Last Days of Elvis Presley by Jeff Schrembs

*** Disclaimer: This is part of a series of articles by Jeff Schrembs, World Reknowned Elvis Presley Expert and Elvis Presley Collector. It is a "summary" with additional details being included into the "final product" scheduled for official release in late 2009. Please enjoy. ***

August of 1977 was a very hectic, and trying, month for Elvis.
His health had deteriorated. He was involved with Ginger Alden and there was "mixed feelings". Elvis What Happened was being covered by the news 24/7. Lisa Marie was visiting. Monetary concerns were apparent which worried Vernon greatly. There was an investigation concerning the purchase of an airplane (FBI case files confirm).
Also, Elvis had lived his life saying from the time he was a young child - and then confirming such after her passing - that "he would never outlive the age of his Mother when she passed".
Gladys had passed away in mid August during Elvis' time in the Army. Elvis always believed that at the time she passed away that she was "42 years old". However, Gladys was really 46 years old and Elvis never knew that she was - in fact - 4 years older.

In August of 1977 Elvis was the same age, going into the same month of her passing (8/14/1958), that Gladys was when she passed. August 14, 1977 was the "anniversary" of her passing and it weighed HEAVILY on Elvis.

Elvis had a STRONG spiritual soul and he devoured books about Religion and he believed in "signs". Elvis has seen, and commented to several close friends, that things were "different" and that these "signs" were adversely affecting him. Elvis was ALWAYS the one that "solved problems", for others, but now even those closest to Elvis "knew" that something was "wrong" but they never expected it to turn out the way that it did. It was not "unthought of", and even discussed in their "heart of hearts", but we were talking about Elvis Presley...who was "bigger than life" (so the thought process went).

During his own birth the story goes what as Jessie Garron was being delivered that a medicine bottle had (mysteriously) "broken" putting a "chill" in the air. Jesse Garron was dead...still born.
A few minutes later the attending Doctor washed up and was going to leave when Gladys told him that "there was another baby" and sure enough...there was.

Elvis always had a "reaction" when this story was retold however it was limited to relatives so Elvis' reaction was "contained". Yet, in 1977 Elvis' "inner self" became more and more "sensitive" to the signs and the combination of "real life events"...and they stayed with Elvis...day and night.

There were MANY "signs" (visual, mental, physcial, spiritual, monetary, legally, and internally) that affected Elvis during 1977 and it seemed like things were "falling apart". He complained about his arms/limbs being "numb" and a "feeling in his body" like something was...wrong. His eating/sleep patterns were getting worse and he was depending more and more on Charlie Hodge during the last Concert Tour for help on songs...and the pace.

{Note: In 1977 I had a terrible nightmare of being choked. I felt like
something was stuck in my throat, something of mass, and it could not come out.
Just as I thought my breath would be my last someone stuck their hand into my
mouth and (literally) took the object out. It was food...some type of food. I
never ever understood this nightmare. It bothered me so much that I took a
pencil, and a notepad, and kept it in a journal. I have that journal to this
day. It is one of the FEW documents I have from my youth. In my nightmare the
hand turned into an Angel and the Angel's face and body blurred and only
the hands were left. Then the hands turned into (of all people) Joe
Esposito. During my sleep I had "sweated" through my clothes. This had never
happened before.

Fast forward twenty years and I came across an interview of Joe Esposito
whereby he, painstakenly and it was VERY evident that speaking of this bothered
Joe....greatly, described an incident where he had to remove food from Elvis as
Elvis' medication had kicked in and he had (literally) fallen asleep while
chewing/eating. Thankfully Joe reacted fast...and reacted correctly. I don't
think that this occurence, even though it is a "sad" topic, is anything other
than (a) a fact and (b) honorable as it showed Joe's love for Elvis as well as
the fact that (sadly) Elvis had to take STRONG medications to sleep and that
those medications (when they "kicked in") had consequences beyond (on some
aspects) Elvis' control.

