Photo Courtesy Of: Steve Hoffman The Death Of Elvis Presley Dethrones The King After A Drug Overdose
The death of Elvis Presley at 42 years old shocked the world. A man largely credited with establishing the genre of rock was found dead on his bathroom floor. Fans around the world mourned the death of their king, as the news spread around the world. In essence, the death of Elvis Presley was comparable to all of the Beatles dying in one day. The King of Rock, who seemed to jump off the screen when appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show was gone. With a few sways of his hips and southern boy swagger, Presley won the hearts of every teenage girl in America. The death of Elvis Presley stunned the world. While ruled a heart attack, The King of Rock died after losing the fight against addiction.
The end for Elvis Presley seemed like a nightmare if you view things from the beginning of his career. Those early days appearing on The Steve Allen Show. A young, vibrant, heartthrob belting out “That’s Alright Mama” and “Heartbreak Hotel.” The whole world ahead of him with an unimaginable career. Unfortunately, the years before the death of Elvis Presley left the king a shell of his former self.
A Behind The Scenes Look At What Led To The Death Of Elvis Presley
It is no secret that Elvis developed an addiction to drugs. What drugs they were and the extent of the addiction is not public knowledge. Though the official diagnosis was a heart attack, there has been widespread speculation drugs played some role in the death of Elvis Presley. Recently Elvis Presley’s step-brother and bodyguard details those last years. David E. Stanley tells the NY Post:
“During the last two years of his life, there were more than a dozen times when I had to put my finger down his throat and remove food,” Stanley tells The Post. “He would take three ‘attack-packs’ of medication [at night]. Each one had 11 sleeping pills and three shots of Demerol. During the day, he would counteract [the downers] with amphetamines.”
Drug Addiction Defeats The King: The Death of Elvis Presley
Stanley goes on to discuss the devolving stages in the last dark days of Elvis. “Elvis suffered from severe constipation that was brought about by his drug use. He took laxatives, but sometimes he couldn’t get to the toilet fast enough because of the attack-packs, and would soil himself. It was Stanley who often cleaned up his brother. It was the tragedy of tragedies.”
In August 1977, Elvis was found dead on his bathroom floor. He was only 42. The drug was officially ruled a heart attack. Vernon Presley broke the news, “my son is dead,” shocking the world.
David Stanley believes the death of Elvis Presley occurred because he deliberately gave up the fight against addiction. According to the New York Post, “Stanley feels that may not be the whole story. Three fired bodyguards were about to publish a tell-all exposing Elvis’ drug problem, and Stanley feels that may have pushed him over the edge.”
“To me, it was a self-induced drug overdose,” Stanley says. “I lived with a tormented man — the man that said he’d rather be ‘unconscious than unhappy.’ Part of me was relieved when I saw his lifeless body.”
Elvis Presley was one of the most remarkable musicians of the 20th Century. He was an incredible performer and a pioneer in music. But Elvis Presley was also just a guy struggling with his own demons, drug addiction, and an infinite amount amount of money. The death of Elvis Presley is still disputed by loyal fans today.
