Priscilla Opens A Boutique
After her divorce from Elvis, Priscilla wanted to pursue a career that would allow her to stand on her own two feet. She opened a boutique clothing store in Los Angeles with friend and stylist Olivia Bis called Bis & Beau.
With Elvis’s help, the shop was successful and helped to dress celebrity clients including Cher, Barbra Streisand, and Natalie Wood. It lasted just three years.
Finalizing the Divorce
The couple’s divorce was finalized on October 9, 1973, and the couple remained amicable afterward. They even held hands walking out of the courthouse. The two remained good friends, and Elvis took the blame for their split at a Las Vegas concert.
His ex-wife, daughter, and new girlfriend were in the audience when he said him being away too much due to his career was what got in the way of his marriage. He said that he and Priscilla agreed to still be friends for the sake of their daughter.
Broken Hearted
Even though Elvis agreed to a divorce and their separation was amicable, he wasn’t happy about losing his wife to another man.
Those surrounding the King of Rock at the time described him as paranoid and disturbed. His outbursts became so severe that a doctor was called to prescribe him medications that would help him calm down. It barely helped though, and Elvis allegedly said, that he was in too much pain and that Stone must die.
Elvis’s Failing Health
Elvis’ health significantly deteriorated after separating from Priscilla. His substance abuse worsened and he suffered two ODs in 1973, the first which left him in a three-day coma. At the end of the same year, he was hospitalized for the same reason, remaining in a nearly vegetative state throughout his stay.
His tour schedule was hectic and he was busier than ever, which certainly didn’t help his condition. Rather than rest, however, in 1974 he agreed to go on another tour.
The Tour That Almost Didn’t Happen
Since Elvis was prescribed his meds from doctors, he denied having a problem. However, everyone else saw that he was struggling.
The King’s keyboardist, Tony Brown, recalled Elvis stumbling out of a limo when arriving at the University of Maryland for a concert. According to him, people jumped to help Elvis out, only to be pushed away by him. He also said that Elvis spent the first thirty minutes of the show holding on to the mic stand to not fall down. The entire tour was at risk.