Elvis Presley’s Cousin Responds to Lingering Rumors About His Death Being a Hoax
Rumors regarding Elvis Presley‘s death have surrounded the singer since 1977 when the king of rock and roll was found unresponsive in his Graceland bathroom. His cousin Danny Smith, who hosts a YouTube series discussing his life with Elvis, responded to lingering rumors about the entertainer’s death being a hoax in a new upload.
How does Elvis Presley’s family feel about death hoax rumors?
Elvis Presley’s family has had to dodge rumors that the king of rock and roll’s death was a hoax for the past 46 years. His cousin, Danny Smith, responded to a viewer question regarding these claims. Here’s what he had to say about it on his Memphis Mafia Kid YouTube channel.
“I understand how people loved Elvis and want to hang onto him,” Smith began. “I personally know that Elvis Presley passed away on Aug. 16, 1977.” He continued, “I wish to God it wasn’t that way.”
When Elvis died, Danny was 14 and lived on the Graceland property with his father, Billy Smith. The family lived there until the early 1980s.
What was it like living at Graceland? Danny Smith reveals the truth
Along with his family, Danny Smith was one of the few Presley family members who lived full-time at Graceland. His father, Billy Smith, was Elvis Presley’s cousin by way of his mother, Gladys, whose brother was Billy’s father, Vester.
Danny discussed living at Graceland with the Spa Guy via Express. “It’s so hard to put into words. It was almost like living at Disney World,” he shared of living at Elvis Presley’s Memphis, TN mansion.
“We had everything we wanted. Golf carts to ride, snowmobiles, and of course, the swimming pool and the grounds and horses,” he said.
He continued, “He [Elvis] had a huge heart. I wanted to be like one of the guys [the Memphis Mafia].”
Why did Danny Smith and his family leave Graceland?
In a video for his Memphis Mafia Kid channel uploaded in 2018, Danny Smith and his father, Billy Smith, answered fan questions regarding their lives with Elvis Presley. They discussed why they eventually left the Graceland property.
Billy explained, “We were security for the gravesite [Graceland’s Meditation Garden]. At the time, I was having a whole series of problems. Elvis had just died, and me and Jo, my wife, it bothered us really bad.”
He continued, “I got depressed, and every time I walked by Graceland, it just got more than I could handle. It did.”
“Eventually, I decided it would be best to leave Graceland altogether, so we did. But before we left, I went to the office to talk to Vernon to tell him that living and working there was a little more than I could take,” Billy revealed.
He explained that he told Vernon he was leaving and returning to work on the railroad. The family left Graceland on good terms, disputing longstanding rumors that Vernon threw the Smith family out of Elvis’ home.
Elvis Presley’s Graceland home was opened up to the public in 1982. It has since become the second most visited home in the United States, behind the White House.
