Just after 2pm Tuesday, August 16, 1977 Ginger Alden found Elvis, face down, unconscious, on the floor in the bathroom at Graceland. All Rights reserved. Youd see glimpses, youd see people crying, hysterical, fainting, and thats how impactful it was and still to this day. The 100 Best Albums of 2022. Elvis Aaron Presley was born on January 8, 1935, in Tupelo, Mississippi, to Vernon Elvis and Gladys Love (ne Smith) Presley in a two-room shotgun house that his father built for the occasion. Like the bumper stickers that read, Elvis Lives. You do it. , So Elliott made the announcement: And, to tell you the truth, Im not sure what all I said at the time., What followed was sort of a mad-dash-to-the-phone type of thing.. TimesMojo is a social question-and-answer website where you can get all the answers to your questions. Just days after his death, Elvis Presley was buried in a cemetery in Memphis, Tenn. Elvis Presley, was still wearing her 11 1/2-carat diamond engagement ring as she recalled the final hours of the singer's life. Blue Hawaii: Ginger Alden, here with Elvis on their last holiday together to Hawaii, woke up on the day he died at Graceland and Elvis was not in bed.She got dressed, put on her makeup and. Time magazine went with LAST STOP ON THE MYSTERY TRAIN. During an appearance on Today Wednesday morning, Priscilla Presley reflected on the day of Elvis funeral an event that sent Memphis into mourning. I just froze. I didnt want to think he was dead. Breathe, Presley, breathe! the Commercial Appeal quoted his doctor as saying on the way to the hospital. The last record that Elvis ever played is still in the record player and theres even a styrofoam cup remaining on the bookshelf. Jake Hess and the Statesmen sang Known Only to Him James Blackwood and the Stamps sang, How Great Thou Art and gave a melodious rendition of Sweet, Sweet Spirit an His Hand in Mine Bill Baise of the Stamps sang When Its My Turn and, Richard Nixon asked Americans fly their flags at half-mast. Nobody wanted to delve into the seedier side., Brown--who would later work for the National Enquirer as its Elvis expert, and who these days writes about celebrities for books and newspapers (including The Times)--added: To this day, I keep thinking, If only wed all asked more questions. . The Denver Posts editorial declared: SUDDENLY WE FEEL OLDER. Presley, just 42 at the time, died on August 16, 1977, at his Graceland home. This means their age difference is 10 years, though because of their birth dates it is more like 10 years and four months. For security reasons, Elvis was always ensconced on the end of the 18th floor. By 3.30pm Elvis had been pronounced dead after frantic ambulance ride to Baptist Memorial Hospital where an unprecedented number of specialists battled to save his life. Klein remembered, Wed gotten a call from the gate, saying that Caroline Kennedy wants to come up. We automatically didnt say anything about them.. Well, God Almighty, when it came to Elvis Presley. Such visits meant fielding phone calls from fans, processing increased mail (He always got lots of teddy bears) and, of course, responding to the press. Copyright 2023 Penske Business Media, LLC. You know what Im saying? How Do You Get Rid Of Hiccups In 5 Seconds. Like the one in the Washington Posts Style section: ALL SHOOK UP ON THE DAY THE 50s DIED. According to Peter H. Brown, who covered the death for the Pensacola, Fla. News-Journal, The main attitude at the time was one of awe. The moments of uncertainty began about 2:20 p.m. and passed like hours, Miss Alden said. THE KING OF ROCK KEEPS ON ROLLIN--People magazine. . Alden was 21 years younger than Presley, but that didnt stop the couple from developing a serious relationship during the last year of his life. After Elvis Presleys death on August 16, 1977 at Graceland, his will appointed his father, Vernon Presley, as executor and trustee. Around 5 a.m. on the morning of August 16, 1977, Elvis Presley and fiancee Ginger Alden went to bed together, after spending much of the night awake despite Elvis trying to nod off with the aid of various prescription drugs, according to the Express. Everyone knows Elvis Presleys relationship with Priscilla Presley. He was ordinary in so many ways. 1. Who was Elvis engaged to when he died? Ginger Alden's first book, Elvis and Ginger: Elvis Presley's Fiance and Last Love Finally Tells Her Story , was published in 2015. 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She had been invited to Graceland, along with her sister, where she first caught the eye of The King of Rock and Roll. Miss Alden, wearing the black dress she wore only hours earlier to the funeral, said she wanted to convince herself Presley was not dead. Officially, Elvis death--at age 42--was attributed to cardiac arrhythmia brought on by an irregular heartbeat caused by undetermined causes., In initial interviews, Elvis personal physician, Dr. George Nichopoulos, denied any drug problems. Alden was reportedly the last person to see him alive, and she still has fond memories of her short time with The King. His daughter and his companion, a local woman named Ginger Alden, and about 15 friends spent the night riding Caseys Cannonball. Elvis wouldve kicked my rear end if I hadnt., Elvis death brought together the members of Elvis inner circle--known as the Memphis Mafia. Said Hodge: We all just sort of assumed