16. Elvis Presley, 1935-1977
Presley was discovered unresponsive on his bathroom floor while on tour. An autopsy found in his system “significant” levels of ethinamate, methaqualone, codeine and different barbiturates, including amobarbital, pentobarbital and phenobarbital. Presley s ex-wife wrote: “Presley was taking Placidyls [pictured] to combat severe insomnia in ever-increasing doses and later took Dexedrine to counter the sleeping pills after effects.”
Presley s personal physician, Dr. George C. Nichopoulos, concluded: “Elvis s problem was that he didn t see the wrong in it. He felt that by getting [pills] from a doctor, he wasn t the common everyday junkie .”
