Going, going, gone! Elvis Presley’s childhood home was left abandoned like a time capsule of rock and roll history, until only recently. Though the King’s family house was built in East Tupelo, Mississippi in the late 1920s, the building was meticulously disassembled in 2017 by Elvis experts before being sold at auction in August 2022. The historic home sold for $46,000 (£37.2k) after starting the bidding at $25,000 (£20.2k). But where is the Tupelo home headed now, and what are the new owner’s grand intentions?
The three-bedroom home was built by Presley’s great uncle, Noah Presley and was home to Elvis and his parents, Vernon and Gladys Presley, from 1943 to 1944. The residence is found just around the corner from the house in which Elvis was born in 1935. Jeffrey Marren, owner of Rockhurst Auctions, told The Sun Online that the man who bought the land originally intended to tear down the property, “but when the collectors realised it was the childhood home of the rock icon, they struck a deal to buy the home and moved it from the original site”.
The winning bid was made by a collector based in California – and while it's currently unclear whether the lucky new owner will move the cultural artefact from its original location, they reportedly intend to rebuild the Tupelo three-bed and fill it with Elvis memorabilia. According to Jeffrey of Rockhurst Auctions, “the owner plans on putting the house back together, dressing it in 1930s furniture and houseware and then adding other Elvis collectable items”.
The Hound Dog singer’s home was deconstructed board by board, then carefully stored and preserved in a 30-foot American Hauler Night Hawk Trailer which the auction winner now also owns. The dismantling of the home was supervised by Elvis experts, Chris Davidson and Stephen Shutts who filmed an hour-long documentary about the process of packing the historical home into the trailer for transportation and what they unearthed in doing so.
Once located at 1241 Kelly Street, Tupelo, Mississippi, Elvis’ boyhood home is just one of the houses the Presleys inhabited in the area before moving to Memphis in 1948. As the rock and roll legend’s career skyrocketed in the 1950s, he was able to snap up his forever home in Graceland in 1957, where he put down roots and started his own family – marrying Priscilla and welcoming their daughter, Lisa Marie in 1968. But where was the King born?
Located a mere five minute stroll from his childhood home, Elvis was born in this humble two-room shack in Tupelo, Mississippi on the 8 January, 1935. Presley’s father is said to have taken out a $180 (£145) loan for the building materials. The rest, as they say is history. Let's take a tour...
With an idyllic white picket fence, the home was built from scratch by Elvis’ father, grandfather and uncle. It resides moments from the Assembly of God Church, where the late, great singer first discovered gospel music and where he learned to sing and play guitar. You’ll also find the Tupelo Elvis Presley Fan Club conveniently sits just over the road from his birthplace home.
Take a look at those wood-clad ceilings and tiled floors, lovingly built from scratch by the Presley family themselves. Everything was hand-built, even down to the brick chimney breast that would have kept the Tupelo-based family warm in the heart of their home. It wasn’t to be the Presleys forever home however, as they were forced to move out a few years later due to financial difficulties.
Now known as Elvis Presley Drive, the address has become a dedicated heritage site and museum for fans to get a real picture of where their King was born. Cordoned off by a red rope, you can still get relatively up-close-and-personal to the retro 1930s kitchen in all its former glory –gingham table cloth, ironing board and all.
It’s 46 years since he died, but for his legions of fans, Elvis Presley remains the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Now as the movie Elvis recounts the story of his life, we retrace his road to fame. From the two-room shack in Tupelo, Mississippi where he was born to the Memphis mansion, Graceland, where he lived and died, join us for a peek inside the spectacular properties he picked up along the way...
Born in the two-room shack his father built with his own hands, Elvis and his family were dirt-poor and often relied on the kindness of neighbours and government hand-outs. In 1938 after Elvis’ father Vernon, an odd-jobs man, was jailed for eight months for altering a cheque from a one-time employer, the family lost their home and lived in several other dwellings in the area.
