Elvis Presley: Death facts about the King that are still unknown

Elvis Presley is known for popularizing pop music in America. His death includes a lot of mysteries that we have unfolded here.

Chhavi Puri
Written by Chhavi Puri , Skincare Coach & Makeup Expert
Updated on Aug 24, 2022 | 04:27 PM IST | 2.2M
Elvis Presley's Death Facts: How did Elvis Presley Die?
Elvis Presley's Death Facts: How did Elvis Presley Die?

Elvis Presley is considered one of the most successful cultural icons of the 20th century. He was a highly successful American singer and actor and was known for popularizing rock 'n' roll music in America. He was born on January 8, 1935, in Tupelo, Mississippi, the U.S. and was interested in music since he was a teenager. Before rising to fame, he lived a simple life with his family. Only after the family moved to Memphis, that he started his music career. After he graduated from High School in the year 1953, he began recording music. 

The musical and acting career of Elvis Presley

Elvis was greatly influenced by pop and country music and acknowledged many African-American singers like Arthur Crudup. His musical influences were the gospel songs he attended at the Church, and the black R&B he heard on Beale Street when he was a teenager. 

Presley started his singing career in 1954 with the famous Sun Records label in Memphis and released his first single. One year later, Elvis Presley's recording contract was sold to RCA Victor. He released his first number-one single named "Heartbreak Hotel", in 1956.

He is known for combining various genres including gospel, rock and roll, country, and blues. His performance style was a unique combination of charismatic energy and erotic sensuousness. His music included diverse genres that led him to immense success. 

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During the 1950s, he became an international sensation. He made music that challenged the racial and social barriers of the time, and he took on the world with a whole new era of pop culture. 

In the mid-1950s, Elvis became hugely popular worldwide and his music was played on the radio all the time. He even acted in various movies and TV shows. Not just that, he also composed music for movie soundtrack albums. Some of his popular songs are: "Hound Dog", "Kentucky Rain", "Love Me Tender", "Heartbreak Hotel", "Jailhouse Rock", "All Shook Up", and so on.

Here is a list of a few movies by Elvis Presley: Loving You, King Creole, Wild in the Country, and so on. Elvis joined the military service in 1957 and took a break from music for a few years. 

After he returned from serving in the military, he didn't leave music at all and recorded more albums. He starred in a lot of movies, the most popular of which was "Blue Hawaii." He even returned to the small screen with a show named 'Elvis' that became a blockbuster. Elvis Presley was the best-selling solo artist in the history of music. He received several music awards during his musical career. 

Some facts about Elvis:

1. He starred in a total of 33 successful movies.

2. He was the first-ever solo performer whose concert was broadcast via satellite.

3. He has sold over one billion records, and his American sales have earned him many awards including gold, platinum, and multi-platinum. 

4. He was named One of the Ten Outstanding Young Men of the Nation for 1970 by the United States Jaycees. 

5. He achieved Grammy Nominations 13 times, out of which he won the Grammy 3 times. 

In short, he was one of the most influential and popular icons of the twentieth century and is given the name "King of Rock 'n' Roll", or simply, "King."

Who was the wife of Elvis Presley?

Elvis got married to Priscilla Anne Wagner in 1967. They both met each other during Elvis's military career. He met her at a party in Bad Nauheim, Germany in 1959. On May 1, 1967, the couple got married in Las Vegas. The ceremony didn't feature a lot of guests and was over in a very short time. Their child, Lisa Marie, was born on February 1, 1968. Both Elvis and Priscilla however couldn't stay happy with each other for long and got divorced in 1973. 

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Elvis Presley Net Worth

It is estimated that the net worth of Elvis Presley was around $5 million at the time of his death in 1977. 

Some of the best Elvis Presley songs are:

Can't Help Falling in Love

Jailhouse Rock

Hound Dog

Burning Love

All Shook Up

When did Elvis Presley die? 

Elvis died on August 16 in 1977, at the age of 42 in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. 

How did Elvis Presley die?

The death of the famous rockstar Elvis shook the world. Everybody mourned his death and the news of his demise took the world by storm. However, his death caused a lot of chaos afterward as the question of how he died was bothering everyone. 

Elvis Presley's cause of death remains controversial and mysterious to date. 

Here are some facts about Elvis Presley's death:

It is known that on August 15, 1977, Elvis was at his home in Graceland and spent his day happily with his daughter Lisa and fiancée Ginger. The same day at about 10:30 pm, both Ginger and Elvis went to see his dentist as he was having tooth pain. Elvis had a personal doctor, dentist, and nurse practitioner on call 24*7. 

