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Elvis Presley Felt Growing Distance Between Himself and His Friends Over 1 Important Part of His Life

Emma McKee — Fri, 31 May 2024 20:34:00 +0000

All throughout his life, Elvis Presley sought a higher purpose and meaning. He turned to spiritual books and religious leaders for guidance but never seemed to reach the answers he was hoping to find. One religious leader he turned to was Daya Mata, the president of the Self-Realization Fellowship/Yogoda Satsanga Society of India. In their conversation, Elvis vented about some of the people in his life.

Elvis Presley discussed his entourage with a religious leader

When Elvis met with Daya Mata, she felt an immediate empathy toward him.

“He had done some reading. He was sinking,” she said in the book Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley by Peter Guralnick. “Here was someone who had everything the world could offer, [but] it didn’t satisfy him. There was still an emptiness, and the only way to fill it was to turn within.”

(L-R, standing) Billy Smith, Bill Morris, Lamar Fike, Jerry Schilling, Sheriff Roy Nixon, Vernon Presley, Charlie Hodge, Sonny West, George Klein, Marty Lacker. (L-R, front) Dr. George Nichopoulos, Red West | Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

In their conversation, Elvis opened up about the people surrounding him. He made it clear that he didn’t wholly trust his entourage.

“They didn’t share his interests, they felt he was getting too involved, it was a threat to them, and it created a rift between them,” she said. “They couldn’t really relate to him, they didn’t really understand his need, and evidently he couldn’t confide it to them.”

Elvis Presley appeared to be afraid of his manager’s power

One of the people in Elvis’ life who was most opposed to his spiritual education was his manager, Colonel Tom Parker. Despite this, Elvis did not voice any worries about him with Daya Mata.

“He was very careful about anything pertaining to his manager,” she recalled. “I think he felt that Parker was a very important part of his life and as long as he was going to be an entertainer he had to follow [his advice], because he had steered him so well for so long. The only thing that concerned him was that the Colonel did not seem to understand his need to nourish his soul. He was nourished in every other way, but where was the nourishment for his soul?”

Parker eventually banned Elvis from spending alone time with his barber, Larry Geller, because of their conversations about spirituality. Priscilla Presley believed Elvis went along with anything Parker said because he was afraid of him.

He wanted a ‘shortcut’ to enlightenment

Daya Mata said it was clear that Elvis was earnest in his desire to grow spiritually. He didn’t want to have to put in that much work, though, asking her for a “shortcut” to enlightenment. She could not give this to him. When he said he was considering joining the movement, she also turned him down.

Elvis Presley | RB/Redferns

“[B]ut I told him that wouldn’t be right because I could see his nature,” she said. “He might be enthusiastic for a while, but then he would cool back and lean toward his other activities, [because] that was his life, he had another mission than that.”

Elvis ‘Begged’ to Do His Own Stunts in a Film and Immediately Got Hurt

Emma McKee — Thu, 30 May 2024 19:10:00 +0000

In 1964, Elvis Presley decided to try something new on the set of the film Roustabout. At this point in his career, he was already tired of his repetitive acting roles. To inject a bit of excitement into the part, Elvis asked director John Rich if he could do his own stunts. Though Rich initially refused, Elvis was persistent and the director gave in. Almost immediately, Rich came to regret this decision.

Elvis hurt himself while trying to do his own stunts in a film

On the third day of filming Roustabout, Elvis came to Rich with a proposition: he wanted to do his own stunts in a fight scene.

“He came to me and said, Could he please do the stunt himself?” Rich recalled in the book Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley by Peter Guralnick. “I said, ‘My God, no. What happens if you get hurt?’ He said, ‘I’m not going to get hurt. I really know how to do this stuff. You see, I’m a black belt in karate.’ I said, ‘Well, congratulations, I think that’s wonderful, I suppose that’s good in life, but this is a movie. And God forbid you get hit in some way.’”