Elvis was 13 when his family moved from Tupelo, Mississippi to Memphis, Tennessee so that Vernon could find a better job. The move changed everything for the young Elvis, influencing his sound and style, while a talent show win at his school Humes High gave him the confidence he needed to jump-start his musical ambitions.
The family stayed at a couple of boarding houses in Memphis before moving into a public housing complex known as Lauderdale Courts in 1949, where Elvis began learning guitar and formed a band. He soon began to stand out, not just for his good looks and cool clothes (bought on Beale Street, the heart of Memphis’s thriving blues scene), but for his original voice, inspired by the blues and gospel singing of the South. Today a commemorative plaque marks where the star lived and you can visit the room Elvis slept in—with overnight stays available for diehard fans.
After working as a cinema usher and a truck driver, Elvis Presley met his first inspiration, Mr Sam Phillips, the owner of the Sun Record Company in 1953. While his first recording in 1954, That’s All Right, failed to make the charts, his subsequent pelvic-thrusting performances which earned him the nickname ‘Elvis the Pelvis’, set him on the road to stardom.
Elvis soon attracted the attention of music entrepreneur Colonel Tom Parker, who, while being credited with making Elvis a star, is also considered a major factor in his destruction, due to his manipulative and controlling nature. Within a year of the Colonel becoming his manager in November 1955, the young Presley had won his first six gold discs and an international reputation as the most exciting artist to hit the music scene in years.
By the time the singer moved with his parents into this one-storey ranch-style property on Audubon Drive in March 1956, Elvis was a star and had his first number one song Heartbreak Hotel, a month later. Pictures of the house were printed in magazines and police were often called to deal with the mob of fans who lined the streets waiting for a glimpse of their heartthrob. This led to the singer selling the property after just 13 months.
Looking for a bigger, more secluded property, where he could escape the constant fan invasion, Elvis purchased the Colonial Revival-style mansion on the outskirts of Memphis that would become Graceland for $102,500 (£83k) in March 1957. The purchase price included 'trading in' his Audubon Drive home to its owner Ruth Brown Moore.
Set on 13.8 acres, Graceland would become his principal home for the rest of his life—and his final resting place. The star spent months renovating the property, creating a private retreat for himself and his family. As well as his wife Priscilla and daughter, the late Lisa Marie, his parents Vernon and Gladys and grandmother Minnie Mae lived there, as did his aunt Delta. It was always full of people including members of his entourage, which included old pals, who were nicknamed the 'Memphis Mafia'.
Not long after the Graceland move, at the height of his popularity in 1958, Elvis was drafted into the US Army serving two years in Germany from March 1958 to 1960. Here he waves farewell to fans from the 'USS Randall' in New York City. He had appeared in four films prior to his departure, including Jailhouse Rock and King Creole, but harboured a desire to become a serious actor and Hollywood star like James Dean and Marlon Brando.
In Germany, Elvis met his future wife, Priscilla Beaulieu, the 14-year-old stepdaughter of a US Air Force officer stationed there. He fell madly in love, persuading her father to allow her to move to Graceland in 1962, where she completed her senior year at the all-girls Immaculate Conception Cathedral High School in Memphis. She is seen here aged 16, with a military policeman at Frankfurt Airport in March 1960, after saying goodbye to Elvis, who had returned to the States to be released from military service.
Elvis’ ambition to be a serious actor was thwarted when he returned from the army. The Colonel had signed him up to star in 27 movies, most of which were musical comedies, including G.I Blues and Blue Hawaii. He had many hit records including It’s Now or Never and Are You Lonesome Tonight?, but he made his last public performance for seven years in March 1961, spending much of the following years in Hollywood, inhabiting some stunning properties including this Spanish colonial mansion in Bel Air.
