Well Diane, I have to agree that escape is one answer to your question...as others have already eluded to. He didn't have anywhere that he could go where he could escape being Elvis Presley, and I suppose the drugs gave him that outlet...Originally Posted by Diane
Another reason, in my opinion, is boredom. Elvis was a very highly energetic person and always needed a challenge to keep him interested...such as the '68 Special, the return to Las Vegas in '69 or the Aloha special in '73. If you look at those periods, Elvis was at the top of his game....physically fit, trim, and knocking them dead!! But as the monotony set in, the drug use increased. And this is where I fault The Colonel....if he constantly kept a challenge....ANY kind of a challenge...in front of Elvis, it might have helped to curtail some of the drug usage. Would it have stopped it completely? Probably not, but it sure would have helped I think!!
TCB!
Mike
R.I.P. Tommy
We will miss you dearest friend
No man is an island. Interaction, miscommunication, deception, greed, lust, jealousy, lies, manipulation all human qualities which affect each one every day. How we deal with those and how easily we can stand up to problems of life-=is not universal among us all. Each person does not have the same life from birth to death -nor the same tools to deal with it.
Totally agree with you Ken...always have.
Mike, I'm sure you are right about the boredom etc. along with the other stresses in his life. He just wasn't emotionally equipped to handle those things.
His mother did it all for him growing up as most mothers did in that generation and so he didn't really know how nor was he inclined to learn because he found it was easier not too at that later point in life. That's one of the reasons he had all those "yes" men around.
In that generation you went one or two ways, ignore things you felt were too hard to handle, or take the bull by the horns and learn how.
Diane
Diane, I don't think we will ever no the answer, but Elvis started taking drugs in the army...Did it start before or after Gladys passed on? Of course, his drug addiction escalated in his later years', but that's where it started..
franny
Yes Franny, they used to pass out dangerous and addictive substances like candy in those days. There had to be other safer ways for the army to keep their military personnel warm but they chose the easy quick way.
Doctors still do that today instead of thinking up alternative medicines that are safer. We lucked out as a family in our years of living in Calif. with a wonderful doctor who was extremely careful but have not come near his like ever again. I feel like we're taking our lives in our hands every time we have to see one. Three of my prescriptions in the last 4 years were recalled for causing deaths so I don't care how upset I make them when I question the side effects of every prescription.
Diane
Last edited by Diane; 06-20-2008 at 08:25 PM.
After it was all said and done, I think we all can agree Colonel did fairly well for Elvis as a mangager. I find it very unfair to put all the blame on Colonel, Elvis had alot to do with alot of the downfall obviously as well. And we all know the mistakes Parker made. But its all over now and we can't change it. I think by 77 Elvis was getting old, Colonel was out of touch with show business completely IMO and Elvis SHOULD HAVE gotten rid of him and moved on so he could stretch his talents artistically.
"How do I get placed in situations like this? Ah hell, I guess it's all part of showbusiness "~ Elvis in his limo on his way to perform in Omaha, NE on June 19th 1977
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ms3xDt_VPEg
I just saw this on fecc and posted by pep. Interesting.
Thanks Jen. I really enjoyed this video and sure agree with what was said.
Diane
I just read that the col went as far as telling gladys what to wear and act in public. now come on gladys was a grown woman who had more class than the col had at anytime in his life.
That is my biggest problem with the Colonel Jen other than being extremely greedy. He overstepped his bounds as a manager. He wanted full control of every phase of Elvis' life.
Diane
No wonder she didn't like the man...if she would have been there to see how the end of Elvis' life ended she'd killed that man Colonel.
"How do I get placed in situations like this? Ah hell, I guess it's all part of showbusiness "~ Elvis in his limo on his way to perform in Omaha, NE on June 19th 1977
He sure did. Telling Elvis to stay away from the spiritual quest he was on and stop reading those books. That was no buisness of the Colonel's as long as it wasn't interferring with buisness. Maybe Parker should have been working trying to get Elvis better scripts that taking the easy way out with the fast dollar.
"How do I get placed in situations like this? Ah hell, I guess it's all part of showbusiness "~ Elvis in his limo on his way to perform in Omaha, NE on June 19th 1977
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