Elvis Presley
Alive or Dead
The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll was one of the most iconic singers and actors of the 20th century. His voice was electrifying, and his dance moves stole the hearts of his audience. Over the two decades, his career hit many number-one hits, and his live performances made audiences go wild. This life of fame soon led to an unhealthy lifestyle with drug addiction. On the morning of August 16, 1977, at his Graceland home in Memphis, Tennessee, an emergency call came into the Memphis Fire Station No. 29 indicating that someone was having difficulty breathing (Flippo 1). This was the last morning that Elvis was ever seen “alive” (1). There are many theories out there that Elvis is still alive, he faked his death to evade the mafia, or is he was tired of living in the spotlight and was trying to escape fame. The real question we must ask ourselves is the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll alive or dead?
One of Elvis’ personality traits is how energetic throughout his performance he was when he finally took the stage. According to Bill Jenson: "Elvis’s raw, energetic performances, coupled with his distinctive fusion of blues, country, and rockabilly, laid the foundation for a musical revolution that would change the world forever" (Jensen 3). Elvis graduated from Humes High School on June 3rd,1953 (Hume). Dana, Class of 1953 | Comments from Elvis’ Classmates). While the painful teenage years were not yet fully behind him, he took a giant step toward the kingdom that awaited when he walked into Sam Phillips’ Sun Records studio for the first time later that summer, ready to put that soon-to-be-famous voice on tape (Ott 20). Dana, Daly states, “His shimmering suits dazzled, his swinging hips “scandalized.” The way he moved his hips was very energetic, pulling the audience into his music-making and making it easy for the girls to fall in love with him. You would have known Elvis to be shy before his
music career when he entered the stage, he was so full of life and the vibes he sent off with his music and dance moves would make any woman fall madly in love with him. Presley reportedly used to shake and swing himself around rather than stay still on stage because people would see him quivering with fear if he stopped doing so (Sicily 7). Elvis’s dancing and performances were originally labeled as “vulgar” and “unwholesome,” but Elvis continued to perform his way (“How Elvis’ Dance Moves Shaped A Generation”). Another personality trait that Elvis Presley had was the "King of Rock 'n' Roll", and his music was very
popular; “Even decades after his untimely departure, his influence and popularity continue to thrive, as his music reverberates through generations” (Jensen 1). One of his iconic songs, “All Shock Up,” has stood the test of time and continues to enthrall listeners even today (Leach 1). Elvis had many popular songs, and his music still lives on with each generation according to Pam Windsor with Forbes magazine (Windsor). According to Alan Hansen: Elvis earned the title “The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll” by winning a popularity contest. Neither he nor anyone else in the industry declared him the most talented singer, the best guitar player, or a gifted songwriter (Hansen 5). He became the “King” because he drew the largest, most enthusiastic crowds and sold more records than any of his rock ’n’ roll contemporaries (Hansen 5). According to Tim Ott: It’s easy to see how the Southern boy, his moves matched by a tender, yearning voice, became the “King” of popular entertainment. His music was very charismatic and would leave you wanting to hear more of it. Elvis’s first RCA single, Heartbreak Hotel, released in 1956, topped the music charts in the US (Anderson 7). Presley’s music had rhythm and his own style to his music, even his own dance moves when he performed on stage. was on stage. This made his music more exciting.
So, even though Elvis grew up poor and shy he became one of the most popular, energetic and influential figures in the history of music. Presley scored 18 No. 1 hits throughout his career and Presley earned his first Grammys nominations at the 2nd Grammy Awards for Record of the Year (“A Fool Such As I”), Best Performance by A “Top 40” Artist (“ A Big Hunk O’ Love”) and then won his first Grammy in 1967 for Best Sacred Performance for his version of “How Great Thou Art” according to (Elvis Presley | Artist | GRAMMY.Com). Today his music still lives on, and he was known for his famous energetic dance moves and popular music even after his death. According to Hugh McIntyre: Elvis Presley’s music will seemingly never dwindle in popularity and more than half a century after some of his biggest tunes were first release, Americans are still eager to buy and stream them.
