Ginger saw only benevolence in Elvis serial gift giving. And, no one knows his heart and how Ginger's reticence would have worn on him. ", Elvis Presley's funeral took place onAugust 18, 1977, two days after his death. When she found him unconscious in his bathroom, she called downstairs for help. Donna (March 2018), Reader Comment:Personally, I think its wrong that, after 40 years, anyone should stir up strife concerning who he did and didn't love. Hoping he would understand, I looked him in the eye and nervously said, Elvis, it just isnt my way. Fortunately, Elvis seemed okay with that. In an eerie coincidence, Leyser and Presley each died on August 16. She described the scene: Our bedroom door flew open, Elvis stormed into the room with a wild look in his eyes, and slapped me on the side of my rib cage. On a Facebook post dated April 9, 2018, Alden angrily countered the rumors about Presley having committed suicide. According to a story in Express, Presleys household soured on Alden after he died. "I was expecting to hear stories about the distrust she had for . Quite simply, it's because Presley spent so much money. It crushed me to see him like this, Ginger says, but she remained powerless to do anything about Elvis unmanaged use of drugs. When, after drinking too much, Charlie smashed his hand through a glass window, Ginger says Elvis got angry. I love Elvis, sure, but he didn't automatically have the right to control everyone and certainly not Ginger (or any woman he loved) who was young with ( probably) her own dreams and hopes of what life should be. Though the actual ceremony was not a lavish affair and was attended by a small, select group of mourners, thousands of Elvis fans converged on Memphis in the 48 hours after his passing. She met her future fiance when she was just 5 years old, according to Elvis Australia, shortly after the singer returned from serving in the U.S. Army in Germany. According to Ginger, Elvis had plans to get back in shape and make some important changes in his life. He was consuming around 100,000 calories per day, and living off a diet of burgers and a sandwich of his own invention that included bacon and bananas, according to ABC Science. The King started seeing Ginger in 1976 and soon after asked. And I had to indulge him sometimes. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express. Ginger obviously wanted the focus of her book to be on her love affair with Elvis, but along the way her observations reveal Elvis to have been a troubled soul desperately trying to escape self-imposed isolation during those final months. You dont understand, he replied. Ginger did not like touring, one-night stands. He was also understandably appealing to beautiful women. Something to help me sleep, he told her. About two months into their relationship, Ginger says Elvis asked her, Would you like to move in?, To just move into Graceland without being married first was something I didnt believe in or feel was appropriate to do at the time. The Blue Moon Boys were inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2007. Alden was in several films and TV shows in the 1980s and 1990s. She wouldnt move into Graceland, she didnt like to spend the night, and she didnt want to go on all the tours. Did the betrayal by his friends actually lead to him overdosing on sleeping medication that night? I hoped to move us toward a healthier diet, but I just didnt know how because he was used to getting what he wanted.. Fans of Ginger would probably say that it was because they hadn't officially been married yet. Not now, she says he replied. Consider the downright toxic comments aimed at Ginger by some of the good ol boys who had been close to Elvis for years. In the moments after Ginger Alden found Elvis Presley lying on the floor and realized he was in dire straits, she tried to revive her partner. She revealed herfianc had been looking forward to their wedding and even having more children before his death. And there should be so many police officers to guard the church, so no news media can get to us. He was not downcast or morose, Alden claimed, however was wanting ahead to the milestones he deliberate in his life and hers. Officially, Elvis' death--at age 42--was attributed to "cardiac arrhythmia" brought on by an irregular heartbeat caused by "undetermined causes." In initial interviews, Elvis' personal. He shot off firearms at a television set and a telephone, threw a dish of ice cream he was devouring when she decided to talk about calories and being fat. Now everyone will know you belong to me, he explained. Alden is an actress, model, and author who was born in 1956. Alden and Leyser share a son