During my life I have had many dreams, nightmares, and even "visions" in
the day. Many of these I have "solved" throughout the years. However, some very
VIVID ones remain "unsolved" and yet I can recall them...like it happened
yesterday. It is a very interesting, yet frustrating, series of (as of now)
unexplained events that I hope to - one day - forward to several individuals and obtain their 'input"}

His quest for "lifes answers" were a constant tourment and his appetite for answers...NOW was only "surpassed" by his acceptance that his health was....not good. For Elvis to, in public and in front of those who depended on him, allow himself to look "less than the best" and/or to publiclly complain (note: for many years Elvis locked himself away from others in his room for days at a time. It was so common that Vernon left plates of food outside Elvis door, along with a certain "knock on the door" which let Elvis know the food/water was there, only to be eaten - left outside the door signaling the cycle to repeat itself until Elvis (eventually) re-appeared...no questions asked) even the day of a Concert...was...."rare" but increasing throughout 1977.

Elvis always kept the Physicians Desk Reference with him and he, they said, could tell you the chemical make up of every known pill in use. The side effects and the purposes.
Like most things that Elvis took "serious" he went after it...with a passion until he "knew it" like the back of his own hand.

During the 24 hours preceding his death Elvis requested, and received, SPECIFIC medications from his Doctor and by his Dentist. Anyone reviewing these (2) two medications will tell you that (a) they should not be taken together and (b) combined with what Elvis was already taking...was "concerning" to say the least.

WHY it is, that Elvis opted to complain of these specific illness and asking for these specific medications, was known only to Elvis. Worth noting is the FACT that during one "diagnosis" Elvis was initially told he was going to get medication "A" only to be OVERRULED by Elvis who asked for, and received, medication "B". Like everything else Elvis did...he had...a reason. Why? The answer is between God and Elvis and (perhaps) a few living individuals...who will never tell.

Lisa Marie was to leave on August 16, 1977 to return to Priscilla in California. For whatever reason(s) Elvis, who usually would check on Lisa at or before midnight (as not to disturb her sleep), opted to come into her room around 3am. Elvis saw that Lisa was still "awake" and he told her to "get some sleep" (paraphrasing).

After entering his bedroom, occupied by Elvis girlfriend (which was the "standard operating procedure" after Elvis' divorce from Priscilla), Elvis tried to read a book while in bed (this was common). At some point Elvis grew frustrated with his inability to sleep, and the medications not cooperating, and Elvis opted to go into his bathroom (which Elvis often went into to read so that he would not "cause discomfort" for his wife/dates/etc). Again, Elvis could not sleep at night and had TERRIBLE insomnia, to spend some time reading. Elvis kept many books, in his bathroom, and he used his bathroom as...and escape so that his (again terrible insomnia) was limited...to him.

Elvis had, since a child, sleep walked and even had episodes whereby he LEFT his house only to be awoken by the screeching of a passing automobile. His Parents made a "rule" that Elvis would ALWAYS be watched, during his sleep (and Elvis did, in fact, sleep next to his Mother throughout his childhood continuing into his teenage years), and the person in charge of "watching him" was CAUTIONED to be diligent...and prepare...for anything/everything.

Today it is very hard to people don't understand WHY Elvis did what he did. They say "why didn't he just watch TV"? Well, in 1977 there were (on average) a TOTAL of (5) five TV stations. Most stations went OFF THE AIR around midnight. There was no Internet, TV, Cable, etc. In some ways it was "better then" as it made for ample opportunities to read.

It has been WIDELY discussed WHICH book Elvis was reading (a) while in bed and (b) when he went into the bathroom. I believe that the book that Elvis was reading in bed was different from the one in the bathroom. I believe that the book Elvis took into the Bathroom was "The Scientific Search...the Face of Jesus" and the book Elvis was reading in bed was "The Shroud of Turin". Both of these books had been given to Elvis (recently) by Elvis friend, spiritual assistant, and hair stylist...Larry Geller (wonderful man by the way).

