date:1973
subject: Ugly Elvis

Elvis: Elvis Presley ugly! Lord! That would be a crime-against mankind. I'm not that damn good looking-you know, I get so sick of that. I wish I had something to make me more-more out-standing, like a scar or something. Or some kind of special nose like a real Italian nose or something. Instead of just classic profile looks. I mean, I got nothing outstanding about my face. It is just-just like-like a statue-nothing!

Wanda: And your blind too!

Elvis: Blind? What do you mean by that? Blind?

Wanda: You just can't see yourself as others do-if you did you'd understand.

Elvis: I guess so.

I AM A BIG ELVIS FAN AND HE IS NOT ULGY. HE HAS ALOT OF GOOD SONGS AND HAS A SEXEY SMILE.
KATHY

Hi Kathy,

Nope, he was certainly NOT ugly! And that cute grin and of course, devasting smile! And the voice- well, what wasn't "damn fine" about him! It's nice though that he was a little bit modest about his good looks-huh? He knew he was good looking-he just didn't see himself as the world did and that is probably a good thing.

Welcome to ELC-don't think we have any other Kathy yet! Hope you come back and read through everything-Maia has such a wonderful website going here-and everyone joins in discussions and topics are plentiful.
Wjh

I read in one book where Elvis had cosmetic eye surgery toward the end of his life, ’76 or ’77, in which he had some kind of skin tightening done around the eye or maybe the eyelid area. I wonder why he would think he ever needed to do anything to those beautiful eyes of his. Must have still had some insecurities, or as you say he just didn't see himself the way the world did.

i've heard that too and i agree, he didn't need it. also heard he had a nose job. i don't quite believe that because when look at pictures his nose looks exactly the same.

Hi, I agree he didn't need cosmetic surgery and he said he never had his nose fixed-just his front teeth that were capped way back in 1955. He had a chipped front tooth, top and they made his smile "purty" he said jokingly.
I have a theory about the "cosmetic surgery"- about the same time as they were saying he was doing some kind of "sleep dieting thing" and was having big towels "pinned on like diapers" because he was sleeping round the clock etc:... he had been in the hospital and sometimes without any public knowledge he was there too. Sometimes his "good buddies" who talked, were not aware of it. I think that Elvis may have had some kind of "emergency" surgery involving his colon- thus he would have been kept "sedated and would have a need for diapers" because that kind of surgery requires sedation and pain killer and the colon is "kept silent" which means it isn't constricting etc: as normal ones do
on a contineous basis. People who have intestional surgery are in great pain-they need heavy drugs. I think that Elvis did have-probably against his will as he was not going to do it and refused to talk about it or think about it-he was either one who was afraid of surgery or he was afraid of his fans finding out he had this "weakness" as it's not a popular topic- and maybe he had both fears-whatever he was said to have refused to talk about it or listen to anyone saying he needed it.
Anyway, at that same time he was "holed up in his room" and no one was allowed in except his doctors and one or two "solid friends"-Charlie was one of those. So now, his father is gone, Charlie is gone and no one else is talking-if they knew anything. I think they might have been told he had his eyes done-he would have said that willingly-I couldn't see any difference in how he looked-so I don't believe that at all. He had doctors going up to his room at the time he was "holed up" too. Now, there is no way to prove any of this-no one is talking. And yet there is much out there from people who were with him who say he had the problem-severely at times. And it probably contributed to his death-it also would explain why he had been prescribed pain killers and heavy medication at one time- He was not on them when he died. The toxicology reports say that-he had only the medication he was supposed to be taking for the problems he had. Now, the colon surgery was not 100% that it would help-it only would extend his life a while- that's why he was dead against it too-why go through something like that if it wasn't gong to fix the probelm? That's what he said... And I agreed with him.
I wouldn't have done it either-it was painful, it was messy and it would have after affects that he didn't want to have to live with any time. He was embarrased and he sure didn't want his fans to know. He also did not want them to know how sick he really was -he wanted to perform for as long as he could-then just quit when he had to- so that's my theory. It explains quite a bit and yet it's like a secret or something- I guess because of where they all came from-the Presley's I mean, and how Elvis felt about the whole thing. He had problems with his "guts" from birth- was nervous inside out he joked-and yet he went out and did what he did-he put alot into those 42 years- He said he had the best of everything-from the day he was born and he owed it all to God's hand upon his life- and "my fans, bless their little hearts."wjh

wow, thanx Wanda! your theory totally make sense. I always suspected that it have been a cover up. I am a young fan (23 years old) and i don’t read much books on Elvis because I never know what’s true or not. But the little I have read has giving me a feeling of a puzzle that a piece of it is missing. That’s why I’m looking forward to read your book.

I think if Elvis’ illnesses were known and he had chosen to go trough a surgery or any kind of treatment the world would experience a phenomenal it never have. Imagine, every true fan praying, sending flowers and gifts or offering every kind of help they possibly could, JUST TO SHOW HIM WE CARE AND THAT HE IS NOT ALONE! I can just picture it!

Love, maral

why his life had to be so painful:( ..it was too short already. .ok,ok! I won't start again..well, he had a right not to want the surgery if recovery wasn't guarantied..and God! he even didn't have time for a proper treatment for his illnesses so he let it go till the last day..if only he'd known that we would have wait for him till he got better ..maybe he knew,maybe he knew more than this ..