named Hunter. He gave it to me to put up for him and told me to read it. It's up to fans to determine what they believe, or don't. Around 5 a.m. on the morning of August 16, 1977, Elvis Presleyand fiancee Ginger Alden went to bed together, after spending much of the night awake despite Elvis trying to nod off with the aid of various prescription drugs, according to theExpress. Ginger Alden, another beauty queen, was barely in her twenties when she discovered the lifeless body of Elvis Presley facedown in a Graceland bathroom. His grave is flanked by the burial sites of his mother, Minnie Mae Presley, who died in May 1980, and his father, Vernon Elvis Presley, who died a bit less than two years after his son, passing in June 1979. Alden said he told her, Ive loved before but Ive never been in love. She was thrilled with his generosity and sweet expression of caring. A Tylenol with codeine was brought up for Ginger, and Billy followed with Elviss morning sleep packet. To say Ginger was the reason he died is sick and wrong in my opinion. She then pulled open one of his eyelids to find the eye "was just blood-red," adding "I couldn't move him.". Maria (November 2022), Reader Comment: I agree with one of the comments made by Maria. Elvis proposed to Ginger on January 26, 1977 at Graceland and gave her a large diamond engagement ring, the main diamond having come from his much beloved TCB stage ring. She finally summoned up the nerve to confront him about those medications. Presley had been misusing pills for years, and more heavily so in the last year and a half of his life. Folks felt like they knew him, which made them adore him much more. Still restless at about 8 oclock, he called down for another packet, which Ricky also brought up. Two months into their relationship the musician proposed and Alden accepted. During his lifetime, Elvis had been a patient of the hospital on numerous occasions. For many fans when they think of Elvis Presleys love life the first person that comes to mind is Priscilla Presley, who was married to The King from 1967 to 1973. In a relationship you consider both parts needs! She was the last serious love he would let into his heart, Alden wrote in her memoir, Elvis & Ginger: Elvis Presleys Fiancee and Last Love Lastly Tells Her Story. We dont even recognize her as a human being., He continued, Were not interested in her. Most fans know that the pair had a troubled romance, though it did result in the birth of their daughter Lisa Marie, who appeared to be the light of Elvis' life (and the reason for much of his excessive spending). He could be compulsive sometimes when eating certain foods, she said. Fortunately for Presley's legacy, he left behind 18 No. In WITNESS WHEREOF, I, the said ELVIS A. PRESLEY, do hereunto set my hand and seal in the presence of two (2) competent witnesses, and in their presence do publish and declare this instrument to be my Last Will and Testament, this 3 day of March, 1977. According to theExpress, in the summer of 1977, Presley called the White House and managed to get recently elected President Jimmy Carter on the phone. Who was Ginger Alden, Elvis' fiancee, and were the pair really going to get married before Presley's untimely passing? Nobody wrote about how that whole day on August 16th must have felt for Ginger. When it came to mealtimes, Elvis and I enjoyed eating similar things such as hamburgers, steak, and omelets but I continued to notice certain foods were being brought to Elvis in larger than normal portions. Since Elvis had isolated himself in his bedroom, that is where he and Ginger were served their meals. Ive loved before but Ive never been in love. The official cause of the death of Elvis Presley on August 16, 1977 was heart failure, according to Town & Country. Postby Cheiro Wed Jan 10, 2018 7:30 pm. Though she did not move into Graceland, Alden was the one who discovered Presley unconscious there on August 16, 1977. Im gonna have someone work on it in Los Angeles.. She complained and bitched, and her mother was always hanging around, hoping Elvis would give her something. She then slept until about 2 p.m., when she awoke and found Elviss body soon afterwards. Its amazing that Ginger Alden would let such a disparaging image of herand her familygo unchallenged for so many years. Mark (March 2018), Reader Comment:Having read so much about the life of E.P I seriously have my doubts about this so called 'marriage' - it was pure wishful thinking. His weight was another sensitive topic with Presley. Last April, she penned a long post about the HBO special Elvis the Searcher, and while she didnt mention Priscilla Presley by name, many of her followers