Elvis Presley in ‘Roustabout’ | LMPC via Getty Images

Elvis wouldn’t take no for an answer, though. He continued to assure Rich that he knew what he was doing and wouldn’t get hurt. Finally, Rich agreed.

“He begged. He really did,” Rich said. “And finally, he said, ‘I’ll be totally responsible for this if anything happens.’ Well, what do you do in a situation like that? I finally gave up and said okay.”

Rich immediately came to regret his decision.

“But it was a mistake, because he got clipped severely in the head, and it was like, ‘Oh, God, there goes my life in the theater,’” he said. “To tell [producer] Hal Willis that I allowed the star to do a fight. I thought, This is not going to go down well.”

Elvis felt terrible that his injury could have slowed down the film’s schedule

Rich stopped filming and sent Elvis to the hospital. Luckily, they still managed to avoid delays.

“Of course, we had to stop shooting, and I sent him off to the hospital, and he had four or five stitches in his forehead, but fortunately I had a way out,” he said. “The script called for Elvis as a motorcycle rider to be run off the road [by Leif Erickson in an early scene], and I thought, There’s no reason we can’t put a Band-Aid over Elvis’ eye. Wallis was quite pleased. He thought it was a damn good idea — as long as I could keep shooting.”

Elvis Presley and Barbara Stanwyck | Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images

Elvis was also relieved. He felt terrible about potentially slowing down the shooting schedule and was glad to have avoided losing the studio money.

“Elvis was alright as soon as he got back,” Rich said. “He was a little subdued, having caused all this trouble — he was very apologetic. But once I told him what I’d like to do, he said, ‘Oh, that’s great because we can keep shooting.’ He was just afraid we’d have to shut down.”

People close to the singer called his karate skills into question

Perhaps Rich should have consulted Priscilla Presley before allowing Elvis to do the fight scene. According to her, Elvis wasn’t nearly as good at fighting as he thought he was. He once tried to break up a fight between two strangers, and all his friends were shocked when it didn’t go terribly.

“‘I’ll show you something, if you want to get into an argument,’ Elvis said. He shot out a karate kick, and to his surprise — and everybody else’s — he knocked a pack of cigarettes out of the guy’s pocket,” Priscilla wrote in her book Elvis and Me. “Among our group, Elvis wasn’t known for his precision in karate.”

His bodyguard, Dave Hebler, agreed with Priscilla. He sparred with Elvis on the day they met, and it was immediately clear that the singer didn’t know what he was doing.

“Now I have been in these situations a million times,” Hebler said in the book Elvis: What Happened? by Steve Dunleavy. “You are usually working out with someone of similar experience to yourself, someone who knows what he is doing. Within seconds out there on the mats with Elvis it was very obvious to me that one, Elvis didn’t know half as much about karate as he thought he did; and two, he hardly knew where he was.”

Despite this, Elvis frequently put on karate demonstrations for anyone who would watch.

How Elvis Presley’s Graceland Kept Him From Moving to California

Lucille Barilla — Thu, 30 May 2024 16:55:12 +0000

It’s hard to think Elvis Presley‘s Graceland home might not be the iconic historical spot it remains today if his father, Vernon Presley, had his say. The Presley family might have settled in California rather than Memphis if the stately home hadn’t appeared on the market at the right time.

Elvis Presley’s home base could have been in California

According to a story published by The Dispatch, Elvis Presley’s father, Vernon Presley, would have liked to settle in California. Elvis worked so much in the Sunshine State that putting permanent roots down there made sense.

The Presley family lived on Audubon Drive in Memphis, but fans regularly besieged the home. The family needed privacy. Vernon reportedly was eyeing a move to the West Coast, as author Peter Guralnick wrote in the biography Last Train to Memphis.

However, a chance meeting changed all that. Virginia Grant, a local realtor, was reportedly walking out of a Memphis department store when she saw Gladys Presley’s pink Cadillac in its parking lot in February 1957. Gladys was seated in the passenger seat and Grant said if the family was looking for a new home, perhaps she could help them.

