Elvis Presley, hailed as the most influential cultural icon of the 20th century by renowned composer Leonard Bernstein, has left an indelible mark on the world of music.

With an impressive record of 108 Billboard Hot 100 hits, 129 chart-topping albums, and a cumulative 67 weeks at the pinnacle of the music charts, Elvis’s legacy remains unparalleled even 45 years after his untimely demise.

As anticipation builds for Baz Luhrman’s forthcoming biopic “Elvis,” featuring Austin Butler and Tom Hanks and set to release on June 24, it’s a fitting time to revisit the tragic conclusion of the rock legend’s life.

Elvis Aron Presley, born in Tupelo, Mississippi on January 8, 1935, rose to global stardom before meeting his end at his legendary Memphis estate, Graceland, on August 16, 1977, at the age of 42.

On that fateful day, Elvis was discovered unconscious in the master suite bathroom by his girlfriend, Ginger Alden.

Rushed to Baptist Memorial Hospital, all efforts to resuscitate him proved futile, and he was declared dead at 3:30 pm.

While the official cause of Elvis’s passing was attributed to heart failure, it was intricately linked to his extensive history of substance abuse, particularly drugs.

Elvis, like many of his peers in the entertainment industry during that era, heavily relied on various prescription medications such as opiates, barbiturates, and sedatives.

Posthumous toxicology reports revealed elevated levels of potent opiates like Dilaudid, Percodan, and Demerol, alongside Quaaludes and codeine in the singer’s system.

In the aftermath of his death, Elvis’s personal physician, Dr. George Nichopoulos, also known as “Dr. Nick,” faced scrutiny for his role in enabling the star’s drug dependency.

Dr. Nick, who had been attending to Elvis since 1967, had his medical license suspended for three months in 1980 due to indiscriminate prescribing practices.

The controversy surrounding Elvis’s demise stems from the initial narrative presented by his family and medical examiners.

Following his demise, the Presley family commissioned a private autopsy, with the official cause of death being cited as a cardiac issue unrelated to drugs by Tennessee’s Chief Medical Examiner Jerry Francisco.

However, dissenting opinions emerged from other pathologists involved in the autopsy, suggesting that Elvis’s death was a result of a lethal mixture of prescription drugs.

Despite several attempts to unseal the autopsy findings over the years, the complete details remain shrouded in secrecy.

Notably, just prior to Elvis’s passing, a revelatory book titled “Elvis: What Happened?”

penned by Steve Dunleavy, featuring accounts from the star’s former bodyguards, surfaced.

The book detailed Elvis’s drug habits and controversial lifestyle, sparking widespread debate and speculation.

It took nearly two years post-Elvis’s demise for the public to seriously consider the potential link between his drug use and tragic demise.

The enigma surrounding the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s death continues to intrigue and captivate fans and critics alike, underscoring the complex legacy of a music legend.