George C. Nichopoulos
| George C. Nichopoulos | |
|---|---|
| Born | George Constantine Nichopoulos October 29, 1927 Ridgway, Pennsylvania |
| Died | February 24, 2016 (aged 88) Memphis, Tennessee |
| Fields | medical |
| Alma mater | Vanderbilt University School of Medicine |
| Known for | Elvis Presley's personal physician |
George Constantine Nichopoulos (October 29, 1927 – February 24, 2016), also known as Dr. Nick, was an American physician of Greek descent. He was best known as Elvis Presley's personal physician and was controversial due to the singer's longstanding and ultimately fatal abuse of prescription drugs.
Born in Ridgway, Pennsylvania, Nichopoulos moved to Anniston, Alabama, during his infancy where his father, a Greek immigrant, opened a restaurant called Gus' Sanitary Cafe.
From 1946 until 1948, he served in the Army Medical Corps in Germany before studying at the University of the South. Nichopoulos earned his MD at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in 1959.
Nichopoulos began treating Presley in 1967 for saddle pain, and took it on as a full-time job in 1970 until Presley's death in 1977. His son Dean Nichopoulos served sometimes as an assistant for Presley, taking care of his wardrobe. Nichopoulos was present the day Elvis died, and attempted to save his life. Nichopoulos was also present at the autopsy and served as a pallbearer at the funeral.
In 1979, the doctor was shot in the chest while watching a football game; he was not seriously injured. No suspect was ever arrested. Nichopoulos, in a 1993 interview with Dutch radio host Jorrit van der Kooi, claimed it must have been an angry Elvis fan.
In 1985, he started a solo practice called We Care, Inc.
After he was stripped of his credentials in 1995, Nichopoulos worked for a short time as Jerry Lee Lewis' road manager. He later took a job evaluating medical insurance claims by FedEx employees. No longer a doctor and in need of money, Nichopoulos sold many of the items he received from Elvis at auctions, and at one point had a travelling exhibit, showing off his doctor's bag with some of the medications he prescribed for Elvis.
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