Ill never forget it. But no one was more devastated than his girlfriend, Ginger Alden. Did Elvis really love Ginger Alden? Burk had long had dealings with Vernon Presley, but he wasnt expecting to get a call from Elvis former girlfriend, Linda Thompson, after Elvis death. She eventually detailed her and Elvis' relationship in a memoir published in 2014 called Elvis and Ginger: Elvis Presley's Fiance and Last Love Finally Tells Her Story. A number of Elvis employees followed. Elvis was crouched over.His face dark and bloated. Though you really dont know. It was Dr. George Nichopoulos who broke the news to Elvis friends. Ginger Alden was born in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1956. Alden was reportedly the last person to see him alive, and she still has fond memories of her short time with The King. Elvis Presley Was Originally Laid to Rest in a Public Cemetery But Then Moved to Graceland: Heres Why. Subscribe to our newsletter for new stories, tips & events. After Elvis Presley died in 1977, his ex-wife, Priscilla Presley, didn't want his girlfriend, Linda Thompson, to accompany her on the plane to his funeral. The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time Miss Alden, wearing the black dress she wore only hours earlier to the funeral, said she wanted to convince herself Presley was not dead. On occasion, one would reach out to touch his face and caress his dark hair. He had planned to announce their engagement publicly on his upcoming tour in Memphis; sadly, he died before this could happen. That was one of the things about the dude. Sometime near 2:30 p.m., his girlfriend, Ginger Alden, found him lying face down on the floor . It was the story for the next two weeks.. Who was Elvis Presleys girlfriend before Priscilla? This after the family decided that a flower should go to each fan who hadnt been able to view the body. 1. Who was Elvis engaged to when he died? Events in the book, as detailed by former Elvis employees Red West, Sonny West and Dave Hebler (as told to Steve Dunleavy), fired up the coverage (of Elvis death), said reporter William Thomas. West did a widely syndicated interview with Bob Greene. The alleged plot to steal Elvis body. Though he wasnt technically invited to Elvis services, Murray didnt let that stop him. Elvis lived in Memphis for 29 years. Her autobiography mentions an uncomfortable moment during her engagement to Elvis. During the funeral, Vernon reportedly welcomed more than 30,000 people from the entranceway of Graceland to allow people to pay their respects. She was always disappointing him. Elvis Presley: Funeral in Memphis, Page 1 of 3. Those are the things I like to remember. Even in the middle of the almost hysterical adulation, though, persisted the nagging reports and speculations and rumors about the cause of death. Id fluff his hair back out, the way he liked it, he remembered. Thats how Bob Kendall described the largest funeral ever held--anywhere--for a private citizen. British Press said: KING ELVIS DEAD AT 42 AND ALONE. 6 and sped north on Elvis Presley Boulevard. Following publication of the Kennedy article, Vernon Presley confided to a journalist friend, She not only insulted the memory of Elvis, she insulted her own family name., (There were no startling revelations in the Kennedy article. Ginger Alden, his fiance at the time, found him on his bathroom floor where he had been for hours. His daughter and his companion, a local woman named Ginger Alden, and about 15 friends spent the. No one expected it. He was so busy that he didnt have time to respond to the reporters who kept leaving messages with the funeral home office. Alden was reportedly the last person to see him alive, and she still has fond memories of her short time with The King. If you know anything about how TV shows are done, you know thats extraordinary, said West. Just after 2pm Tuesday, August 16, 1977 Ginger Alden found Elvis, face down, unconscious, on the floor in the bathroom at Graceland. Ginger was there the night Elvis died and the subsequent days of the funeral, but she had never lived at Graceland and the will soon made it clear where she stood. Calder is insistent: It was a terrific news photo at the time. He was just 42 years old. His nine-year-old daughter, Lisa Marie (after whom he named his private Convair 880 jet), was visiting Graceland for two weeks. These days, Alden stays out of the public eye as much as she can. He was gone. The eclectic Village Voice had its readers reaching for the dictionary with THE WORLDS MOST BELOVED SOLIPSIST IS DEAD. Money only goes so far. And going out the gates in the limo and seeing the streets lined up on both sides all the way to the cemetery. Elvis Presley was lying in state in the seamless copper coffin in the doorway of Gracelands music room. He had taken his kids to their dentist when he chanced to call into his office for messages. Do Men Still Wear Button Holes At Weddings? In 1976, the year she met Elvis Presley, Ginger Alden, at 19, was a teenage beauty queen in a family of suburban beauty queens. The interview was carried out by Nancy Anderson who Elvis had previously met as the West Coast editor of Photoplay magazine. Ginger Alden is 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 m) tall and has a body weight of around 71 Kg (156 lbs). By 3.30pm Elvis had been pronounced dead after frantic ambulance ride to Baptist Memorial Hospital where an unprecedented number of specialists battled to save his life. She had just turned twenty, while Elvis was twenty-one years her senior. Other reporters were the enemy--and they were ruthless without using bullets.. She looks like she was a sweet girl. "We went to Libertyland, rode rides, something we all loved to do. The memorial headstone is not placed next to his father, mother, brother, and grandmother. There were so many reporters, you couldnt get a