seem to have intuited that she was referring to Elvis ex-wife. As before, Elvis seemed anxious about his upcoming performances. Gingers depiction of events at Graceland on August 16, 1977, suggests the possibility that another overdose may have contributed to Elvis death. After thanking Donna for her gentle nudge, I ordered a copy of Ginger Aldens Elvis and Ginger from Amazon. She defined why she selected to put in writing the memoir of her time with Elvis when she did. Ill decide when we take a ride in it. Ginger wondered if Elvis wanted her to know early on that he liked to be in control. By August, Ginger says they were discussing the details of their wedding day. Never knew of him attending funerals other than his mother's. Ginger took his mind off of things. Alden moved on with her life after Presley died, but it seems like he will always be a cherished part of it. At least Priscilla was tactful in her assessment of Elvis and Gingers relationship. Shooting things up, depressed, isolated, overweight, sick, addicted. Elvis girlfriends: Kid Galahad co-star 'Elvis wanted to marry me', Elvis' cause of death was NOT what you think: His secret health battle, Elvis Presley gave fiancee Ginger Alden this engagement ring, (We were) sitting in his daughter Lisa Marie's bedroom in the early hours of August 16th when Elvis began discussing wedding plans and setting a date with me. Robbie (February 2023), Reader Comment: According to everyone (except her) they were never engaged. Then aged 21, Ginger found the star just after 2pm in his Graceland mansion in Memphis, Tennessee. Most surprisingly, Hanks described asking Elvis Presley's ex-wife Priscilla about Parker, and getting a surprising answer. No one ever walks out on me when Im talking, he reportedly told her. She has written two books about her time with Elvis, and she frequently gives interviews about her experiences. Not even Ginger could know this. My sisters and I had been brought up to believe that you lived with someone only after you were married. Alden discovered him lifeless in a toilet at Graceland. Young, inexperienced, and shy, Ginger suffered in comparison to the slightly older, more experienced, and outgoing Linda. He told Mindi Miller to never come to breakfast without being dressed and with a full face of makeup. The King was rushed to the hospital. Wild in the Country is a 1961 American musical-drama film directed by Philip Dunne and starring Elvis Presley, Hope Lange, Tuesday Weld, and Millie Perkins.Based on the 1958 novel The Lost Country by J. R. Salamanca, the screenplay concerns a troubled young man from a dysfunctional family who pursues a literary career. Now, both Ginger and her mama deny this. Regardless of the appreciable age distinction between them, they envisioned getting married and sharing their lives eternally. She sure didnt look like she just rolled out of bed, like she said. I was concerned about his health. As odd as this sounds, it also made me feel good to think that Elvis was really that serious about us. She was to find out how dangerous Elviss anger could be. ', DON'T MISSElvis first love June BEFORE he was famous: 'He wanted to marry me, The Colonel stopped us'Elvis: Lisa Marie's distress about the "damned" graveyard in Graceland's gardenMichael Jackson: Lisa Marie's heartbreaking discovery after he died. Ginger was often dismissed at the time and in the years afterward by The King's Memphis Mafia entourage. He also spent freely on friends and family, and had agreed to provide his ex-wife, Priscilla Presley, with 5% of his significant publishing rights, as reported by the Express. After finishing in her bathroom at close to 2:20 p.m., she went looking for Elvis. Slowly, Ginger says her awareness of the effects the medications were having on Elvis increased. But she made that observation on August 15, 1977. Though Elvis's actual cause of death appears to have been heart failure, the cardiac incident is now considered to be a result of the rock star's longstanding and serious drug abuse. But, according to the Daily Mail, theres plenty of negative content as well. Soon enough much of the world moved on to other things, but many diehard fans would mourn their lost hero for years to come. The dark mood had transformed Elvis into someone I didnt recognize, Ginger observed. They were together until his death in 2015. We were lovers, kindred spirits, for sure.. And all of his family the . The book, published in 2014, certainly brought some needed fairness to the discussion of Gingers role in Elvis life. Later that day, Elvis gave her a gold ID bracelet with Elvis spelled out on it in diamonds. Elvis always told Jo and me that we would be