Miss Alden, wearing the black dress she wore only hours earlier to the funeral, said she wanted to convince herself Presley was not dead. Elvis was in a limousine when McQueen pulled up on a motorcycle. Nichopoulos--speaking by phone from his Memphis office--declined to talk, explaining, Ive got a bad taste in my mouth from being misquoted.). There were so many reporters, you couldnt get a story, said a reporter who covered the death for the Gannett newspaper chain. Required fields are marked *. She had been invited to Graceland, along with her sister, where she first caught the eye of The King of Rock and Roll. How Can We Protect Against Galvanic Corrosion? Nothing appointed or anything. What celebrities were at Elvis funeral? (Bill Doshier Jr/Harrison Daily Times) Barely three months after they had met, Elvis seated Alden in a chair in his bathroom, dropped to his. There is no doubt that with Elvis' death rock n roll music died and the world would never be the same again. You know what Im saying? She lives in Los Angeles with her mother, Elvis former wife, Priscilla Beaulieu. The Aldens. 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. She says that they were happily and excitedly discussing wedding plans on the very night he died. Your email address will not be published. Which Teeth Are Normally Considered Anodontia. Did Ginger Alden keep her engagement ring? All this stuff Im telling you is in the first couple chapters of my book.. But the infamous musician was engaged to Ginger Alden before his death. Elvis, who spoke of his twin throughout his life, grew up an only child in a poor family. Did Ginger Alden attend Elvis funeral? The job escalated each time Elvis Presley checked in. Did Ginger Alden go to Elvis funeral? She lives in Los Angeles with her mother, Elvis' former wife, Priscilla Beaulieu. Meeting Elvis Ginger Alden had just turned 20 years-old on Nov. 13, 1976. . The Elvis tour that never happened. She was always disappointing him. 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. He is reburied in the meditation garden of the villa Graceland. The photo helped to sell more than 6.5 million copies of the Enquirer--its top-selling issue ever. When she missed her deadline, she sold her story to Rolling Stone. takingcare-of-business: . But he reads everything he finds about Lisa Marie, now 19. He was so shy about admitting he even had a problem.. Alden was 21 years younger than Presley, but that didnt stop the couple from developing a serious relationship during the last year of his life. In her book, she describes that she embraced Vernon tightly during the funeral, writing, There was so much to say, to recount. He made me comfortable.. A run on sales of Elvis records. Well, we were all impressed. From the Nevada State Journal came, simply: NONE BIGGER. Its also ironic that since the death of the very private Elvis, there has been a veritable blitz of books about Elvis. On occasion, one would reach out to touch his face and caress his dark hair. Mar. Her mother, Jo Laverne Alden, sued the Presley estate claiming that he had promised to pay off her mortgage. Elvis was crouched over.His face dark and bloated. Ginger Alden who was Elvis current girlfriend at the time of his death is selling her engagement ring which Elvis gave her. Ginger Alden waited nearly 40 years to tell her side of the story about her relationship with Elvis Presley. Even so, he still had millions of dollars in the bank when he passed away at the young age of 42 on Aug. 16, 1977. By her own admission, she had never been much of anywhere. Calder is insistent: It was a terrific news photo at the time. On the night of January 26, 1977, just two months after they met, Elvis proposed to her at Graceland. And both West and Hebler appeared at a press conference on the day after Elvis death. The excitement of those visits, said Elliott, never prepared him for the events of Aug. 16, 1977. The book promises a whole new take on the public's general . There was a virtual scramble to interview anybody who had known Elvis. It's a site that collects all the most frequently asked questions and answers, so you don't have to spend hours on searching anywhere else. 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.. 6, a Modular Rev Ambulance an orange and white boxlike structure affixed to a GMC chassis turned on the siren and headed south. That was one of the things about the dude. TimesMojo is a social question-and-answer website where you can get all the answers to your questions. Even so, at 2:56 p.m. he was rushed into the emergency room, which was then closed to all other cases. The editorial in the Chicago Sun-Times was headlined: ELVIS: TIME FOR THE BLUES. Speaking about the film, Priscilla said her work on such projects allows her to experience Elvis' life all over again. Her father was an Army recruiter and her mother worked for the Internal Revenue Service. Here is a rarely seen interview with Ginger Alden, discussing her relationship with Elvis and the circumstances surrounding his death. Other Elvis sources have grown accustomed to receiving money for their memories. He was hospitalized four times, from 1973 prior to his death. When Priscilla and Elvis met, Priscilla was 14-years-old, and The King would have been 24-years-old. That look is not far away from her father's now. Alden was Elvis Presley's fiance and last love who shared his last few months with him. Elvis Presley died 10 years ago this day. Everybody