9 May 1977: Following 13 concerts in as many days, Elvis rested before resuming what would be his last American tour.
20 May: He began a further 14 consecutive shows, in Knoxville, Tennessee (pictured above). Clearly unwell, Elvis used eyedrops to protect himself from the glare of the bright stage lighting. Some 60lb overweight, he was already suffering from an enlarged and twisted colon, high blood pressure, a ravaged liver, shrinking arteries and an enlarged heart. Throughout the tour, he appeared tired – and in one city forgot the words to a song.
29 May: For the first time in his career, Elvis walked off stage – in front of 13,000 people at the Baltimore Civic Centre in Maryland. He returned 30 minutes later, full of apologies, to sing four or five more songs. He told aides he was answering a call of nature.
4 June: As Elvis recovered from the tour, his new American single Way Down was prepared for release in the States.
17 June: Back on the road.
26 June: His final performance, at the Market Square Arena in Indianapolis, Indiana. It lasted for one hour and 17 minutes and ended his tour.
27 June: Elvis returned to Graceland and went into virtual seclusion for a month.
Towards the end of July, he rang his estranged wife, Priscilla, and asked if their nine-year-old daughter, Lisa Marie (pictured at right with Amber Alden), could come and stay with him.
An aide was sent to collect her, and during the last three weeks of his life, Elvis spent nearly every day with her.
7 August: He rented an amusement park and accompanied Lisa from ride to ride. Other children and adults were invited along.
10 August: Elvis hired a theatre, as he often did, and took a group of friends to see an after-midnight showing of the latest James Bond film, The Spy Who Loved Me.
15 August: He rose at 4:00 am and, after breakfast, played with Lisa, who was returning to Priscilla the next day. In the early evening, he called his dentist, Dr Lester Hofman, at home and asked if he and his girlfriend Ginger Alden could see him. An appointment was made for 10:30 pm and Elvis had two fillings.
16 August: By 1:30 am, he was back at Graceland. An hour later, wearing a striped work-out suit, he was playing racquetball. At 4:00 am he and Ginger went to bed. He read while she slept beside him. When she woke five hours later, Elvis was still reading and said he couldn’t sleep. He went to the bathroom. Between 1:00 pm and 2:00 pm, Ginger stirred again and, seeing the bed empty, walked into the bathroom. Elvis lay dead on the floor. Traces of 10 different drugs were alleged to have been found in his body. The official cause of death was given as heart failure.
27 June: Elvis returned to Graceland and went into virtual seclusion for a month.