Grant first showed Gladys and Vernon a ranch-style abode. However, the Presley matriarch asked if any colonial-style homes were on the market. The couple was shown Graceland, and both fell in love with the 14-acre estate.

Did Elvis Presley ever live in California?

Elvis Presley’s circular Palm Springs rental | Jim Steinfeldt/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Elvis Presley lived in California at different addresses throughout his professional career. He rented a home for one year at 1350 Ladera Circle from 1966 through 1967. It was there he honeymooned with his wife, Priscilla Presley, per Architectural Digest.

Elvis also rented a home at 525 Perugia Way. He lived there when he first met The Beatles. However, that house was demolished in the 1980s.

The king lived in a mansion at 10539 Bellagio Road in Bel Air. In 1967, he purchased a Beverly Hills home for $400,000.

Elvis owned a home at 14 Montvale Drive, Beverly Hills, California in 1970, and another abode in Palm Springs. The latter was, formerly owned by McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc.

Although he lived in many California homes, Elvis always called Memphis and Graceland, home.

When did Elvis Presley first move into Graceland?

Vernon and Gladys Presley put a $1,000 down payment on Graceland on March 16, 1957 and Elvis Presley ultimately paid over $100K for the home and its property. Elvis Presley was filming the motion picture Loving You, followed by Jailhouse Rock, in California when Gladys and Vernon and Elvis’ grandmother, Minnie Mae Presley, officially moved into Graceland on May 16, 1957.

Per the official Graceland website, Elvis didn’t move into Graceland until five weeks later, on June 26, 1957. He quickly began redecorating the home to suit his tastes. The interior of the mansion was changed many times in the 20 years Elvis lived there.

Elvis initially wished to have a black bedroom suite and a night sky painted onto the ceiling of the entrance hall. Gladys vetoed the second choice, reported Architectural Digest.

Elvis considered Graceland a place where he could recharge after being on the road. The large house was always filled with family and close friends, which made it a home.

The historic home was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 2006.

A Musician Said Performing With Elvis Was a Massive ‘Let Down’

Emma McKee — Sun, 26 May 2024 18:25:18 +0000

For many musicians, Elvis Presley’s music was like a lightning bolt of inspiration. They heard his songs and realized they wanted to do something similar with their lives. Therefore, it came as a thrill for people who got the chance to perform with him. The reality of playing as one of Elvis’ backing musicians came as a disappointment to one artist, though.

A musician said playing with Elvis hadn’t been what he expected

In 1972, bass player Emory Gordy replaced a musician in Elvis’ band. He was extremely excited about performing with the iconic artist. According to Gordy, there was much to feel happy about in a recording session he had previously filled in on, and he thought the tour would be the same. He couldn’t help feeling disappointed by it, though.

“I was really let down by the whole thing,” Gordy said in the book Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley by Peter Guralnick. “Everybody had been there for so many years they were very set in their way; I think they sent me about five hundred tunes to learn in a two-week period, and then we ended up doing the same show they had been doing in Vegas for the last [four] years.”

Elvis Presley | Ronald C. Modra/ Getty Images

Gordy said Elvis sometimes performed with passion, but the shows typically felt perfunctory and rushed.

“Occasionally, he’d get up there and start feeling real good and be spontaneous, [but mostly] all the tunes were done so fast we literally ran over them,” he said. “There was no feeling involved.”

Another musician said he had a frightening first day on the job when he met Elvis

Another musician, Tony Brown, joined Elvis onstage as a keyboard player. He found the singer’s appearance and behavior shocking.

“My first night was College Park, Maryland,” Brown said. “I was scared, my hands were sweating, and I’m waiting backstage for Elvis to arrive. He pulls up in the car, and he fell out of the limousine, to his knees. People jump to help, and he pushed them away like, ‘Don’t help me.’”

Brown said Elvis looked so unwell that they weren’t sure if he would be able to perform.

“He walked onstage and held on to the mike for the first thirty minutes like it was a post,” Brown said. “Everybody’s looking at each other like, Is the tour gonna happen? Is he sick? Is it gonna be canceled?”

