Elvis Presley had a very humble beginning before becoming one of the greatest names in the Rock ‘n’ Roll genre. The singer started gaining popularity when he released his debut album in 1956 and bagged the No. 1 spot with his single “Heartbreak Hotel.”
The star died at the age of 42 due to heart failure connected to his repeated drug use throughout his career. Since Presley passed away, he has remained one of the world’s most noted music icons.
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While alive, the singer had a tradition of commemorating New Year’s Eve with large or small-scale events on his well-known Graceland estate. This was due to the proximity the day had with his January 8 birthday. While the music legend celebrated each New Year’s Eve differently, the one before his death, Presley celebrated in a different albeit memorable way.
How Presley Marked The New Year’s Eve Before His Death
A year before he died, the music legend was on tour during New Year’s Eve and commemorated it with his fans. Eight months before Presley died, the singer came on stage in the Civic Center Arena in Pittsburgh and started his performance. The singer started his show just 30 minutes to the new year and crossed over to the next year with his fans.
According to Britannica, Presley spent the last few months of his life on his Graceland estate, living secluded. The artist apparently lived nocturnally and maintained a poor diet of barely any food and various prescription drugs he was addicted to.
Besides the few times Presley came out to perform, he continued to avoid the public’s attention until his death in August 1977. Presley was found on the ground of the mansion’s bathroom after a heart attack.
Reports claim that his thirst for prescription barbiturates caused the heart attack. The Rock’ n’ Roll king was buried beside his mother, Gladys, and his twin Jesse on the estate grounds.
Presley Mainly Spent His New Year’s Eve On His Graceland Estate
Although Presley did a lot of traveling for shows and the like, the artist always made sure to be at home in his beloved Graceland estate in Memphis during New Year’s.
According to The Elvis History Blog, his new year celebrations weren’t always big but were usually celebrated according to how the star was feeling at the time.
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Besides being in his home most holidays, he didn’t spend much time at home. While in the military service in 1958 in Germany, the singer celebrated New Year’s Eve with the soldiers he met. Not much was different the next year; Presley reportedly spent his holiday with his ex-wife, Priscilla Beaulieu, after meeting her the year before in September.
Presley’s Held Parties Every New Year’s Eve
According to The Elvis History Blog, Presley once rented out a club in Memphis for a party that around 200 people attended. He held several large-scale parties in places like Thunderbird Lounge and T.J’s club from the 1960s till 1970.
Besides his parties, the singer once rented out The Memphis Theater because he and his friends and ex-wife wanted to see movies together into the new year. He also had other parties in his Graceland home.
After getting married in 1967, the Rock ‘n’ Roll star became a father in 1968 when Procillia gave birth to Lisa Marie. The couple, however, didn’t last so long together and got divorced in 1973. That decade marked the final dregs of his glory days.
The artist stopped appearing in movies and even turning up in the studio. His last No. 1 song was in 1969 called “Suspicious Minds,” while “Burning love” made it to the Top Ten list in 1972.
Presley Was Always Extra When Celebrating Christmas
According to the star’s cousin, Presley’s love for holidays wasn’t limited to only New Year’s Eve. A recent video by his cousin, Billy, revealed that the star was also very involved in the Christmas celebration.
Before Presley bought his Graceland home, Christmas was already a really special time for his family. So it’s not surprising that the star went all out when preparing for the holiday. Billy, who was only a teenager then, described the time as overwhelming and “magical.”
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He said, “In 1957, he had it decorated, his first Christmas. I’d never seen anything like that. Christmas at Graceland was magical. To be 14 years old and see all this was, golly, just an extraordinary feeling.”
He added that it was always delightful, and they usually followed a routine. “It was always a lot of fun. Most of the time, we had certain routines, opening presents, get into our fireworks battles. Several times he tried to burn the office down or blow up my car or something.”
