WHEN ELVIS PRESLEY STROLLED onto the stage for his last performance, there was something different about him. His face had swelled, and his gut was pregnant with obesity. His hair and signature sideburns overran his head and face, and his movements, karate kicks, and hip swivels, were no longer crisp or energetic. He could still sing–he never lost that–and he still had a charismatic stage presence, and he could still send fans into a frenzy. But for years leading up to his death, it seemed the brightness that once shone from this superstar came more from his sequin-adorned jumpsuits than from the man himself.

Today it seems Presley is worth more dead than alive. In the first three years after Presley’s death, his estate earned more money than in his entire career. His Graceland mansion is second only to the White House as the most-visited home in the nation. And each year, Elvis books and commemorative merchandise are produced, new Elvis CDs are released, and Elvis documentaries and TV movies are aired.