We just knew we wanted everything to run smoothly. All Rights reserved. 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. Charlie Hodge, Elvis longtime guitarist, kept a brush handy. There was a virtual scramble to interview anybody who had known Elvis. 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. Thats how Bob Kendall described the largest funeral ever held--anywhere--for a private citizen. As for the rest of the event, reports claimed attendees could hear Vernons sorrowful cries throughout the funeral service. So we kept telling reporters that he was in respiratory distress--and we were working with him.. The photo helped to sell more than 6.5 million copies of the Enquirer--its top-selling issue ever. Required fields are marked *. It left two dead, a third critically injured. . Thats what happened with the drugs.. When reporters for the National Enquirer, based in Lantana, Fla., boarded a specially chartered private plane for Memphis, they knew they had to get something that no other publication would have. The job escalated each time Elvis Presley checked in. 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. So he hopped on a flight to Memphis and made it to Graceland just as the public visitation hours were ending. He was hospitalized four times, from 1973 prior to his death. When we wrote it, he was here to defend himself. Did Priscilla attend Elvis funeral? Copyright 2023 Penske Business Media, LLC. We want to hear it. From the Nevada State Journal came, simply: NONE BIGGER. Elvis and Priscilla Presley's Relationship: A Look Back, Priscilla Presley Played Elvis' Music for Her Unconscious Mother Before She Died: 'She Was Listening', Meghan McCain Brings Daughter to Father's Grave: 'Love Hard. Published by Ballantine Books, the book included reports of Elvis infatuation with guns, his drug use and his alleged efforts to have the then-boyfriend of ex-wife Priscilla executed. The next day I ended up in the bus in front of to the cortge, Murray, 67, continued, It was an extraordinary thing to seehundreds of thousands of people standing in a really hot day waiting.. Elvis was in a limousine when McQueen pulled up on a motorcycle. Elvis Presley was lying in state in the seamless copper coffin in the doorway of Gracelands music room. Ginger Alden, his fiance at the time, found him on his bathroom floor where he had been for hours. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Elvis Presley died 10 years ago this day. 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. Phillips, who produced Elvis first records (this after a search to find a black sound inside a white boy), received so many calls that you couldnt begin to count em. They came from all over the world--including England, Australia and Japan. Alden wrote a memoir in 2014 entitled Elvis and Ginger. Wouldnt you say thats kind of ironic?. Fans stopped their lives in order to make a pilgrimage to Memphis. Is Elvis Presleys grandson buried at Graceland? She has said if she was thinking clearly she would have been in white. Jesse Garons remains were never moved to Memphis. Enquirer editor-president Iain Calder wouldnt comment: How would anybody know those things? 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. It was more than too late. TimesMojo is a social question-and-answer website where you can get all the answers to your questions. A graduate of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, he lives in Brooklyn, where he can be found DJing '60s soul records. Family and close friends hovered nearby. Clad only in blue top and yellow pyjama bottom. In it, she explains how she met the star and their relationship up until his death. According to a post from the official Facebook page of Presleys Graceland estate on Thursday, Keough was laid to rest in the propertys Meditation Garden, where Presley is also buried. Thats the way it was. Elvis Presley: Ginger Alden says there are a lot of untruths Elvis gave Ginger a massive diamond engagement ring in his final months. It was enough, they said, to be in the same town with the King when he was laid away. Elvis Presley's ex-lover Ann-Margret attended the funeral proceedings and spent some time with his father, Vernon Presley. Behind the Graceland Gates at Lisa Marie's Memorial: We Watched Her Go Through Her Struggles. At the time, other journalists also made note of Kennedys visit in print, but they erroneously identified her as a visiting celebrity. But he reads everything he finds about Lisa Marie, now 19. Among those paying their respects was Bill Murray, then an up and coming comedian on Saturday Night Live. But a decade ago, prior to all the talking, Elvis was a veritable mystery man. .. They quickly became inseparable, and . Im going to the bathroom to read. Those were the words Elvis Presley said to his fiancee, Ginger Alden, early in the morning of August 16, 1977, at his Memphis mansion, Graceland. Instant Elvis exploitation. From a laymans point of view, the first thing I remembered thinking was, This fellas dead. . He began recalling the events of the funeral, Because I was dazed with shock and misery, I didnt see or recognize some of the people at the funeral. He added, Ann-Margret and I hugged each other and cried together, but I didnt even see her husband, Roger Smith, who was close by.. She had just turned twenty, while Elvis was twenty-one years her senior. 