What was he thinking?

[John Burrows]

This is not only a post for discussions, more I want to share my thoughts. It makes me sad when I see pictures of a tired and overweight looking King. I think most of you feel the same way. Sometimes I ask myself what was Elvis thinking when he looked at a photo of himself, for example of '56 or '68 or any time before, let's say, '76. Did he realize what (already has) happened to him? Or did he maybe think it was all not too bad? Don't get me wrong, Elvis was great looking throughout his whole life, but obviously there were changes.

As Kathy Westmoreland once said, she was shocked when she watched EIC after he passed away, because she couldn't see a big change of him when he was alive.

Of course can't anybody tell what he really thougth while looking at old pics. But this is a questions that bothers me.

TCB

[cibetty]

I was thinking about this too! I think he was aware he was in bad condition. But I think nobody knew how serious it was. I also read Kathy was surprised when she watched EIC. It is different to work with somebody every day and suddenly watch a footage about it.

[debtdbruno]

Do you know.......I don't believe a word any of them say!!!!

You can not tell me they didn't realise how poorly he was........they just didn't want to rock the boat......or stop the gravy train........

We have a small selection of recordings of live concerts which show how bad he was.....rambling on, vocals weak at times......and they didn't realise. Give me a break

[Ematt]

I dont believe anyone who states what Westmoreland did, I think maybe theres a little guilt attached.

As for Elvis, i think he was past caring and badly needed the money.

[Raised on Rock]

Well it was Elvis not the Colonel who asked CBS to cancel the TV special, and shoot the whole thing again somewhere around October when he made a promise to be doing better, as he clearly realized that was he saw on the private preview of the show, was not okey at all.

So a lot of people demand EPE should finally release the CBS tapes and all, and wonder why to they want to hide it, but in fact it was kind of Elvis last wish not to show those the public, and that he would be doing better latter that year, to bad it didn't happened and because of a signed contract, CBS finally aired the show. Elvis didn't want to be seen like that.

Sometimes I wonder If his death wasn't related to him pushing to hard and in the wrong way too look good again, starving himself to the limit as he used it back in the 60's and keeping it up with tons of anfetamines.

[peter]

I think there is one simple answer for that what Kathy said. When you work with someone and you see him every day on tour during many years, you are watching how he changes every day... That difference is not happening in days, its matter of months / years and you can catch the difference only by comparing photos from months/ years. When you see someone in Tuesday, you will probably not to see him older in Sunday.... But you will feel that he is sick for example - flu, or exhaustion - but I think that before August 77 noone from people around him would thing that it was THAT terribly bad....

[Diane]

Do you know.......I don't believe a word any of them say!!!!

You can not tell me they didn't realise how poorly he was........they just didn't want to rock the boat......or stop the gravy train........

We have a small selection of recordings of live concerts which show how bad he was.....rambling on, vocals weak at times......and they didn't realise. Give me a break

I have to agree with you. There is no way they could have missed how ill he looked the last two years of his life. It may have taken that long for it to show as blantantly as it did the last few months but it was certainly obviously then. He should have been in a hospital getting the care he needed instead of being onstage doing a TV special.

[debtdbruno]

exactly Diane............

What Elvis was short of, (and all other 'stars) is a good hiding.........they have too many people kissing a*s. They basically have too much money,
and are spoilt brats........sorry to say.....
I love the guy as much as anyone.......but we have to be realistic

[Diane]

Agree, he had the wrong kind of love from his entourage. What he needed was "tough love".

[elvisia]

Sadly, I think EP was so much out of it during his last 1-2 years and didn`t look back on him self. I don`t think he actually cared...
Sometimes I think, had he only taken the time to "watch him self" in pictures and sound during 1976....he would have taken the effort to shape up, but he never got to that point....., or he was too late, sadly

But I love him anyway all the way.......even 76 & 77 has some really bright moments......

[buttonhead]

Yes, Agree with Diane.... Elvis was lack of 'Tough Love' from people around him , Yes, I am sure Elvis well aware of how he looked like, but he was still handsome even at his heaviest, c'mon now none of us would look as good ... Anywho , I will always love him no matter how he looklike .

[debtdbruno]

well said Buttonhead......he was just the most handsome Man ever........stunning

[Diane]

I agree again with both of you. Even at his worse, his inner self shined through and he was beautiful. Had everyone around him handled things differently, he might still be here with us.

