Elvis Presley Death Conspiracy

Elvis in his prime.

#iselvisalive

We’ve all heard that Elvis died but could it have all been a lie? It was reported that in August 1977 at age 42 in Memphis, Tennessee Elvis had passed away. There is a known conspiracy theory that Elvis truly did not die but instead went into hiding to get away from fame. Elvis was a very famous singer and actor and was given the nickname “King of Rock and Roll.” He was one of the most iconic pop culture figures of the 20th century. He was so famous that people even named their kids after him, such as my parents.  His music was a bigger deal back then because people of all races could enjoy it. He loved to give credit to the original R&B artists.  Daly, Dana states “There are times when Presley also did not allow segregation to continue between people. Presley invited R&B singer, songwriter, and pianist Ivory Joe Hunter to the palatial Graceland and the two sang songs together, including “I Almost Lost My Mind.” Hunter later said that Presley “showed me every courtesy, and I think he’s one of the greatest.” His dance moves stunned everybody, and he could make young girls fall in love with him just by the movement of his hips, therefore, he was banned

from multiple television networks. Outsider entertainment “Elvis Presley was known for his charming ways and ‘sexy’ dancing that had millions of adoring fans swooning over his presence. However, after one controversial dance in Los Angeles, Elvis Presley was almost faced with heavy fines and even jail time”

Elvis Presley died at the young age of 42. His death was so sudden and unexpected that many people believe that Elvis faked his death to go into hiding. We might ask ourselves why he would pretend to be dead? Perhaps it was difficult for him to transfer straight from being in the military to hopping right back onto the stage. Even though some believe that he wanted to go back into the music industry desperately. Kerlinger, Charlie (Why Was Elvis Discharged from The Army) Famous Musicians, November 18, 2022 states “There are many reasons why Elvis was discharged, but the most likely reason is that Elvis’ career was taking off and he was needed back in the studio. Elvis had already served his country for two years, and the army felt he had done his duty.” 

So, why do people believe that he is not dead? There have been multiple reports of sightings over the years. One of the earliest announced sightings was allegedly at

Elvis sightings.

the Memphis International Airport. There was a man who had a striking resemblance to Elvis Presley, and he was going under the name of “John Burrows.” It was later released that Elvis used that same name when he would check into hotels. Partridge, Kenneth states “On the afternoon of August 16, 1977, a man bearing a striking resemblance to Elvis is said to have purchased a one-way ticket from Memphis International Airport to Buenos Aires. He supposedly gave the name Jon Burrows, a pseudonym Elvis used when checking into hotels.”  This is just one of the many reported sightings of Elvis, so is he dead? I guess no one will ever truly know! Maybe, it is people longing for him back because he has had such a long-lasting effect on people and they are wishing to experience his talent just one last time. He was known worldwide because of how he made these young ladies feel. Fathers would refuse to let their daughters watch him on TV because they saw the movement of his hips as raunchy and gross. Females wanted to be with him, and males wanted to be him. These young girls were driven crazy by this man almost as he put a spell on them. Television networks were getting calls left and right from very upset parents complaining about this raunchy, tall, greased up-haired boy on their television showing himself off with these seductive dance moves. Outsider entertainment states “In fact, his dance moves were considered so scandalous he almost got arrested for them. According to Collider, Presley was playing a sold-out show in Pan Pacific Auditorium in Los Angeles in 1957. He was confronted by the police before the performance. They told him that he couldn’t gyrate his hips or make any suggestive movements.

Even the local press was there to keep a close eye on him. The Los Angeles Vice Squad filmed the performance. Seeing as dancing isn’t against the law, unless you’re living in a “Footloose” society, the police found nothing to validate incarcerating The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.” To be completely honest, If I was a young teenage girl in the ‘50’s I can say that I too, would probably be affected by these dance moves. In the case of Elvis Presley and his very saddening “death” the main question that gets asked is “is it even real?” Many say yes, his death is real but then there are others that beg to differ. This is an urgent question for a wide array of people. Also, many of these people have come up with these crazy types of explanations for his death or possible existence. I guess no one will ever truly know if he is still alive or not! Maybe, it is people longing for him back because he has had such a long-lasting effect on people, and they are wishing to experience his talent just one last time. 

Another common conspiracy theory about Elvis was that he was somehow involved with the mafia.  Some people believed that Elvis went into witness protection due to being threatened by so called “mafia members”. Others think he volunteered to be a part of an organization because he was infatuated with the FBI. It was later found out by a mafia member that Elvis was a mole, and he got a hit placed on his back. There are many conspiracy theories and many questions that surround Elvis. Some of these mysteries are still trying to be solved. It is one topic that many people are unable to wrap their head around. Have you ever really investigated these subjects?

