Elvis Presley, the legendary music maker, delighted fans with his original best-selling hits like “Hound Dog” and “Jailhouse Rock,” blending country, rhythm and blues, and rock ‘n’ roll. His unique sound and charisma earned him a dedicated fan base.
During the 1950s, Presley was a cultural icon in both the music and television industries, pioneering youth music alongside artists like Patsy Cline and Ray Charles.
Unfortunately, in the months leading up to his sudden death on Aug. 16, 1977, Presley reportedly experienced a lot of pain.
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Elvis Presley died on Aug. 16, 1977, at his home in Memphis, Tennessee. (Photo by Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images)
“He was really heavy,” Ted Pryor, author and former bodyguard for Presley, told Fox News Digital.
“Elvis was at a point where he was so heavy he didn’t like to be touched, because he was constantly perspiring and hot,” he said.
Pryor, a super middleweight kickboxing champion, was hired to Presley’s team because of his world champion status.
“Elvis, when he was younger in the service, he learned a little bit of martial arts, and he was infatuated with it,” Pryor said. “Getting to bodyguard for ‘the King’ was pretty exciting for me.”
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Ted Pryor recently published a book titled “Three-Time World Champ: The Death-Defying True Story of a Kickboxer Turned Drug Smuggler . . . Turned Business Icon” where he goes into more detail about his time working for Elvis Presley. (Jack Randall; Getty Images)
Pryor and his friend Joe were training Florida law enforcement, FBI, and DEA personnel on self-defense techniques when they were offered work as bodyguards for Presley’s U.S. tour.
“Unfortunately, no one knew it then, but he was broke,” Pryor revealed. “He had to start touring because his manager had gambled away his money.”
The kickboxing duo traveled across the U.S. with Presley but never internationally.
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Elvis battled a prescription drug addiction and experienced weight gain in the years before his death in 1977. (Getty Images)
“Elvis never traveled outside of the United States,” Pryor shared. “His manager kept him in the U.S. due to a gambling problem.”
Despite his weight gain, women continued to flock to Presley’s performances, maneuvering through crowds to get closer to the stage.
“The women used to rush the stage,” Pryor recalled. “We would have to use takedown techniques to control them and remove them from the area.”
Pryor revealed that at times, women even tried to harm the bodyguards, with one using a scarf from Presley to choke Pryor.
Elvis moved Priscilla Presley into his Graceland home in 1963, and the couple married in 1967 before divorcing in 1973. (Getty Images)
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“She was trying to get to Elvis,” Pryor remembered. “She put it around my neck and started choking me.”
Pryor and Joe continued to stand by Presley on what turned out to be his final tour, until the tragic news of his death shocked the world. Even former President Jimmy Carter publicly addressed Presley’s passing in Memphis.
“It wasn’t a good call,” Pryor reflected. “I think the whole world was shocked when that happened.”
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Elvis and Priscilla shared one child, Lisa Marie Presley, who was born to the couple in February 1968. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Reflect
