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BOA : Audio

12.17.13

Mickey Moran

(2 Hours, 7 Minutes)


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BoA:Audio explores one of the most maligned and ridiculed, but also under-discussed and overlooked, stories in all of esoterica: The Elvis Presley Death Hoax theory as we welcome Mickey Moran, who has been studying the case for over 25 years and helms The Presley Assignment.

Over the course of this massive conversation, we'll learn about why Elvis would fake his death and the evidence that Mickey believes proves that he did. We'll hear about Elvis' dealings with the DEA, DNA testing, a pool house photo which purports to show a post-death Elvis, odd autopsy details, and witnesses who report eerie interactions with Elvis and his inner circle both before and after his 'death.' Beyond that, we'll explore the 'Is Elvis Alive?' movement, trace its evolution from August 16, 1977 up to the present day, and learn about all the twists, turns, highs, and lows as well as the various colorful characters who have populated the community over the last 35 years.

Altogether, this is a comprehensive episode which will provide BoA:Audio listeners with an intense education on a truly unconventional subject that has been almost criminally discounted from the modern esoteric canon: The Elvis Presley Death Hoax.

Full Preview: We kick things off with the standard bio / background on Mickey Moran and find out how he became interested in the Elvis Death Hoax theory. We then find out about some of the initial clues which began the conjecture over whether or not Elvis really died on August 16, 1977, including the odd misspelling of Elvis' middle name on his grave marker. We then circle back around and have Mickey detail the 'official' version of events surrounding Elvis' death on August 16, 1977, so that we have a baseline going forward in the conversation. We look at one weird event that is part of Elvis' final night: a 10:30 PM visit to the dentist which remains mysterious to this day.

Having established the mainstream version of events, we then get into the Elvis death hoax theory, beginning with why he would decide to fake his death in the first place. Mickey explains how Elvis was actually doing secret undercover work for the DEA which earned him the ire of organized crime and other dangerous elements of society. Mickey goes on to dispel the longstanding notion that Elvis was abusing drugs and reveals where that perception originated. He also talks about a number of reasons, beyond the death threats, that Elvis would want to go into hiding. Mickey then tells us about one tantalizing clue to the death hoax theory which is that two hours after Elvis died, a similar-looking man boarded a plane to Buenos Aires using the singer's longstanding alias 'John Burrows.'

Pressed for the 'best evidence' that Elvis faked his death, Mickey details how DNA testing, done in the late 1990's and again 2002, raised serious doubts about Elvis dying in 1977. In light of this information, we get Mickey's take on who was the 1977 'Elvis' body used in the autopsy. Mickey also talks about some of the strange aspects surrounding the Elvis body. Considering the DNA tests were in the late 1990's, we have Mickey revisit the interim 20 years between the 'death' and the DNA tests to tell us about other clues and evidence which the Elvis Death Hoax community find to be particularly strong. Mickey then revisits Elvis' work with law enforcement, specifically the DEA, and his participation in sting operations.

Next we have Mickey tell us about clues that Elvis dropped prior to his 'death,' which suggest he was planning on 'going away for a while,' including a phone call to an old friend where Elvis hinting about that future 'bad news' about him should not be believed. Since it has been over 35 years since Elvis allegedly faked his death, we ask Mickey if he thinks there was ever a plan for Elvis to return and, if so, why didn't or hasn't it happened. We also find out if any of Elvis' family or close associates ever hinted that the icon had not actually died on August 16, 1977. Mickey details some of the many conflicting versions of Elvis' death as told by his former road manager Joe Esposito.

Following that, we discuss the infamous pool house photo, where a tourist visiting Graceland took a picture which many believe shows a still-living Elvis. Following that, we delve into the role of the National Enquirer in this entire saga, including the truly weird twist that Elvis girlfriend was secretly calling the tabloid from Graceland mere hours before he was found dead. Mickey also shares the story of the legendary photo of "Elvis in the coffin" which made the cover the National Enquirer. Going on the theory that Elvis did, indeed, fake his death, we have Mickey speculate on how many people within his inner circle had knowledge of the plot on August 16, 1977.

Looking at potential sources of information concerning the 'inside story' of Elvis' true death, we find out if there are any whistleblowers who tried to tell the truth about the plan as well as whether or not the government knew about the death hoax and if they participated in the plot. We also talk about potential future scenarios which could shed new light on the Elvis mystery, such as certain documents which will become unsealed in 2027. We then smash the 4th wall on the Elvis death hoax theory and reflect on how it is, easily, one of the most ridiculed concepts in all of esoterica. With that in mind, we find out how Mickey feels, personally, to be a champion of such a maligned theory and we speculate on whether there is a media agenda at work to continually marginalize the idea. After mentioning incidents where Elvis researchers or witnesses have been pressured into keeping quiet, we find out if Mickey has ever experienced any coercion by nefarious forces to cease his research into the case.