On August 16, 1977, both of them returned to Graceland and the King waved at his fans. The same night at around 2 am, he called his physician to ask for painkillers and when he was told about the same, he took them. The same night, he called his cousin Billy and wife Jo to come over to his place and play racquetball. The request wasn't odd because they were used to visiting him at late hours. They visited Elvis's house and played racquetball for some time. 

At around 4:30 am, Elvis played gospel songs and the Ballard Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain. At around 5 in the morning, Elvis went up to his bedroom and took prescription drugs given by 'Dr. Nick'. These drugs were prescribed to the King for better sleep. Despite taking the drugs, he couldn't sleep and so he took a second package of the pills. These pills were handed to him by Dr. Ricky who was on duty that day. 

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Elvis was eager to sleep as he had a concert to attend, but he couldn't do that, so he was desperate to bring more medications. He called his aunt and asked her to call Dr. Nick. The doctor wasn't available, however, there was a nurse who was reluctant to hand over more pills. However, she gave a smaller package of pills to his aunt that helps treat insomnia

His daughter Lisa, was asleep in her bedroom next door. The same day at around 9:30 am, after taking three packages of pills and painkillers, Elvis went to the bathroom. It is a known fact that he suffered from constipation and so Ginger asked him not to fall asleep in the toilet. The last words of Elvis were "I won't." 

After a few hours, Ginger woke up in bed and realized that Elvis Presley wasn't there. It didn't seem strange at first, but eventually, when she couldn't find him, she went looking for him. Elvis was found dead by his fiancée, Ginger Alden on August 16, 1977, on the floor of his bedroom's bathroom. 

Ginger immediately called out for the person on afternoon duty at the mansion. Lisa Marie immediately rushed to see what the chaos was all about. An ambulance was called and emergency services arrived. The ambulance took Elvis to the Baptist Hotel, where he was announced dead at around 3:30 pm. 

Cause of Elvis Presley's death

Elvis Presley was pronounced dead from cardiac arrhythmia. It was later known that cardiac arrest occurred due to serious drug abuse. In his autopsy report, it was revealed that he had taken many prescription drugs including antidepressants that caused his heart to stop. 

Presley used to take various medications including antidepressants, sedatives, and barbiturates. 

After Elvis's death, his doctor George Nichopoulos aka "Dr. Nick" was investigated over the heavy doses of drugs he prescribed to the King. He told the investigators that he began treating Elvis in 1967 and gave him over 19,000 pills.  In the year 1980, the medical license of Dr. Nick was suspended for 3 months by the state of Tennessee. Dr. Nick testified that he gave Elvis these many medications because Elvis used to threaten him that if he doesn't prescribe him the medicines, he would get them from someone else. 

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In 1981, the doctor was charged with 11 felony counts of prescribing drugs in such a heavy dose. In 1995, he was suspended permanently by the Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners. 

What is the controversy around Elvis's death?

Today, it is commonly known that Elvis died due to cardiac arrest which occurred because of the overuse of drugs prescribed by Dr. Nichopoulos. However, at the time of his death, his family wanted to keep the details of his life private.

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After the death of Elvis, a private autopsy was conducted to find the cause of his death at the request of his family. The official death certificate of Elvin was released by The Chief Medical Examiner of Tennessee Jerry Francisco stating that he died of a coronary issue and that drugs were not a contributing factor to his death.  

Many pathologists who were involved in the autopsy criticized the statement of Jerry Francisco and argued that the cause of death should have been attributed to cardiac arrest due to a toxic combination of medication. It seemed as if the family was trying to cover up the fact that their son used to take a heavy dosage of medication. 

The autopsy request came directly from the family and the reports were sealed after the procedure. Numerous attempts were made to unseal the documents, documents unsealed, with a 1993 reopening of the investigation into Presley's death getting the physician's notes, but not the autopsy itself, released.

So, to date, no one knows for sure if he died because of a heart attack or because he used to take so many drugs. 

Whatever the case is, the death of Elvis will always be a mystery. However, he will always be remembered by everyone for his contribution to the world of music. He was, is, and always will be the King of Rock and Roll. 

FAQs

What were the last words of Elvis Presley?
The last words of Elvis Presley were "I won't."

Did Elvis Presley have any kid?
Yes, Elvis Presley's daughter name is Lisa Marie Presley.

Who did Elvis Presley get married to?
Elvis Presley got married to Priscilla Anne.

When did Elvis Presley die?
Elvis Presley died on 16th August, 1977.

How old would Elvis Presley be today?
If he was alive, he would be 87 years old.

Did Elvis Presley have a twin brother?
Yes, he had a twin brother who died at the time of birth.

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About The Author
Chhavi Puri
Chhavi Puri
Skincare Coach & Makeup Expert

Chhavi is a certified Skincare Coach and she's also certified in Makeup Artistry. Her fascination with skincare

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Credits: getty images
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