{"id":16121,"date":"2016-08-16T09:29:40","date_gmt":"2016-08-16T13:29:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/?p=16121"},"modified":"2026-03-05T13:16:03","modified_gmt":"2026-03-05T18:16:03","slug":"the-king-is-gone-elvis-presley-dies-at-age-42","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/the-king-is-gone-elvis-presley-dies-at-age-42.html","title":{"rendered":"The \u2018King\u2019 Is Gone: Elvis Presley Dies at Age 42"},"content":{"rendered":"

The life of Elvis Presley, a singer so influential in the development of popular music that he was called the \u201cKing of Rock \u2019n\u2019 Roll,\u201d came to a sad and sudden end when he died on the morning of 16 August 1977, apparently of a heart attack, at the age of 42. Presley died alone in a bathroom in his 23-room mansion, 14-acre estate in Memphis, Tennessee, called Graceland, and is buried there along with his parents and grandmother. The exact cause of his death is unknown, and remains controversial to this day.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: publicity photo of Elvis Presley promoting the film “Jailhouse Rock,” 1957. Credit: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc.; U.S. Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Presley, born in poverty and once a $35-a-week truck driver, rose to have a remarkable and unparalleled 22-year career, becoming popular music\u2019s best-selling solo artist of all time. Once incredibly energetic and successful, Presley\u2019s final years were marked by a steep decline. His last albums failed to dent the pop charts, he became severely overweight and drug-addled, and in his final concerts often slurred his words and was barely able to move.<\/p>\n

Presley\u2019s health problems continued to worsen, as he suffered from an enlarged colon, glaucoma, heart disease, high blood pressure, hypertension, and liver damage. A later investigation revealed that in the last eight months of his life, Presley\u2019s personal physician, Dr. George C. Nichopoulos, prescribed to Elvis over 10,000 doses of amphetamines, narcotics and sedatives. (Although cleared of wrongdoing in Presley\u2019s death, Dr. Nichopoulos\u2019s license was suspended for three months, and in 1990 the Tennessee Medical Board revoked his license due to over-prescription.)<\/p>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: Elvis Presley\u2019s gravestone at Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee. Credit: Daniel Schwen; Wikimedia Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The following two articles are about the death of Elvis Presley. The first article is a news report about his death, and the second presents the reaction of several prominent entertainers and others who knew him.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Augusta Chronicle (Augusta, Georgia), 17 August 1977, page 1<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Here is a transcription of this article:<\/p>\n

Elvis Dies at 42 of Heart Failure<\/p>\n

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (UPI) \u2013 Elvis Presley, the gyrating king of rock \u2019n\u2019 roll who forever changed the face of music two decades ago when he growled \u201cYou Ain\u2019t Nothin\u2019 but a Hound Dog,\u201d died at his mansion Tuesday of an \u201cerratic heartbeat.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 42-year-old singer \u2013 \u201cElvis the Pelvis\u201d when he burst upon the world in the mid-1950s \u2013 died face down on the floor of a bathroom at his Graceland mansion.<\/p>\n

He was found there by his road manager, Joe Esposito, at 2:30 p.m. (3:30 p.m. EDT). But Shelby County Medical Examiner Dr. Jerry Francisco said Presley may have been dead since 9 a.m.<\/p>\n

Francisco told newsmen after an autopsy that Presley died of \u201ccardiac arrhythmia,\u201d which he described as a severely irregular heartbeat. He said it was brought about by \u201cundetermined causes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Both Francisco and Dr. George Nichopoulos, Presley\u2019s personal physician, said there was \u201cno evidence of any illegal drug use.\u201d<\/p>\n

Efforts to revive Presley were abandoned at Baptist Hospital at 3:30 p.m. (4:30 p.m. EDT).<\/p>\n

Rumors of his death raced from coast to coast. When it was confirmed, the mourning began.<\/p>\n