Ultimately, he took the stage, but everyone felt incredibly concerned about him.

Elvis typically had high standards for his backing band

While Gordy and Brown didn’t have the best experiences playing with Elvis, he often played shows that were more exciting for his backing musicians. He kept them on their toes at all times.

Elvis and the Jordanaires | GAB Archive/Redferns

“Those guys were reading Better Homes and Gardens and stuff like that — they play music so well they can play their part and they’d say, ‘Think I should build that patio on my house?’” Elvis recalled. “So what I did, I switched songs on them. And the orchestra was there, they’d go into the intro, and I’d say, ‘Woah, I don’t want to do that song, let’s do something [else].’ So they’d go through the sheet music real quick, and consequentially I got them; they had to watch me.”

Elvis’ Friend Shared the ‘Blessing and the Curse’ of Knowing the Singer

Emma McKee — Fri, 24 May 2024 19:10:00 +0000

Some of Elvis Presley’s closest friends were members of his entourage. They traveled with him, served as bodyguards, and assisted him in times of need. In return, Elvis paid them and showered them with lavish gifts. While one of his longtime friends said this was a benefit of knowing Elvis, it was also something of a curse.

Elvis’ friend said the singer was both a blessing and a curse to know

Elvis watched a good deal of television in his lifetime. One of his favorite programs was a show called The Millionaire.

“Elvis was crazy about a TV show … called The Millionaire,” his friend Joe Esposito said, per the book Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley by Peter Guralnick. “Each week an ordinary person with a problem answered a knock at his door to find a messenger in a suit who announced that he was presenting the person with one million dollars from an anonymous donor.”

Elvis Presley | Earl leaf/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Elvis liked this show so much because he was quite generous with his money. He gifted people cars, apartments, horses. He didn’t need a reason or special occasion to give — he’d even buy cars for complete strangers. Still, he also used expensive gifts as a way to apologize to his entourage for his angry outbursts.

“After one of his wild temper fits, he will never say, ‘Hey, man, I was wrong, I’m sorry.’ But then one day you will be walking through an automobile showroom and he’ll say something like ‘Hey, man, that looks great, that car, don’t it?’” his bodyguard Red West said in the book Elvis: What Happened? by Steve Dunleavy. “And somebody will say back to him, ‘Sure does, Elvis.’ The next minute, he’ll tell you, ‘Look, you fix up the paperwork, it’s yours, you deserve it.’ That’s it. There is no argument, just ‘It’s yours, man.’”

Elvis’ long time friend Lamar Fike agreed with West. While he appreciated the gifts, he also knew Elvis was using them to appease the entourage.

“[The gifts were] a Band Aid for the abuse he heaped on you the rest of the time,” Fike said. “That was the blessing and the curse of Elvis.”

Vernon Presley believed Elvis’ friends were taking advantage of him

Elvis’ father, Vernon Presley, did not think his son should be gifting so extravagantly. He felt the entourage took advantage of Elvis and would not be there to support him if it were not for the money.

“Vernon didn’t have much respect for the guys,” Priscilla Presley wrote in her book Elvis and Me. “He said Elvis just gave and gave and gave, and they took and took and took. He’d say, ‘Son, we have to save.’ Elvis would answer, ‘It’s only money, Daddy. I just have to go out and make more.’”

Every time Elvis spent money on his entourage, Vernon wrung his hands in distress.

The singer became upset when people did not accept his gifts

Elvis may have used expensive presents to make up for his bad behavior, but he also genuinely liked to give. It hurt him if people would not accept a gift from him.

Elvis Presley | RB/Redferns

“If he could put a smile on someone’s face, that made him the happiest,” his fiancée Ginger Alden told Smashing Interviews Magazine. “He loved giving gifts to other people and surprising them with gifts. He would get really hurt if you didn’t accept a gift. Maids, housekeepers, nurses… I don’t know how many people have brand new homes and cars. He was so generous to so many. A lot of that came from the fact that he didn’t have a great deal when he was younger, and he thought that would just brighten their lives being able to do that.”

