As the years go by, the deaths of some entertainment icons still attract the most curious, not least because, in many cases, life and even disappearance are surrounded by mysteries and “loose ends”. Elvis Presley, one of the most important cultural icons of the 20th century, who died in 1977, at the age of 42, is one such case.

To this day, the cause of the King of the Rock’s death is the subject of controversy and conspiracy theories. The most widespread conclusion is that the singer died of sudden arrhythmia caused by a drug overdose. In fact, the day after his death, the New York Times spoke with coroner Dr. Jerry Francisco, who examined the body for about two hours and stated that preliminary analyzes had already indicated this as the cause of death.

However, almost 45 years later, a new theory emerged that opposes the general hypothesis that the singer’s health problems are caused by his drug addiction. The theory appears in an autobiography titled Elvis: Destined to Die Young. According to author, journalist, historian and also a fan of Presley, Sally Howey, the rock ‘n’ roll star was destined to die because she had inherited several genetic diseases on her mother’s side – Elvis’ grandparents were her direct cousins. Therefore, according to the new book, the death of Elvis Presley will be connected, after all, with the treatment of congenital diseases that he suffered.

In an interview with Sally Hoyd in the British newspaper The Observer, the writer confirmed that three of Elvis Presley’s uncles died at an early age and that the singer’s mother, Gladys, died at the age of 46 (only four years older than her son).

“They went through a similar four-year period of degenerative health, which is interesting because she didn’t take the same medication,” Hoede explained. In the same interview, the writer admitted that she began studying Elvis Presley’s clinical history to “clean up the image of the artist.” “It is not enough to say that a man who changed our cultural world died of an overdose. It is neither accurate nor enough. Elvis was a sick man who hid many of his weaknesses to fill concert halls and provide for his family. By examining your flaws and health problems, perhaps we can begin to see Your humanity again,” the writer said, explaining that Presley suffered from illnesses in nine of the eleven body systems.