Bad genes, not rock'n'roll excess, killed Elvis Presley, claims biographer

[Jilly_in_VA]

Elvis Presley, who died 44 years ago this month, was not a drug abuser in the typical rock’n’roll lifestyle sense, a new book claims, but he was medicating to address a series of congenital illnesses.

According to Elvis: Destined to Die Young, the singer’s downward spiral, punctuated by health problems routinely written off as the consequences of addiction, could have been caused by Presley’s maternal grandparents, who were first cousins. His mother’s family – including three uncles – were cursed by early death, the author Sally Hoedel says.

Hoedel, an historian, claims it was not a coincidence, that Presley’s mother, Gladys, died at 46 and Presley at 42. “They had a similar four-year period of degenerative health, and that’s interesting because she did not take the same medication as he took.”

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/aug/01/bad-genes-not-rocknroll-excess-killed-elvis-presley-claims-biographer

[Docreed2003]

1. I'll be interested to read his take in the book

While Elvis may certainly have had significant inherited health risks, make no mistake that his ultimate death was a direct consequence of long term prescription drug abuse. The man carried a PDR with him everywhere and would routinely walk in to one of the pharmacies near the medical center in Memphis and ask for and receive boatloads of meds. The book "Careless Love" by Peter Guralnick does a great job covering Presley's slow downward spiral from the time of his mother's death to his own. His usual regimen consisted of uppers to wake up and opiates to sleep. The side effects of the opiates were what led to his demise on the throne, so to speak.

[lapfog_1]

2. I'm sure the fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches

had nothing to do with it.

Oh... and the overdose of prescription pills



"Linda accompanied Elvis to the dentist, where he had a quick filling, then with a "wink-and-a-nod" the doctor left the room.

She wrote: "Elvis immediately opened the cabinet under the sink and took out a gigantic jar of pills. Without hesitation, he began taking handfuls of the pills and stuffing them into random pockets."

Linda said it was clear this wasn't the first time he'd done this, and that although he acted like it was all totally natural, she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

He explained to her that the dentist knew what he was doing, and that it was just sleeping pills, which were "tough" to get prescriptions for."

[Treefrog]

6. Thank you.

Ugh. Poor guy probably didn’t know prescription drugs are as dangerous as any other.

[Jilly_in_VA]

7. I think the author's point is

that the doctors were treating various health conditions with whatever, and they got him addicted. Surely you are aware that a lot of prescription drug addicts get started this way. I'm not arguing that he wasn't addicted, just that that's how he got started. Remember this was 50 years ago. As for the fried PB and banana sandwiches, a lot of us back then ate them. It's pretty good "poverty food" you know. If you came up poor, or experienced poverty at any time (I did) you might know that. He did.

[lapfog_1]

9. I ate them as a kid

but not fried.

They were one of my favorites... but then I grew up and started taking nutrition more seriously.

By the way, one of the best "foods" I ever had was "fat bread" which was bread dipped in the grease catch pan of a roast or broiled steaks.

Totally addictive... but also a heart attack on a plate.

[Tomconroy]

3. His family had bad health, but he never should have gone to Vegas.

[Freddie]

4. Most of the men in his family died before age 60

Heart disease, in the days before bypasses, statins, etc. But his drug intake didn’t help.

[Mike Nelson]

5. Hmm...

... in other ways, he had excellent genes. I think Elvis probably did use drugs to ease health problems, though.

[roamer65]

8. Chronic constipation is what got him in the end.

He just didn’t give a shit.

[brush]

10. Peanut butter can clog uou up. But aren't the bananas...

like a laxative? So maybe they cancel each other out.

The drugs are probably what got him, though. Anyone who's had an operation knows that the pain killers they give cause near unremitting constipation...so uncomfortable you don't want to eat anything in fear of getting even more stopped up.

[roamer65]

11. Yeah the opiates.

Definitely.