Radio stations throughout the world played the king\u2019s music. Politicians and entertainers eulogized him. Record shops, which in his 22 years of recording sold 400 million Elvis Presley albums, were jammed.<\/p>\n

Presley brought rock \u2019n\u2019 roll to the world with \u201cHound Dog,\u201d \u201cHeartbreak Hotel,\u201d and \u201cBlue Suede Shoes.\u201d Teenagers went into a frenzy and adults, seeing his long shiny hair, sideburns, hooded eyes, and most of all his grinding hips, went into shock.<\/p>\n

He was, as Gov. Cliff Finch of his home state of Mississippi said, the \u201cpersonification of the American dream.\u201d He rose from poverty to incredible wealth.<\/p>\n

But one of his best friends, singer Pat Boone, said he lived as a \u201chaunted man\u2026 and exile\u201d afraid to fly, afraid of the massive and frantic demonstrations that greeted his every public appearance right up until the last. He lived in seclusion, appearing only on his concert tours.<\/p>\n

Francisco said at a news conference that \u201cThere was severe cardiovascular disease present. He had a history of mild hypertension and some coronary artery disease. These two diseases may be responsible for the cardiac arrhythmia. But the precise cause was not determined. Basically it was a natural death.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe precise cause of death may never be discovered,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere certainly were some drugs being given for the medical condition that was present. There was no evidence of cocaine use.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nichopoulos said Presley was \u201cusing medicine for his blood pressure, several different kinds, and for the colon problem that he had.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI arrived at the mansion about 2:35 p.m.,\u201d said Nichopoulos, \u201cthe time [the] ambulance was leaving his house. I am sure he was dead at that time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was lying on his face on the floor. The people in the house with him were asleep and were not aware that anything abnormal had transpired.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said Presley went to a dentist Monday night \u201cto have work done on several teeth. He came back home and played racquet ball from 4 until 5:30 a.m. and went to bed about 6 a.m.\u201d<\/p>\n

Presley so shocked the nation\u2019s parents with his gyrations when he first appeared on television that the second time he appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show the camera never showed him below the belt.<\/p>\n

Presley had been fighting a weight problem and various ailments \u2013 primarily described as fatigue from his intense tour schedules \u2013 for several years. He was in Baptist Hospital as late as April, suffering from intestinal flu and fatigue.<\/p>\n

His minions \u2013 and his generosity with them \u2013 were legend. On at least several occasions he gave brand new Cadillacs to individuals whose courtesy struck his fancy, or to whom he feared he may have been unkind.<\/p>\n

Presley had a daughter, Lisa, by Priscilla Beaulieu, an Air Force officer\u2019s daughter he met while in the Army in Germany. She was 14 then and he was 25.<\/p>\n

With her parents\u2019 permission, she returned to Memphis with him when he was discharged and they lived together for seven years before they were married in 1967. They were divorced in 1973.<\/p>\n

Priscilla received alimony of $6,000 a month, child support of $4,200 a month, 5 per cent of the stock in Presley\u2019s music company and half the proceeds of the sale of their home in Beverly Hills, Calif.<\/p>\n

The teenagers\u2019 idol of the \u201950s, whose appeal carried on almost unabated even through a brief semiretirement, was born in Tupelo, Miss., on Jan. 8, 1935, one of a pair of twins, to Gladys and Vernon Presley.<\/p>\n

His mother said: \u201cWe matched their names \u2013 Jesse Garon and Elvis Aron. Jesse died when he was born. Maybe that is why Elvis is so dear to us.\u201d<\/p>\n

The family moved to Memphis when Elvis was 13. He attended L.C. Humes High School, and worked as an usher in a local movie theater. After graduation, he took a job at $35-a-week driving a truck.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Augusta Chronicle (Augusta, Georgia), 17 August 1977, page 2<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Here is a transcription of this article:<\/p>\n

