Ron and Elvis both died on August 16. Jesse Garons remains were never moved to Memphis. That all changed. Because she wore a black dress only hours before the funeral, Miss Alden claims she wanted to convince herself that Presley was not dead. Co-authors Sonny West and Dave Hebler also did some talking. That is not an unusual complaint, since fans often faint outside the Presley mansion. Miss Alden, wearing the black dress she wore only hours earlier to the funeral, said she wanted to convince herself Presley was not dead. As I ran across the cemetery, all of a sudden the motorcycles came in the motorcycles cops looked at me like, If you move we will kill ya,' he recounted. One former National Enquirer reporter, who played a part in that papers acquisition of the famed last picture of Elvis in his coffin, remembered: As a war correspondent, I had covered the war in Bangladesh and two wars in the Middle East and a revolution in Ethiopia. Miss Alden, wearing the black dress she wore only hours earlier to the funeral, said she wanted to convince herself Presley was not dead. Can you imagine what all went on? 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. Apparently, Elvis did indeed watch the film with some friends. It started to look like his trip had been for naught until he bumped into a photographer friend covering the spectacle. After calling Elvis kinfolk in Mississippi, the reporter was asked, What kind of money are we talkin about for this interview? After explaining that she couldnt offer payment, a reporter never got a call back. 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. What did Priscilla do after Elvis died? Even with that wild 1970s hairdo. Sometime near 2:30 p.m., his girlfriend, Ginger Alden, found him lying face down on the floor . Ginger was one of the worst choices Elvis ever made, said Marty Lacker of the Memphis Mafia. In October of 1977, the Shelby County medical examiner would announce that 10 drugs were present in Elvis bloodstream when he died. Thats the way it was. As one interview was proceeding for this article, the reporter was told, You dont need to take notes. Ginger Alden was born in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1956. She has said if she was thinking clearly she would have been in white. Elvis Presley's last love is paying her respects to his daughter Lisa Marie Presley. . . Why isnt Elvis buried next to his mother? Why do you think so many of us stayed with him for so long? What set all the drug talk in motion was a tell-all paperback, published just 15 days prior to Elvis death. Ginger Alden - Net Worth. During a recent panel at SXSW, the 72-year-old admitted it was hard to revisit her former husbands final chapter and relive the painful memories through the film: It was difficult for all of us, we certainly didnt see it coming. Its a secret. Alden was reportedly the last person to see him alive, and she still has fond memories of her short time with The King. It read: THE KING IS DEAD! She is an actress and a model and had been dating Elvis Presley at the time of his death. Matthew McConaughey Voices Elvis Presley in Priscilla-Approved Animated Series Agent Elvis More than 20,000 fans endured oppressive heat (temperatures in excess of 90) to await their turn to pass through the gates of Graceland and enter the mansion. She failed. Explained Esposito, who today lives in Sherman Oaks and manages singer Karen Kamon, the Los Angeles group Charm School and record producer Davy Johnstone (Elton Johns lead guitarist): The thing about the drugs is that everyone around Elvis took pills, too. Did Elvis really love Ginger Alden? Is Elvis Presleys grandson buried at Graceland? Your email address will not be published. During an appearance on Today Wednesday morning, Priscilla Presley. The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time We just knew we wanted everything to run smoothly. Burt Reynolds, Ann-Margaret, John Wayne and Roger Smith attended the private funeral service. According to one source, What we heard around the office was that (the photo thieves) had planned to have the Elvis photo reproduced on sweatshirts that they were going to market., The Enquirer may have had Elvis last photos, but the National Star (now known as the Star) had serialization rights to Elvis: What Happened?. I said, To hell with it. . Of those things Elvis might not have liked said about him, Phillips mused: Honey, listen, Elvis Presley was as full of faults as any damn human being walking on this earth. Just look at her face, she is devastated she didn't care what she had on, the love of her life had just died, they hadn't been apart that long and maybe she was hoping they could . Klein remembered, Wed gotten a call from the gate, saying that Caroline Kennedy wants to come up. 