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Elvis Presley is one of those icons so permanently etched into the fabric of American popular culture that it seems, nearly half a century after his death, as if he will live forever. While Presley also had homes in California, and famously lived in Germany during his stint in the US Army, it is Graceland that is most strongly associated with the late musician. The rock and roller’s Memphis residence where he lived for 20 years and where he died at the age of 42, Graceland is America’s second-most-visited residence, behind the White House. Every year, an average of 600,000 people flock to the residence turned museum, which opened to the public in 1982.
Today, the museum, which encompasses Presley’s gravesite, former home, and a collection of mementos of Presley’s rock-and-roll career, stands as a stirring reminder of one man’s life, as he grew from a beloved child to poverty-stricken parents to, arguably, the most famous man in the world. Below, we’re rounding up photos of the legendary musician at his (almost) equally famous home, and other places he rested his pompadoured head.
The Presleys at home in Tupelo, around 1945
Hulton Archive/Getty ImagesHistory in the making
Presley and his parents pose for a photo at home in Tupelo, Mississippi, circa 1945—the year before he received his first guitar. The future king of rock and roll was born nearby, in a two-room house built by his father, grandfather, and uncle on January 8, 1935. That house, now a museum, was repossessed three years later, and the family bounced around other homes in the area before moving to Memphis when Presley was 13 years old. There, the family lived in Lauderdale Courts, a public housing project.
The new homeowner displaying his property
BettmannWelcome to Graceland
Presley skyrocketed to stardom in the mid ’50s, garnering a recording contract with RCA Records. This newfound wealth meant the boy whose home was repossessed, and who lived in public housing, could now buy the lavish house of his dreams for himself and his parents. In March 1957, the 22-year-old “Hound Dog” singer paid $102,500 for Graceland, which would remain his primary residence for the rest of his life. The home had been built in 1939 on a plot of land the original owner named after his daughter, Grace; the name stuck. Here, Presley leans on one of the home’s pillars shortly after the purchase.
Elvis in wrought iron, and in the flesh, at the gates to Graceland
Courtesy Everett CollectionThe gatekeeper
The musician poses in front of Graceland’s famous wrought iron music note gate in April 1957, around the time he had it installed. Abe Saucer designed the gates—which feature life-size images of Elvis playing guitar amid musical notes—and had them custom-built by John Dillars Jr. At the time, the property spanned 13.8 acres, with the mansion clocking in at over 10,200 square feet—later, Elvis would expand it to 17,500 square feet and 23 rooms, with additions including the famous Jungle Room.
A palace fit for the king of rock and roll
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty ImagesCustom dream home
The “Burning Love” singer walks in front of Graceland, circa 1957. Early design details that Presley added to the Colonial Revival estate included a custom 15-foot-long blue metallic sofa (later reupholstered in white), a pink flagstone wall around the property, a kidney-shaped swimming pool, and a full-size soda fountain. In his initial renovations, Presley spent $500,000 (over $5 million in today’s dollars).
Off-post Army residence
In March 1958, Presley was drafted into the US Army. He is pictured in his off-post home in Bad Nauheim, Germany, in January 1960, shortly after being promoted to sergeant. It was here that the 24-year-old singer met a 14-year-old Priscilla Beaulieu, when a friend of his who had spotted Priscilla at a restaurant brought her to a party at Presley’s place to introduce them. To this day, the home at 14 Goethestrasse is still a landmark for fans.
A dream home and a Rolls in the driveway
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In March, 1960, Presley was discharged from the Army and returned home to Graceland, but it was a sadder and lonelier place, since his beloved mother, Gladys, died while he was in basic training. Presley maintained a long-distance relationship with Priscilla, who came to visit him at Graceland in 1962, and moved in with him in 1963. Here, he stands with his Rolls-Royce in front of Graceland, circa 1960. The Jailhouse Rock star had an affinity for slick cars, but it wasn’t the only mode of transportation he enjoyed at the estate. “He turned Graceland into a private playground for us all,” Priscilla wrote in her 1985 memoir, Elvis and Me. “He’d have gun-shooting contests and also ‘screaming thrill rides’ when he’d pack several people into his custom-built golf cart and race around the grounds at top speed.”
The royal family
Courtesy Everett CollectionBaby makes three
Elvis and Priscilla were married in Las Vegas on May 1, 1967. He was 32; she was 21. Exactly nine months later, on February 1, 1968, their first and only child, Lisa Marie Presley, was born. The newly minted parents pose with their daughter at Graceland in this 1968 photo.
Priscilla and Elvis brought a design aesthetic home from their vacations in Hawaii.
Magma AgencyHawaiian hideaway
Hawaii became a bit of a home away from home for Presley following his 1961 film, Blue Hawaii. He returned often to vacation there, including in 1968, when this snapshot was taken. The “Don’t Be Cruel” singer was so inspired by the tropical locale that he added a tiki-inspired space to Graceland. Now known as the Jungle Room, the kitschy den features wood-paneled walls, green shag carpeting on the floor and ceiling, carved wooden furniture with faux fur upholstery, and a built-in rock waterfall feature.
Priscilla, Elvia, and baby Lisa Marie relax at home.
Magma AgencyThe family at home
The Presleys relax in Graceland’s pool area, circa 1970. He had added the kidney-shaped pool and flagstone patio to the property in 1957. This snapshot shares a relaxed, happy moment, but life with Elvis wasn’t all pool parties for Priscilla. In Elvis and Me, Priscilla wrote frankly about their controversial relationship: “When we met, I had just turned 14. The first six months I spent with him were filled with tenderness and affection. Blinded by love, I saw none of his faults or weaknesses. He was to become the passion of my life. He taught me everything: how to dress, how to walk, how to apply makeup and wear my hair, how to behave, how to return love—his way. Over the years he became my father, husband, and very nearly God.”
The family at home in Beverly Hills
Frank Carroll/Getty ImagesA California house, and a forever-famous home
In this 1970 portrait, the family poses at their California residence at 1174 Hillcrest Road in Beverly Hills. The French Regency–style home in Trousdale Estates was designed by Rex Lotery. Three years after this photo was taken, Elvis and Priscilla were officially divorced—but they remained on good terms until Elvis’s 1977 death at the age of 42. “I could not face the reality that I would never see him alive again,” Priscilla wrote in Elvis and Me. “He had always been there for me. I depended on him, just as he depended on me. We had a bond. We’d become closer and had more understanding and patience for each other than in our married life.” Two years later, Priscilla cofounded Elvis Presley Enterprises, which opened Graceland as the museum it is today, cementing its status as one of America’s most recognizable homes.
Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
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