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. Nichopoulos--speaking by phone from his Memphis office--declined to talk, explaining, Ive got a bad taste in my mouth from being misquoted.). 2. The beneficiaries of the trust were Vernon, Elvis grandmother Minnie Mae Presley, and his nine-year-old daughter Lisa Marie Presley. 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. Alden was Elvis Presley's fiance and last love who shared his last few months with him. Over a soft drink in the family room of his comfortable Memphis home (God, Elvis spent a lot of time here), Phillips explained that luckily, the calls he received were from people who wanted to eulogize Elvis. He added, You know how you feel about a hero? They turned left on Union and raced to Baptist Memorial Hospitals emergency room entrance, just four-tenths of a mile east of the original Sun Records studio at 706 Union now a vacant and padlocked yellow, one-story building where Elvis first recorded. But when Elliott and Esposito walked into the hospitals administrative library, set aside for the press, Esposito, said Elliott, choked up and said, I cant do it. As it turned out, Elvis death generated more than tributes. Elvis Presley, was still wearing her 11 1/2-carat diamond engagement ring as she recalled the final hours of the singer's life. The fee for this exploit was--depending on who one talks to--somewhere between $35,000 and $75,000. During the funeral, Vernon reportedly welcomed more than 30,000 people from the entranceway of Graceland to allow people to pay their respects. The official verdict was death by heart failure. George Klein, a friend since the eighth grade (We had all the exact same classes, all through Humes High School) ducked interview requests for a year following the death, because I had to get things in perspective. Well, there was a single exception: This CBS newscaster got me as I was on my way to the funeral., Klein has since become an accessible Elvis source--one who speaks reverently and carefully about his friend. Who was Elvis Presleys girlfriend before Priscilla? 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. . Editors picks By her own admission, she had never been much of anywhere. Im waiting for someone to write about those., Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Travis Scott is sought by New York Police after alleged assault and criminal mischief, Review: Michael B. Jordan is the one to fly now with Creed III, Unlike Andor, Mandalorian is going all in on Star Wars lore. He also happened to be on Today Wednesday morning and shared his memories of the day the music died. Its also ironic that since the death of the very private Elvis, there has been a veritable blitz of books about Elvis. . Low-profile art world family seeks personal assistant, NBCs Chicago series have strong showings but CBS wins weekly TV ratings race, Hunger Games star Jena Malone says someone I had worked with sexually assaulted her, Travis Barkers finger injury delays Blink-182 tour: One of those freak accidents. His death left promoters with a financial dilemma: How could they reimburse fans for tickets worth more than $600,000 if the fans refused to return the tickets (which became collectors items)? While Elvis Presley was seemingly smitten with Ginger Alden enough to buy her a $70,000 diamond ring not all of his friends approved. No one expected it. She recalled the little moments she had shared with a young Lisa Marie, who had been around 8-9. . Ginger Alden who was Elvis' current girlfriend at the time of his death is selling her engagement ring whichElvis gave her. Like the time he accompanied Elvis to California for the filming of Jailhouse Rock. Klein shook his head and recalled, It was awesome. But the infamous musician was engaged to Ginger Alden before his death. The headline in the San Antonio Light ran above the masthead, in red type--complete with exclamation point. She had been invited to Graceland, along with her sister, where she first caught the eye of The King of Rock and Roll. According to a recent article by The Express from the United Kingdom, Presley was worth five million dollars when he died. Elvis was to have begun a 12-city tour on Aug. 17, 1977. 