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. When Presley died, as far as our editor was concerned, nothing else in the world happened that day, said Thomas. Jordan Runtagh is an Executive Podcast Producer at iHeartRadio, where he hosts a slate of pop culture shows including Too Much Information, Inside the Studio, Off the Record and Rivals: Music's Greatest Feuds. The two first got together in the late 70s,. Presley became close to both parents and formed an especially close bond with his mother. Presleys body was already blue. When Priscilla and Elvis met, Priscilla was 14-years-old, and The King would have been 24-years-old. 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. For security reasons, Elvis was always ensconced on the end of the 18th floor. According to a recent article by The Express from the United Kingdom, Presley was worth five million dollars when he died. He had planned to announce their engagement publicly on his upcoming tour in Memphis; sadly, he died before this could happen. Contacted by Times about the comments he made a decade ago. I was with him for 17 years so, for me, protection was an automatic thing. The world lost the King of Rock 40 years ago last August, and now his longtime queen is opening up about the day she said goodbye. Half an hour later, on the steps of Graceland a grief stricken Vernon announced to the world:My son, Elvis is dead, Memphis Press Scimitar announced: LONELY LIFE ENDS ON ELVIS PRESLEY BOULEVARD The French headlines read: LADIEU A ELVIS! In the hours that followed, Kendall was faced with locating a copper casket similar to that which had been used for Elvis mother (there was no such coffin in Memphis, so one was flown in from Oklahoma City) and rounding up a fleet of 17 white Cadillac limousines (there were only three in Memphis). Some had scoops fall into their laps. So, when he died, I guess you could say we also protected him. His arteries and veins were terribly corroded. Everybody had their jobs to do. But the infamous musician was engaged to Ginger Alden before his death. This after the family decided that a flower should go to each fan who hadnt been able to view the body. Wouldnt you have done that?, He added, You have to remember what Memphis was like at the time. . Time magazine went with LAST STOP ON THE MYSTERY TRAIN. Instant Elvis exploitation. He had planned to announce their engagement publicly on his upcoming tour in Memphis; sadly, he died before this could happen. Elvis proposed to her in early 1977 with a diamond engagement ring. Miss Alden, wearing the black dress she wore only hours earlier to the funeral, said she wanted to convince herself Presley was not dead. The Soviet PRAVDA ran a full-page; ELVIS IS DEAD. 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. The press descended like a flood. When she missed her deadline, she sold her story to Rolling Stone. Her father was a Public Relations Officer in the Army in Memphis. She failed. Alden did not discuss the day Elvis died, but did say that contrary to what has been written about his final days . A journalistic war. Ginger Alden who was Elvis' current girlfriend at the time of his death is selling her engagement ring whichElvis gave her. . Sumner and the Stamps, sang and played some of Presleys favorite hymns. . A decade ago, however, not all of Elvis associates would talk for the record. But the Elvis autopsy report was never made public--at the request of his family. Despite not touching the upstairs areas, Lisa Marie and her family will often stay at the Graceland mansion and have even celebrated holidays at the home. The city came to resemble a gypsy camp as tens of thousands of followers dropped whatever they were doing wherever they were and made their way to where they knew they had to be. They were pleasant to each other but the exchange was brief. Still others have penned their own memoirs. . The job escalated each time Elvis Presley checked in. Alden was Elvis Presley's fiance and last love who shared his last few months with him. When Elvis died in 1977, he was interred in a crypt in Forest Hills Mausoleum. She didnt love himshe didnt even want to be around him. As West noted: The whole point of the book was to embarrass (Elvis), to try to make him come to his senses. When I saw clips of that very last show he did (in the movie, This Is Elvis), I just sat there and cried that nobody had had the power to snatch him out of there and get him cleaned up.. . 