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What Caused Elvis Presley’s Heart Attack

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According To A 2001 Npr Broadcast Presley Always Kept Soda Stocked In His Fridge

What killed Elvis Presley? Heart Attack, Drugs, Constipation or his Dentist?

His favorite kinds were Pepsi, Nesbitts Orange, and Shasta Black Cherry. The singer even reportedly tried to slim down by eating nothing but bananas and jellied Shasta Black Cherry for weeks. Something tells us that didnt work out too well for him. And we can only wonder how his teeth help up after drinking so much sugar.

Why Is There Controversy Around Elviss Death

Although Elvis Presleys drug use is well-known today, at the time of his death, Elvis, his family, and his team had mostly kept the more scandalous aspects of his life hidden.

The singers family ordered a private autopsy shortly after his death to ascertain the cause of death. A few days later, Tennessees Chief Medical Examiner Jerry Francisco issued the stars official death certificate, citing a coronary condition unrelated to drugs as the cause of death. Prescription drugs discovered in Elvis Presleys blood did not play a role in his death.

Franciscos methods and conclusion will be criticized by many other pathologists involved in the autopsy. The musicians death may have been due to a dangerous mix of pharmaceuticals, according to several doctors involved.

The full results were sealed after the operation since the autopsy request came from the family rather than the state. Attempts to unseal the records have been made over the years, with a 1993 reopening of the inquiry into Elvis death resulting in the publication of the physicians notes but not the autopsy itself.

The probability of a drug connection was not seriously reported until almost two years after Elvis death.

What We Learned About Elvis Presley’s Health After His Death

“Before Elvis, there was nothing,” John Lennon once said of Elvis Presley . The musical sensation shocked and mesmerized with his style, charm, and performative energy. Fans couldn’t help falling in love with his songs and on-stage persona. Over the course of his career, the Tupelo-born singer had 108 Billboard Hot 100 hits and topped the charts for 67 weeks, a clear testament to the devotion of his fans. By the time of his death at the age of 42, Presley had become one of the most famous musicians worldwide.

The rock star’s death on August 16, 1977 was said to have been caused by heart failure . But the picture is complicated by information that has come to light about other factors that may have impacted Presley’s health, and possibly contributed to his early demise. In the years since that fateful day at Graceland, what have we learned about the death of Elvis Presley?

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Figures To Be A Huge Year For Elvis Fans Around The World

Keith Dunlap, Digital Content Team, Graham Media Group

There might not be a celebrity death more clouded in suspicion, rumor or mystery than Elvis Presleys.

In light of that, Monday marks a day in which the world might inch one year closer to finding out what really caused the King of Rock N Rolls death.

On Aug. 16, 1977, Presley was discovered dead in his Graceland mansion at the age of 42, found motionless on a bathroom floor by his then-21-year-old girlfriend, Ginger Alden.

The debate of what truly happened still rages on, more than four decades later.

But in 2027, the 50th anniversary of Presleys death, his official autopsy report will be made public.

Whether that day in six years brings full closure remains to be seen.

Until then, not only will theories of how he died continue to be debated, but adoring fans might even insist he is still alive.

Some say he faked his death and is known by a different name, others say theyve seen him at places such as a Burger King in Michigan, a supermarket in Mississippi and a parking lot in Las Vegas, while others say he went into a witness protection program, according to an article in Newsweek.

Graham Media Group 2021

Causes Of Elvis Presley Passing

Elvis Presley

On August 16, 1977, following a late appointment with the dentist, he returned to Graceland. At 7:00 pm, he went to his bedroom to relax before a journey in the evening. He was later in the bathroom and brought to the hospital, where he was declared cardiac arrhythmia to be die.

An overdose of prescription medicines caused his heart to stop. The autopsy report had been sealed by his father, Vernon Presley, until 2027. He has been allegedly given a prescription medication including

1- Morphine

How did Elvis die? The question that buzz every person dear to him asks about. Well, he died because of sudden cardiac arrest due to prescription drug issues.