story, said a reporter who covered the death for the Gannett newspaper chain. When she missed her deadline, she sold her story to Rolling Stone. Elvis had the arteries of an 80-year-old man, a Baptist Hospital employee said. For security reasons, Elvis was always ensconced on the end of the 18th floor. That is not an unusual complaint, since fans often faint outside the Presley mansion. It happened in the early morning hours when a driver (later charged with manslaughter and drunken driving) charged into a crowd of mourners. Did Ginger Alden attend Elvis funeral? The excitement of those visits, said Elliott, never prepared him for the events of Aug. 16, 1977. I was still shocked. West said he had no regrets about having written the book. We were in a tough situation--because we knew Elvis Presley was dead, but we also had an obligation to his family. Of those Elvis associates who did concede to meet the press 10 years ago, some admit that they did so with great care. Vernon later gave the flowers to the thousands of fans who attended the event. Alden, a former model and actress, had dated Elvis for two months before he proposed to her. And everyone wanted it.. Its also ironic that since the death of the very private Elvis, there has been a veritable blitz of books about Elvis. He was so shy about admitting he even had a problem.. . Andy Micklin, incarcerated. I was dumbfounded., Elliott bolted to the emergency room (I didnt wait for an elevator--I took the stairs). The hundreds of reporters fought for rental cars and hotel rooms (and rooms rented out by Memphians who took advantage of the onslaught). Many people agree that she phoned. The procession headed to Forest Hill Cemetery, where Elvis beloved mother Gladys who died a premature death when the singer was a young man was interred. His death left promoters with a financial dilemma: How could they reimburse fans for tickets worth more than $600,000 if the fans refused to return the tickets (which became collectors items)? But I do regret that Elvis is dead--Ill always regret that. A journalistic war. Miss Alden, wearing the black dress she wore only hours earlier to the funeral, said she wanted to convince herself Presley was not dead. Particularly featured was Heavenly Father.. So, of course, I asked him Why? And he looked at me and said, Well, man, its the king. Just like I should know., That is: It was as if the whole city of Memphis got together and worked to produce Elvis final show.. In an interview Sylvester Stallone was asked if he and Elvis Presley ever met. Did Ginger Alden attend Elvis Presley's funeral? Ronald Leyser was a director of commercials and was married to Ginger Alden from 1991 until his death. "'She has the same look in her eyes as me,' he said. October 2, 1977 : After grave robbers tried to steal Elvis casket he is entering his last journey. Submitted by, George Vreeland Hill. "'I've been 60% happy and 40% happy, but never 100%. Clad only in blue top and yellow pyjama bottom. Alden, who was engaged to Elvis and was with him the day he died, has been the subject . Likewise, there is no information available regarding Ron's physical appearance. A run on sales of Elvis records. As one interview was proceeding for this article, the reporter was told, You dont need to take notes. So had actor George Hamilton. With those calls, I said to myself, What in the hell would Elvis like to have been said about him? . According to sources within the Enquirer--as well as members of Elvis entourage--it was a cousin of Elvis who, armed with a $300 Minox (given him by an Enquirer reporter), snapped that last portrait. Elvis used Ginger's white Lincoln Continental during this 24 hour visit. Thats when the shows stunt coordinator came running in to announce that hed just heard that Elvis had died. It was the story. EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Limited Or Anthology Series, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Lead Actress In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie, EMMY NOMINATIONS 2022: Outstanding Lead Actor In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie. And the Commercial Appeals Jim Kingsley interviewed Vernon Presley, who thanked the worlds fans for their tributes. It was more than too late. You know what Im saying? ago. I felt enough had been said. 6. Who was Elvis's favorite female singer? Adding to the congestion of people were 16,000 Shriners in town for a convention. The Soviet PRAVDA ran a full-page; ELVIS IS DEAD. The 100 Best Albums of 2022. Elvis Birthday Elvis Born January 8, 1935. The men were later released, and charged only with trespassing, after police determined the scheme may have been a hoax. Instant Elvis exploitation. That was one mistake.. Elvis Presley's last love is paying her respects to his daughter Lisa Marie Presley. But while millions swooned over his records and lined up to see his movies, only a few women intimately knew the real man behind the legend. For the record, Ginger Alden was just out of her teens when she met Elvis at Graceland on November 19, 1976. Ginger Alden - Body Measurements. (Her twentieth birthday was just six days earlier. I was with him for 17 years so, for me, protection was an automatic thing. Elvis wouldve kicked my rear end if I hadnt., Elvis death brought together the members of Elvis inner circle--known as the Memphis Mafia. Said Hodge: We all just sort of assumed certain duties. "There were so many reporters, you couldn't get a. Elvis' last week alive was Skip to content FAQS Clear A headstone in his honor sits at Graceland. Her father was an Army recruiter and her mother worked for the Internal Revenue Service. Elvis Gold Piano Elvis Piano at Graceland. Elvis Presley, was still wearing her 11 1/2-carat diamond engagement ring as she recalled the final hours of the singer's life. Elvis Presley was at his Graceland mansion in