Built in 1931 by famed architect Wallace Neff, the 13,3000 square-foot property on Bellagio Road was the former home of Howard Hughes and Prince Rainier, who lived here when he was dating Grace Kelly. Located in the so-called Platinum Triangle, which included Bel-Air, Beverly Hills and Holmby Hills, it is set on 1.5 acres of land, featuring gardens, a pool, and a tennis court. Elvis and Priscilla lived here from November 1961 to January 1963, before they were married.
While filming, Elvis lived in a rented property, 525 Perugia Way, Bel Air from 1960 to 1961 then again from 1963 to 1965. It was here that his famous visit with The Beatles took place on August 27, 1965. The story goes that Elvis was watching television with the sound down when the band walked in. After a few minutes of silence, Elvis said if they didn’t have anything to say, he was going to go to sleep. Everybody laughed and the ice was broken, with the band and rockstar chatting and jamming all afternoon.
After a courtship of eight years, Elvis and Priscilla finally married in a candle and flower-filled suite at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas on 1 May 1967 in front of just 14 people. Priscilla wore an off-the-rack Westwood dress with lace sleeves, and Elvis donned a black paisley silk brocade tuxedo. The Colonel arranged for the newlyweds to give a press conference before their reception for 100 guests, which featured a six-tier wedding cake.
The couple had originally intended to marry at this vast futuristic mansion in Palm Springs but had to cancel when their plans were leaked to the press. However, Elvis borrowed Frank Sinatra’s jet to fly his new bride to the property at 1350 Ladera Circle after the Las Vegas ceremony. Dubbed the 'House of Tomorrow', it was designed by celebrated architect Robert Alexander and features a floating fireplace, rock walls and terrazzo flooring.
The incredible master suite with its stunning mountain views has since earned the property the nickname, 'The Elvis Presley Honeymoon Hideaway'. The mid-century house was originally intended for Mr Alexander himself and his family but tragically, the architect and his wife died in a plane crash in 1965. Shortly after his stay, Elvis rented the mansion for the sum of $21,000 (£17k) a year.
The couple had one daughter, the late Lisa Marie Presley, who was born on 1 February 1968 at the Baptist Memorial Hospital, Memphis, nine months to the day after her parents’ wedding. She is pictured here with her parents at just four days old. But where did the family call home?
The young family spent many happy days here at their Beverly Hills house on 1174 Hillcrest Road between 1967 and 1973 when Elvis owned it. Perched on a 1.18-acre promontory in a quiet cul-de-sac, it featured three bedrooms and five bathrooms with floor-to-ceiling windows and sweeping views across the city down to the ocean.
Elvis bought the property for $400,000 (£324k) from Hard Rock Cafe founder, Peter Morton. It last sold for a whopping $25.5 million (£20.7m) in 2019. Though extensively renovated, it retains its original gates, where Elvis is said to have come and chatted to his fans who gathered there. His neighbours at the time included Frank Sinatra, Tony Curtis, Ray Charles, and Dean Martin. These days Jennifer Aniston and designer Vera Wang count amongst the residents of the exclusive Trousdale Estates enclave.
After his film career began to dwindle in success, Elvis' comeback TV special Elvis aired on NBC on 3 December 1968. It is re-enacted by actor Austin Butler in the 2022 movie Elvis, directed by Baz Luhrmann. Some 42% of the total television audience tuned in, making it the most-watched show of the season. It marked the revival of the singer’s musical career. Two of his most timeless hits, 'In the Ghetto' and 'Suspicious Minds' featured on the subsequent studio album From Elvis In Memphis — and superstardom was assured.
The following year, in what was billed as his comeback tour, Elvis signed a deal to perform at the International Hotel in Las Vegas, later the Las Vegas Hilton and now the Westgate. He lived here in the grand hotel suite from 1969 and performed some 837 shows, the last being in December 1976, a year before he died. “Elvis has left the building” is what they would announce as he was hurried off stage, past the fans, desperate for a glimpse of their hero.
The 5,000-square-foot suite at the then Hilton Hotel, where Elvis lived during those years, has long since been renovated. Now the Tuscan villa at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino, guests have reported feeling his presence during their stay; some even say they saw his image and heard his music when the radio was switched off.