\u2018Incredible Tragedy\u2019<\/p>\n

Elvis Left His Mark on Many<\/p>\n

From Wire Reports<\/p>\n

From the beautiful people to everyday housewives, Elvis Presley was remembered on his death Tuesday as the \u201cKing of Rock \u2019n\u2019 Roll\u201d who marked the lives of many.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an incredible tragedy,\u201d said singer Cher Allman in Los Angeles. \u201cThe first concert I ever attended was an Elvis Presley concert when I was 11 years old. Even at that age, he made me realize the tremendous effect a performer could have on an audience.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carl Wilson of the Beach Boys singing group said Elvis influenced their music and was unique to Wilson\u2019s generation.<\/p>\n

\u201cHis music was the only thing exclusively ours,\u201d he said. \u201cHis wasn\u2019t my mom and dad\u2019s music\u2026 his voice was a total miracle, a true miracle in the music business\u2026 it had an influence on the entire group.\u201d<\/p>\n

Entertainer Ann-Margret, who appeared in a number of movies with Presley, the most famous of which was \u201cViva Las Vegas,\u201d said: \u201cI\u2019ve lost a very dear friend, and the world has lost a very great entertainer. Not only was Elvis a legend in his own time, but his unique talents will be even more appreciated in years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

Country music singer Hank Snow, who said he helped arrange Presley\u2019s first recording contract, called Presley \u201ca genuine superstar.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think if anybody deserved to be called a legend and a superstar, it would be Elvis,\u201d said Snow. \u201cHe was very versatile; he covered the pop field, the middle of the road field, the blues and, of course, earned the title \u2018King of Rock \u2019n\u2019 Roll.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t believe there will ever be another who can surpass his success at what he did across the world,\u201d said Snow. \u201cI would like to always remember Elvis as I knew him then \u2013 a perfect gentleman and a great example to American youth.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cElvis Presley was more than just a great talent,\u201d said Barron Hilton, president of the Hilton Hotel chain in Las Vegas, where Presley performed in an early sell-out two-week engagement last December. \u201cHe was most certainly the world\u2019s top entertainer and he will be greatly missed by all of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mrs. Ernestine Williams, Presley\u2019s longtime maid who retired five years ago because of ill health, remembered cooking fried chicken for him.<\/p>\n

\u201cElvis was fine, very nice, he carried on a lot of foolishness when he was in a good mood,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Presley\u2019s uncle, who works as a guard at Graceland Mansion, where Presley lived, said Elvis had been out Tuesday morning and \u201ceveryone said he looked real good.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe had the best heart of anybody in the world as far as goodness and stuff to people, he never harmed nobody, Elvis was a fine boy. I remember him for the goodness and what he\u2019s done for the people and us his family.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pat Boone, who rose to stardom with Presley in the 1950s, said the rock star died \u201cyoung like James Dean and perhaps that\u2019s the best way for the public to remember him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo one can imagine an old Elvis,\u201d he said in Pittsburgh.<\/p>\n

Note:<\/em><\/strong> An online collection of newspapers, such as GenealogyBank\u2019s Historical Newspaper Archives<\/a>, is not only a great way to learn about the lives of your ancestors \u2013 the old newspaper articles also help you understand American history and the times your ancestors lived in, and the news they talked about and read in their local papers. What are your memories of Elvis Presley? Please share your stories with us in the comments section.<\/p>\n

Create a free account<\/a> at GenealogyBank for 7 days to start your journey and discover the stories your ancestors left behind.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

An article about the death of Elvis Presley, the \u201cKing of Rock \u2019n\u2019 Roll,\u201d who died at the age of 42 on the morning of 16 August 1977.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":16137,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12441],"tags":[484,11939],"class_list":["post-16121","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-music-musicians","tag-elvis-presley","tag-music-musicians"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/photo-0816-2016-featured-graphic-elvis-presley.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16121","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16121"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16121\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":107068,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16121\/revisions\/107068"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16137"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16121"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16121"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16121"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}