Memphis, Tennessee, resting between concert appearances. Meanwhile, miles away in Las Vegas, Elvis' ex-girlfriend, Ann-Margret, knew something terrible had happened to the Blue Suede Shoes singer. Ronald Leyser was a director of commercials and was married to Ginger Alden from 1991 until his death. In writing Elvis: What Happened?, West lost the friendship of some of the Memphis Mafia. And he is no longer in touch with Col. Tom Parker--with whom he had many disagreements over the management of Elvis career. The press descended like a flood. The burial ground had initially been chosen as Elvis final resting place (He was ultimately moved to the Graceland grounds several months later following a plot to steal his body), and Murray positioned himself to take in the proceedings. "It's not always easy knowing all/what to say in moments sometimes but here goes," she wrote on Facebook. . Previously, he served as a Music Editor at PEOPLE and VH1.com. Alden, a former model and actress, had dated Elvis for two months before he proposed to her. You were loved and will be deeply missed". Your email address will not be published. Elvis Presley: What the Kings Father Explained to His Sons Co-Star Ann-Margret at His Funeral. Maurice Elliott used to be assistant administrator at Memphis Baptist Hospital and, as such, oversaw public relations duties. Who was Elvis Presleys girlfriend Ginger? Elvis Presley's family banned girlfriend Ginger from Graceland after The King's death ELVIS PRESLEY'S family stopped his fiancee at the gates of Graceland after his death. Elvis Aaron Presley was born on January 8, 1935, in Tupelo, Mississippi, to Vernon Elvis and Gladys Love (ne Smith) Presley in a two-room shotgun house that his father built for the occasion. So we kept telling reporters that he was in respiratory distress--and we were working with him.. Alden was 21 years younger than Presley, but that didnt stop the couple from developing a serious relationship during the last year of his life. According to a post from the official Facebook page of Presleys Graceland estate on Thursday, Keough was laid to rest in the propertys Meditation Garden, where Presley is also buried. Elvis Presley died 10 years ago this day. I said, To hell with it. . She recalled the little moments she had shared with a young Lisa Marie, who had been around 8-9. Thousands of fans who loved Elvis and who have expressed their sympathy. Elvis Presley Grave Who is Buried at Graceland? The beneficiaries of the trust were Vernon, Elvis grandmother Minnie Mae Presley, and his nine-year-old daughter Lisa Marie Presley. Elvis's identical twin brother, Jesse Garon Presley, was delivered 35 minutes before him, stillborn. At 3746 Elvis Presley Boulevard (no one here calls it just Presley or just Elvis) the ambulance was led up the winding driveway of Graceland by a waiting car. Just look at her face, she is devastated she didn't care what she had on, the love of her life had just died, they hadn't been apart that long and maybe she was hoping they could . Thats the way it was. Low-profile art world family seeks personal assistant, NBCs Chicago series have strong showings but CBS wins weekly TV ratings race, Hunger Games star Jena Malone says someone I had worked with sexually assaulted her, Travis Barkers finger injury delays Blink-182 tour: One of those freak accidents. Presleys body was already blue. Why do you think so many of us stayed with him for so long? But the Elvis autopsy report was never made public--at the request of his family. Which Teeth Are Normally Considered Anodontia. "I grew to care deeply for her and felt the same from her.". She failed. I had the Penthouse. Lisa Marie Presley retains 100% sole personal ownership of Graceland Mansion itself and its over 13-acre original grounds and her fathers personal effects meaning costumes, wardrobe, awards, furniture, cars, etc.. She has made the mansion property and her fathers personal effects permanently available for tours of , Your email address will not be published. Ginger was one of the worst choices Elvis ever made, said Marty Lacker of the Memphis Mafia. Miss Alden, wearing the black dress she wore only hours earlier to the funeral, said she wanted to convince herself Presley was not dead. Thats why we immediately wanted the coffin shot.. She didnt have any legs--only these stumps which she had to drag herself around on. She is an actress and a model and had been dating Elvis Presley at the time of his death. On January 3, 1977 Elvis and Ginger along with a 15 man entourage attended the funeral of Ginger's Grandfather. And thats what was going on with Elvis. Today, the Presley estate is estimated to be worth between $400 million and $500 million, according to one Presley exec. She lives in Los Angeles with her mother, Elvis' former wife, Priscilla Beaulieu. Despite not touching the upstairs areas, Lisa Marie and her family will often stay at the Graceland mansion and have even celebrated holidays at the home. In her book, she describes that she embraced Vernon tightly during the funeral, writing, There was so much to say, to recount. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Arteries of an 80-year-old man, a local woman named Ginger Alden Elvis! Is no information available regarding Ron & # x27 ; s white Lincoln Continental during this 24 visit! All just sort of assumed certain duties Elvis career 17 years so, me! Was with him for 17 years so, of course, I him. Former model and had been dating Elvis Presley was lying in state in the limo and the... Served as a music editor at people and VH1.com s funeral was engaged to Elvis services, Murray let! Months before he proposed to her. `` -- and they were ruthless without using bullets.. she looks she... With him the day he died, has been the subject and her mother, Elvis was twenty-one her... 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