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Others Believe He Was Tied To The Mafia

Another massive theory on why Elvis may have faked his death is because he needed to escape the mafia. The theory solidified with Gail Brewer-Giorgio, the author of the 1988 bestselling book Is Elvis Alive? She narrated how she went over thousands of FBI documents and discovered that the agency enlisted the singer as an undercover agent to help break into a criminal organization.

But when Elvis was suspected of being a mole, he was placed into the witness protection program. Elvis faked his death because he was going to be killed, and there was no doubt about it, Brewer-Giorgio said.

Elvis’ Life In Pictures

At the hospital, emergency personnel made valiant efforts to revive Presley, but without success. He was pronounced dead at 3:30 p.m. Hospital officials understood that their actions over the next few hours would be crucially important in preparing an official announcement. A highly skilled team of nine doctors, headed by the hospitals chief of pathology, Dr. E. Eric Muirhead, would conduct the autopsy. During the procedure, doctors found no signs of stroke, heart failure, or lung disease. They saw evidence that Presley was chronically ill with diabetes and constipation. Physical evidence indicated possible, long-term use of drugs, but toxicology tests would have to confirm that. After the autopsy, Elviss body was released to the funeral home.

Elvis Presley with girlfriend Linda Thompson arrive at the Hilton Hotel in Cincinnati after a concert in 1976.

For a time, most people accepted this finding. But the toxicology report that came out weeks later revealed high levels of pharmaceutical painkillers such as Dilaudid, Quaalude, Percodan, Demerol, and codeine in Elviss body. The Tennessee Board of Health began an investigation into Presleys death and initiated proceedings against Dr. Nick.

Elvis’s grave at the family plot on the Graceland property.

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Vocal Style And Range

The developmental arc of Presley’s singing voice, as described by critic Dave Marsh, goes from “high and thrilled in the early days, lower and perplexed in the final months.” Marsh credits Presley with the introduction of the “vocal stutter” on 1955’s “Baby Let’s Play House“. When on “Don’t Be Cruel”, Presley “slides into a ‘mmmmm’ that marks the transition between the first two verses,” he shows “how masterful his relaxed style really is.” Marsh describes the vocal performance on “Can’t Help Falling in Love” as one of “gentle insistence and delicacy of phrasing”, with the line “‘Shall I stay’ pronounced as if the words are fragile as crystal”.

Stage Show

Marsh praises his 1968 reading of “U.S. Male“, “bearing down on the hard guy lyrics, not sending them up or overplaying them but tossing them around with that astonishingly tough yet gentle assurance that he brought to his Sun records.” The performance on “In the Ghetto” is, according to Jorgensen, “devoid of any of his characteristic vocal tricks or mannerisms”, instead relying on the exceptional “clarity and sensitivity of his voice”. Guralnick describes the song’s delivery as of “almost translucent eloquence … so quietly confident in its simplicity”. On “Suspicious Minds”, Guralnick hears essentially the same “remarkable mixture of tenderness and poise”, but supplemented with “an expressive quality somewhere between stoicism and anguish “.

Some Believe Elvis Was Connected To The Mafia

Who killed Elvis Presley? A special investigation | 60 Minutes Australia

One of the biggest theories on why Presley may have faked his death is because he had to in order to escape the mafia. Gail Brewer-Giorgio, the author of the 1988 bestselling book Is Elvis Alive, recalled in a recent interview with TIME how she pored through thousands of FBI documents to come to the conclusion that Presley was an American hero who had to go into witness protection.

Do I know if Elvis is alive today? No, I dont know, she said. But I know he didnt die on Aug. 16.

Brewer-Giorgio, now 78, said the FBI enlisted Presley as an undercover agent in 1976 to help the agency infiltrate a criminal organization called The Fraternity, which was apparently made up of dozens of racketeers. Presley volunteered, spurred by his love of America and respect for the FBI, according to Brewer-Giorgio. The author said the agency had approached Presley because a member of The Fraternity had apparent dealings with Presley over the sale of an airplane the singer had. But when Presley was found to be a mole, he was put into the witness protection program, Brewer-Giorgio said, citing what she said was evidence from FBI documents and interviews.

