He is gone now for over 30 years and I still mourn his death. A piece of my heart died when Elvis died. He was larger than life and without a doubt the best entertainer who ever lived. His voice was angelic, the voice of an Archangel. I can imagine him leading the Heavenly choir.
A man of Elvis’ statue deserved to have better care. I understand that no one in his circle could bring to his attention his need to get off of the prescription drugs and seek help for his depression. Elvis was ELVIS and from the collected retelling of his life it is apparent that he was not open to such criticism. But his doctors were responsibility to give him the proper medical care. He had been hospitalized a few times prior to his death. I remember the press telling that his hospitalization was due to gall bladder problems. Whatever was the true reason for his hospitalization, that was the time his doctors were medically responsible to address his prescription drug addiction. Yes, it’s likely that Elvis made sure to have doctors who were also yes men. But, why weren’t his doctors held accountable for their malpractice?
It was another time. In the 1970s prescription drug use was not a concern and seeking psychological help was taboo. A “strong” and powerful man, such as Elvis, was highly respected. Doctors did not fear malpractice lawsuits. The ignorance of the time killed Elvis, as it did many others. Yet, this fact still does not heal the hole in my heart and keep me from crying after I watch one of his brilliant performances.