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.. Marion Keiske Who Discovered Elvis Presley? The eclectic Village Voice had its readers reaching for the dictionary with THE WORLDS MOST BELOVED SOLIPSIST IS DEAD. The headline in the San Antonio Light ran above the masthead, in red type--complete with exclamation point. Why is it that everyone wants to know the ugly? Photo: Taylor Hill/Getty; Frank Trapper/Corbis via Getty, Elvis Presley's Death: The Details Behind the King of Rock & Roll's Passing, Austin Butler Recalls Bonding with Lisa Marie Presley: 'There Was No Filter of How She Felt', Austin Butler Honors Lisa Marie Presley After BAFTA Awards Win: 'Grief Is a Long Process', Lisa Marie Presley's Daughter Riley Keough Grabs Lunch with Husband While Wearing Graceland Shirt, Lisa Marie Presley Honored at 2023 Grammy Awards with Touching Tribute, Bam Margera Has Lunch with Priscilla Presley After Death of Her Daughter Lisa Marie Presley, Priscilla Presley Says She Wants to 'Keep Our Family Together' on Lisa Marie's 55th Birthday, Elvis Enterprises' Joel Weinshanker on Lisa Marie Presley's Wishes for Graceland: It 'Was Always Riley', Friend Says Lisa Marie Presley Wanted Trust to Go to Kids as Mom Priscilla Presley Contests Will, Elvis Presley's Ex Linda Thompson 'Devastated and Shocked' by Death of Lisa Marie, Elvis Presley's Graceland Will Go to Lisa Marie Presley's Daughters, 'Elvis' Director on How Lisa Marie Presley Responded to Film: 'It Lifted Her Up', 'Elvis' Actress Olivia DeJonge Pays Tribute to Lisa Marie Presley: 'Forever Indebted to Her', Lisa Marie Presley's Sweetest Moments with Her Parents, Elvis and Priscilla, Lisa Marie Presley's Loved Ones Priscilla, Daughters, Austin Butler and More Attend Memorial, Austin Butler Details His 'Immediate' Connection with Lisa Marie Presley: 'We Got So Close So Fast'. Did Priscilla go to Elvis funeral? 6. Who was Elvis's favorite female singer? Did JOHN WAYNE and Elvis ever meet? Soon, they were in a relationship, which continued till Presely's death in 1977. There were so many reporters, you couldnt get a story, said a reporter who covered the death for the Gannett newspaper chain. "There were so many reporters, you couldn't get a. Thats when the shows stunt coordinator came running in to announce that hed just heard that Elvis had died. Presley, just 42 at the time, died on August 16, 1977, at his Graceland home. Burk, who now edits the Elvis World newsletter (with his wife, Connie Lauridsen Burk), wrote about his Thompson interview in his book, Elvis Through My Eyes., He detailed the account for a reporter, anyway, over lunch during a rainy afternoon in Memphis. Elvis's identical twin brother, Jesse Garon Presley, was delivered 35 minutes before him, stillborn. The tentative ruling was heart failure, but the autopsy was expected to continue for at least a week. Ginger Alden, who was 21 years younger than the King of Rock n' Roll, was a beauty pageant star. The sense of loss was echoed across the country. 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. His body was just worn out. Contents What celebrities were at Elvis funeral? Ill never forget it. Id fluff his hair back out, the way he liked it, he remembered. Why Netflix is dabbling in livestreaming, Before and after photos from space show storms effect on California reservoirs, Dramatic before and after photos from space show epic snow blanketing SoCal mountains, The chance of a lifetime: Five friends ski the tallest mountain in Los Angeles, Best coffee city in the world? Previously, he served as a Music Editor at PEOPLE and VH1.com. The press descended like a flood. Meeting Elvis Ginger Alden had just turned 20 years-old on Nov. 13, 1976. . Elvis Presley: What the Kings Father Explained to His Sons Co-Star Ann-Margret at His Funeral. After Linda, The King briefly dated Mindi Miller before his last serious girlfriend in Ginger Alden. THE KING OF ROCK N ROLL LIVES ON--TEN YEARS AFTER HIS TRAGIC DEATH--National Enquirer. 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. Elvis Presley died 10 years ago this day. To that time, the only Elvis-related feature that the Commercial Appeals Thomas had ever done was about a determined fan who had mailed herself to Graceland in a large box. I had the Penthouse. Priscilla Presley Disputes Invalid Amendment to Lisa Maries Trust Elvis' last week alive was Skip to content FAQS Clear Ginger Alden - Body Measurements. That was one of the things about the dude. He was ordinary in so many ways. 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. Part of that protection was not talking about the drugs. Elvis Presley, was still wearing her 11 1/2-carat diamond engagement ring as she recalled the final hours of the singer's life. Particularly featured was Heavenly Father.. Did Ginger Alden attend Elvis funeral? They were all staring at me and pointing. Elvis was to have begun a 12-city tour on Aug. 17, 1977. Sadly, paramedics were unable to save Elvis Presley once they arrived. What about the time Elvis read about this colored lady in North Memphis. But the infamous musician was engaged to Ginger Alden before his death. Elvis Presley, was still wearing her 11 1/2-carat diamond engagement ring as she recalled the final hours of the singer's life. "'She has the same look in her eyes as me,' he said. She lives in Los Angeles with her mother, Elvis former wife, Priscilla Beaulieu. 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. A run on sales of Elvis records. Elvis Presley Was Originally Laid to Rest in a Public Cemetery But Then Moved to Graceland: Heres Why. Heres what to know, From Chris Rock to the SAG Awards. 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