Elvis Presley let his hair grow out primarily because he personally liked the look, which included his iconic sideburns, and because his fans also preferred the style.
According to Lisa Marie Presley, Elvis's recently-deceased daughter, her father lost his hair because of a skin disease he developed in the U.S. Army. He consequently had to wear a black hairpiece for most of his singing and acting career.
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.
The Cause of Elvis' Decline. Elvis clearly had a disease process that had affected multiple organs—stomach, liver, spine, and eyes—but at the time, his physicians had no idea that he might have had a progressive autoimmune inflammatory disorder (Table 4). The concept of autoimmunity was just starting to be understood.
He told her that he liked "soft-spoken brunettes with blue eyes," and made Priscilla in his image. She came to think of herself as “Elvis's living doll, to fashion as he pleased.” Among other things, he directed her to dye her hair black to match his.
He had a full-time nurse and reportedly refused to bathe throughout 1975, causing him to develop sores on his body. His chronic constipation from the drugs was so severe that when he died, there was four months of stool sitting in his bowel.
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.
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.
Elvis Presley wiggled because his strong connection to the music naturally made him move his hips and legs, influenced by gospel and blues, combined with stage fright that he channeled into his movements, and amplified by the overwhelmingly positive, screaming reaction from his young female fans. He initially didn't intend it but leaned into it as audiences clearly desired the "sexual" and "primitive" display, making it his iconic, rebellious signature style.
After that, he was on his own. Elvis was given 1 option as an adult in the 70s-a colostomy bag to which he said hell no to.
Elvis actually disliked denim. To him, as to most people from real working-class backgrounds, it was just a reminder of working hard and being poor. The less denim Elvis wore, the happier he was.
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.
The once slender and sporty star went on to weigh 25 stone as he spent months barricaded in his bedroom indulging in cheeseburger platters. His condition was so fraught that he was in need of a full-time nurse, and as he reportedly refused to bathe throughout 1975, and developed sores across his body.
As the King of Rock and Roll launched into the now-iconic opening lines of “Hound Dog,” he started to move in ways that TV audiences had never seen before. His gyrating hips and suggestive dance moves caused an immediate uproar. America, meet the pelvis.
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.
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.
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'.
Elvis has a long history of amphetamine use. His classmates report that he used amphetamines in high school. He may have been treating symptoms of ADHD, as his friends from that era also report that he was unable to sit still and fidgeting all the time.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
Elvis Presley had a significant gap between his front teeth, which he chose not to have corrected. Madonna has a distinctive gap between her front teeth, which she has said she refused to have corrected because it gives her character.