Elvis Presley was a long-time abuser of prescription narcotics and other drugs, not an enforcement agent in the common use of the word. Ironically, he was given an honorary federal narcotics badge by President Richard Nixon.
Elvis Presley suffered from severe, chronic constipation for years, with autopsy reports indicating his colon contained stool that had been impacted for four to five months, possibly longer, due to poor bowel motility, a condition worsened by prescription medications, leading to a severely enlarged colon (megacolon) that likely contributed to his fatal heart attack while straining on the toilet.
At first he couldn't help it, as he identified as a singer who had to wiggle his hips and legs as he sang, and it just happened. But then the screaming audience of women clarified for him that they wanted Elvis to do those moves consistently, to the point of passing women out with excitement.
Dolly Parton said no to Elvis Presley recording "I Will Always Love You" because his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, demanded half of the publishing rights, which Parton refused to give up, as she wanted to keep ownership and the future earnings for her family. Despite her heartbreak at the missed opportunity, she held firm to her business principle, understanding that retaining the copyright was crucial for her financial security and legacy, a decision that paid off immensely after Whitney Houston's cover became a global phenomenon.
He needed rest and true friends and time far away from the stage. Instead, he got more pills and another tour and another empty hotel room. What people saw as fat was really the body of a man worked to the edge, bloated by the medicine meant to keep him standing.
Whatever else he was, Elvis was a chronic pain patient. 1,2 He suffered for years from debilitating stomach pain resulting from Crohn's disease. He was prescribed chronic steroids for this inflammatory disease, and this was the only treatment that offered him some relief.
It's a debate with no single answer, as Elvis Presley was bigger in US chart dominance (114 Top 40 hits vs. MJ's 36) and pioneering rock, while Michael Jackson achieved greater global reach, international tours, and broader multimedia influence (music videos, dance). Both are among the biggest artists ever, selling over a billion records, but Elvis was the original King of Rock, while Jackson became the King of Pop with unparalleled global cultural saturation.
Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe apparently had a clandestine affair. Tons of tabloids and biographers have claimed that the two icons engaged in a secret romantic relationship in their time. According to these accounts, it was an on-and-off thing that continued sporadically over the years.
The reason given for his death was a cardiac arrhythmia suspected to be due to an interaction of an antihistamine, codeine, and Demerol (a painkiller), as well as Valium and several other tranquilizers. Prescription drug use sometimes results in fatal reactions.
I can even remember what I was wearing: a red knit 70s jumpsuit ...' 'And in walks this guy, and he was soooo beautiful, that it just took my breath away, everybody's breath away. And he walked up to me, and he tussled my hair, and he said 'you look like a chicken that's just been hatched'.
He never thought he had a problem because he was taking "prescription drugs". Lab reports indicated that 14 drugs were found in Presley's blood at the time of his death, including "near toxic levels" of codeine, morphine, Placidyl and other prescription drugs.
It was so indulgent it became part of his public image—decadent, Southern, over-the-top. But his last meal was quiet. A bowl of ice cream. Some cookies.
Although he was aware of the problem in the early 1970s, Elvis was reluctant to undergo a colostomy, which involves removing part of the colon. "He thought he was really a man's man. ... He thought that this was a sign of weakness, and he wasn't going to be weak," Nichopoulos said.
Elvis was sitting on the toilet, straining very hard to have a bowel movement -- a maneuver that put a great amount of pressure on his heart and aorta. Thus, he likely died of a massive heart attack and keeled over onto the floor.
Obviously, we'd all love to know her secret to keeping such a trim physique — especially when it comes to that teeny, tiny waist. According to an interview with People magazine in 2018, the songstress tries to stick to a low-carb diet during the work week to keep things cinched in.
Of course, her peroxide-blonde hair was an important topic of conversation. “I started wearing wigs because I quickly realized that bleaching and teasing my hair every day would cause breakage and not look good,” Parton told Allaire.
Dolly Parton fans are breathing sighs of relief after hearing that the health problem her sister was praying about is definitely uncomfortable - but not uncommon. Parton is suffering from kidney stones, according to a report in the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Marilyn Monroe likely suffered from complex mental health issues, with modern analysis pointing towards Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), alongside historical diagnoses of Bipolar Disorder (Manic-Depressive Illness), anxiety, depression, and addiction, stemming from severe childhood trauma and abandonment. Her struggles included emotional instability, identity issues, impulsivity, intense mood swings, emptiness, and substance abuse, all consistent with BPD and ASD traits, though she was treated with medications for mood disorders during her life.
Presley had a secret affair with actress Barbara Leigh for two years. “I never believed that I was the only girlfriend,” Leigh said in 2023. “I accepted Elvis for the time we spent together. I was lucky enough to share with him and I never asked him any questions, and he did likewise.”
Although Monroe's death was officially ruled a "probable suicide" by the Los Angeles County coroner's office, suspicion has surrounded her untimely passing ever since. Some have even speculated that her alleged affairs with President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated on Nov.
Dolly Parton refused to let Elvis Presley record her song, "I Will Always Love You," because his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, demanded half the publishing rights, which Parton would not give up, believing the song was her most important copyright and retirement fund. Although Elvis loved the song and sang it to Priscilla Presley after their divorce, the deal fell through due to Parker's insistence on the publishing cut, a decision Parton later recognized as prescient when Whitney Houston made the song a global phenomenon.
Michael Jackson's Wikipedia page, People.com article, Reddit post, Tyla article, YouTube video, YouTube video, Facebook post, Michael Jackson's Legacy website Michael Jackson's final words, as reported during his doctor Conrad Murray's trial, were pleas for "milk," which was his nickname for the powerful anesthetic Propofol. He reportedly told Murray, "I'd like to have some milk," and "Please, please give him some milk" because it was the only way he could sleep, leading to the fatal overdose that ended his life in 2009.
She continued, "Michael was a manipulative man, and I think he had his sights set on her long before she realized it. The childlike innocence he projected was part of his public mask." Priscilla claims Jackson needed “good publicity” after he was accused of child molestation, which he had always denied.