Over the years, he gave presents that were so generous and thoughtful that the recipients wept.

No Foreclosure For Graceland, Says Chancellor: Presley Family Retains Control of Historic Home

Lucille Barilla — Wed, 22 May 2024 16:10:20 +0000

Editor’s Note: Following the publication of this story, Commercial Appeal reported that, in the hours after the hearing, Naussany Investments & Private Lending stated it will not “acquire to proceed” in its sale of Graceland and, “the company will be withdrawing all claims with prejudice.” Therefore the Presley family will retain permanent ownership of Elvis Presley’s estate.

Elvis Presley‘s granddaughter, Riley Keough, has retained control of her grandfather’s historic Graceland home. A Memphis chancellor says the property will not be foreclosed upon after a hearing on the matter.

Graceland remains a Presley family asset until it is determined who owns the historic estate

Chancellor JoeDae Jenkins says Elvis Presley’s Memphis, Tennessee home, Graceland, will continue to remain a Presley family asset. Therefore, a planned foreclosure and sale of the property will not occur, as reportedly scheduled, on May 23, 2024.

Jenkins made the following ruling, per CNN. “The estate is considered unique under Tennessee law. And in being unique, the loss of the real estate will be considered irreparable harm.”

It was reported on May 20 that Elvis Presley’s Graceland home would be sold in a foreclosure sale. His granddaughter, Riley Keough, filed to block an a company named Naussany Investments & Private Lending LLC from selling her family’s historic residence.

The Presley family pushed back against the investment company’s allegations Lisa Marie Presley put up Graceland as collateral against a loan. The family claims paperwork related to the loan is fraudulent.

Why does the Presley family believe Graceland’s foreclosure proceedings to be fraudulent?

Lisa Marie Presley’s daughter Riley Keough, claimed in a 60-page lawsuit against Naussany Investments that her mother never borrowed any money from the aforementioned lender. The lawsuit, filed on May 15, tried to stop the proposed foreclosure of Elvis Presley’s home.

In a public notice dated May 19, 2024, Naussany Investments & Private Lending LLC posted details of what they claimed was a loan Lisa Marie Presley took years earlier, that today, with interest, totaled $3,800,000. This alleged loan was never paid back before Lisa Marie died in 2023.

Lisa Marie reportedly gave the LLC Graceland’s deed as collateral against the loan and signed documents to that effect. To collect, the LLC planned to sell the historic Memphis property.

However, Keough’s lawsuit against Naussany Investments in Shelby County Chancery Court states, “These documents are fraudulent.” Thus, Keough’s suit against the company temporarily blocked any proposed sale of her family’s home.

“On information and belief, Naussany Investments & Private Lending LLC is not a real entity. Naussany Investments & Private Lending LLC appears to be a false entity created to defraud the Promenade Trust (the trust of Keough and formerly of Lisa Marie Presley), the heirs of Lisa Marie Presley, or any purchaser of Graceland at a non-judicial sale,” Keough’s complaint reads.

There is reportedly no deed on file to back up the investment company’s claims of ownership

Elvis Presley poses outside of Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee | Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

WREG Memphis reports the Shelby County Register of Deeds has no record of paperwork related to the investment company’s ownership of Graceland. A notary connected to the loan’s purported paperwork signed an affidavit claiming she didn’t notarize any documentation in connection to claims made by the company that she signed off on Lisa Marie Presley’s promissory note.

CNN reports Chancellor Jenkins said this affidavit was sufficient evidence to delay the foreclosure. Subsequently, Graceland remains owned by the Presley family.

Elvis Presley: The Secrets of Graceland’s Attic

Lucille Barilla — Wed, 22 May 2024 13:59:45 +0000

Elvis Presley‘s Graceland home is filled with mementos, that restore the mansion to the days when the King of Rock and Roll reigned supreme in his castle. Fans can view many of these items during tours of the home. However, beyond the off-limits upstairs, secrets were hidden within Graceland’s attic. What did Presley keep up there?