Elvis faked his death because he was going to be killed and there was no doubt about it, she said.

Those FBI files are available to the public. I have them. Theres nothing in there, said Patrick Lacy, an Elvis Presley researcher who wrote Elvis Decoded, which debunks the theories surrounding Presleys death.

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Was Elvis In General Good Health At The Time Of His Death

He was not. In 1977, Elvis was suffering from the following ailments: high blood pressure, aucoma, an enlarged colon and liver damage. Its also reported that he weighed 25 stone, was bed-ridden and could barely do anything without help from an assistant. Some have claimed, though, that this is an exaggeration. Yet it is generally agreed that Elvis was far from the young, fit army sergeant he had once been.

Statement By The President On The Death Of Elvis Presley

President Carter : ‘Elvis Presley’s death deprives our country of a part of itself. He was unique and irreplaceable. More than 20 years ago, he burst upon the scene with an impact that was unprecedented and will probably never be equaled. His music and his personality, fusing the styles of white country and black rhythm and blues, permanently changed the face of American popular culture. His following was immense, and he was a symbol to people the world over of the vitality, rebelliousness, and good humor of his country’. .

No arrangements have been announced yet for Elvis’ funeral.

1977 The Washington Post Co.

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Why Is There Controversy Around Elvis’s Death

While Elvis’s drug use is common knowledge today, at the time of his death, Elvis, his family, and his team had largely managed to keep the more sordid details of his life private.

Immediately following the singer’s passing, his family requested a private autopsy to determine the cause of death. Tennessees Chief Medical Examiner Jerry Francisco released the star’s official death certificate a few days later, listing the cause as a coronary issue unrelated to drugs. Elvis Presley died of heart disease, and prescription drugs found in his blood were not a contributing factor, Francisco told American Medical News at the time. Had these drugs not been there, he still would have died.

Several of the other pathologists involved in the autopsy would go on to criticize Francisco’s tactics and conclusion. Multiple doctors involved reportedly argued that the musician’s cause of death should have been attributed to a toxic combination of pharmaceuticals.

With the autopsy request coming directly from the family rather than at the state’s behest, the full findings were sealed after the procedure. Multiple attempts were made over the years to get the documents unsealed, with a 1993 reopening of the investigation into Elvis’s death getting the physician’s notes, but not the autopsy itself, released.

It wasn’t until almost two years after Elvis’s death that the possibility of drug connection began to be seriously reported.

Others Point To Elvis Tombstone As Evidence

How did Elvis Presley get a heart attack at such a young ...

Besides believed sightings, skeptics also point to what they insist are slip-ups from Presleys family in media interviews and an apparent name misspelling on the Kings tombstone as proof of a cover-up.

The skeptics say Presleys middle name was purposefully spelled wrong Aaron instead of Aron on his tombstone because putting his real name would have been taboo since he was alive. Debunkers say the King started spelling his middle name Aaron instead of Aron later in life.

In a 2005 interview with Oprah on the TV hosts show, Presleys wife Priscilla was addressing how Presley spoiled their daughter, Lisa Marie. Skeptics believe Priscilla said: Its exactly what he said the other day before correcting herself and saying, you said, to Oprah. They also say Lisa Marie evaded Larry Kings question during a 2003 interview when the host asked if she ever feels communication with her father.

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From The Official Cause To The Underlying Factors Of Drug Abuse And Obesity To The Doctor Who May Have Been Responsible Learn The Full Answer Behind The Question Of How Elvis Really Died

Around 2:30 on the afternoon of August 16, 1977, actress Ginger Alden was wandering around Graceland in search of none other than her world-famous fiancé, Elvis Presley. The King of Rock and Roll was supposed to be preparing to leave for his latest tour, but Alden was growing concerned, as she hadnt seen him in a while.

Alden saw no sign of Presley until she realized his bathroom door was cracked open. She looked inside the room and, as she later recalled in her memoir, I stood paralyzed as I took in the scene.

