Is Elvis dead or alive?
Almost 40 years after his proclaimed death, the American society still questions whether Elvis Presley really died on August 16, 1977. Today, the conspiracy is not as prevalent due to the fact that his “death” was almost four decades ago, making it basically irrelevant. For many years after he died, there were several “Elvis sightings.” Documentaries have been made to convince even more people that The King didn’t die that day, and that evidence points otherwise. Leading up to the death, the circumstances show that an actual death of Elvis Presley is very likely, although he was only 42 at the time of his death.
Today, a social myth of Elvis Presley’s death remains. There are many who have denounced the fact that Elvis could still be living after his claimed death. On the other hand, few still believe that he did not die on August 16th, 1977. Over the years, the thought of Elvis still being alive has significantly decreased since it is less likely he would still be alive today, as he would be 81 years old. However, in the year 1977 after his death, Elvis fans made outrageous claims that he was still alive. Many who attended the funeral claimed that the body of Elvis Presley did not appear to look like Elvis. Features such as his nose and hands seemed to be different than those of the living Elvis.
The differences would simply be due to the fact that people do look very different when deceased. Even close relatives were suspicious of the body inside that coffin. His own cousin, Gene Smith, did not believe the body in the coffin was Elvis. His hands were clean and smooth (whereas Elvis had rough hands), his nose was pudgy, the right side burn was sticking straight out an inch, and his hairline looked glued on. It looked like he was sweating right around his hair line. Many people who saw Elvis did not believe that it could have been his body. With the fact that his own cousin, who is more likely to recognize Elvis, did not think that it could have been Elvis in the coffin, questions were raised along with suspicions.
Before Elvis had died, his body was changing with his state of health. In his last days, he was in very poor condition from the drugs. It is claimed that one of Elvis’ cousins was paid by the National Enquirer to take pictures of Elvis in his coffin during the funeral service, which caused controversy once published. When people saw how unlike Elvis the body in the coffin looked, issues arose. The photos that were released to the National Enquirer revealed Elvis to seem pudgy and misshaped. With Elvis not looking like himself, rumors began and the theory that Elvis did not die surfaced. Some people claimed the coffin to weigh over 900 pounds, trying to say that it was a wax dummy taking place of Elvis in the coffin, since he was still living. Since then, the belief that Elvis did not die is still held by a few individuals, although there are not many that believe he is alive today.
Claiming that Elvis did not die on August 16, 1977 is simply wishful thinking. Although there are curiosities about the death of Elvis Presley, there is no hard evidence that can be used to claim that he did not die. The death of Elvis was a true tragedy, but unfortunately, it cannot be proven otherwise. Yet there will still be those who claim that he was alive or still is living today. The theory that Elvis was working for the United States government under the name of John Burrows is about as probable as the theory of Bigfoot living in the woods of Minnesota. It is highly unlikely, but many will continue to have faith and believe in the life of Elvis.