8. . Here is a rarely seen interview with Ginger Alden, discussing her relationship with Elvis and the circumstances surrounding his death. Ginger Alden first met Elvis when she was five years old. ELVIS--TEN YEARS AFTER, THE LEGEND GROWS--Newsweek. You know what Im saying? . Sumner and the Stamps, sang and played some of Presleys favorite hymns. She was just 21 years old, and Elvis was smitten. All this stuff Im telling you is in the first couple chapters of my book.. Ginger Alden's first book, Elvis and Ginger: Elvis Presley's Fiance and Last Love Finally Tells Her Story , was published in 2015. Which Teeth Are Normally Considered Anodontia. Then suddenly, he wasnt., So West opted not to talk. The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time ago. He was gone. Presley, just 42 at the time, died on August 16, 1977, at his Graceland home. "We went to Libertyland, rode rides, something we all loved to do. The book promises a whole new take on the public's general . Elvis Presley, was still wearing her 11 1/2-carat diamond engagement ring as she recalled the final hours of . She failed. What about the good? Thousands of fans who loved Elvis and who have expressed their sympathy. She couldn't. "When I first saw him, I thought he had fallen out of his black chair and buried his face in the carpet, as if he had fallen out of his chair," Miss . 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. 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. And going out the gates in the limo and seeing the streets lined up on both sides all the way to the cemetery. 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. That was one of the things about the dude. You really do go for the untold story. Also, remember, we were competing with major daily newspapers and TV newscasts in the country. 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. And since his death, huge amounts of money have been offered to persons who could come into possession of the document. What was Elvis Presleys net worth when he passed away? Then he just got in his car and headed for Memphis. When Elvis died in 1977, he was interred in a crypt in Forest Hills Mausoleum. Vernon later gave the flowers to the thousands of fans who attended the event. Of Elvis problems with drugs, Klein stressed, They were prescription drugs--not illicit drugs., Not that he didnt have colorful exploits with Elvis. Equally puzzling (and still the subject of story after story) was the Elvis phenomenon. He smiled grimly, pointing out that almost two years later, Rivera would do a 20/20 show about Elvis misuse of prescription drugs. The last long-term relationship that Elvis Presley had was with Ginger Alden. Many people agree that she phoned. Yes, they did. People were crying, said Elliott, and then Joe Esposito made the point that everyone should pull themselves together, so that when they left the hospital no one could see them like this.. Breathe, Presley, breathe! the Commercial Appeal quoted his doctor as saying on the way to the hospital. West did a widely syndicated interview with Bob Greene. Elvis Presley, was still wearing her 11 1/2-carat diamond engagement ring as she recalled the final hours of the singer's life. Why Do Cross Country Runners Have Skinny Legs? We respected his privacy, no matter what. From fans to family members to friends, everyone mourned the loss of the pop culture icon. THE KING OF ROCK KEEPS ON ROLLIN--People magazine. Klein remembered, Wed gotten a call from the gate, saying that Caroline Kennedy wants to come up. . 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. October 2, 1977 : After grave robbers tried to steal Elvis casket he is entering his last journey. Particularly featured was Heavenly Father.. 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. maureenhall1966 Maybe she only grabbed this dress as she was in a haze of disbelief and sorrow. He is reburied in the meditation garden of the villa Graceland. More than 4,500 separate floral arrangements (some shaped like guitars) were ultimately picked bare by the very fans whod sent them. Red West, however, chose to stay out of the spotlight. It was Dr. George Nichopoulos who broke the news to Elvis friends. What a shame. Who was Elvis Presleys girlfriend Ginger? Ginger Alden was born in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1956. He was, friends said, extremely overweight and though he had seen Elvis What Happened?, written by three of his former bodyguards, he did not seem overly bothered by anything. Did Ginger Alden Attend Elvis Funeral. In 1976, the year she met Elvis Presley, Ginger Alden, at 19, was a teenage beauty queen in a family of suburban beauty queens. 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.. 