08 January 2015, The Tablet

‘I want to find God’


 
The life of Elvis Presley is a tragic rags-to-riches story. The singer, who would have been 80 this week, delighted millions with his music but his wealth did not bring fulfilment. He remained a spiritual seeker to the end It’s June 1977 and Elvis Presley is preparing for his last ever movie. The cameras will film him in concert. The reality, however, is a million miles from Hollywood. He looks, and feels, terrible. Within two months he will be dead. Despite a cataclysmic crash-diet, he weighs 18 stone. His face is haggard and haunted. His body swims with painkillers and tranquillisers. On stage, he has started forgetting the words to his songs. Just before the cameras start rolling, a figure steals over to him from the entourage and quickly applies a touch of dye to the famous sid
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