Sadness Around Elvis

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One often wonders how iconic, and very famous people tend to have such tragic and short lives. On the one hand you would think, "They've got it all. Money, fame—pretty much anything they want." How could that be possible? I write this as I think about the life of Elvis Presley, short as it was. I remember having visited Graceland a few years ago and while it was an interesting experience, I also felt it was a sad one. I mean, here was this guy who had it all, who died in his bathroom at the age of 42. But he was a shell of his former self. He was run down and tired, and he was on a very self-destructive path. At just 42, passing him on the street, one might have thought he was considerably older than he was when he passed. But he did love Graceland, even saying once in an interview that he would never leave there. For him it was his world. His paradise. It was where he could just be Elvis and not have to necessarily be Elvis Presley. I think part of what did him in, and what does in a lot of people like him, was the isolation. And frankly, a deep sense of loneliness despite being surrounded by people who adored him. But even among his closest people, how many really admired him as the person and how many just wanted to be in his presence and enjoy his money? One could easily say that perhaps Elvis was the most beloved loneliest person in the world. Perhaps in an odd way his dying young forever sealed his place in history. His health was in deep decline. He was overweight. His singing voice was not what it was. And his star was dying. Had Elvis lived, and not died, it is a wonder if we would still be talking about him today in the same way we do now. Perhaps his legend would not have outlived him. Perhaps he would simply be "someone who once made great music," but not see him as The King of Rock 'N Roll.