certain duties. Ginger Alden was barely out of her teens when she first met Elvis Presley. At the time, other journalists also made note of Kennedys visit in print, but they erroneously identified her as a visiting celebrity. heart failure Gladys Presley was only 46 when she died, after being hospitalized with hepatitis in 1958, when Elvis was undergoing basic training at Fort Hood, Texas, after being drafted into the Army. A journalistic war. The alleged plot to steal Elvis body. Read the book the world is talking about, screamed the headlines. She eventually detailed her and Elvis' relationship in a memoir published in 2014 called Elvis and Ginger: Elvis Presley's Fiance and Last Love Finally Tells Her Story. Fans stopped their lives in order to make a pilgrimage to Memphis. But a decade ago, prior to all the talking, Elvis was a veritable mystery man. Now the district manager for the state of Tennessee for Guardian Plans Inc., a division of Service Corp. International, Kendall oversees agents who sell prearranged funerals. When Priscilla and Elvis met, Priscilla was 14-years-old, and The King would have been 24-years-old. Elvis Presleys Manager Joe Espositio confirms that while on the set in Hollywood filming some of his movies in the 1960s they crossed paths many times. A number of Elvis employees followed. Why isnt Elvis buried next to his mother? (The Enquirer was then published biweekly.) We were in a tough situation--because we knew Elvis Presley was dead, but we also had an obligation to his family. Thousands of fans who loved Elvis and who have expressed their sympathy. She failed. I dont know what she thinks of me, but she is the only thing left of Elvis. ), Ginger Alden didnt want to move to Graceland. I had the Penthouse. Instead, she delivered straightforward descriptions of those she saw in Graceland, including Elvis Presley, whose face seemed swollen and his sideburns reached his chin. And she included descriptions of the interior, such as: Potted plastic palms surrounded the coffin and on the wall was a painting of a skyline on black velveteen.), A few would see the Kennedy piece as somewhat of a journalistic coup. The beneficiaries of the trust were Vernon, Elvis grandmother Minnie Mae Presley, and his nine-year-old daughter Lisa Marie Presley. Fans stopped their lives in order to make a pilgrimage to Memphis. But I do regret that Elvis is dead--Ill always regret that. 7. Who was Elvis best man at his wedding? When Elvis died in 1977, he was interred in a crypt in Forest Hills Mausoleum. . So we kept telling reporters that he was in respiratory distress--and we were working with him.. Those are the things I like to remember. Only three people were. This after the family decided that a flower should go to each fan who hadnt been able to view the body. (Bill Doshier Jr/Harrison Daily Times) Barely three months after they had met, Elvis seated Alden in a chair in his bathroom, dropped to his. His father, Vernon, worked a series of odd jobs, and in 1938 was sentenced to three years in prison for forging a $4 check (he spent less than a year behind bars). Even so, he still had millions of dollars in the bank when he passed away at the young age of 42 on Aug. 16, 1977. And thats what was going on with Elvis. Today, the Presley estate is estimated to be worth between $400 million and $500 million, according to one Presley exec. From fans to family members to friends, everyone mourned the loss of the pop culture icon. the Little Dipper, the Fender Bender and the parks 11 other rides. His daughter and his companion, a local woman named Ginger Alden, and about 15 friends spent the night riding Casey's . At 2:33 p.m. the call came to the Memphis Fire Departments Engine House No. Which Teeth Are Normally Considered Anodontia. The thing is, the Elvis I knew in high school, and 15 years into his singing and acting careers, wasnt the same Elvis I knew at the end. She has said if she was thinking clearly she would have been in white. According to sources within the Enquirer--as well as members of Elvis entourage--it was a cousin of Elvis who, armed with a $300 Minox (given him by an Enquirer reporter), snapped that last portrait. Id fluff his hair back out, the way he liked it, he remembered. Elvis Presley, was still wearing her 11 1/2-carat diamond engagement ring as she recalled the final hours of the singer's life. Burk had long had dealings with Vernon Presley, but he wasnt expecting to get a call from Elvis former girlfriend, Linda Thompson, after Elvis death. They put Elvis, in his blue pajamas, into Unit No. The books timing also resulted in a then-staggering order for 2 million copies. Elviss last resting place was to be the family vault with space for six. On Saturday, June 23, 2001 at 1:14:52 AM UTC-7, saltillo wrote: > Lately I've read all messages here concerning Ginger Alden, and I just. Red West remembers tuning into a Geraldo Rivera report on Good Morning America the morning after Elvis death and hearing Elvis: What Happened? branded a lie. Vernon later gave the flowers to the thousands of fans who attended the event. Ronald Leyser was a director of commercials and was married to Ginger Alden from 1991 until his death. Along with its last photo of Elvis, the Enquirer snared the last photo of Elvis alive, which happened to be snapped by a fans $20.95 Instamatic outside Graceland at 12:28 a.m. on Aug. 16. (Her