Elvis Presley’s Father’s Very Strange Behavior Before and During Elvis’ Funeral!

In today’s video we are going to be viewing a clip from The Elvis Files. This is a TV Special hosted by Bill Bixby. This originally aired in 1990. In this specific clip we are taking a look at Elvis Presley’s cousin Gene Smith saying that it wasn’t Elvis Presley in the casket at Graceland. He gives his reasons as to why.

The death of Elvis Presley on August 16, 1977, was a seismic event that left the world in a state of collective shock. Yet, amidst the global mourning and the media circus that descended upon Memphis, those closest to the center of the storm observed a series of behaviors from Elvis’s father, Vernon Presley, that ranged from heart-wrenching to deeply enigmatic.

As the “Commander” of the Presley estate, Vernon was a man grieving in the harshest spotlight imaginable. To understand the “Strange Behavior” reported during those dark days, one must look at the “Double Miracle” of his bond with his son and the “Severe” pressure he felt to keep the Presley legacy from a “Final Silence.”

The “Chilling” Phone Call to the Inner Circle

One of the most discussed “Strange Behaviors” occurred just hours after the King was pronounced dead. Friends and long-time associates of Elvis, expecting to fly into Memphis immediately to support the family, were met with a surprising rebuff.

Reports from those in the inner circle suggest that when they called Graceland, Vernon specifically asked them not to come. He claimed the atmosphere was “too hectic” and “too emotional.” While this might seem like a natural request for privacy, insiders felt it was a “Secret” attempt to maintain absolute control over the narrative inside the house. There were whispers that Vernon feared certain people would notice “little details that weren’t right”—discrepancies in Elvis’s final hours or the state of the mansion—that could lead to embarrassing questions during a “Massive” media event.

The “Carnival Atmosphere” and the Mausoleum Guard

When the funeral finally took place on August 18, the behavior of the estate under Vernon’s direction took on a tone that many found jarring. While thousands of fans wept at the gates, the scene at the Forest Hill Cemetery mausoleum was described by some as having a “Carnival Atmosphere.”

• Commercialism in Grief: Visitors a week later reported people selling popcorn and Cokes right outside the mausoleum where Elvis was temporarily entombed.

• The Guard Poses: Even more bizarre were the reports of security guards—hired by the estate—posing for photographs with fans in front of the tomb.

• The Missing Inventory: Perhaps the most “Shocking Truth” to emerge later was the inventory of Elvis’s estate handled by Vernon. Despite Elvis’s well-known “Massive” collection of jewelry and personal artifacts, the initial list was strangely sparse, with items like his private plane and numerous photographs of his mother, Gladys, allegedly “missing” or unlisted.

The “Final Silence” at the Casket

During the private viewing inside Graceland, Vernon’s behavior shifted from administrative to profoundly broken. He sat by the copper-lined casket for hours, often speaking to his son in a low, “Chilling” whisper that no one else could hear.

At the cemetery, as the family filed into the crypt, Vernon’s “Strange Behavior” took the form of a “Prolonged Goodbye.” While others touched the casket and moved on, Vernon stood for an extended moment with his hand resting on the wood, seemingly unable to break the physical connection. When he finally turned to leave, he had to be physically supported by security, his grief having reached a “Massive” breaking point.

The “Secret” Behind the Behavior: Protection or Grief?

Historians and fans have long debated the “Secret Meaning” behind Vernon’s actions. Was he simply a “Poor Boy” from Mississippi overwhelmed by a “Global” tragedy, or was he a man desperately trying to protect the “King’s” image from the “Agony Behind the Smiles”?

The “Shocking” reality is that Vernon was a man who had already lost his wife, Gladys, in 1958—a loss that nearly “Struck Him Down.” Losing Elvis, his “Double Miracle” and only child, left him in a state of “Severe” isolation. His behavior during the funeral—the guarding of the house, the strange inventory, and the refusal to see friends—was likely his way of “Taking Care of Business” (TCB) one last time for the son who had provided for him for twenty years.

“People were expecting me to mess up,” Vernon later reflected on the period. “I was determined to go to any limits to prove otherwise.”

Conclusion: The Final Heartbreak of the Father

August 1977 remains a “Shattering” chapter in music history. The “Strange Behavior” of Vernon Presley wasn’t just about eccentricity; it was the “Brutal Reality” of a father who had become the sole gatekeeper of a legend. He faced the “Final Silence” of Elvis with a mixture of defensive control and “Massive” sorrow.

The “Secret” is finally out: Vernon wasn’t just “okay” during the funeral—he was a man falling apart in slow motion. He would follow Elvis into the “Final Silence” just two years later, in 1979, proving that for the Presleys, the bond was a “Double Miracle” that even death couldn’t truly sever.

Would you like me to generate a cinematic, vintage-toned image of the Graceland gates on that fateful August afternoon, capturing the “Massive” scale of the world’s farewell?