Elvis Presley fans from around the world flock to Graceland 45 years after the King's death. MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Fans from all over the world crowded Elvis Presley Boulevard on Monday night for the annual Graceland "Candlelight Vigil," to mark the 45th anniversary of the famed singer's death.
Priscilla Presley, from a podium, praised the crowd as "a beautiful sight."
Monday, August 15th, Elvis arose late, as was his custom. He took one of his Stutz-Bearcats out for a drive through Memphis. After returning to Graceland he went to his racquet ball court and played until about six a.m. Tuesday, August 16th. The Memphis Commercial Appeal’s
Elvis had a love for what were then called “downers”: barbiturates, sleeping pills, painkillers, the combination of which will induce a sleepy, calm euphoria. In addition to the ten drugs found in his system at the time of death, Elvis was known to have tried Dilaudid, Percodan, Placidyl, Dexedrine (a rare “upper,” then prescribed as a “diet pill”), Biphetamine, Tiunal, Desbutal, Escatrol, Amytal, Quaaludes, Carbrital, Seconal, Methadone, and Ritalin.
At 2:33 p.m. the call came to the Memphis Fire Department’s Engine House No. 29 on 2147 Elvis Presley Boulevard. The call, from Elvis’ road manager Joe Esposito, said that someone was having trouble breathing at Graceland. That is not an unusual complaint, since fans often faint outside the Presley mansion.
Charlie Crosby and Ulysses S. Jones Jr. jumped into Unit No. 6, a “Modular Rev Ambulance” — an orange and white boxlike structure affixed to a GMC chassis–turned on the siren and headed south. At 3746 Elvis Presley Boulevard (no one here calls it just Presley or just Elvis) the ambulance was led up the winding driveway of Graceland by a waiting car.
Even so, at 2:56 p.m. he was rushed into the emergency room, which was then closed to all other cases. A “Harvey Team,” which is trained in all means of reviving a dying person, worked on him without success. Dr. Nichopoulos finally pronounced Elvis Presley dead at 3:30 p.m.
Elvis and drugs -
After telling Nixon his worried about drug cultures, Elvis asked the Nixon for a badge. Nixon promised he’d get him one, and Elvis, surprised that his plan had worked, got so excited that he hugged the president.
A few years later, Elvis, with his Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs badge still on him, died. READ MORE
Doctor George Nichopoulos, who claimed to have written prescriptions for 10,000 doses of uppers, downers and assorted narcotics in the last seven months of Presley’s life.
Elvis’s passion for prescription drugs, which he acquired from numerous sources. “They came in from everywhere,” says the nurse, who often accompanied Presley on tour to keep track of his addiction.
His body, which was becoming bloated, was moved to the hospital morgue on the second floor. The morgue was sealed off by tight security and the preliminary autopsy began, with every important doctor in the hospital present. Also called in was Dr. Jerry Francisco, the Shelby County medical examiner. Their preliminary ruling was cardiac arrhythmia and hardening of the arteries.
Presley was born on January 8, 1935, in Tupelo, Mississippi.
“Nothing really affected me until I heard Elvis. If there hadn’t been an Elvis, there wouldn’t have been a Beatles”—John Lennon
“When we were kids growing up in Liverpool, all we ever wanted to be was Elvis Presley.”—Paul McCartney
“Before Elvis, everything was in black and white. Then came Elvis. Zoom, glorious Technicolor.”—Keith Richards
“When I first heard Elvis’ voice, I just knew that I wasn’t going to work for anybody; and nobody was going to be my boss…Hearing him for the first time was like busting out of jail.”—Bob Dylan
“I had always wanted to be like Elvis, to be a rock ‘n’ roll star, but I couldn’t sing, so I joined a mod band instead.”—Roger Daltrey
“Elvis is the best ever, the most original. He started the ball rolling for us all. He deserves the recognition.”—Jim Morrison
“Elvis was the king. No doubt about it. People like myself, Mick Jagger and all the others only followed in his footsteps.”—Rod Stewart
“Describe Elvis Presley? He was the greatest who ever was, is or ever will be.”—Chuck Berry