 One of the theories is that he truly is dead and died of an overdose from an addiction to drugs, and the other theory is that he is in fact still alive and just went into hiding. Why would he fake it? Is he truly dead? So many questions but, are there enough answers? Maybe people are getting some answers but not the ones that they want to hear so that is why there is such dramatic and outrageous stories surrounding his death. Let’s take a deeper look into this. The first conspiracy there is, is that he truly did die and there is no faking it. Elvis started his career by singing where many people were in awe of him. He was not simply just a singer though. Elvis did movies, commercials, and got a big name in the television entertainment industry as well. Shortly after his entertainment career took off, he was drafted to serve in the United States Army. Elvis served as a Sergeant in Germany. Elvis only served two years but, that was enough for him. Presley did not even want to go serve but his manager is the one who talked to him and persuaded him to go through with it. By serving in the military, Elvis gained new fans such as elders, veterans or those still serving our country when before he served it was just young girls wishing to be with him. When Elvis came back, he hit a downwards spiral. He was successful for a little while and was thriving with his new set of fans, but the drugs started getting to him. Donna Gregory Burch states “What happened to him and why he died so suddenly in the bathroom was … a medical controversy that … ended up in a criminal trial and with all kinds of emotionalism.”  He ended up gaining a ton of weight and did not catch as much attention from his looks as he used to. Little did people know; Elvis was hooked on meds and would have a heart attack and unfortunately pass away. This conspiracy theory is the story that the majority of people choose to side with. Although there is another, Elvis Presley is not dead but just hiding. Maybe after the war Elvis got a serious case of PTSD to the point where he felt like he could not perform on a stage in front of people. That would be the most logical reason that comes to mind. One thing that also keeps many people wondering is the talk of there being Elvis sightings. There was an uproar in society when a person claimed that they saw Elvis checking into a hotel in Jackson, MS.  There was a survey within my household on which theory each believe is true and every answer that was recorded was that he died and did not go into hiding.  

Although there have been many accusations of people allegedly seeing Elvis, we have never got a definite answer on if they were just imagining things or if they were correct. So, which one is true? Is he truly dead and people are just wishing for him to be back in their presence or, did he go into hiding to get away from fame? I guess no one will ever truly know and that is why there are conspiracy theories about Elvis Presley’s death.                                                    

Works Cited

Burch, Donna Gregory. (The inside story of Elvis Presley’s death) Pain News Network, August         27, 2021 “What happened to him and why he died so suddenly in the bathroom was … a        medical controversy that … ended up in a criminal trial and with all kinds of emotionalism.”            

The Inside Story of Elvis Presley’s Death — Pain News Network               

Daly, Dana . “ Elvis Presley’s Fascinating And Complex Place In Progressive Race Relations         And Music” Do You Remember, 1 Year Ago                                                                        

“There are times when Presley also did not allow segregation to continue between people.          Presley invited R&B singer, songwriter, and pianist Ivory Joe Hunter to the palatial  Graceland and the two sang songs together, including “I Almost Lost My Mind.” Hunter          later said that Presley “showed me every courtesy, and I think he’s one of the greatest.”                                                                       Elvis Presley's Fascinating And Complex Place In Progressive Race Relations And Music (doyouremember.com)

Kerlinger, Charlie (Why Was Elvis Discharged From The Army) Famous Musicians, November       18, 2022

www.benvaughn.com

Partridge, Kenneth (Suspicious Minds: The Bizarre, 40-Year History of Elvis Presley Sightings) Mental Floss, August 14, 2017

On the afternoon of August 16, 1977, a man bearing a striking resemblance to Elvis is said to have purchased a one-way ticket from Memphis International Airport to Buenos Aires. He supposedly gave the name Jon Burrows, a pseudonym Elvis used when checking into hotels.”

(Elvis Presley Didn’t Think His Dance Moves Were ‘Vulgar’: Here’s Why), June 8, 2021 11:51      am, Outsider entertainment

Elvis Presley Didn’t Think His Dance Moves Were ‘Vulgar’: Here’s Why (outsider.com)

(Elvis Presley Didn’t Think His Dance Moves Were ‘Vulgar’: Here’s Why), June 8, 2021 11:51      am, Outsider entertainment

 “Elvis Presley was known for his charming ways and ‘sexy’ dancing that had millions of adoring fans swooning over his presence. However, after one controversial dance in Los Angeles, Elvis Presley was almost faced with heavy fines and even jail time”

Elvis Presley Didn’t Think His Dance Moves Were ‘Vulgar’: Here’s Why (outsider.com)