See You In Elvis

‘IT’S 25 years today since Elvis left the building for good. Or not, depending on whether you’re one of those people who thinks he never really died at all and you’ve spotted him anonymously packing shelves at your local Tesco.

Received wisdom has it that on August 16, 1977, Elvis died of a heart attack at the age of 42 after taking a cocktail of drugs. A post-mortem is believed to have revealed that his veins were full of pure bacon fat.

But being dead hasn’t stopped the big man raking in the dough. He’s the world’s top-earning dead celebrity, pulling in £24.1 million a year. Could that heart attack have been nothing more than a canny career move? He even spent a month at No.1 this summer – ah, the wonders of modern technology.

Having spent all week screening tributes to the man with the most provocative hips in history, the TV channels seem to have run out of documentaries and profiles to show on the actual anniversary of his death.

But that shouldn’t stop you commemorating the big man yourself. All you need is a tight white jumpsuit, a bucket of fried chicken, and the Nike ad played on continuous loop.

The King is dead. Long live the King.

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Posted: 16th, August 2002 | In: Celebrities Comment | TrackBack | Permalink