The Ultimate Tragedy, August 16, 1977

Between 1970 and his final performance in Indianapolis on June 26, 1977, Elvis had performed 1069 concerts. In the seven-and-a-half-year period, that is an average of over 142 concerts per year. Today, it is virtually unheard of for a top star to perform continuously. It might be the case that a world tour could stretch over a two-year period, then that is it for three years. Consider adding recording sessions into the mix; Elvis was worked to breaking point. A lifetime of insomnia, an unhealthy, southern, fried food diet and a gruelling schedule beginning from July 1954, all started to catch up with him, particularly from 1975 onwards. He became dependent on ever-increasing doses of sleeping medication, uppers including amphetamines for energy, diet pills to try and control weight, and painkillers when the cumulative effect of all this on his body took its toll. Life in front of the flashlights of cameras and the stage led to glaucoma; he suffered from a twisted colon and had collapsed on more than one occasion from exhaustion. Elvis was admitted to the hospital numerous times from late 1973 onwards. There were times when Elvis was visibly ill, and still Colonel Parker kept him working. With the benefit of hindsight, it was the recipe for the ultimate tragedy.

Colonel Parker is thought to have accumulated gambling debts of $30 million by 1977, mainly owed to the Las Vegas Hilton (formerly the International Hotel). To put this into context, in today’s money, this is close to $154 million. For a supposedly shrewd businessman, Parker was known to be a reckless gambler. One of his games of choice was roulette. Members of Elvis’ entourage would witness him place huge bets on single numbers, without any spread betting or covering bets, not even on even-money chances like red or black. The odds of winning such high-risk stakes are minimal, and obviously, Parker was no exception to this. He could quite easily lose $1 million in a night. Colonel Parker could not afford for Elvis to take a time-out. Given that it is said he was claiming up to 50% of Elvis’ earnings as his exclusive manager, he worked Elvis like a mule.

For Elvis’ part, he was not really interested in investing his fortune, instead he liked to use it to bring happiness to other people, to the extent he gave have away expensive jewellery by simply tossing it out into the audience, buying cars for curious onlookers who happened to witness him visiting a car dealership, buying houses for members of his entourage such as Jerry Schilling and, then there was what he would spend on himself. Having two private jets, including the converted airliner that was the Lisa Marie, was not cheap to operate, especially when used for pleasure rather than touring. According to Parker, when interviewed in later years, Vernon Presley, who was supposedly looking after Elvis’s personal finances, would ask Parker to make sure that there were plenty of dates booked to keep the money coming in.

In short, Elvis became a prisoner of his fame and fortune. When not working, Elvis chose to live by night and sleep by day, hoping he might occasionally go out and about under the cover of darkness. The longer this went on, the bigger the price he paid in terms of his physical and mental health. Worried members of the entourage, family and friends would try to help in various ways and ensure any reports of Elvis’s ill health were played down. It was also in their best interest to do this, as so many people depended on him. Elvis himself still wanted to be in front of his audience, and the venues were sold out every night until the end.

Then on August 16, 1977, it all came to a devastating end. After an unusually long break extending eight weeks since his June tour and with no Las Vegas dates scheduled that year, Elvis was due to fly out to Portland, Maine, for another tour beginning on August 17. At around 10:30 pm on August 15, Elvis, accompanied by his fiancée Ginger Alden, left Graceland in his Stutz Blackhawk to visit dentist Lester Hoffman, requiring treatment for a severe toothache, resulting in two fillings and a prescription for pain killers. He drives back to Graceland, arriving at around 12:30 am on August 16, 1977. As usual, there were fans standing at the gates hoping to catch a glimpse of Elvis. Robert Call, a fan from Indiana, took the last picture of Elvis, waving, as he drove the Stutz through the Graceland gates.

The last photograph of Elvis Presley, returning to Graceland, August 16, 1977, around 12:30 am.

Elvis decided to head out to the racquetball court, situated in its own building within the Graceland grounds and plays with his cousin Billy Smith, with Billy’s wife Jo, and Ginger looking on. After a short while, Elvis moves to the relaxation area where there is a piano, a brown leather sofa, and armchairs. He plays “Unchained Melody” and “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” before heading back to the main house at around 5 am. Elvis is still experiencing some pain and cannot sleep, even though he has taken the prescription painkillers and sleeping pills. He gives up, tells Ginger he is going to the bathroom, and takes a book to read along the way. The bathroom is supposedly not a typical bathroom, more like a mini suite. Ginger tells him not to fall asleep, and Elvis tells her, “Okay, I won’t”. This is around 9:30 am, and the last time Elvis was seen alive.

Ginger woke at around 1:30 pm, and when she realised Elvis was not there, she headed to the bathroom. She finds Elvis on the floor, believing that he had tripped and banged his head, she calls downstairs on the intercom. Joe Esposito and Al Strada arrive. Joe would later say that when he turned Elvis over, Elvis’s knees remained locked in position. He knew instantly that Elvis was dead. But as he turned Elvis over, he heard what he thought was a shallow breath. He was told later by a doctor that it was probably the last of the air escaping from Elvis’s lungs. Nevertheless, an ambulance was called, and paramedics tried to revive Elvis, even though on the call log they noted that they could not measure blood pressure or find a pulse. Elvis arrives at Baptist Memorial Hospital at 2:56 pm, where further attempts are made to revive him. It is said a pulse was triggered by the defibrillator but was not sustained. Nurse Marion Cocke, present at the hospital, is said to have told the doctors to please stop doing this to him. He was finally pronounced dead at 3:30 pm. It is thought that Elvis had suffered a massive heart attack at some point between 9:30 am and 11:30 am and was probably dead by the time he hit the floor.

It was a horrible ending for a man who brought so much joy into the world. It was the ultimate tragedy.

Rumours were spreading that something was wrong with Elvis, and fans had already started gathering in greater numbers outside of Graceland and also at the hospital. There was a delay in making an official announcement as Dr George Nichopolous (Dr Nick) was concerned that Vernon Presley, who was waiting with the rest of the family, including Lisa Marie, and the staff at Graceland, might suffer another heart attack on receiving the news. Dr Nick headed back to Graceland with the paramedics to deliver the news.

Once word got back that Vernon had survived, Joe Esposito and Charlie Hodge, who were at the hospital, were tasked with announcing it to the gathering press. When they tried to speak, neither of them could make a sound, so hospital administrator Maurice Elliott had to step in and break the news: Elvis Presley was dead.

The Commercial Appeal, headlines, August 17, 1977.

As news spread around the world, the effect on people was incredible. Within hours, crowds estimated at 80,000 gathered outside Graceland, bringing Elvis Presley Boulevard to a standstill.

President Jimmy Carter made the following statement:

“Elvis Presley’s death deprives our country of a part of itself. He was unique, irreplaceable. More than twenty years ago, he burst upon the scene with an impact that was unprecedented and will probably never be equalled.

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 humour of this country”.