Elvis Presley was considered by many, including myself, to be the greatest entertainer that ever lived. The songs, the movies, the sideburns, the outfits, the movements but most of all, that voice. Charlie Hodge, a long time member of Elvis' group and personal friend who actually lived at Graceland for a while, said of Elvis, he thought the lyric of a song, it traveled through his heart and then out of his mouth. He wasn't kidding. Elvis Presley was the whole package.

The official cause of death August 16, 1977 was cardiac arrhythmia. Cardiac arrhythmia can truly only be diagnosed on someone who is alive. This maybe just one of the reasons there's been so much hoopla over Elvis' death. Was it a coverup? Was that really him in the casket? Is he still alive?

My name is "CJ" Clements, I've been on the radio almost 40 years now. I'm certainly no doctor, but I've done enough research on Elvis Presley for my own personal interest, to write a novel. I have sat and talked with Joe Esposito, the man who tried to resuscitate Elvis before paramedics arrived. I've spend thousands of hours over the years reading every piece of literature I could get my hands on that contained the name Elvis. Some accurate, most not. After a while, one can smell the BS material from a mile away. At 14 years old I managed to get the phone number of George Kline, a popular Memphis disc jockey and long time friend of Elvis'. I was so interested in Elvis and the real cause of death, even at 14 years of age, I was determined to find out the truth. I called Mr. Kline and straight up asked him about Elvis' drug use and why did all the guys (Memphis Mafia) around him not try to help. George denied Elvis ever used drugs. Probably because he was and is still such a wonderful friend to The King. From that day on, I have been a sponge for anything Elvis related.

Elvis' doctor, George Nichopoulos, prescribed over 10 thousand doses of narcotics for Presley between January and August of 1977. Not to mention the stuff Elvis attained on his own. After all, if Elvis Presley asked you for drugs, how could you say no to the biggest entertainer in the world. If he wanted it, he got it. Just the meds from his personal doctor alone, were enough hardcore narcotics to supply a small city, yet these were prescribed for one man.

Elvis had an enlarged heart. Probably hereditary, maybe due in part to high blood pressure, diet, etc.

But it's likely the ultimate condition that killed Elvis Presley was constipation. Now you may laugh as you read this, but consider this. The coroner found over 35 pounds of white chalky fecal matter in Elvis' colon at the time of death. As humiliating as this fact is, he was found on the floor in front of the toilet. His colon during the autopsy was found to be 5 to 6 inches which is double the normal size. And the length of his colon was between 8 and 9 feet. The average is 4 to 5. The examiners found food that had been in his colon, they estimated, 4 to 5 months. Elvis Presley's body was toxic. It's a wonder he lasted as long as he did. Dr. Nichopoulos thought Elvis had a disease called bowel paralysis. Look at some of the video footage from the later part of Elvis' life, small arms and legs and all stomach. Think about when you've had to take pain killers, those of you who have, it slows everything down. As stated in the title of one of his last songs, 'Way On Down'. Remember, Elvis took the hardcore stuff, probably trying to escape certain parts of his life. Drugs like Codeine, Valium, Demerol, Morphine and more.

Elvis' drug use was not an overnight addition, but had been going on for many years. I heard his doctor say he used to empty drug capsules and refill them in an attempt to wean him off the hard stuff. But Elvis caught on to that almost immediately. By the way, Dr. Nichopoulos' license was suspended for 3 months and in 1995 permanently revoked. He died February 24, 2016. He was 88. I do applaud Dr. Nichopoulos' attempt to save Elvis after being brought to Baptist Memorial Hospital that has since been demolished. Even after rigor mortis had set in, back in 1977 when things were certainly not as advanced medically as they are now, Nichopoulos did indeed get Elvis' heart to beat one final time. Elvis' personal nurse was assisting and said to Dr. Nichopoulos, "Please, just let him go". She knew if he lived, he would have no quality of life.

So what killed Elvis Presley? I believe the biggest player was his dependency on narcotics. Followed by diet and inherited illnesses. He and his mother Gladys shared many of the same illnesses. Those close to her thought she had an alcohol dependency as well but back then it wasn't talked about. Also, the pressure and stress associated with being Elvis Presley had to play a part. Elvis once said, "The image is one thing, the individual is another". In addition, Presley was stressed over a book that was coming out, written by some of the Memphis Mafia his father Vernon had let go in an attempt to save money. They were going to expose the singer as being a drug addict. The book is called, 'Elvis What Happened?'. Elvis was worried about what the fans would think of him. I think the fans already knew, yet every show would sell out.

Mike Brown, Getty Images

Elvis Presley will go down in American music history as one of the greatest entertainers to ever grace this planet. That honor is rightfully bestowed. He was and will remain. Fans continue to flock to his home in Memphis, Graceland, making it the most visited home in America. He left us way too soon at only 42. On this, the 40th anniversary of his death, I thank you Elvis Presley, for the music, your humor on and off stage, for being so damn innovative , your wonderful spirit and kind heart and for giving me an escape from my dysfunctional life in my early years and still today. You and I have spent a lot of time together over the years. Not sure I could have done it without you. RIP

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