had their jobs to do. She eventually detailed her and Elvis' relationship in a memoir published in 2014 called Elvis and Ginger: Elvis Presley's Fiance and Last Love Finally Tells Her Story. Vernon (Presley, Elvis father) was especially touched., Soul man James Brown had already made an appearance. Learning that Thompson had tried to reach him, he promptly called her back on the dentists phone, never thinking wed be talking for an hour and 40 minutes., He surmised: I think I was a shoulder to cry on. The Beverly Wilshire didnt know what was happening, man.. Ginger only dated the superstar from November 1976 until his untimely death on August 16, 1977. Submitted by, George Vreeland Hill. Getty Following his split from Thompson, and a brief relationship with a woman named Mindi Miller, Elvis began dating Ginger Alden who. Elvis Gold Piano Elvis Piano at Graceland. Her autobiography mentions an uncomfortable moment during her engagement to Elvis. After the hospital finally received its call from Graceland, where Vernon Presley had been told about his son, it was decided that Joe Esposito would officially announce the death to those members of the press (maybe 30 or so) who had already gathered at the hospital. Sheila Ryan Caan, the most silent of Elvis' lovers to date, has written a new book on her relationship with Elvis and the three years she was the constant companion of the "King." The first national interview with Sheila aired on Entertainment Tonight on Friday, December 8, 2006. Wed always been such Kennedy supporters, you know. Why is it that everyone wants to know the ugly? On August 7th, Elvis had rented Libertyland, a local amusement park, from midnight till dawn. Elvis Presley, was still wearing her 11 1/2-carat diamond engagement ring as she recalled the final hours of the singer's life. Miss Alden, wearing the black dress she wore only hours earlier to the funeral, said she wanted to convince herself Presley was not dead. The Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners suspended his license for 90 days and put him on three months probation. Clad only in blue top and yellow pyjama bottom. . Elvis Presley, was still wearing her 11 1/2-carat diamond engagement ring as she recalled the final hours of . They were pleasant to each other but the exchange was brief. Elvis Presley died 10 years ago this day. A number of Elvis employees followed. Meanwhile, miles away in Las Vegas, Elvis' ex-girlfriend, Ann-Margret, knew something terrible had happened to the Blue Suede Shoes singer. Elvis Birthday Elvis Born January 8, 1935. I was with him for 17 years so, for me, protection was an automatic thing. Ginger met Elvis in the fall of 1976 and they instantly hit it off. 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. Its the same with our photos of Gary Hart and the girl on his knee. There were a lot of people there, working on Elvis Presley. He was just 42 years old. 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. Can you imagine what all went on? Recalled Elliott: She called and said, Weve just gotten Elvis Presley in respiratory distress--and it doesnt look good., Well, that floored me. It was Dr. George Nichopoulos who broke the news to Elvis friends. There are portions of that talk that Ive never printed--and I never will.. Just after 2pm Tuesday, August 16, 1977 Ginger Alden found Elvis, face down, unconscious, on the floor in the bathroom at Graceland. During an appearance on Today Wednesday morning, Priscilla Presley. 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. When Priscilla and Elvis met, Priscilla was 14-years-old, and The King would have been 24-years-old. . (The Enquirer was then published biweekly.) The cameraman gave him an insiders hookup. Ginger Alden is 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 m) tall and has a body weight of around 71 Kg (156 lbs). Because she wore a black dress only hours before the funeral, Miss Alden claims she wanted to convince herself that Presley was not dead. Ginger Alden, his fiance at the time, found him on his bathroom floor where he had been for hours. The eclectic Village Voice had its readers reaching for the dictionary with THE WORLDS MOST BELOVED SOLIPSIST IS DEAD. Elvis just dropped dead, out of the blue. The Soviet PRAVDA ran a full-page; ELVIS IS DEAD. . On learning of Elvis death, the woman had dressed her house in mourning and spent the night on her knees in prayer. Why isnt Elvis buried next to his mother? Alden reportedly had a contentious relationship with the Presley family following his death. When you think about the huge numbers of people--all the fans that turned out--you have to think it was all pretty dignified., Related Hodge: If wed known about Caroline Kennedy, wed have done that different. maureenhall1966 Maybe she only grabbed this dress as she was in a haze of disbelief and sorrow. All Rights reserved. Looking away from a reporter, he brushed away a tear. 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? Stallone said that in 1976 after Rocky was released, Elvis contacted him and asked him to visit Graceland and a bring a copy of the film with him. Also called in was Dr. Jerry Francisco, the Shelby County medical examiner. Red West also chided a reporter: You should write some of the good things down. Ginger Alden, Presley's former fiance and final companion who found him dead in his bathroom in 1977, penned a tribute to the King of Rock and Roll's daughter, whom she had known for a short time before Elvis' untimely death. . The world was shocked. And all of his family the distinction between blood relatives and employees long ago having become blurred continued, in the midst of their sorrow, to keep their cards close to their chests. 