Hughes was born in Baylis, Illinois, in 1926. At the age of six, he weighed about 203 lb, at ten, he weighed 377 lb.
His excessive weight was attributed to a malfunctioning pituitary gland. He weighed an estimated 1069 lbs at his heaviest.
During his adult life, Hughes made guest appearances at carnivals and fairs; plans to appear on the Ed Sullivan television program were announced but never came about.
On July 10, 1958, Hughes contracted a case of measles, which soon developed into uremia, resulting in his death in Bremen, Indiana. He was 32 years old.
He is often said to have been buried in a piano case. This error stems from a sentence that appeared in successive editions of the Guinness Book of World Records, which read, "He was buried in a coffin the size of a piano case."
His headstone notes that he was the world's heaviest man at a confirmed 1,041 pounds.
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