Makeup artist Jackie Jason puts her final touches on Elvis Scriptwriter, DRx 'Nick' Nichopoulos for his Tuesday "Entertainment Tonight" interview (dun du dun du dun dun) . His long-promised book is 'Scheduled II' be released (DEA Joke for the Hip) in February. After getting his writing arm into shape to: Fight Elvis-Killer, Jerry Lee Lewis- 'Killer'- (Almost Killer) 'Myth', he's finally clearing his Name like he cleared his garage for the Elvis Douche Auction at Julien's last month for his Grandkids...Stay Tuned Obviously
By Michael Lollar Memphis Commercial Appeal
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Dr. George Nichopoulos does not wanthis grandchildren
to
grow upthinking
of him
as a Dr. FeelgoodwhokilledElvis Presley.The white-haired 82-year-old former personal physician to the rock superstardodged parallelsTuesday to his role as a one-time suspect inElvis' death and that of Michael Jackson's personal doctor, Conrad Murray, under investigation in the death of the King of Pop.
Nichopoulos sat down with a crew from TV's "Entertainment Tonight," announcing a book,"The King and Dr. Nick," due out in February. In it, the doctor says he will tell the world he is tired of being accused ofhastening Elvis' death.
"I don't regret any of the medicationsI gave him.Theywere necessities,"
Nichopoulos said. Dr. Nick, as he was known,
was acquitted in 1981 on charges he overprescribed drugs to Elvis,Jerry Lee Lewis
and
seven others.Much of thepublic was unconvinced.
"Even though I was acquitted,there's still a population of peopleout there who didn't buy this. They wanted to blame somebody,"
"Entertainment Tonight" correspondent Victoria Recano repeatedly asked Nichopoulos to compare his role as Elvis' physician to that of Jackson's embattled doctor. Publicists for Nichopoulos' Nashville publisher, Thomas Nelson Inc., said Nichopoulos wanted to "steer clear" of the comparisons.
The interview is scheduled to air on tonight's segment of "Entertainment Tonight" at 6:30 on WREG-TV, Channel 3.
The interview was at Sam Phillips Recording Studio. Rose Phillips, wife of Judd Phillips (nephew of Sun founder Sam Phillips),collaborated with Nichopolous on the book. "He loved Elvis dearly," she said, and was disappointed that he lost his license temporarily when the State Board of Medical Examiners found that he over-prescribedprescriptions for Elvis and others.It was again revoked in 1995 on similar charges. "I've detected hurt from the fact that he was never able to get matters clarified," Rose Phillips said.
Asked about the "biggest lie" over his role, Nichopoulos said: "There were so many. I guess the thing that hit me the most was I worked very hard trying to do all the right things with Elvis ... He was such a challenge. I was constantly trying to find new ways to deal with it ... It all seemed to come back in my face. I was the whipping boy."
Nichopoulos said he treated Elvis primarily for arthritis,an impacted colon
and insomnia.
"Unfortunately there's not a drug
you can give somebody to take care of everything.
You need a different drug for every situation."
He said he served as doctor
for not only Elvis but up to 150 people on the road.
Nichopoulos said Elvis insisted the prescriptions be written in his name in order to keep his father, Vernon Presley, from getting upset by the cost of prescription drugs for so many people. "So it looked like he (Elvis) was taking all these drugs because the prescriptions were in his name." As Elvis' reliance on drugs became evident, Nichopoulos said he often prescribed placebos.
Nichopoulos and his attorney, Dan Warlick, said drugs in Elvis' system were not at "toxic or lethal levels" when he died. "He died a natural death," said Warlick. Most of the autopsy team at Baptist Memorial Hospital attributed the death to "polypharmacy" or drug interaction, but former medical examiner Dr. Jerry Francisco said last year he stands by his 1977 ruling that Elvis died of cardiac arrhythmia, not drugs.