twentieth birthday was just six days earlier. After they met, the two would go on to have a romance for over a year. It read: THE KING IS DEAD! We took uppers to stay awake and sleeping pills to get to sleep. Related Its the same with our photos of Gary Hart and the girl on his knee. Whats The Difference Between Dutch And French Braids? Elvis read that and got so upset that he had a top-of-the-line wheelchair bought and delivered. Then he just got in his car and headed for Memphis. Ronald Leyser was a director of commercials and was married to Ginger Alden from 1991 until his death. On August 7th, Elvis had rented Libertyland, a local amusement park, from midnight till dawn. Their preliminary ruling was cardiac arrhythmia and hardening of the arteries. Ginger was one of the worst choices Elvis ever made, said Marty Lacker of the Memphis Mafia. The 73-year-old grandmother is planning her own funeral and has secretly . That all changed. It left two dead, a third critically injured. We just knew we wanted everything to run smoothly. She looks like she was a sweet girl. There were a lot of people there, working on Elvis Presley. . Did Priscilla attend Elvis funeral? There are also magazines and newsletters devoted to Elvis, some of them offshoots of the many Elvis fan clubs. He made me comfortable.. No matter that there was no room in the inn (the citys 9000 motel rooms were already overflowing with 16,000 conventioning Shriners), no matter that only a couple of thousand out of 75,000 got to view the regal body lying in state, no matter that only 200 or so close friends attended the services. Even so, at 2:56 p.m. he was rushed into the emergency room, which was then closed to all other cases. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. As for the rest of the event, reports claimed attendees could hear Vernons sorrowful cries throughout the funeral service. As one interview was proceeding for this article, the reporter was told, You dont need to take notes. Ginger Alden - Body Measurements. Alden was Elvis Presley's fiance and last love who shared his last few months with him. Ginger Alden who was Elvis' current girlfriend at the time of his death is selling her engagement ring which Elvis gave her. He smiled grimly, pointing out that almost two years later, Rivera would do a 20/20 show about Elvis misuse of prescription drugs. This week alone, the headlines have included: THE KING IS DEAD, LONG LIVE THE KING--The Chicago Sun-Times. Sadly, paramedics were unable to save Elvis Presley once they arrived. Is Elvis Presleys grandson buried at Graceland? From the Nevada State Journal came, simply: NONE BIGGER. The police were called in. There were so many reporters, you couldnt get a story, said a reporter who covered the death for the Gannett newspaper chain. But the infamous musician was engaged to Ginger Alden before his death. I felt enough had been said. said that someone was having trouble breathing at Graceland. Ginger Alden is 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 m) tall and has a body weight of around 71 Kg (156 lbs). I was dumbfounded., Elliott bolted to the emergency room (I didnt wait for an elevator--I took the stairs). .. Some Elvis associates are interviewed out, they said. However, she soon discovered that he had passed away and immediately felt struck with grieve over losing someone she loved dearly. KING ELVIS DIES, . . Sometime near 2:30 p.m., his girlfriend, Ginger Alden, found him lying face down on the floor . I was with him for 17 years so, for me, protection was an automatic thing. Ginger Alden first met Elvis when she was five years old. And both West and Hebler appeared at a press conference on the day after Elvis death. I understood her feelings and appreciated notes she wrote to me.". But word had already gotten out: They were on to us, said Elliott, because Elvis had come into the hospital in a fire department ambulance. For the next 30 minutes, the hospital fielded a deluge of calls from reporters. It was a very interesting moment., Priscilla is in the midst of promoting Elvis Presley: The Searcher, a probing three-hour documentary on the rock icon to be broadcast April 14 on HBO. He had planned to announce their engagement publicly on his upcoming tour in Memphis; sadly, he died before this could happen. 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So he hopped on a flight to Memphis and made it to Graceland just as the public visitation hours were ending. It was late afternoon on the 16th when he got a call from Baptist Hospitals chaplain, telling him hed soon be receiving a call from an Elvis associate. Virtually every person from every beat was assigned to cover Elvis. How much money did Elvis have in the bank when he died? Learning that Thompson had tried to reach him, he promptly called her back on the dentists phone, never thinking wed be talking for an hour and 40 minutes., He surmised: I think I was a shoulder to cry on. Family and close friends hovered nearby. He sent it over in his limo. We want to hear it. Charlie Crosby and Ulysses S. Jones Jr. jumped into Unit No. May you rest in peace Lisa. So, of course, I asked him Why? And he looked at me and said, Well, man, its the king. Just like I should know., That is: It was as if the whole city of Memphis got together and worked to produce Elvis final show.. 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