Conspiracy Theories
Elvis Presley was the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll his death came as a shock around the nation. There are many conspiracy theories out there involving his death and why people still believe he lives. The first conspiracy theory is that Elvis is still alive, he faked his death to evade the Mafia. However, the other conspiracy theory is that he was tired of living in the spotlight and was trying to escape fame.​​​​​The first conspiracy theory is that Elvis Presley is still alive and that he faked his death to evade the mafia. A conspiracy group called the Presley Commission claimed that “a wax dummy (that appeared to be sweating) was buried inside Presley’s coffin” (“13 Conspiracy Theories About Elvis Being Alive That People Still Believe”). This group was so convinced that the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll was being hunted by the Mafia to escape he chose to go into a witness protection program. According to Brewer-Giorgio, the FBI enlisted Presley as an undercover agent in 1976 to help the agency infiltrate a criminal organization called, “The Fraternity,” which was made up of dozens of racketeers (Chan). The author said the agency had approached Presley because a member of “the Fraternity” had apparent dealings with Presley over the sale of an airplane the singer had. But, when Presley was found to be a mole, he was put into the witness protection program, Brewer-Giorgio said, citing what she said was evidence from FBI documents and interviews (Chan). Elvis Presley was the “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll”. Is it possible that Presley went into a witness protection program to evade the Mafia fake his death and give up all his fame and his family?
This conspiracy was spread nationally all over the country and started to get people to wonder if Elvis was still alive. However, in the FBI’s files about Elvis, there’s nothing about The Fraternity(1). It would have taken thousands of people to lie if this were to be true, making it one of the grandest undercover operations of all time (Debunking the Myth of Elvis Presley’s Faked Death). Gail Brewer-Giorgio said: “Do I know if Elvis is Alive today? No, I don’t know,” she said. But I know he didn’t die on Aug.16.” So, for him to fake his death and go into heading to escape the Mafia this would have taken many people to lie, and Elvis was so famous he would have been recognized and not been able to hide his appearance very well without being discovered.​The second conspiracy theory is that he was tired of living in the spotlight and was trying to escape fame and faked his death. Their proof? Not long before his corpse was found in Graceland, a black helicopter arrived on his property. Presley allegedly got on board and traveled to Bermuda where he was never heard from again (Debunking the Myth of Elvis Presley’s Faked Death). Some believe Elvis faked his death, claiming that a black helicopter holds the key to his “Disappearance” (Power and updated). It is said that months before his passing he took a break from his music and let go half of his staff including his manager, Colonel Tom Parker. Why would he let his staff go and his manager if he was not planning on leaving? His final words on stage were “We’ll meet you again. God bless, adios,” according to Dana Daly. Proving that he was planning something from the beginning, he said “We’ll meet you again,” maybe in 2027 he plans on making a return to his fame. There have been many sightings of people seeing Elvis over the years and this keeps these conspiracy theories going. So, to me this conspiracy theory if I had to pick one would be this one. Since Elvis had so much money he could have planned and prepared for his escape out of the spotlight. This to me would have to be a very dedicated individual willing to give up everything including his own family to escape fame and the entertainment business. According to unofficial autopsy reports Elvis died in his bathroom at Graceland on August 16, 1977, and the unofficial cause of death noted on the report was “H.C.V.D. associated with ASHD” which refers to “Hypertensive Cardiovascular Disease associated with Arteriosclerotic Heart Disease” this report was signed and submitted by Shelby County Medical Examiner, Dr. Jerry Francisco. It also said that the official death certificate belongs to the family and according to Tennessee law will remain private for 50 years after Elvis’s death and will not be made public until 2027 (“Medical Examiner’s Report on the Death of Elvis (1977)”).In a toxicology report, weeks after his death, Elvis’ blood was found to have extremely high levels of the opiates Dilaudid, Percodan, Demerol, and codeine, as well as Quaaludes (Munson). So, over the years there are many people have come up with many different conspiracy theories about Elvis’s death and that he is still alive. Today people still think he is living the dream out somewhere private and enjoying his life away from Mafia or is it away from fame. The real question we must ask ourselves is whether the “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll Alive or dead? We never know the answer to these conspiracy theories or maybe when his official death certificate comes out in 2027, we might have the answers we have been waiting for.
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Conclusion
Almost forty-seven years after Elvis Presley's death there are still beliefs that he is still alive and that he faked his death. There has been much speculation around his death that has led to conspiracy theory after conspiracy, did he fake his death to escape the mafia or was it to stay out of the spotlight and live a normal life? Until his official death certificate gets released in 2027, we might never know the answer.