As his career continued to soar, his health began to decline with the pressures of constantly performing and a growing dependency on prescription drugs. A patriot and proud American, he was invited to the White House in December 1970 by Richard Nixon, who curiously presented him with an honorary Bureau of Narcotics badge. In return, Elvis gave the President a mounted Colt 45. While not the first celebrity to meet a president, Elvis was about to break ground elsewhere...
Starring in his Aloha From Hawaii show in January 1973, Elvis became the first solo artist ever to perform a live concert that was broadcast worldwide via satellite. An estimated 1.5 billion people watched the TV special which ended up being NBC’s highest-rated programme of the year and consolidated Elvis’ global appeal.
Sadly, in October of that same year, Elvis and Priscilla announced their divorce, having separated a year before. An unconventional marriage, during which Elvis is known to have had many affairs, their divorce was reportedly very civilised. The couple continued to maintain a friendship, sharing custody of their daughter, the late Lisa Marie. “I did not divorce him because I didn’t love him. He was the love of my life, but I had to find out about the world,” Priscilla said in a 2016 interview.
Priscilla and the late Lisa Marie continued to live in their marital home in Holmby Hills for three years, until Priscilla found an apartment in Marina del Rey. Elvis had bought the seven-bedroom house in December 1970 for $339,000 (£274.7) and sold it to Telly Savalas for $625,000 (£506k) in June 1975. It sold for $29.3 million (£23.7 million) in 2020.
Nicknamed 'Graceland West', the Presley family lived in this Palm Springs palace for several months of the year and Elvis continued to do so after his divorce in 1973, adding another 2,000 square feet to the home, including a new bedroom and entertainment suite. He had bought the house at 845 W. Chino Canyon Road in 1970 for $105,000 (£85.9) and it was sold to Frankie Valli after his death. It was on the market in 2014 for almost $3 million (£2.4m).
To the despair of his fans, Elvis’ health deteriorated in the later years of his life due to a diet of junk food and prescription drugs. He was hospitalised on several occasions and was rushed to Baptist Memorial Hospital on 16 August 1977 and pronounced dead aged 42. 'Acute respiratory distress' was cited as cause of death. Originally buried in a mausoleum in Forest Hills Cemetery in Memphis, he was moved to Graceland and remains alongside his mother and father and grandmother Minnie Mae.
In 1982 Priscilla announced that Graceland would become a memorial museum for the late singer and open to the public. She was given control of Elvis Presley Enterprises and has since helped preserve Elvis' legacy, including by giving her blessing to the new 2022 biopic, Elvis, which has brought about a resurgence of interest in the singer amongst younger generations.
The second most visited home in America after The White House, Graceland has extended way beyond its original 13-acre plot, sprawling across 120 acres, with its own shopping centre, 450-room resort hotel, car parks and a motor museum. Some 600,000 visitors make the trip every year to visit this monument to his memory, which includes rooms like this dining room, set up as it might have been when Elvis was alive.
The décor in Graceland reflects the height of fashion in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Beautiful stained glass panels depicting peacocks stand out behind the large cream couch and comfy-looking armchairs. The vintage living room also features one of the three fireplaces in the mansion.
The house evokes fond memories of Elvis, not least for his former wife Priscilla, who recalls in this 2022 interview, evenings spent in the piano room. “After returning from late nights at the movies, Elvis and I would go there, and he would spend hours singing gospel music,” she says. “There was nothing but laughter. So much so, there were times that Elvis would be on the floor laughing to tears.”
The Graceland tour includes Elvis’ parents’ bedroom, the kitchen, TV room, pool room, his father’s office, the trophy building, the racquetball building and the meditation garden, where Elvis and his family are laid to rest. Elvis was closely involved in the décor and employed local interior designer George Golden to bring his vision to life. The famous Jungle Room, seen here, was tiki-themed and added to the back of the house in 1965. It's where Elvis made his last recordings in 1976.