taken care of as long as he lived and we were. Any conversation about medication would have to be approached carefully and in time, she concluded. Though his habits could possibly be erratic and typically even form of imply, she has all the time recalled him with kindness and affection. Elvis Presley in 1975. Ginger says she told him about her concerns. Presleys Uncle Vester reportedly stated of her, Ginger Alden is dead now as far as the family is concerned. She didnt care anything about him., Joe Esposito (1994):Ginger Alden was not working out. See that he eats right, Priscilla told her, but Ginger quickly learned that was easier said than done. Overall, though, Alden remembers her relationship with Presley fondly. Either way, it was family ties that helped Ginger cross paths with Elvis; her father knew him, which explained their earlier connection, and Ginger's sister (a pageant queen) was later invited to meet Elvis and invited Ginger along. Ginger Alden was just 20 when she first started dating the King of Rock 'n' Roll, but their relationship was turbulent at times, and his inner circle, the so-called 'Memphis Mafia', didn . Also during this period, Elvis went on seven road tours and played Las Vegas once. Ican onlyread about him, butit's just that reading. Ive been 60% happy and 40% happy, but never 100%. And Ginger did keep the ring, sources confirm, because in 2009, she planned to auction it off to the highest bidder. That comment was passed to me through elvis-history-blog. My hand was still trembling as he kept lifting it to look at the ring saying, oh boy. However, his estate is worth a huge amount today. Charlie Hodge was still there, but Elvis was losing patience with his old friend. When she entered Elvis bedroom, he was on his bed, eyes closed, and hooked up to an IV. Elvis Presley's former girlfriend Diana Goodman dishes on their passionate love affair, and the rock 'n' roll singer's painful pill addiction in her new book "Hollywood Lights, Nashville Nights.. He was in a good mood, we had just set a wedding date literally hours earlier He was ready to go back on stage, something he loved with all of his being. Some of their stories were then picked up and spread by other writers for their own Elvis biographies.. "He was in a good mood, we had just set a wedding date literally hours earlier and he told me a couple of weeks before he passed that he had been off too long. She described the incredible moment and then what happened months later on the night he died. Design She would remain asleep until the early afternoon, when she found her partner cold on the bathroom floor. There were cozy domestic times, such as when they got a dog. According to Ginger, on the night of January 26, 1977, just two months after they met, Elvis proposed to her at Graceland. I dont want this to be a three-ring circus. He was ready to go back on stage, something he loved with all of his being. When Ginger's sister Terry Alden won Miss Tennessee in 1976, and Presley invited the pageant queen along with her two sisters to visit his Graceland estate. At 7 a.m., Elvis apparently took another round of pills, desperate to get some rest given that he was slated to fly to Maine that evening before a concert the next day and then continue on a tour around the nation. She soon went back to a contrite Elvis, though. Ginger tells the story of Elvis' last nine months. Alden recalled that hours earlier Elvis couldnt sleep and told her he was going into the bathroom to read. I would later learn that this was the time Elvis's death was announced publicly. Maybe she did get up and take a shower and brush her teeth. Soon, they were in a relationship, which continued till Presely's death in 1977. He started again asking for more medication to help him get back to sleep whenever he woke up. Ginger Alden knew Elvis Presley during what turned out to be the final months of the superstar's life. Elvis grabbed a bottle of Gatorade and threw it against the wall. To say she took a shower first before finding him and then blaming her is odd to me. Surface Studio vs iMac - Which Should You Pick? ElvisPresley, the famed and beloved King of Rock and Roll, died in Memphis, Tennessee on August 16, 1977 at the age of 42. After all, he and Ginger were engaged to be married or were they really? Did anyone ever ask this young girl how she was dealing with what she witnessed and saw? She had a role in a film called Living Legend: The King of Rock and Roll (1980), which was about a fictional music superstar named Eli Caulfield whose off-the-charts popularity and prescription medication abuse echoed that of Presley. 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