Death of Elvis Presley by Ashlee Jones

Elvis Presley

            On August 16, 1977, the world was devastated upon finding out the death of the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley. The rock and roll star was discovered in the bathroom of his Memphis mansion, Graceland, unresponsive due to having a heart attack (Roberts 1). Before Presley’s, he was known to be a user of drugs, which could’ve possibly expedited the process of his death. Since then, there have conspiracy theory that have circulated the star:

1.      Was it drugs that actually led to his death?

2.      Did Elvis fake his death to get out of the spotlight and live in peace?

Let’s take a deeper look into the death and theories of Elvis, and whether his death was expedited by drugs and if he could possibly still be alive.

Character Analysis

    One of Elvis Presley’s external traits is fame. As most of everyone knows, he was an American icon, earning the nickname the “King of Rock and Roll.” Elvis gained popularity from his break in the music industry, starring in numerous amounts of movies, and gaining the attention from his provocative dance style from younger woman. Not only that, but Elvis was known to have a nice personality as well.

    When it came to being in the spotlight, Elvis was known to be a sex symbol, having a sense of humor, and even being charismatic (“Elvis Presley Biography” 1). His looks were something that woman went crazy over, later becoming a teen heartthrob to many around the world. Not only was he just seen as an idol and a sex symbol, but along with that came critics. Many people didn’t like how provocative he was when it came to dancing. He was widely known to gyrate his hips, something that the woman fell in love with. When he appeared on the Ed Sullivan show, Elvis could only be shown from the waist up because of this (“Elvis Presley Bio” 1).

            Another one of Elvis’s traits, an external trait, was that he was very unhealthy. On the outside, the world would think that everything was fine with Elvis. Only if they knew that he was battling things within himself. In his later years, he began to gain a tremendous amount of weight. In addition to that, unbeknownst to the world, Elvis began to have a growing dependence to prescription pills, something he didn’t want anyone to know and definitely not to discuss. Also, Presley had a history of mild hypertension, and found out that he had coronary heart disease (Ivins 1). This could have been a contributing factor that possibly led to his death. He was often hospitalized throughout his career, due to his drug related habits (“Elvis Presley Biography” 1).

            Elvis Presley was known all over as an American icon. Of course, he has spent majority of his life in the spotlight. Along with the fame, he also battled with his deteriorating health that no one knew about.

Conspiracy Theories

            When it comes to the death of Elvis Presley, there are two conspiracy theories that are highlighted. The first conspiracy is that prescription drugs expedited his death (overdose). Also, the other theory involves Elvis faking his own death.

            The first conspiracy addresses that Elvis’s dependence to prescription drugs had killed him. During the years leading up to his death, Elvis had a list of serious health issues. From gaining a tremendous amount of weight to having mild hypertension, the King of Rock and Roll started to turn to prescribed drugs. Even at the age of forty-two, he had an enlarged heart that was twice the size of a normal heart (Rodgers 1). On the day of August 16, 1977, Elvis was found on the bathroom floor inside of his home. At 3:16 p.m., he was declared dead and an autopsy was quickly started to determine the true cause of death (1). Although his addiction was highlighted throughout the years, his cause of death was not labeled as suicide, but instead was classified as a natural event (1). With that being said, there was not a police investigation and no account of drugs or medications inside of Graceland (1). In addition to that, Elvis’s true autopsy has been disclosed by his father. It will not be revealed until 2027—his 50^th death anniversary.

            The second and last conspiracy has to do with Elvis faking his own death. Years after his death, there have been many claims and eyewitness reports saying they have seen Elvis. Earlier this year at Graceland, there were pictures circulating the internet of a reported spotting of Elvis (Roberts and Collins 1). Reportedly today, Elvis has a net worth of $300 million (“Is Elvis Presley Alive? Did He Fake His Death?”). Also, before his body was discovered, there was a helicopter that landed at Graceland (1).

            Now, why would Elvis’s death not be ruled as a suicide? It was widely known that Elvis had an addiction to prescription drugs. He had a list of terrible health issues, and with the hunger he had for his addiction, it didn’t make his health any better. Therefore, his deteriorating health and addiction expedited his death. After the autopsy was performed, the conclusion of the report was that his cause of health was due to heart failure. Even though his death wasn’t ruled as a suicide, the true details of the autopsy report will not be revealed to the public until 2027—his 50^th death anniversary.

            A survey of twenty-five people revealed that 92% agree that Elvis’s addiction had killed him. Although there was list of health problems that Elvis had, his growing dependence to prescription pills only made it worse, leading to his death in 1977.

            Today, many people await the true details that his autopsy has. Only thing is, there is ten more years till the world finds out.

Works Cited

"Elvis Presley." Biography.com. A&E Networks Television, 28 Apr. 2017. Web. 20 July 2017.

Elvis Presley Biography.” Rolling Stone, www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/elvis-presley/biography. Accessed 24 July 2017.

"Is Elvis Presley Alive? Did He Fake His Death?" Curiosity.com. N.p., n.d. Web.

Ivins, Molly. “Elvis Presley Dies; Rock Singer Was 42.” The New York Times, The New York Times, www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/big/0816.html. Accessed 24 July 2017.

Roberts, Danny Collins and Sophie. “Why Do People Think Elvis Presley Is Still Alive?” The Sun, The Sun, 3 July 2017, www.thesun.co.uk/news/2627371/elvis-presley-alive-conspiracy-theory-sightings/. Accessed 17 July 2017.

Rodgers, Garry. "Elvis Presley's Death -- What Really Killed the King?" The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 04 Feb. 2016. Web.

"Is Elvis Presley Alive? Did He Fake His Death?" Curiosity.com. N.p., n.d. Web.