Elvis Leaves the Room
(August 16, 1977)He was the first and perhaps the greatest rock-and-roll star of all time. When the King of Rock and Roll passed away at age 42, bloated, in ill health and addicted to prescription drugs, he broke the hearts of millions who considered “Hound Dog,” “Heartbreak Hotel” and “Blue Suede Shoes” living anthems to teen-age longing and angst. The death of the legend “was a national punch in the gut,” says journalist Alanna Nash. “He seemed destined to live forever, so his mortality was a reminder of our own."