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. Alden notably didn't spend much time at Graceland, and did not want to move there. . I didnt want to think he was dead. What did Ginger Alden say about Elvis? Subscribe to our newsletter for new stories, tips & events. "'I've been 60% happy and 40% happy, but never 100%. Ginger Alden first met Elvis when she was five years old. Ginger was one of the worst choices Elvis ever made, said Marty Lacker of the Memphis Mafia. Did Ginger Alden sell her engagement ring from Elvis? After Ginger, 61, got wind of 72-year-old Priscilla's appearance on news program Sunday Night, she took to Facebook to launch a furious attack against Elvis . Home | About | Contact | Copyright | Privacy | Cookie Policy | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap. The headline in the San Antonio Light ran above the masthead, in red type--complete with exclamation point. In their book, When Elvis Died, Neal and Janice Gregory revealed that Kennedy was actually on assignment for the New York Daily News. ET. Well, God Almighty, when it came to Elvis Presley. The 100 Best Albums of 2022. Elvis Presley Was Originally Laid to Rest in a Public Cemetery But Then Moved to Graceland: Heres Why. The beneficiaries of the trust were Vernon, Elvis grandmother Minnie Mae Presley, and his nine-year-old daughter Lisa Marie Presley. Elvis Presley: Ginger Alden says there are a lot of untruths Elvis gave Ginger a massive diamond engagement ring in his final months. So he hopped on a flight to Memphis and made it to Graceland just as the public visitation hours were ending. As one Elvis colleague surmised, That was what opened everything up., The cover copy for Elvis: What Happened? read: Three of his closest companions tell a shocking, bizarre story.. According to one source, What we heard around the office was that (the photo thieves) had planned to have the Elvis photo reproduced on sweatshirts that they were going to market., The Enquirer may have had Elvis last photos, but the National Star (now known as the Star) had serialization rights to Elvis: What Happened?. Copyright 2023 Penske Business Media, LLC. At the time, other journalists also made note of Kennedys visit in print, but they erroneously identified her as a visiting celebrity. ELVIS--TEN YEARS AFTER, THE LEGEND GROWS--Newsweek. They quickly became inseparable, and . So, when he died, I guess you could say we also protected him. The interview was carried out by Nancy Anderson who Elvis had previously met as the West Coast editor of Photoplay magazine. 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. Explained Esposito, who today lives in Sherman Oaks and manages singer Karen Kamon, the Los Angeles group Charm School and record producer Davy Johnstone (Elton Johns lead guitarist): The thing about the drugs is that everyone around Elvis took pills, too. When Elvis returned from Germany and was no longer in the service, our family was invited, by an uncle of Elvis', to join Elvis and a group at the local fairground. Everyone knows Elvis Presleys relationship with Priscilla Presley. A Harvey Team, which is trained in all means of reviving a dying person, worked on him without success. But as everyone knows, Elvis did everything in excess. Did Elvis really love Ginger Alden? On January 8, 1977, Elvis Presley was found dead in his Graceland bathroom. But I do regret that Elvis is dead--Ill always regret that. It was enough, they said, to be in the same town with the King when he was laid away. She has a body measurement of around 38-32-40 inches. After all, pictures are run of dead prime ministers and Popes and national heroes. Dr. Nichopoulos finally pronounced Elvis Presley dead at 3:30 p.m. His body, which was becoming bloated, was moved to the hospital morgue on the second floor. TV news anchor Chuck H. Reporters sought the answers among the people who had known him. Instead, she delivered straightforward descriptions of those she saw in Graceland, including Elvis Presley, whose face seemed swollen and his sideburns reached his chin. And she included descriptions of the interior, such as: Potted plastic palms surrounded the coffin and on the wall was a painting of a skyline on black velveteen.), A few would see the Kennedy piece as somewhat of a journalistic coup. Read the book the world is talking about, screamed the headlines. 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. Half an hour later, on the steps of Graceland a grief stricken Vernon announced to the world:My son, Elvis is dead, Memphis Press Scimitar announced: LONELY LIFE ENDS ON ELVIS PRESLEY BOULEVARD The French headlines read: LADIEU A ELVIS! 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. So, of course, I asked him Why? And he looked at me and said, Well, man, its the king. Just like I should know., That is: It was as if the whole city of Memphis got together and worked to produce Elvis final show.. Many people agree that she phoned. And going out the gates in the limo and seeing the streets lined up on both sides all the way to the cemetery. What about the good? Elvis last week alive was apparently a happy one. 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