Kaylah Walton
Carol Connors reveals her belief that the death of the iconic musician Elvis Presley was entirely avoidable.
Reflecting on her relationship with Elvis, Connors indicates that his struggles with drug abuse and health issues could have been different had he accepted a role in the 1975 film A Star Is Born alongside Barbra Streisand.
The opportunity in the film was turned down due to disagreements between Colonel Tom Parker and Streisand, a decision that Connors believes could have altered the course of Elvis’s life.
Detailing her experiences in her book, Elvis, Rocky & Me, Connors sheds light on her Hollywood journey, starting from being discovered by producer Phil Spector as a teenager and gaining recognition as a skilled musician and songwriter.
Challenges faced by Elvis
Within her memoir, Connors delves into the significant challenges that Elvis encountered, including his escalating reliance on opiates and the overwhelming pressures of stardom.
She highlights the failure of those around him to steer him towards professional assistance, suggesting that had Elvis embraced the role in A Star Is Born, the change in his career trajectory might have offered him the stability and purpose necessary to confront his personal demons.
Recalling a conversation near the end of Elvis’s life at the International Hotel in Las Vegas, Connors expressed her conviction that had he taken the role in A Star Is Born, it could have averted his tragic demise.
Elvis Presley tragically passed away on August 16, 1977, at his Graceland residence, with a heart attack attributed to a probable blocked bowel being cited as the cause of death.