What was kept up in Graceland’s attic?

Express.co.uk reports that during a virtual live tour of Graceland, Angie Marchese, VP of Archives and Exhibits, revealed details of the items Elvis Presley stored in his attic. She said the King of Rock and Roll kept surprisingly ordinary items in the uppermost level of his beloved Memphis home.

Today, the attic is empty. However, when Presley lived at Graceland, it was filled with items he no longer wanted visible in the living area of the home.

“All of Gladys’s belongings. His army stuff, some of Lisa’s baby clothes, old furnishings, and drapes were up there,” Marchese explained.

Where are all of Elvis Presley’s attic items today?

A photo of Lisa Marie Presley in Elvis Presley’s wallet stored in the Graceland archives | Tolga Akmen/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

When visiting Graceland, fans can see some of the items Angie Marchese mentioned. These include Presley’s Army items, Lisa Marie Presley’s baby clothes, and many old furnishings from the home.

Some of these items are on display in the home’s attached Trophy Room. Others reside at Elvis Presley’s Memphis, a 200,000-square-foot exhibit and entertainment complex across the street from Graceland.

Items from Presley’s US Army days are on display. As is a special exhibit dedicated to Lisa Marie, the King of Rock and Roll’s only daughter. Items belonging to Gladys Presley remain in her room, behind plexiglass in a closet.

The Graceland archives building holds thousands of priceless Elvis Presley items

The Graceland Archives building contains thousands of priceless items. The collection includes tens of thousands of photographs and documents, along with furniture, instruments, and cars from Elvis’ life.

The official archives website explains that the archives maintains all of the aforementioned items. Graceland’s archives of Elvis history also maintain the artifact collection of photographs, textiles, objects, film, video, tape, and documents currently in storage and on display in the home.

The archives staff also preserves and conserves artifacts and other exhibits in the mansion. Surprisingly, only a small amount of the items archived are on display in the stately Memphis home.

In 1991, Elvis Presley’s Graceland was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2006, the home was also designated a National Historic Landmark.

Elvis Presley’s Graceland: The White Music Room Piano’s Mythic Story

Lucille Barilla — Wed, 22 May 2024 12:01:17 +0000

Upon entering Elvis Presley‘s Graceland home, one of the most stunning visuals is turning to the right, standing at the doorway to the living room, and looking deep into the music room. Something about those two rooms gives Presley fans a deep insight into how he lived and enjoyed his private time at the home. One of the most striking elements of the music room is its pristine white piano. That instrument was important to Presley’s legacy and has a mythic story.

The real reason Elvis Presley’s Music Room piano is so essential to his legacy

An official YouTube video hosted by Graceland’s VP of Archives and Exhibits, Angie Marchese, focused on the piano’s history and why it is important to the King of Rock and Roll’s legacy. The piano has become an integral part of Elvis Presley’s Graceland home.

The entertainer first purchased the white 1912 Knabe baby grand piano for Graceland in 1957. Elvis designed the one-of-a-kind bench that complements the gold detailing.

“It was the piano at Ellis Auditorium in Memphis. In the ’30s and ’40s, it was played by everyone from Duke Ellington to Cab Calloway to WC Handy,” Marchese began. “And when Elvis was a kid, he would go to the Ellis Auditorium to the Gospel sings. This piano was used by many of his favorite Gospel quartets; so many people played this piano.”

Presley was aware of the piano’s importance in his personal history when it went up for sale; Ellis Auditorium housed Elvis’ first sold-out shows in 1955

“When Elvis buys Graceland, he hears the piano is for sale because they are remodeling Ellis Auditorium,” Marchese explains. “It was a natural fit. He paid $800 for it and had it brought to Graceland to sit in the music room.”

It was in the music room where Presley spent many happy hours playing the keys. “Elvis loved playing the piano. He loved entertaining friends and family. He played everything from gospel to country to his latest hits and whatever came to mind,” Marchese concluded.