According to Alden, Elvis looked as if his entire body had completely frozen in a seated position while using the commode and then had fallen forward, in that fixed position, directly in front of it. Alden rushed forward and detected a hint of breathing, although the singers face was blotchy, with purple discoloration and his eyes were staring straight ahead and bloodred.

An ambulance was called and the unconscious superstar was taken to the Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee where doctors tried to revive him. Their efforts failed and Elvis Presley was pronounced dead at 3:30 PM, a little over an hour after he had been found. He was just 42 years old.

But one big, controversial question has loomed over the matter from then until now: How did Elvis die?

If Elvis Was Attending A Party There Better Be Some Party Meatballs On The Appetizer Table

These scrumptious little bites were just meatballs wrapped in you guessed it: Bacon! Presleys longtime chef, Mary Jenkins Langston, said her employer loved rich and decadent foods. No wonder he liked to wrap his meat in more meat. Plus, Langston insists that He liked his bacon very crisp. Needless to say, those meatballs wrapped in meat probably had a nice little crunch.

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What Caused His Death

Though Elvis’s actual cause of death appears to have been heart failure, the cardiac incident is now considered to be a result of the rock star’s longstanding and serious drug abuse.

Like many performers at the time, Elvis was a heavy user of a number of prescription medications including opiates, barbiturates, and sedatives. When the toxicology report of the performer’s blood came back from analysis several weeks after his death, it reportedly contained high dosages of, among other things, the opiates Dilaudid, Percodan, and Demerol, as well as Quaaludes and codeine.

In the years following his death, Elvis’ Memphis physician, Dr. George Nichopoulos aka “Dr. Nick” was implicated in the singer’s death. In 1980, Nichopoulos, who began treating the star in 1967, had his medical license suspended by the state of Tennessee for three months for indiscriminately prescribing and dispensing controlled substances. According to the charges, in the last 20 months of Elvis’s life, the star was prescribed over 12,000 pills and other pharmaceuticals and carried three suitcases of the drugs with him when he traveled .

Nichopoulos later testified that he gave Elvis any medications he requested because if he didn’t the star would simply get them from another prescriber, or possibly turn to street drugs.

Secrets In The Toxicology Report

elvis heart attack

Even when he first addressed the press, Francisco was bombarded by the same question: Had the post-mortem shown any signs of drug abuse?

Only a few weeks before Elvis Presleys death, three of the singers former bodyguards had published a tell-all book, Elvis, What Happened?, in which they claimed the star had long been addicted to amphetamines. For his part, Francisco tried to dodge the question, claiming that the specific cause may not be known for a week or two pending lab studies, and adding, It is possible in cases like this that the specific cause will never be known.

When the toxicology report finally did come back, however, it seemed as though the doctors had been trying to stage a cover-up. The results showed that at the time of Elvis Presleys death, his blood contained high levels of Dilaudid, Percodan, Demerol, codeine, and an astounding ten other drugs. It would later emerge that Francisco had staged his conference and attempted to deflect the questions surrounding the drugs at the request of Presleys family members, who were determined to try and keep his drug usage a secret.

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Elvis Presleys Heart Was Double Its Normal Size

It was the defense team of Elvis Presleys personal physician that unveiled more of the singers underlying health problems. In 1981, Dr. George Nichopoulos was indicted for over-prescribing medication to the singer. He was acquitted at trial, in part due to the testimony of Dr. Forest Tennant, a witness for the defense . According to Tennant, Presley had been suffering from heart and cardiovascular disease, and though hed been undergoing treatment for hypertension, his doctors did not know that his heart was double the standard size. Presley also had atherosclerosis in his aorta, cerebral arteries, and coronary vessels.

Presleys combined use of laxatives and opiates which can cause digestive backups also indicate that he was suffering from chronic constipation, which combined with his heart problems may have spelled the end: at the time of his death he was attempting to move his bowels, which could have put undue pressure on the already strained heart and aorta, causing a heart attack .

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