Elvis Presley - Elvis Presley Live (2000)

48 years have passed, but theories are still circulating: did Elvis Presley die or was he just cleverly absorbed?

In 1977, the whole world mourned the King, but his story has not ended since then. The rumors and legends surrounding Elvis Presley are as vivid as if it had all happened yesterday.

On August 16, 1977, Elvis Presley was found in his own bathroom at Graceland. Officially, his death was caused by cardiac arrest, which was also aggravated by the effects of drugs.

What is the truth about Elvis Presley's death?

Witnesses, doctors and the autopsy report all confirmed the tragedy, but the next day the first "evidence" was born that he might not have died.

01. Jon Burrows: Elvis Presley turned up at the airport
According to the theory, a man checked in at Memphis airport on a plane to Buenos Aires under the name Jon Burrows. Which caused a stir because Elvis himself had used this alias before, for example when booking hotel rooms. Of course, the story was never officially confirmed, but fans have since considered it one of their favorite tricks.

02. FBI and the Mafia
This theory is almost like a novel. According to Gail Brewer-Giorgio's 1988 book Is Elvis Alive?, Elvis helped the FBI infiltrate a criminal organization called "The Fraternity." According to the story, his death was staged as part of the witness protection program to save his life.
In an interview with TIME, Brewer-Giorgio said:

Elvis faked his death because they wanted to kill him, and there was no doubt about it.
But in the 760 federal files created on Elvis, there is no mention of him helping the FBI in any way. In fact, the FBI never investigated Presley. However, a file was created in his name, which is why he became the target of numerous blackmail attempts.

Nevertheless, this is the most well-known conspiracy theory related to the name and death of Elvis Presley.

Numerous Elvis sightings have been recorded, even years after the singer's death.

03. Kalamazoo and the Burger King Elvis Presley
In the 1980s, a Michigan woman claimed to have seen Elvis at a Burger King. He was wearing jeans, a baseball cap, and he supposedly looked eerily like the King. The news made the local papers, and the myth of the "Kalamazoo Elvis" was born. The evidence? A single eyewitness account, but even that was enough to give the legend new strength.

What could be the explanation for the Elvis sightings that have become a byword?
The simplest and most obvious explanation is that fans were unwilling to accept the death of Elvis Presley, one of the world’s greatest stage icons. Grief, nostalgia, and pop culture’s penchant for the fabrication of legends and conspiracy theories all combined to create the narrative of Elvis sightings. And the media, of course, reinforced this: books, documentaries, and TV shows continued to perpetuate the myth.

While some of the theories have surprisingly—and entertainingly—creative logic, official records, medical reports, and eyewitness accounts all confirm that Elvis Presley died in 1977. What lives on is his music, his style, his moves, and his impact on pop culture and the world at large.