Elvis’ 43rd Death Anniversary
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The 43rd Death Anniversary of the late King Elvis Presley is commemorate today, 16th August by his fans world over.
It’s not fun when they say, ‘Elvis Is The King Forever’. Not only he was crowned ‘Artiste of the Century’, but later RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) proclaimed Elvis as the ‘Greatest Recording Artiste of All-Time’, and presented with 120 Gold and Platinum Certifications to his estate, Graceland. It is the largest collection ever awarded to a single artiste or group. In the meantime, BMG International also presented an extensive array of Global Certifications that confirmed Elvis having sold more records than any other artistes or group.
On august 15th 1977, after having breakfast Elvis went to play with his little daughter Lisa Marie, in the lawn. Later in the afternoon, he was playing racquetball with his cousin Billy Smith and his wife Jo. After dinner, he went to bed, but unable to sleep, around 4 am on the 16th, he was sitting at the piano playing some Gospel songs. Little later he told his girlfriend Ginger Alden he was going to the bathroom to read – the bathroom had a reading room, two TVs among other gadgets. It was Ginger who found Elvis dead on the floor in the bathroom, with a book fallen from his hand.
Right from the start, confusion surrounded the cause of his death. The Selby Country Medical Examiner announced it was due to heart attack caused by talking excessive prescribed drugs. Traces of over 12 medications were found in his system, with Cadeine at ten times the recommended level.
Elvi’s flower-covered casket was carried into the mausoleum at Forest Hill Cemetery for burial. Local florists were flooded with over 500 orders for flowers, which had covered the lawn in front of Graceland. The three trucks did more than 100 rounds, and took over five hours to move all the flowers to the cemetery, but Vernon (Elvi’s father) requested that each fan who came to visit the tomb should be given one flower, and within a few hours they were all gone.
A commemoration ceremony is organized by the Official Elvis Presley Fan Club of Sri Lanka. A half hour radio programme is set to air today to mark the late King’s demise.
For more details about Elvis, do get in touch with Jayaratne Prera, the President of the Elvis Presley Fan Club on 2795997.