Suspicious Mind - Elvis Presley
Before the world was stunned by news that Elvis Presley had died on August 16, 1977, a Memphis, Tennessee emergency room intern heard a hospital"s chief resident pronounce the tragic news.
The resident"s pronouncement came after Jerry DeVane, then an acting intern at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis, worked in vain to give Presley chest compressions in an attempt to resuscitate him.
DeVane, now of Cleveland, recalled that hectic scene on the 39th anniversary of Presley"s death. This somber anniversary always prompts fans to flock to Memphis to remember the King of Rock n" Roll"s life and legacy.
In an interview with WTVC News in Chattanooga, DeVane said he had grown up in a town called Whitehaven, near Presley"s famous home, Graceland.
Elvis Whitney lights his candle during Graceland"s Elvis Candelight Vigil on Monday, Aug. 15, 2016 in Memphis, Tenn. (Nikki Boertman /The Commercial Appeal via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT (Nikki Boertman)
DeVane said he was just ending his shift when he heard the call for a code in the emergency room. "When I entered the room it was absolutely packed with people," he said.
No one said the singer"s name; DeVane just knew he needed to act quickly.
"I kind of marched my way around the corner of the room and got to the other side of the gentleman who was doing CPR on Elvis," he said. "I didn"t know that at the time, and he seemed to be tiring so I asked him if I could take over for him."
As DeVane continued with the chest compressions he noticed an unusual piece of jewelry around the patient"s neck.
"The gold chain had the letters TCB on it with a lightening bolt."
It was Elvis" trademark insignia, which stood for "Taking Care of Business in a Flash."
DeVane also recalled the chief resident asking questions of the paramedics who had brought him in. When he asked where they had picked him up, the paramedics gave him a strange look and said, "Well, on Elvis Presley Boulevard."
DeVane said, "That"s when it kind of sunk in fully that we were resuscitating Elvis."
But after an hour, it was clear that "The King" was gone, DeVane said.
Presley was 42. The cause of his death remains in question, with the main suspects being an enlarged heart, a heart arrhythmia or a drug habit.
Martha Ross provides celebrity commentary for the Bay Area News Group. Follow her at twitter.com/marthajross.
Source: http://www.mercurynews.com/celebrities/ci_30259077/elvis-presleys-er-doctor-trying-but-failing-save
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