hear that even in his condition, Presley was already gearing up for another tour. 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. She walked past the painting, and she took her little fingers and blew a kiss and said, I love you, daddy. I melted right away.. Equally cryptic for some were the parting words the King said as he left the stage: "We'll meet again. At only 42 years of age, initially the cause of his death was reported as a heart attack. He also had at least four near-death overdoses that left him unconscious and in need of resuscitation, and his heart was double the normal size. 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. (Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images). 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. He allegedly told her, "I cant baby, I cant stop right now. "If Dr. Forrest Torrent is right, there simply wasnt a proper understanding back then in determining what really killed the King of Rock & Roll. 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. 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. All rights reserved. They were all connected. Either way, not only do BPD parents often. This infamous sandwich would bemade with an entire stick of melted butter, as shown byMary Jenkins, former cook at Graceland, duringa 1987 appearance on "Letterman. He said he has made it a point to ask every one of his patients about possible head trauma, and noted that . "He was not only my patient, but a good friend," Henley later wrote in a book,via Express. They have families to look after. For Mr Tennant, one major clue was in the full-body deterioration of Elvis, with almost every organ plagued by ill health. It's more difficult to project onto that person that idealof perfection.". He bought strangers new cars just to see their reactions. In an exclusive interview with Elvis cousin Annie Presley, it was revealed that as a toddler Elvis had needed help clearing his bowels. 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. By examining his flaws and health issues, maybe we can start to see his humanity again.. In November 1976, Elvis split with his girlfriend of four years Linda Thompson, according to The Wrap. Linda Thompson (left) posing with her then-boyfriend Elvis Presley and her parents. With aging, drugs, a hefty and unhealthy diet, and a hard lifestyle, health issues increase, which resulted in Elvis's death on a toilet. 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. He turned to food for comfort and had gained a considerable amount of weight. No one was going to question him. Elvis was know to be a prodigious eater. Why the early death? But according to the book The Mysteries Surrounding the Death of Elvis Presley, even worse was in Baton Rouge, where Elvis had to cancel a show because he couldn't make it out of his hotel bed in order to get to the venue. This can lead to constipation which the star was famously trying to rid when he passed away. When his body was discovered, attempts were made to revive him and his father, Vernon Presley, begged his son not to go. 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. After the trial, Tennant remained curious about Elvis medical problems and continued his research while treating people with intractable pain. 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. But for Tennant, that wasn't enough to explain the long list of maladies that afflicted the rock star from the late 1960s onwards. Many other musician biopics, such as Bohemian Rhapsody, fail to cover the latter half of these prolific figures' lives, mostly focusing on their rise to fame and notoriety.That being said, Elvis struggled with a fair number of health issues that Elvis didn't address, leading up to his tragic passing. "You always think there was something you could have done, that he might still be alive today. If we can strip away the negative connotations, and then look at the consequences, theres a lot of truth to be uncovered, Hoedel says. (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. 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. Market data provided by Factset. Slurring his words. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. The painkillers Presley used are believed to have contributed to his severeconstipation. Here is what you need to know about Elvis' death, declining health and other aspects of his life. 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. It seems like his mother was extremely codependent on him, which more than likely had something to do with losing her other son. "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 Presley holds court at a press conference to publicize his show at Madison Square Garden later that night while Colonel Tom Parker looks on at the Hilton Hotel on June 9, 1972, in New York City. Popping pills. They finally had to give him medication just so he could sleep. Dr. Howard Markel Five of those disease processes, she says, were present from birth. Once there, doctors struggled to revive him without success and Presley was pronounced dead at 3:30 pm. "We tended to treat Elvis as someone who was supposed to be a very wonderful icon of American rock and roll. 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. Psychologists say efforts to reimagine celebrities as more than their stardomand wealth succeed in destigmatizing and humanizingthe mental health conversation. The singer was also on a cocktail of drugs and had been prescribed almost 9,000 pills, vials and injections in the seven months before his death. Hodel claimed that Presley continued to use medication to not only provide him relief but also to function. Later that afternoon, a team of pathologists, Drs. 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. Those sexy dance moves helped make Elvis famous, but they also foretold what lay in store for him. 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. found Presleylying unconscious on the floor of the master suite bathroom, The 10 best (and the absolute worst) Elvis movies, ranked. 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