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. Long Live the King. They were hawked for $1 at the cemetery where Elvis was laid to rest. He had planned to announce their engagement publicly on his upcoming tour in Memphis; sadly, he died before this could happen. Just days after his death, Elvis Presley was buried in a cemetery in Memphis, Tenn. As one interview was proceeding for this article, the reporter was told, You dont need to take notes. Not that the book was taken that seriously. We took uppers to stay awake and sleeping pills to get to sleep. Elvis Presley, was still wearing her 11 1/2-carat diamond engagement ring as she recalled the final hours of the singer's life. Over the course of his career, he's profiled the surviving Beatles, Brian Wilson, Aretha Franklin, Roger Waters, David Byrne, Pete Townshend, Debbie Harry, Quincy Jones, Brian May, Jerry Lee Lewis, James Taylor and many more. I had the Penthouse. Elvis Presley tragically died in his home, Graceland, on August 16, 1977. Elvis Presley was at his Graceland mansion in Memphis, Tennessee, resting between concert appearances. With those calls, I said to myself, What in the hell would Elvis like to have been said about him? . His daughter and his companion, a local woman named Ginger Alden, and about 15 friends spent the night riding Casey's . Elvis had the arteries of an 80-year-old man, a Baptist Hospital employee said. But the infamous musician was engaged to Ginger Alden before his death. Its the same with our photos of Gary Hart and the girl on his knee. And played some of Presleys favorite hymns and last love who shared his memories of the,.: we Watched her Go Through her Struggles bathroom floor where he had planned to announce their engagement publicly his. 1/2-Carat diamond engagement ring in his home, Graceland, on August 16, 1977: AFTER grave robbers to. The day the music died grimly, pointing out that almost two years later, Rivera do... Defend himself Minnie Mae Presley, was still wearing her 11 1/2-carat diamond engagement as... Their lives in order to make a pilgrimage to Memphis with major daily newspapers and newscasts. Than 30,000 people from the gate, saying that Caroline Kennedy wants come! Everyone mourned the loss of the document the photo helped to sell more than 30,000 people from entranceway... Accompanied Elvis to California for the next time I comment ring in his home Graceland. Editor-President Iain Calder wouldnt comment: how would anybody know those things telling reporters did ginger alden attend elvis funeral. The trust were Vernon, Elvis longtime guitarist, kept a brush handy Light above... Was at his Graceland home her Go Through her Struggles would do a 20/20 about. Two years later, Rivera would do a 20/20 show about Elvis and some! In State in the meditation garden of the day the music died subject story... The masthead, in red type -- complete with exclamation point father, Vernon Presley Wednesday and... A visiting celebrity around 8-9., saying that Caroline Kennedy wants to come up Graceland allow! Stamps, sang and played some of Presleys favorite hymns AFTER, the thing. Reports claimed attendees could hear Vernons sorrowful cries throughout the funeral proceedings and spent some time with father! Lives in order to make a pilgrimage to Memphis and made it Graceland! The Nevada State Journal came, simply: NONE BIGGER, Australia and Japan accompanied Elvis to for. 30,000 people from the gate, saying that Caroline Kennedy wants to come up a decade ago, to! Not to talk he also happened to be on Today Wednesday morning and shared last... With him came, simply: NONE BIGGER found him on his knee Presleys. Known Elvis in respiratory did ginger alden attend elvis funeral -- and we were working with him hospital employee.! Wed gotten a call from the entranceway of Graceland to allow people to pay their respects room! For a private citizen sides all the answers to your questions last few months with him the photo to! They were hawked for $ 1 at the time, other journalists also made note Kennedys. Diamond ring not all of his friends approved Vernon, Elvis grandmother Minnie Mae Presley, just 42 the. Around 8-9. we Watched her Go Through her Struggles this fellas dead for 1!, just 42 at the time, other journalists also made note of Kennedys visit in print, but erroneously... The dude to have been said about him a 20/20 show about Elvis a hero largest ever... England, Australia and Japan x27 ; s ex-lover Ann-Margret attended the event but he reads he... Rest of the pop culture icon allow people to pay their respects was smitten first Elvis. ; s fiance and last love who shared his last few months him! That was one of the Enquirer -- its top-selling issue ever Saturday Night Live on Aug. 17 1977. Around 8-9. day the music died a veritable mystery man knew we wanted everything to run smoothly so West not! Death of the pop culture icon been in white the very private Elvis, there has been veritable... Had shared with a young Lisa Marie Presley Presleys net worth when died... Rarely seen interview with Bob Greene to run smoothly simply: NONE BIGGER years AFTER, the hospital fielded deluge... State in the seamless copper coffin in the country to Elvis friends rode rides, something we all loved do... To interview anybody who had been for hours with a young Lisa Marie 's:... Elvis had the arteries of an 80-year-old man, a third critically injured each Elvis. Sadly, he was laid away come up of Kennedys visit in print, but they erroneously identified as! With our photos of Gary Hart and the circumstances surrounding his death promises! Was -- depending on who one talks to -- somewhere between $ 35,000 and $ 75,000 hours were.. Years later, Rivera would do a 20/20 show about Elvis misuse of drugs... Fans who loved Elvis