ARLINGTON, Va. - s4story -- by  Michael F. Bishop for David Bruce Smith's Grateful American Book Prize

The death of Elvis Presley

On August 16, 1977, Elvis Presley, the "King of Rock and Roll" and one of the most famous men in the world, died at Memphis Baptist Hospital.

Born in Tupelo, Mississippi, 42 years earlier, Presley had moved–to Memphis—with his parents.  By the time he was 21, he was a worldwide sensation.  Heavily influenced by African American music, and possessed of a magnetic charm and warm, honeyed voice, Presley delighted young fans and scandalized their parents.

He starred in 31 films of uneven quality; generated hit after hit—and sold approximately half a billion records.  His marriage to the much-younger Priscilla Beaulieu bewitched his fans and provided the tabloids with fodder—for years.

Drug abuse and overeating ruined Presley's health; in later years he got obese and struggled to sing.  Although he continued to perform in Las Vegas and on television specials, the old magic had gone. Finally, his heart gave out; he was found unconscious on the bathroom floor at Graceland, his beloved Memphis mansion.  Within hours, he was dead.

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Presley's August 18^th funeral was a national event; eighty thousand people lined the route from Graceland to the cemetery.  Even in death he could not rest; an attempt was made to steal his body, so his remains were transferred to the garden of Graceland—where—even now– grief-stricken mourners visit.

For more information, the Grateful American Book Prize recommends Peter Guralnick's Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley.

History Matters is a feature courtesy of the Grateful American Book Prize.

The Grateful American Book Prize is awarded each year to high quality, 7th to 9th grade level, historical fiction, and non-fiction, about events and personalities that have shaped the United States since its founding. For more book recommendations and information about the annual award visit https://gratefulamericanbookprize.org/.