As well as the mansion itself, visitors can immerse themselves in the life of the singer by taking a spin around the Presley Motors Automobile Museum, which features some of his favourite cars, including his Pink Cadillac (seen here), a 1975 Dino Ferrari and a 1973 Stutz Blackhawk.
A range of exhibitions showcase different aspects of the star’s life, using archive material and memorabilia, whilst his passion for a luxury flight can be explored by stepping aboard some of his private planes, including the Lisa Marie, which was named after his daughter and has its own living room, conference room, bedroom and features gold-plated seat belts. Poignantly, its last flight was to take Priscilla and Elvis’ good friend George Hamilton to his funeral.
After sitting abandoned in the desert for nearly 40 years, another one of Elvis Presley’s private jets – a 1962 Lockheed 1329 JetStar – sold at auction in early January 2023 for $260,000 (£211k). Surprisingly, Priscilla Presley was on hand for the event, which was held on what would have been the King’s 88th birthday, but the jet itself was not. The 61-year-old plane is still parked in the dust at the Roswell International Air Center in Roswell, New Mexico, missing all four engines and the majority of its cockpit instrumentation.
Elvis originally bought the plane in 1976, just one year before his death, for $840,000 (£680.7k), or around $4.4 million (£3.6m) today, according to Rob Report. “Elvis loved planes and this was one of them,” Priscilla Presley told the packed auction house. In its prime, the plane could reach speeds of 565mph with a range of 2,500 miles and is capable of accommodating up to nine passengers and three crew members.
Though the aircraft has certainly seen better days, its interior is still quintessentially ‘Elvis’ in its opulence, with plush red velvet upholstery, red shag carpet, dark wood furnishings, and gold-finished hardware. While the plane definitely needs a bit of TLC, as the Mecum auctioneer reportedly told the crowd, “This is an incredible restoration opportunity to create an Elvis exhibit for the world to enjoy.”
Back to Graceland... The sole heir to her father’s world-famous Graceland estate, Lisa Marie Presley sadly passed away on January 12 2023, at the age of 54 after suffering a cardiac arrest and being rushed to the hospital. The only child of the iconic singer and Priscilla, she was a celebrated singer and songwriter in her own right.
Lisa Marie had two children with her first husband, Chicago-born musician Danny Keough, who she divorced in 1994. Her eldest daughter, Riley Keough, is a 33-year-old actress and model, but her son, Benjamin Keough, died of suicide in 2020 at the age of 27. Presley subsequently married singer Michael Jackson, actor Nicholas Cage, and finally, guitarist and music producer Michael Lockwood, with whom she had twin daughters, Harper Vivienne Ann Lockwood and Finley Aaron Love Lockwood, who are now 14.
After Lisa Marie’s passing, it was announced that her three surviving children would inherit Graceland, which is currently held in trust. Bought by the star for $102,500 (£83.9k) in 1957 it's now said to be worth at least $10 million (£9m). Lisa Marie had inherited the estate directly from her father, who passed away when she was only nine years old. The estate was placed in trust until she reached 25. "It is absolutely 100 percent mine, and it has always been mine, Graceland," Lisa Marie told Entertainment Tonight in 2013. "It will always be. And when it is no longer mine, it will be my children's. And that is that."
Lisa Marie was laid to rest in Graceland’s Meditation Garden, interred beside her son, Benjamin. The Garden is also the final resting place of Elvis, his parents, Gladys and Vernon, and his grandmother, Minnie Mae. The Meditation Garden receives thousands of visitors every year, all eager to pay their respects to the King and his family.
By his death in 1977, Elvis had come a long way since his impoverished childhood home in Tupelo. From his birthplace shack which, he later marvelled, could fit snugly inside the living room of his Graceland mansion, Elvis and his achievements had come to personify the American dream. It may be 46 years since his death, but his spirit lives on within the walls of Graceland and in the hearts and minds of his fans.
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