[Jungleroom76]

I agree with several of you that the first thing Elvis needed was "tough love" -- he needed the people around him to stop thinking about themselves and the money that Elvis was making them and start thinking about Elvis himself!! No more "yeah Elvis" or "right on Elvis" or "great show Elvis"!! It should have been "sorry Elvis, but that was not a very good show tonight" and "Elvis, you really need to get some rest." Now I know that the people around Elvis knew they were on the gravy train and they didn't want to say or do anything that would cause them to lose that, but unfortunately something had to give!! Sadly, instead of them all stepping up and intervening, it was Elvis who gave...and THAT is a tragedy!!!

Then of course, there's good ol' Col. Greedy, er, I mean Parker!! That miserable old S.O.B. should have been dumped on his *** after the endless string of B-grade movies he conned Elvis into making. At the very latest, it should have come after the historic blow-up between them following the August/September '73 Hilton engagement when Elvis actually fired him. It almost would have been worth it to pay The Colonel what he "claimed" to be owed by Elvis and just start over, just to deep-six that b*****d!! But sadly, Elvis' loyalty wouldn't allow him to do it. And even then, it may have been too late anyway. Again, just another point for us fans to forever ponder...

But as much as it pains me to say it, some of the blame has to lie with Elvis himself. His aforementioned loyalty to a fault with The Colonel, his massive spending sprees that caused him in some cases to HAVE to go out on tour just to make money to cover his lavish lifestyle and his abuse of prescription medications. Looking back on things, perhaps if the first two things had been solved, the prescription medications (and his dependence on them) might have taken care of itself. Did Elvis have health issues, I'm sure he did...and did he need medication to help control them, I'm sure he did. But...perhaps if he hadn't gotten into the rut that his career had evolved into during the mid 70's, perhaps he wouldn't have turned to the medications to help alleviate the boredom. Again...just something to ponder...

TCB!
Mike

[Awickedreigndrop]

I totally agree with you Mike!

Also, I think that he was kinda depressed. Sometimes when you're depressed you don't give two bits about yourself or other things and you just let life run off with you. He needed help for several things but no one stepped up to get that ball rolling.

[debtdbruno]

I think you about covered it there Mike.............

[Diane]

Yup, I totally agree with you Mike as well. Sure Elvis was to blame for part of his problems.....but he had more than enough help and the Colonel was at the top of the list.

[KPM]

Elvis was never encouraged to grow-as a human being or artist.
Elvis should have had more than sleeping pills given to him in the 50s when his lifelong sleep problem took full root...Parker made sure that Elvis saw a medical doctor to get the pills to sleep and pills to wake up-but that did not cure the problem it only masked the problem.
Elvis's family was full of addictive personalities and that was a part of his nature that he would have had little control over-without even knowing it.
Some form of personal therapy somewhere along the way would have been good for him.
Elvis looked for ways to better himself-if enough people had encouraged and spoke up about "the strength it takes to confront yourself fully" and how "strong men do not shy away from their weaknesses".....or deny they exist-it may have made a difference.
Instead the idea of a pill for every ill was given and.... over the years reinforced so it became second nature to him.
Elvis wanted to be all things to all people....did not want to let them down.....but in trying to be all things to all people he let himself down..by not being true to himself.

[debtdbruno]

Would therapy be as available or accepted then KPM, as it is now though?

Elvis didn't like 'outsiders' to know what was happening behind closed doors did he?

[Diane]

Elvis was never encouraged to grow-as a human being or artist.
Elvis should have had more than sleeping pills given to him in the 50s when his lifelong sleep problem took full root...Parker made sure that Elvis saw a medical doctor to get the pills to sleep and pills to wake up-but that did not cure the problem it only masked the problem.
Elvis's family was full of addictive personalities and that was a part of his nature that he would have had little control over-without even knowing it.
Some form of personal therapy somewhere along the way would have been good for him.
Elvis looked for ways to better himself-if enough people had encouraged and spoke up about "the strength it takes to confront yourself fully" and how "strong men do not shy away from their weaknesses".....or deny they exist-it may have made a difference.
Instead the idea of a pill for every ill was given and.... over the years reinforced so it became second nature to him.
Elvis wanted to be all things to all people....did not want to let them down.....but in trying to be all things to all people he let himself down..by not being true to himself.