This Day in History:
Elvis Presley Dies.
August 16, 1977.
Found unconscious at his
Graceland estate, the "King of
Rock and Roll" was rushed to a
hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Presley's death was ruled
a heart attack. His addiction
to barbiturates is thought
to have contributed.
He was 42.
Elvis was 19 when he
recorded his first songs,
a present to his mother.
With his movie star looks
and soulful voice, it didn't
take long before an RCA record
contract turned Elvis into a national obsession.
In addition to
dominating the charts in
the late 1950s, Elvis made
27 musical films in the 1960s.
His final hit during his
lifetime came in 1972,
with "Burning Love."