# Is Elvis Really dead? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 5, 2002, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-elvis-really-dead/122461 "2002-08-05T19:04:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2002, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-elvis-really-dead/122461/1 "2002-08-05T19:04:16Z")
**Is Elvis really dead?** I ask because in this 25th anniversary of his (supposed) death, he seems to be more alive than ever. I met a guy years back, who insisted that Elvis faked his death, and now lives in Woonsocket, RI. There was a “NATIONAL INQUIRER” article that showed a verty much alive Elvis presly, staring out of the window at Graceland, and the casket (that was soon to be buried) with his mortal remains. The faithful insist that Elvis will come back some day…does anybody know if James van praagh or John Edward has contacted Elvis from the great beyond? I say that Elvis lives on…what’s your take? ---
**Author:** ![SisterCoyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@SisterCoyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SisterCoyote)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2002, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-elvis-really-dead/122461/2 "2002-08-05T19:17:08Z")
“Elvis isn’t dead…he just went home.” He’s dead. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2002, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-elvis-really-dead/122461/3 "2002-08-05T19:39:57Z")
Dead? No. But he’s not at all well. ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2002, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-elvis-really-dead/122461/4 "2002-08-05T19:50:32Z")
…and he’s all shook up about it. ---
**Author:** ![Tars\_Tarkas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tars\_Tarkas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tars_Tarkas)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2002, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-elvis-really-dead/122461/5 "2002-08-05T20:38:01Z")
Kaor. Elvis is alive and well. I know because us Martians stole him and he performs nightly at our Great Hall. Long Live Thark!!! ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2002, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-elvis-really-dead/122461/6 "2002-08-05T21:04:15Z")
Not only is he not dead, he NEVER EXISTED! “Elvis Presley” was a creation of the CIA to infiltrate the popular music industry and brainwash America’s youth into following their ultra-right wing agenda. They believed that rock and roll would bridge the apparent cultural schism between popular music fans on one side and Classical music fans on the other. So, before rock and roll could really start developing as a transcendent musical form, building on the entire continuum of earlier music, the government, believing that maintaining a chaotic status quo would be to the benefit of an enlarged armed forces, developed it’s own “rock star” to throw the inevitable evolutionary time table of contemporary music off track. A poor truck driver with a decent singing voice was selected from the army (you think his “induction” was real?), groomed, and paired with a retired colonel who would oversee the entire operation. ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2002, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-elvis-really-dead/122461/7 "2002-08-05T21:09:08Z")
Do you really believe that had he been alive, he’d have allowed Lisa Marie to marry Michael Jackson? sheesh. yes, he died in 77, just like they said. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2002, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-elvis-really-dead/122461/8 "2002-08-05T22:58:58Z")
He’s not dead. He just smells that way. ---
**Author:** ![RexDart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b77776/32.png) [@RexDart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RexDart)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2002, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-elvis-really-dead/122461/9 "2002-08-05T23:08:35Z")
Fun conspiracy mini-rant, **photopat**. I think the right-wing would have been pretty disappointed by songs like “In the Ghetto”, which exhibit a definite sentiment towards solving the cycle of poverty. IMHO, of course… If Elvis shows up alive, I’ll be expecting Andy Kaufman to walk through the door right behind him, or perhaps arm-in-arm. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2002, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-elvis-really-dead/122461/10 "2002-08-05T23:45:04Z")
You are SO right wring! Just the thought of him married to ANYONE gives me the willies! ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2002, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-elvis-really-dead/122461/11 "2002-08-06T00:34:18Z")
Well Rex, that’s why he “died.” The actor playing “Elvis” had started to get into the role too much, (possibly as a result of the combination of drugs and fried banana sandwiches) so the govt. decided it was time to pull the plug. They didn’t kill him though, just pulled him, threatened him a little, then moved him off to work at a Burger King in Des Moines under the name Elbert Preston. He’s still there, in case they need him to “return.” Believe it, or think. ---
**Author:** ![RTA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@RTA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTA)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2002, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-elvis-really-dead/122461/12 "2002-08-06T02:22:27Z")
I heard all those stories about the FBI helping him run away and grow a beard etc. and I don’t buy it. Knowing what we do now about his dietary habits, I’d say he’s dead either way. Sad story though. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2002, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-elvis-really-dead/122461/13 "2002-08-06T05:32:39Z")
I don’t think that was the _National Enquirer_. Sounds like one of the other tabloids. The _Enquirer_ is above that kind of stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Big\_Kahuna\_Burger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Big\_Kahuna\_Burger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Big_Kahuna_Burger)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2002, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-elvis-really-dead/122461/14 "2002-08-06T06:41:54Z")
If he were alive, why would he be in Woonsocket? It’s a poor man’s Framingham fer Pete’s sake. ---
**Author:** ![Banger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@Banger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banger)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2002, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-elvis-really-dead/122461/15 "2002-08-06T07:21:57Z")
Who is Elvis? ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2002, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-elvis-really-dead/122461/16 "2002-08-06T12:51:15Z")
Well I hope he’s dead, cos they’ve buried the bugger. ---
**Author:** ![Mort\_Furd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mort\_Furd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mort_Furd)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2002, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-elvis-really-dead/122461/17 "2002-08-06T14:26:36Z")
No, he’s not dead. I keep in in suspended animation in my deep freeze. My wife and I thaw him out to sing for us on special occasions. We figure if we freeze him again right after use (and don’t over use him,) our great-great-grandkids will still be able to pop him the microwave and listen to him sing some (by then) REAL OLD oldies. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2002, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-elvis-really-dead/122461/18 "2002-08-06T15:45:53Z")
Yes, he lives, in our hearts, and in the inspiration his music and his generous spirit and love of life provides to all who are open to it. But his body is pushing up the magnolias at Graceland. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-elvis-really-dead/122461/19 "2002-08-07T01:25:33Z")
Fried banana sandwiches? ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2002, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-elvis-really-dead/122461/20 "2002-08-07T10:15:02Z")
Din’t ya know? He, Jimmy Dean and Marilyn Monroe own a diner in Victor Iowa. They bought it from Humphrey Bogart. Seriously: The strange Elvis cult has all the signs of a religion in the making. Give it a couple o’ houndred years and he’s the Messiah of the second coming. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-elvis-really-dead/122461.md?page=2)