Why wasn’t the piano at Graceland for many years?

Graceland reports that after 11 years in a prominent position within the home, Elvis Presley’s Knabe piano was placed in storage. There it remained from 1968 to 1976 when it was sold to Ted Sturges, owner of the Sturges Recording Studio in Memphis.

The piano was subsequently used to record 50 albums by various artists at Sturges recording studio. Sturges later sold the instrument, which changed hands several times before returning to its former Graceland home in 2017.

Presley’s beloved piano was one of several original furnishings that returned home to Graceland for good in 2017.

In 1977, Elvis Presley’s body lay in state just outside the music room

Elvis Presley fans gathered outside of Graceland in August 1977 after his death | Fred Ross/Toronto Star via Getty Images

Elvis Presley died in August 1977. His body was returned home to his beloved Graceland one last time where it lay in state.

Presley’s funeral was originally to be held at Memphis Funeral Home. However, his father, Vernon Presley, wanted the service at Graceland.

The King of Rock and Roll’s open coffin was placed in the archway between the living and music rooms. It was there that over 200 of Presley’s family members and friends were allowed to say their goodbyes before Vernon allowed fans in for a public viewing.

Upwards of 25,000 fans filed past to pay their respects to Presley on Aug. 17, 1977. Vernon reportedly extended the period for fans to enter the home so as many as possible could say farewell.

In 1991, Elvis Presley’s Graceland was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2006, the home was also designated a National Historic Landmark.

Elvis Presley’s Graceland: How Many People Visit the Historic Home Each Year?

Lucille Barilla — Tue, 21 May 2024 16:57:01 +0000

Elvis Presley‘s Graceland home is as iconic as the singer himself. Visitors worldwide descend on Memphis, Tennessee, to tour the residence and see how the King of Rock and Roll lived. Although Presley has millions of fans, how many visit the historic home each year?

Graceland draws hundreds of thousands of visitors per year

According to Graceland’s official website, the historic home draws more than half a million visitors annually. The 17,552-square-foot home is the second-most visited in the country, behind only the White House.

Summer is Graceland’s busiest season, as most visitors flock to the historic home between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Elvis’ home attracts between 2,000 and 3,500 tourists per day during this stretch. July is especially popular, with upwards of 4,000 fans visiting the home per day.

The website reveals that Graceland’s total economic impact on Memphis is estimated to be $150 million annually. Tourism includes Graceland and its surrounding hotels, shops, and businesses in and around Memphis.

Why is Graceland still so popular with tourists?

Elvis Presley artifacts on display on Graceland property | Mario Tama/Getty Images

Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee, continues to remain a hotspot for tourism. The once-private domain of Elvis Presley opened to the public in 1982.

The residence remains popular due to its kitschy interior and time-capsule feel. The home remains relatively the same as it was when Elvis died in its upstairs bathroom in August 1977.

Graceland deeply delves into how Presley lived, loved, and played. The home boasts so many elements that many fans return again and again to see them, and it continues to draw fans for that reason.

During an interview with Architectural Digest, Elvis’ ex-wife, Priscilla Presley, shared her theory on why people are drawn to the home. She believes people flock to the house to feel connected to the King of Rock and Roll.

“Elvis didn’t fit the mold; he marched to his own drum,” she explained. But when people walk in that front door, there is reverence, respect, and quietness. It’s as if his spirit is there. They come back time after time to experience him.”

What other elements of Graceland are there to see other than the mansion?

Other than Elvis Presley’s home, Graceland’s property boasts many other elements for fans to admire. The property is filled with areas he enjoyed with family and friends.

The home tour includes the living room, his parents’ bedroom, the kitchen, the TV room, the pool room, the Jungle Room, Vernon’s office, and the newly enhanced Trophy Building. The racquetball court is also part of the experience.

Right outside of Vernon’s office is Lisa Marie Presley’s swing set. In the yard, there is Elvis’ pool, the Meditation Garden, and the stables. There is also a large area where the horses can roam free, and they still enjoy Graceland’s expansive property.