Worth noting, concerning Elvis' books, were the following:
Elvis had been given a copy of a UNIQUE book entitled "The Minstrel" which was written about Elvis. In 1977 there were (approximately) a few hundred of these books and they sold for A THOUSAND DOLLARS each! The book came complete with a Peacock Feather (a symbol that Elvis cherished).
Another book that Elvis cherished, and had with him at the time of his passing, was "The Prophet". This book had been given to him, originally, by his girlfriend June Juanico. Elvis LOVED this book and always had a copy with him.
Of course, the BIBLE was ALWAYS with Elvis and he "devored" passages - was able to recite them openly (and sometimes changed the words/events into "Elvis speak" which consisted of "man, jack, and other Elvis slang speak") - and had a habit of UNDERLINING passages that Elvis marked as they made a "special mark" on Elvis.

Even Elvis GrandMother (Minnie Mae who was divorced from Jesse Pressley and who was living with Elvis at Graceland), who was a CONSTANT "worrier" known to tell anyone/everyone to "watch out for Elvis" and to "take care of him", etc. She recalled that "during August 1977 there was an odd sense about Elvis" and..."she worried" even more than she ever had. There was something...amiss. Something...pressing. Something....unwelcome. It was similar to the "feeling" that one got going into the Attic of Graceland (note: Graceland and the attic SPECIFICALLY was believed to house "ghosts" and had noises, movements, etc. in spite of the fact that on one was "physcially" there at the time. It was also the place where Gladys personal posessions were stored) and Minnie Mae not only discouraged everyone from doing so, including the house staff, but openly suggested that Graceland was inhabited...by "others". It is worth noting that MANY people have "felt" strange things at Graceland yet whenever Elvis was there it was like the house...changed - was improved - and the atmosphere went to peace/love/joy...and normalicy (as much as being at Graceland from the mid 1950's through 1977 could be for when Elvis was there "excitement" was never lacking).

A few weeks earlier Elvis had called Priscilla, has he had been doing for years now (their divorce was finalized on October 9, 1973), and he had kept her on the phone...for hours. One of the things that he reminded her about is the (note: this is VERY UNCOMMON) "promise" that they had made to each other about a possible future...together. Priscilla noted that during this conversation she hung up feeling even more concerned about Elvis as she had prior to the call.

None of us will ever know exactly what went through Elvis' mind when he went into the bathroom to read. We do know that (sadly) Elvis' heart was 1 1/2 times the size and it was "abnormal". Also, there have been rumors (some confirmed by a Doctor) that Elvis had been diagnosed with "bone cancer". However, Elvis had used physical ailments many times in the past (even in the Army) so this could have been a "boy who cried Wolf" syndrome...or not.

What we do know is that God took Elvis away from this Earth on August 16, 1977.

I remember the long drive to Graceland that afternoon and staying for a few days. Each hour brought more and more Fans and food and water were "sparse" but no one focused on the food/water, or lack of, but SOLELY on Elvis.

Seeing Elvis, and the casket, was something that I...

Seeing little Lisa Marie in her dress, and socks up to her knees, holding Priscilla's hand (Priscilla was wearing a garment that had a hood on it and she would pull it over her face outside) was something that I....

We were there because we had lost someone who...shared their time/soul/heart...with.
Not a minute of a day has gone by when I don't think of...and miss Elvis. Not just for what he did onstage...but offstage. For the friends, of quality, that he had and loved him dearly. For the love he shared with his family and the "glow" that was evident when her name/face/etc. was even mentioned...Lisa Marie.

In future posts I will try to share more including the plans that Priscilla and Elvis had for another child...including the name they picked out. During the interim I hope that you enjoy these articles/postings.

Take care and God bless.

ElvisCollectorWorldwide (an EBay Store)
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