We then pivot the conversation to a meta level and begin examining the history of the 'Elvis is Alive' community which sprung up in 1977 and has evolved over the last 35 years. We begin by attempting to discern when the theory first began and look at a very early, mysterious, and impossible to find book, titled Elvis: Dead or Alive?, which was published in 1977. Mickey also details the very early books, written as fiction, which were about a world famous rock star who faked his death, and subsequently were pulled from bookstore shelves in a mysterious fashion. Next we talk about the wave of newsletters devoted to the Elvis death hoax which emerged in the late 1970's and early 1980's. Mickey also talks about some of the earliest Elvis Death Hoax researchers who had adopted the cause.

Continuing our journey through the history of the Elvis Death Hoax, we examine one of the most notorious characters in the history of the theory: Jimmy Ellis (then known as Orion), a singer who wore a mask and often switched places on stage with another singer that sounded remarkably like Elvis. Going down a side tangent, we find out what it is about Elvis that has caused so many impersonators to spring up over the years. We then look at the explosion of interest and media coverage for the Elvis Death Hoax which happened in the 1980's as Geraldo Rivera produced a 20/20 segment on mysterious aspects surrounding Elvis' death and a plethora of books on the subject were published. Mickey also tells us about the two Bill Bixby TV specials which covered the 'Is Elvis Alive?' theory.

Bringing a darker element into the mix, we find out about how, as the interest in the Elvis Death Hoax theory grew in the 1980's, mysterious Men in Black figures visited Elvis fan groups on two continents and warned them to stop investigating the case. From there, Mickey tells us about how the most prominent Elvis Death Hoax researchers then got together in 1994 to produce a definitive investigation into the case, known as The Presley Commission. Mickey goes on to explain how this allegedly definitive publication was so elusive that Mickey, himself, couldn't get a copy of it until 2013. Mickey also tells us about his relationship with the 'legends' of Elvis Death Hoax research and how many of them have faded or outright dropped out of the movement in the last decade or two.

Mickey then details the malaise which befell the Elvis Death Hoax community in the 1990's as researchers left the field, witnesses changed their stories or were murdered, and interest from the general public waned. We also talk about how the infamous grave markers which misspelled Elvis' name were finally changed at Graceland in the 1990's. Moving into the late 1990's, we find out how the explosion of the Internet changed the Elvis Death Hoax research community and, as Mickey said, actually made research into the issue harder than the pre-Internet days. We learn about some of the more ridiculous angles which emerged from the ether of the Internet, including claims that Elvis had secret cameos in Hollywood films like Home Alone.

Heading towards the close of the conversation, we talk about the 'Elvis sighting' meme and which specific instances Mickey thinks have the most potential to be true. We then reach the DNA tests story as part of the Elvis Death Hoax timeline and reflect on why such an amazing development never got a massive amount of publicity nor was seen as the long-awaited breakthrough for Elvis researchers. We then wrap up the timeline with a look at the late 2000's and find out the current state of Elvis Death Hoax research in 2013. Mickey then muses about his exhaustive 25 years searching for the answer to the Elvis mystery and we speculate on what needs to be done next for the community in order to advance the research into the case. Closing out the program, we find out what's next for Mickey Moran and The Elvis Assignment.




Mickey Moran Bio

Having a unique love and appreciation for the music of Elvis Presley from a very young age, Mickey Moran has always been a devoted fan of the King of Rock & Roll. But after reading Gail Brewer-Giorgio's book "Is Elvis Alive?" some twenty-five years ago, Mickey has been on a quest to finally answer the question once and for all, did Elvis Presley actually fake his death on August 16, 1977?

Using the far-reaching power of the internet and his own investigative abilities Mickey has devoted much of his life in pursuit of that question and debunking those frauds who would either claim to be the man himself or know the man in hiding after he left the world stage.

Mickey Moran has written a definitive text on the phenomenon of one of the most talked-about conspiracies of the twentieth century, The Elvis Conspiracy Encyclopedia, which gathers facts and details from various sources under one cover and acts as a "one stop shop" for those wanting to learn about the events of that day in August 1977.

Mickey hosts his own weekly YouTube show covering various topics related to the conspiracy which can be found at youtube.com/user/thepresleyassignment. He has a Facebook group where he invites discussion on the various aspects of the conspiracy, and of course he has his own website @ thepresleyassignment.com.

Mickey currently lives in his hometown of Greensburg, Kentucky.


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