MARY BRASWELL: Looking back at the life and death of Elvis Presley

Each week Albany Herald researcher Mary Braswell looks for interesting events, places and people from the past. You can contact her at (229) 888-9371 or [email protected].

Tuesday will mark 39 years since the death of legendary singer Elvis Presley, who collapsed and died alone in his Graceland mansion at the age of 42. Here is look back at some of the interesting facts about his life, as well as the hours of his last day.

DID YOU KNOW?

— As a 2-year-old toddler, Elvis once wiggled out of his mother’s lap to join the choir singing during a service at the Assembly of God Church.

— Elvis got his first guitar at age 11.

— In 1947, at age 12, a local radio station offered Elvis the opportunity to sing live on the air but he was too shy to do it.

— For a $4 fee, Elvis recorded his first song, a gift for his mother, when he was 18.

— On July 5, 1954, 19-year-old Elvis recorded his first commercial single “That’s All Right (Mama),” which quickly began a regional hit. A DJ played the song more than a dozen times in one day, but had trouble convincing the listening audience that the singer was white.

— In January 1956, it was the recording of “Heartbreak Hotel” that landed Elvis his first No. 1 spot on Billboard’s pop singles chart. The song was inspired by a newspaper story about a suicide.

— When performing on TV in 1956, Elvis was advised by Milton Berle to perform without his guitar, saying “Let ‘em see you, son.” Jackie Gleason, however, said, “The kid has no right behaving like a sex maniac on a national show.”

— Elvis, at age 22, bought Graceland for $102,500.

— “Love Me Tender” was Elvis’ first film (1956). His second movie, “Loving You” (1957), featured his parents as audience members. After his mother’s death later that same year, Elvis never watched the film again.

— In December 1957, Elvis was drafted into the Army. He had by this time generated about $400,000 in income, which he could not access while overseas. The Army paid him $78 per month. While serving in Germany, Elvis met Priscilla Beaulieu, only 14 years old at the time.

— Elvis and Priscilla married in 1967, had their only child (Lisa Marie) in 1968 and divorced in 1972.

— Among Elvis’ favorite foods were fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches, biscuits and gravy, potato cheese soup, sauerkraut, meatloaf with mushroom gravy, and fresh tomatoes — preferably of the Beefsteak variety. He despised fish and would not allow it cooked or eaten at Graceland.

— Despite huge success in both his music and acting careers following his release from the army in 1960, Elvis did no tours between 1962 and 1968. His “comeback” started with a Dec. 3, 1968 NBC special. His last tour dates were in the summer of 1977. Other than one three-day tour in Canada, Elvis never toured outside the country.

— As of late 2015, nearly 20 million fans had toured Graceland. Only the White House gets more annual visitors than the former home of the king of rock ’n’ roll.

A GENEROUS MAN

— In 1957, Elvis donated $1,050 to Humes High School, his alma mater, so every student could attend the annual E.H. Crump Memorial Football Game for the Blind in Memphis.

— During 1956 and 1957, Elvis posed frequently for national campaign ads to prevent polio. On Oct. 28, 1956, Elvis received his third version of the Salk vaccine, an event that was carried live on all three TV networks. In the six months following, the immunization rate of all Americans went from 0.6 percent to 80 percent.

— Danny Thomas asked Elvis to appear at his June 28, 1957, “Shower of Stars” event to raise funds to build St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. An amazing 14,000 people (donors) attended and construction began on the hospital.

— In 1963, Elvis donated a 1955 red Ford Thunderbird to be auctioned to benefit The March of Dimes.

— A year later in 1964, Elvis purchased the FDR Presidential Yacht and donated it to St. Jude’s. The hospital sold the yacht for $55,000.

— In 1975, Elvis bought and gave away 13 Cadillacs. One of those cars went to a bank teller, Mennie Person. He also gave her a check to buy new clothes. She thanked him with a hug and a kiss.

AUG. 16, 1977

Just after midnight: After his 10:30 p.m. dentist appointment, Elvis and girlfriend Ginger Alden returned to Graceland.

2:15 a.m.: Elvis called his doctor to request more painkillers, apparently because of pain caused by the trip to the dentist. Elvis’ stepbrother Ricky Stanley drove to the all-night pharmacy at Baptist Memorial Hospital and returned with six Dilaudid pills.

4 a.m.: Elvis woke up his first cousin Billy Smith and his wife, Jo, to ask them to play a game of racquetball with him.

4:30 a.m.: Elvis moved to a nearby piano and performed a few songs, including “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain.”

5 a.m.: Elvis decided to turn in early (for him). He and Ginger went to his bedroom. He took one of the pre-packaged packets of pills created by his doctor for twice-daily use.

7 a.m.: Elvis took a second pack of pills.

8 a.m.: Still unable to sleep, Elvis asked for a third packet, which was brought to him by his aunt, Delta Mae Biggs.

9:30 a.m.: Elvis took the book he was reading, “The Scientific Search For The Face Of Jesus” by Frank Adams, and went into his bathroom. “Don’t fall asleep in there,” Ginger said, knowing his tendency to nod off. “OK, I won’t,” he said. Ginger went back to sleep.

1:30 p.m.: Ginger woke up to find Elvis still gone. When she got no response after knocking on the door, she entered the bathroom and found his lifeless body on the floor. She screamed for Elvis’ associates, who arrived and called the fire department. An ambulance was dispatched.

2:56 p.m.: Elvis Presley arrived at the Baptist Medical Center in Memphis.

3 p.m.: Elvis was pronounced dead.

4 p.m.: On the steps of Graceland, heartbroken father Vernon Presley told the assembled reporters: “My son is dead.”

“Elvis Presley was the sweetest, most humble and nicest man you’d ever want to know.”

— Muhammad Ali

QUIK QUIZ ANSWER: (c) Wrigley’s Doublemint gum — at least three packages.