I am sure that he did. One thing about him that may have been too serious in his make up was he did what he wanted to do-and he refused to do some things when maybe he should have... He was stuborn and headstrong in some ways and maybe it was because so often he had no control over his career-he chose to have full control over his personal life-as much as he could when he could... and he trusted doctors because they were like "gods" to many poor people who couldn't afford medical care back when he was growing up. We can't begin to say what he really thought- it's just a guess and based on what appeared to be going on. Like I said, my theory... that's all. It sure would explain a lot of things if some body would step up and say for sure but I wouldn't count on that... it's like much more intriguing to "guess" and keep the "fire hot" wondering.
Publicity is whatever gets something to appeal to the majority of the public- usually it's sensational and "bad"
even Elvis learned that...early on in his career. I am very anxious for the book to get out-I didn't say much about my "theory" in it- I keep hoping for more proof of some kind - and maybe when Face to Face gets finished I'll find some from someone who can be specific and verify more facts. It would seem likely since people are getting older who were around then and may want to come "clean"? wjh

Thanks, Wanda, for your clarification re the cosmetic eye surgery. I remember trying to see if there was a difference with his eyes, and now I know why it was so hard to detect. Probably was never done. Make sense that it was likely a cover for his more serious colon troubles.

I was thinking if only there was a way to get Elvis’ medical records released to the public, this could put an end to many of the lies. Of course, I think that would take some kind of authorization, from Lisa I suppose, and I don’t know how much she is aware of what really happened with regard to his health issues. I’m sure Elvis would not have burdened her, & as she was so young when he died, I wonder if she even knows now. One would think if she did, she would want the truth to get out.

I don't know anything for sure about any of that-and I think maybe the fact that there are so many stories out there, it could be she wouldn't want to stir up any more and if he wanted it secret (what ever it was) she would continue his wishes. It may seem odd to us, but I'm sure there's good reason. As I said, it's a theory and not fact as yet... His records were sealed for years-50 I heard but don't know that either, for sure. There has to be some good reason that the court accepted and at the request of his father. That too would be to continue Elvis' wishes, I think. It just seems to explain so much but then Elvis once commented to someone other than me-People can make anything out of nothing-and do for the sake of what ever they get from it. And that's right on. He sure had plenty of things said about him- based on little of nothing other than at the time, it was made into something! I believed him when he said he wasn't trying to be anything sexual on stage-it wasn't like that he said, he was just trying to get them to have fun and to, he liked them to squeal and carry on because then he knew they liked him and what he was trying to do- which was entertain them, get them excited and happy and enjoying being there. It wasn't to make them into some kind of sexual freaks or as he put it "nothin' like that, lord! Just wanted to make 'em remember me."wjh
wjh

Our friend who has her story in the book, spent quite a bit of time talking with him about his problems health wise. She had specailist training and worked in a medical office as an assistant to a heart specialist. He consulted with her about many things, prescription drugs, side affects, what went with what and what affects on his other conditions. She knew he was having kidney problems, insulin ups and downs, liver trouble from using drugs mainly Dexies and sleeping pills but at that time the medical profession did not know what kind of side affects long term use would have-and considered them safe-I mean the Army doled them out in large amounts...and expected their guys to use them for long tours of duty and in battle as well...to stay alert and to rest when they had a chance. Elvis was not different-he just had an addictive personality and he liked staying up nights, working days and even spending two or three days not sleeping when he was vacationing etc:. He was different in that he was a kid, doing all the things he never got to do because he was too busy working as he grew up. So when he had the chance, he did it all as fast as he could-maybe because deep down somewhere he knew he didn't have that much time-so he used what he had and did everything he ever dreamed about...and more. Anyway, Rochel knows a lot about his health and she isn't one to talk-it was private information-but she said he wanted her to tell him how long he had to live one of the last times he called and of course she didn't have that information-only that it wouldn't be very long if he wasn't very careful and didn't over work himself to the point of making things worse. She was concerned mainly for his heart because he told her where he hurt in the middle of his back and to the center of his chest and that sometimes he had to lie down or fall down as it felt as though all the blood drained out of his head...and he told her his heart was beating so hard and so loud he didn't know why it didn't pick up on the microphones at times. And that he was sitting down on stage because if he didn't sit he'd pass out or something. He wanted to have two or three places to sit-at each side and in the middle in case he had one of those "spells" on stage and needed to sit down quickly but the Hilton couldn't or wouldn't let him have but one chair on stage at a time!!!
He was pissed she said and wasn't going to work there any more-and said to hell with Baron and his cronies.
She told him he needed to have his heart checked out by a heart specialist and he said that he would and was going to get an apointment...that was in 77. I don't think he ever did but he might have since he was seeing some specialists incognito....wjh

Another reason Elvis wouldn't want his fans to know that he was seriously ill, had they found out, he would have never been able to get out of his house again-he would have been so mobbed by people trying to see him, thinking they might never see him alive again-it would have been impossible for him to work, perform anywhere or even leave his house! And that's the truth-look how they mobbed his place when he died-it was just that, thousands of people drove, flew and rode busses just to come there then-and they still come there-Had the world know that he was that bad and might be dying, good grief, the tide of people coming to Memphis would have tilted the earth on it's axis for sure!
He knew that-he said people were worried if they heard he had a "hangnail" and he sure didn't ever want them to think he was really sick or something. He said that when he had his tooth removed from a lung-he inhaled it doing something on a film and they sedated him, took it out and he was fine-but he had some kind of emergency event during sedation -probably alergic to something they gave him-and he "went to Heaven and saw his momma" he said and he didn't want to come back...but he did-he said she told him he "had to return and said she would come for me when it was time". He also said his collie dog Babet or something like that, was there and he heard and then felt and then saw her racing to him and she put her paws on his chest. So he knew his pets would be there when it was his time. I so loved it when he said that because I always believed they would be and I know, it's true. wjh

Yes. I often dream about my deceased pets and my wolf on the Other Side comes to me --- I can feel her presence. Also my german shepherd.


Maia with Shekinah - wolf, in 1999

This happened during the filming of Jailhouse Rock when his mother was very much alive. Maybe it was another incident later in life.