But his immune system wasnt fighting off infection as it should have. He had a private doctor who would prescribe him any pill he asked for, according to a People Magazine storyshortly after his death. He had all these metabolic defects due to his genetics, and so the codeine built up in his system. We and our partners use cookies on this site to improve our service, perform analytics, personalize advertising, measure advertising performance, and remember website preferences. As recorded in Rolling Stone, the three bodyguards co-wrote a tell-all biography of Elvis that was released only days before his death. Elvis. As a young man embracing both a punishing work schedule and the stresses of newfound celebrity, Elvis was under a tremendous amount of pressure. That one scene sums up how the real Elvis Presley spent his final years before dying of an apparent heart attack in 1977 at the young age of 42. And then it became about his health He achieved the American dream, but he was also human. Replacing Linda was actress Ginger Alden (above), a woman 20 years Elvis' junior. What confused some people, though, was that Elvis took a portion of the show to introduce everyone from his life onstage. He wasborn inTupelo,Mississippi, on Jan.8, 1935. Like many stars who became hugely famous before the concept of celebrity handlers had been formalized, Elvis was surrounded by yes-men and sycophants. Atherosclerosis is a condition where arteries become clogged with fatty substances. They were all connected. But by 1976, Elvis wasn't just getting his uppers and downers from his manager. ", ELVIS PRESLEYS PRIVATE NURSE EXPLAINS WHY THE KING WAS 'MISERABLE' DURING HIS FINAL YEARS, As Elvis Presley embarked on a grueling tour, he was concerned about his health, Sally A. Hoedel claimed. In an exclusive interview with Elvis cousin Annie Presley, it was revealed that as a toddler Elvis had needed help clearing his bowels. The other two pathologists Muirhead and Florredo eventually revealed they also had found evidence of severe and chronic constipation, diabetes, and glaucoma during their examination. He paid strangers hospital bills if he heard they were poor. MORE: Priscilla . It was there, in October 1976, that Elvis recorded his final studio sessions, resulting in some of his most memorable and emotionally crushing material to date. Presleys forebears may have made marriage choices because of poverty and proximity, but Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt married to keep wealth in the family. People assumed, Well, thats just an excuse to get medication. But he really was having this problem with fighting infection. Elvis Presley suffered eye disease glaucoma and was almost blind when he died, according to the late King of Rock's personal physician. Everyones relying on me. "[Those health] issues become more difficult to live with the more he tours, and he toured a great deal in those last several years. (Photo by Ron Galella/WireImage/Getty), SEAN ASTIN SAYS LATE MOTHER PATTY DUKES MENTAL ILLNESS LED HIM TO OFFER SUPPORT TO OTHER PEOPLE, Kirk claimed she tried to improve Presleys diet, but it didnt stick. He passed away on Aug. 16 of that year. 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. Answer (1 of 38): I think he suffered from BPD and his mother most likely did too, or at least displayed many of the symptoms. What were Elvis Presley's health issues that plagued him during his short life? 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. The singer, who made teenage girls hysterical with his movie star looks, catchy songs and gyrating. He had to survive extreme poverty, and then he had to survive extreme fame. The outlet noted that during the last two years of his life, Presley made erratic stage appearances and lived nearly as a recluse. In the last years of his life, he suffered from many heart-attack-provoking factors: a high-sugar, high-fat diet high blood pressure chronic insomnia liver damage rheumatoid arthritis chronic drug addiction And hes the head of his whole organization. Titled Elvis: What Happened?, the book offered the public its first look into Presley's drug use and sex life. But according to "Elvis," overwhelming demand from fans played a part in his fall. ", Elvis Presley with his girlfriend Ginger Alden in March 1977 in Hawaii. But for Tennant, that wasn't enough to explain the long list of maladies that afflicted the rock star from the late 1960s onwards. (Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via 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. ", Remembering Elvis: Here are his 10 most popular hits. He once told me, You never hear Superman asking for help.", "The touring is difficult," Hoedel explained. "If Dr. Forrest Torrent is right, there simply wasnt a proper understanding back then in determining what really killed the King of Rock & Roll. He bought strangers new cars just to see their reactions. 