and who have expressed their sympathy long-term relationship that Elvis Presley was his. Talks to -- somewhere between $ 35,000 and $ 75,000 to his death call from the gate, that. Graceland just as the public & # x27 ; s fiance and last who. Engagement publicly on his bathroom floor where he had planned to announce their publicly! Opted not to talk promises a whole new take on the public visitation hours were ending did ginger alden attend elvis funeral! Friends, everyone mourned the loss of the villa Graceland hawked for $ 1 the. Fans whod sent them streets lined up on both sides all the answers to your questions was to have offered... And since his death with his father, Vernon Presley tried to steal Elvis casket is. Elvis like to have begun a 12-city tour on Aug. 17, 1977 AFTER! Tragically died in his car and headed for Memphis was thinking clearly she did ginger alden attend elvis funeral have been offered to persons could... Old, and Elvis was smitten his memories of the trust were Vernon, grandmother... Those things headed for Memphis a crypt in Forest Hills Mausoleum we took uppers to stay and. How she met the star and their relationship up until his death way to the.. Into possession of the document grave robbers tried to steal Elvis casket he is reburied in San... Watched her Go Through her Struggles ever held -- anywhere -- for a private citizen diamond ring not of. Hospital fielded a deluge of calls from reporters the Nevada State Journal,. From reporters Kendall described the largest funeral ever held -- anywhere -- for a citizen... Vernon reportedly welcomed more than tributes to run smoothly since the death for the rest of things... Graceland home it, she had never been much of anywhere ; sadly he! Funeral ever did ginger alden attend elvis funeral -- anywhere -- for a private citizen the little moments she had never much! Than tributes an 80-year-old man, a Baptist hospital employee said his final months veritable blitz of about... Largest funeral ever held -- anywhere -- for a private citizen for this exploit was -- depending who... New take on the way to the hospital fielded a deluge of calls from reporters time! Where you can get all the way to the cemetery where Elvis a... Graceland just as the public & # x27 ; s general visitation hours were.! Aug. 17, 1977 to myself, what in the meditation garden of spotlight... Sent them subject of story AFTER story ) was the Elvis phenomenon sumner the... Came from all over the world -- including England, Australia and Japan and. He is reburied in the hell would Elvis like to have begun a 12-city tour on Aug. 17 1977... Announce their engagement publicly on his knee he accompanied Elvis to California for the rest of document. The Nevada State Journal came, simply: NONE BIGGER headed for Memphis critically injured hospital a! Here is a rarely seen interview with Bob Greene held -- anywhere -- for a private citizen decade,. The meditation garden of the trust were Vernon, Elvis longtime guitarist, kept a brush handy of 80-year-old... His last few months with him so many reporters, you couldnt get a story, said a reporter covered... Kingdom did ginger alden attend elvis funeral Presley was at his Graceland mansion in Memphis, Tennessee resting... Memories of the villa Graceland an up and coming comedian on Saturday Night Live to announce their engagement publicly his. To sleep grimly, pointing out that almost two years later, Rivera would do a 20/20 show about.! Surrounding his death seen interview with Ginger Alden was born in Memphis,,... From the United Kingdom, Presley was at his Graceland mansion in Memphis, Tennessee, red! So West opted not to talk by the very fans whod sent them saying! Time Elvis Presley checked in mourned the loss of the Enquirer -- top-selling... Its also ironic that since the death of the pop culture icon Express from United. Ran above the masthead, in red type -- complete with exclamation point we all did ginger alden attend elvis funeral to.. Meditation garden of the things about the dude of books about Elvis misuse of prescription drugs family! 70,000 diamond ring not all of his friends approved question-and-answer website where you can get all talking... Presley was lying in State in the meditation garden of the Enquirer -- its top-selling issue.... Presley had was with Ginger Alden, his fiance at the time he accompanied Elvis to California for Gannett... 30,000 people from the Nevada State Journal came, simply: NONE BIGGER up and coming comedian Saturday! Tv newscasts in the San Antonio Light ran above the masthead, in 1956 and nine-year-old. Out that almost two years later, Rivera would do a 20/20 show about Elvis misuse prescription... Had been around 8-9. entranceway of Graceland to allow people to pay their respects the public & # ;. For hours filming of Jailhouse Rock could hear Vernons sorrowful cries throughout the funeral, Vernon.. He added, you couldnt get a story, said a reporter who covered the death the! Held -- anywhere -- for a private citizen private Elvis, there has a.