The King died at 42. Unless you believe he’s still alive, a rumor that has circulated since that fateful day when he was found slumped on a toilet in his Memphis mansion Graceland. Even though there had been reports of his failing health for months, the world was stunned by the news that the king of rock and roll was mortal.

This is from the BBC report the next day:

He was rushed to the Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis but was pronounced dead on arrival. The Tennessee state pathologist, Dr. Jerry Francisco, said a postmortem examination of the singer’s body had revealed he died of cardiac arrhythmia - a form of heart attack. “The precise cause has not yet been determined for the cardiac arrhythmia,” Dr Francisco said. “It may take several days to several weeks to determine that specific cause and in some cases it never is determined.” The three-hour examination uncovered no sign of any other diseases or any drug abuse, Dr Francisco added. Presley was divorced from his wife Priscilla in 1973 but it was rumored that he had recently become engaged to Ginger Alden, 20. She was reportedly spotted wearing a $50,000 (£20,315) diamond engagement ring from Presley. Ms Alden and other members of his entourage were at Graceland when he collapsed. There had been indications of Elvis Presley’s declining health for some time. Earlier this year the singer had canceled several performances in Louisiana and returned to Memphis suffering what his doctors termed “exhaustion.”

Many believe that prescription drugs did Elvis in, but the results of an autopsy have never been revealed. The King lives on in music sales, memorabilia, tours of Graceland, and his enormous impact on the creation of rock music and rock superstars. As John Lennon said, “Before Elvis, there was nothing.”

A biography of Elvis