Elvis’ Friend Had to Be ‘Careful Not to Embarrass Him’ When Talking About His Declining Health

Elvis Presley’s friend, Jerry Schilling, received a frightening phone call from the musician. As a result, Schilling decided he needed to talk to Elvis about his health. He knew that he had to be careful during this conversation, though. Elvis did not react well when he felt that someone was trying to embarrass him.

Elvis Presley’s friend said he had to be careful how he talked to the musician

Schilling visited Elvis in Las Vegas at the end of 1974. He wanted to deliver a progress report on a karate film Elvis was working on but ended up walking away with an alarming understanding of Elvis’ health. 

Elvis had been staying in his doctor’s home, but he contacted Schilling when something went wrong. In the middle of the night, he called Schilling to say he couldn’t walk.

The following day, Elvis seemed better and was pedaling on an exercise bike when Schilling came to see him. He wanted to talk honestly with Elvis about his health, but he knew he had to tread carefully. Elvis did not react well when he felt embarrassed.

“I said, ‘All I know, Elvis, is you’ve been here, you’ve been in bed for a month [all told], and you’re not doing anything or having any fun. I mean, it was pretty sad last night —'” Schilling told him, per the book Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley by Peter Guralnick. “I had to be very careful not to embarrass him. ‘All I know is, when we were back in Memphis last year, after you got out of the hospital, you were eating right and looking and feeling good, and we were really having fun.'”

While Elvis didn’t lash out, Schilling did not walk away from the conversation confident his words resonated with him.

Elvis Presley’s friend faced his wrath for talking to his doctor

Schilling knew he had to be careful with his words because Elvis had yelled at him when he first came in. The night before, Schilling said he “really blew up” at Elvis’ doctor for allowing him to get to this state under his care.

When Schilling visited the next day, Elvis shouted at him for saying something to the doctor.

“Well, I go out there the next day, and Elvis is out of bed, he’s on the exercise bike, and he is pissed,” Schilling said. “It’s just me and Charlie there, and he knows — he knew I had a temper, not that he was afraid of it, but he just keeps looking at Charlie and saying, ‘Goddamnit, when you f***ing guys get your medical degree, then you can tell my doctors what to do.’ And he — oh, man, he just went on and on. I knew not to say anything.”

Priscilla Presley said people struggled to talk to Elvis about his drug use

Schilling gently told Elvis about his concern, but many people were too afraid to do this. According to Priscilla Presley, everyone worried about Elvis’ drug use, but they feared facing his wrath by saying something. 

“People go, ‘Well, why didn’t anyone do anything?'” Priscilla told People. “Well, that’s not true. People there in the inner group did, but you did not tell Elvis Presley what to do … They would try and no way. He knew what he was doing.”

How to get help: In the U.S., contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration helpline at 1-800-662-4357.