The Meditation Garden is the final resting place of Elvis, Vernon, Gladys, Minnie Mae, and Lisa Marie Presley. Her son, Benjamin Keough, is also buried there.

Across the street from the home is a large entertainment complex called Elvis Presley’s Memphis. There, fans can see more archival items from Presley’s life.

These include a museum, rotating exhibits that showcase different elements from Presley’s life, and Presley Motors, where all of his cars are on display. There’s also Elvis Dressed to Rock, an exhibit of the King of Rock and Roll’s many glitzy jumpsuits.

Currently, there is also an exhibit honoring Lisa Marie Presley. The plane that bears her name is also on display to tour, as well as Elvis’ smaller Lockheed Jet Star.

Graceland is open 363 days a year. However, the mansion is closed to tours on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

Elvis Presley’s Graceland: How Much Did He Pay for the Home? What Is It Worth Today?

Lucille Barilla — Tue, 21 May 2024 15:24:57 +0000

Elvis Presley‘s Graceland home has become as iconic as the entertainer himself. The Memphis estate draws upwards of half a million people yearly to tour the residence and its expansive grounds. In 1957, Presley paid a considerable sum for the mansion. How much did he pay for Graceland? What is it worth today?

Elvis Presley paid 20 times more than the average yearly income for Graceland

According to the Census, the average median income for a home in 1957 was around $5,000. Elvis Presley paid 20 times more than that for Graceland when he put down $1,000 collateral on a purchase price of $102,5000.

Presley reportedly left it up to his parents, Vernon and Gladys, to find the family home with more property for both privacy and security. The family previously lived at 1034 Audobon Drive, and the property was easily accessible to fans.

Subsequently, Graceland was presented as an option for the family residence via real estate agent Virginia Grant, per The Dispatch. Though she had never been inside it, Graceland had just come on the market and Virginia suggested the Presley’s see the 14-acre estate.

Grant showed Vernon and Gladys the home on Saturday, March 17, 1957. Two days later, Presley saw the house, loved it, and put down the money.

Gladys and Vernon Presley moved into Graceland on May 16, 1957. Elvis first stayed at the property on June 26, 1957 as he was filming a movie.

How much is the property worth today?

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Adjusted for inflation, Graceland is currently worth an estimated $400 to $500 million in today’s market. However, the home’s rich history and its ties to Elvis Presley make it priceless.

Although he only lived at Graceland for 20 years, Presley left a legacy of work that continues to draw over half a million visitors annually. The property is so beloved that it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991 and declared a historic landmark in March 2006. Graceland’s Instagram page paid homage to the distinction in March 2023.

What additions did Elvis Presley put on Graceland that weren’t there originally?

The Meditation Garden is in Graceland’s backyard in Memphis, Tennessee, where Elvis Presley is buried | Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

According to Graceland’s official website, the original property encompassed 13.8 acres. Graceland was a rural area at the time. Therefore, Elvis Presley initially purchased the home and its adjacent farmland.

The home’s original owners, Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Moore, named Graceland after Mrs. Moore’s Aunt Grace Toof, the original landowner. The land was used for a cattle farm where Hereford cattle were raised.

When Presley initially purchased the property, Graceland was 10,266 square feet. According to the website, the additions Presley made to the home now total 17,552 square feet.

In the mid-1960s, Presley enclosed a porch to create a den called the Jungle Room. He added a wing on the side of the main house which was connected by a sidewalk. This led to the swimming pool area. This connected the home to a small building that was later remodeled to become what was known as the Trophy Building.

The backyard was later expanded with a large pool and a Meditation Garden. It was also turned into a Presley family graveyard.

Presley also constructed a pink Alabama fieldstone wall to protect the grounds from visitors and added a wrought-iron gate shaped like a book of sheet music.

Elvis Presley lived in Graceland for 20 years. He died in the home’s upstairs bathroom in August 1977.