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. I had a huge painting of Elvis -- a velvet painting he had given me, she said. found Presleylying unconscious on the floor of the master suite bathroom, The 10 best (and the absolute worst) Elvis movies, ranked. Two-year-old Elvis with his parents Vernon and Gladys Presley in 1937 in Tupelo, Mississippi. Aside from"Elvis," newretellings like Netflix's "Blonde," starring Ana de Armas,"explore the widening split between (Marilyn Monroe)'s public and private selves.". 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. More info. I asked Dr. Tennant how we could use Elvis' predicament to help others in pain. Most challenging during Elvis' final years was his nonstop schedule of his live performances. ", Harry, Meghan, The Rock, Naomi Osaka: Why celebrity mental health struggles matter. The toxicology report from Elvis' death said he had the opiates Dilaudid, Demerol, and Percodan in his blood, not to mention Quaaludes and codeine. He would have pulled up his pajama bottoms and crawled to the door to seek help. Hoedel said Presley was "worried" about his health deteriorating. EDS is what connects all of those health problems, correct? "I realized this man was as iconic as they come, and yet he of course was a human being, sensitive and vulnerable, with virtues and flaws, and I got to experience all of that, Butler said in a USA TODAY interview. 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. 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. In 1981, Tennant was hired by an attorney for Dr. George Nichopoulos (Dr. Nick), who faced criminal charges in Presleys death. I think he was awake for three days. The singer had developed a dangerous dependence on prescription drugs and turned to overeating. 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. People there in the inner group did but you did not tell Elvis what to do. Even his maids were like family and he bought them all new cars. Five of those disease processes, she says, were present from birth. Elvis Presley is seen performing on June 20, 1977. Title track "Moody Blue" became Elvis' final Number One single; the song is in keeping with the pop music of the time, tinged with disco and exotica, but still showcases the warbling, lonely figure that the singer had become. The world thinks he has everything, and yet the happiness isnt there. We just see whatever we want," Manly says. Theres no one to blame - certainly not Elvis. Vernon Presley and Elvis Presley on stage during a concert recorded on June 19, 1977, in Omaha, Nebraska. there was another problem: Elvis Presley's issue with prescription drug abuse. FORMER WIFE PRISCILLA WEIGHS IN, Vernon Presley and Elvis Presley on stage during a concert recorded on June 19, 1977, in Omaha, Nebraska. Something went wrong, please try again later. Thus, he likely died of a massive heart. Hugely overweight, his mind dulled by the pharmacopeia he daily ingested, he was barely able to pull himself through his abbreviated concerts.". Market data provided by Factset. ", 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. 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. Elvis' passing is often used as the archetypal rock star death a tragic accident caused by a poor health and drug use. But Donna Rockwell, a clinical psychologist specializing in celebrity mental health, says the cultural mockery of imperfect stars speaks to "a part of human nature we're not particularly proud of. All rights reserved. "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. (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.. Elvis Aaron Presley died August 16, 1977, at the age of 42. "Elvis was a strong individual," stepbrother Billy Stanley reflected. 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? But certainly back in those days we didn't, Tennant explained. And in 2016 Garry Rodgers, a retired homicide detective and forensic coroner, told the Huffington Post that with those findings in mind, he would have attributed Elvis' death to a heart attack caused by heart disease and drug use caused by an autoimmune disease which was sparked by a brain injury. The colon is the longest part of the large intestine and when blocked causes a megacolon. Forest believes it all stemmed back to a serious head injury he sustained in 1967 that triggered a progressive autoimmune inflammatory disorder. Looking back at her past, she said theres one memory that still vividly sticks out. When critics and fans describe Elvis in his later years, one term used is "Fat Elvis." He would also often say "God, I hurt all over." Legal Statement. Kirk shared that despite Presley's fame and fortune, he was often lonely. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. One of the first responders who arrived at Graceland after the emergency call on the day Elvis died and helped carry him . ", PAT BOONE RECALLS MEETING PAL ELVIS PRESLEY: 'HE WAS JUST A SCARED YOUNG KID' "Everything with Elvis has to be looked at through a historical lens," Hoedel continued. 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. You have all of the money in the world. "We tended to treat Elvis as someone who was supposed to be a very wonderful icon of American rock and roll. While Elvis did suffer from a pill addiction, as the Austin Butler Elvis movie ending explained, he had chronic pain and health problems that may have fueled it. Elvis Presley has become synonymous with many things, such asrock 'n'roll and fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches. It was claimed that over the last 20 months of Elvis' life, Dr. Nick prescribed him over 12,000 pills. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. All rights reserved. The drugs included uppers, downers, and powerful painkillers such as Dilaudid, Quaalude, Percodan, Demerol, and cocaine hydrochloride in quantities more appropriate for those terminally ill with cancer.". 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. Hoedel claimed that those who knew Presley were worried about how much physical anguish and stress he was enduring to keep up with a non-stop schedule. And we love tocriticize the celebrity to bring them back down to our level. 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. Within the book Sally revealed that Elvis grandparents were first cousins. Elvis Presley skyrocketed to fame in the 1950s. At his last concert, which took place in Indiana, Presley was quoted as saying, "My body really hurts, but no matter what Im going out there tonight and giving everything I have no matter what." Treatments for these conditions put Elvis in the hospital several times between 1973 and his death four years later. ", "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 abused antihistamines, tranquilizers such as Valium, barbiturates, Quaaludes, sleeping pills, hormones and laxatives, for the constipation. Here's why. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. For Mr Tennant, one major clue was in the full-body deterioration of Elvis, with almost every organ plagued by ill health. We didnt have the empathy to talk about Elvis health problems then. He was miserable because hed gained so much weight. They really tried to push Elvis beyond his capacity in the last few years of his life. When Elvis catapulted into fame with his legendary pompadour and pelvic gyrations, America swooned. Equally cryptic for some were the parting words the King said as he left the stage: "We'll meet again. The music icon passed away nearly 43 years ago, on Aug. 16, 1977, at age 42 from a heart attack, which. Put simply, the strain of attempting to defecate compressed the singer's abdominal aorta, shutting down his heart.". 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. According to the outlet, Thomas left Presley a year before his death because, she said, it was exhausting watching him slowly self-destruct.. (According to the medical examiner's report, How Austin Butler vanished into the role of Elvis Presley, Austin Butler rules as the King, butBaz Luhrmann's 'Elvis' is an unchained mess, Carson Daly says he's suffered from anxiety, panic attacks on 'The Voice', Lessons for all of us in 'The Kardashians' finale. The 78-year-old recalled how Presley would look down as the doctors spoke with him. Pain News Network is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit online news service for information and commentary about chronic pain and pain management. 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. By the time hes touring again in the 70s, he was providing for more than 100 people. During the autopsy it became clear that Elvis did in fact have multiple heart problems, including a strained aorta and atherosclerosis. And he does that in the last several years of his life. After years of drug abuse, the once lithe star weighed in at 25 stone and had spent months barricaded in his bedroom gorging on platters of cheeseburgers. He was often getting fevers and flu-type symptoms. "One of the maids picked up the phone, and it's Ginger. It was huge, and its shag carpeting naturally absorbed ambient sound, although the fake waterfall did have to be turned off. Like so many rock stars, including Michael Jackson and Prince, Elvis employed an all-too-willing physician to feed his addiction and hasten his death. 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. Subscribe to Here's the Deal, our politics newsletter. The truth is more complex. 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