Lisa Marie Presley was almost assuredly best known for being the one and only child of the late, great Elvis Presley. But did you know that if it hadn’t been for both her and her mother Priscilla’s stewardship of the Presley Trust we might not have as much to remember Elvis by? It’s true – in fact, it’s thanks to the two of them that Graceland is still the landmark it is today. Elvis originally bought the home that his daughter Lisa Marie would come to spend her earliest years in 1957 when he was still only 22 years old. At the time, he paid a paltry $102,500, with half that amount being paid in cash and the other half being a trade-in with his previous house. In March 2020, Lisa Marie Presley bought a new property for herself in the California city of Calabasas for $1.8 Million. Set on a cul-de-sac within a guard-gated community, this vaguely Mediterranean-style stucco house was constructed in 1989 and sits amongst a litany of other similar-looking homes.
Lisa Marie Presley was almost assuredly best known for being the one and only child of
the late, great Elvis Presley, but did you know that if it hadn't been for both her
and her mother Priscilla's stewardship of the Presley Trust that we might not have as
much to remember Elvis by?
It's true.
In fact, it's thanks to the two of them that Graceland is still the landmark it is
today.
Elvis originally bought the home that his daughter Lisa Marie would come to spend her
earliest years in 1957 when he was still only 22 years old.
At the time, he paid the small price of just over $102K, with half that amount being paid
in cash, and the other half being a trade-in with his previous house.
In these videos we don't reveal any addresses and even though I've done a house tour of
my own place, please do not show up at any private residences because it's not safe
for anyone.
Graceland was originally built in 1939 by a wealthy Memphis family who would own the
property and utilize it as a 500-acre farm since 1861.
It was named after the original owner's daughter, Grace, and the name stuck.
By the time Elvis came around in the late 50s, however, the place was most definitely
down on its luck.
One of the very first things Elvis did when he took ownership of the property was build
a den in the basement, which he then outfitted with a projector to watch films and an ice
cream bar.
From that point forward, the tone was set.
Graceland would be a family home, a place where Elvis could relax and be himself while
also allowing his parents, Vernon and Gladys, to live with him as well.
It was with the help of his dear old mom that Elvis decorated Graceland for the first time,
along with a little bit of assistance from interior decorator George Golden.
With their input, Elvis worked his way through the house, planning color schemes, curtains,
furnishings, and adding those infamous music gates for just over $3,000 as well as the
wall of love.
As for the main reception rooms, those were kept conservative and somewhat simple.
Of course, Graceland would continue to be a work in progress throughout Elvis' life.
The last time the house was redecorated during his lifetime was 1974, the year the king decided
to turn his home into something akin to a bordello by painting it almost entirely in
red.
A local designer named Bill Eubanks assisted Elvis with the job, turning the walls, carpets,
curtains and furnishings all a hot corvette shade of crimson.
Meanwhile, the TV room was given a makeover as well, only this space was painted canary
yellow and spruced up further with a mirrored ceiling and walls.
Speaking of the TV room, Elvis always had three TVs on the go in here.
He got the idea from President Johnson, who reportedly enjoyed watching three news broadcasts
at once.
For Elvis, it was football, and he'd keep three games going at the same time.
Then there's what's commonly known as the jungle room, otherwise known as Elvis'
favorite room in the house, the den.
In what very might well have been one of the first instances of a man cave, Elvis transformed
his basement into a boy's paradise that reminded him of his favorite holiday spot,
Hawaii.
This space was originally an outdoor patio, but it was incorporated into the home itself
in the 60s, and then a water feature was added in 1965 to cascade down its stone walls.
There's also mossy green shag pile carpeting blanketing the floors and ceiling, with wood
paneling on the walls to complete the effect.
Somewhat shockingly, those eye-catching, ornately carved chairs and thrones that populate this
space were not custom-made.
Elvis hand-picked them from a furniture storage just down the road, if you can believe it.
Lisa Marie spent the first few years of her life growing up on her father's massive
estate.
But then, at only 9 years old, her father would die from a heart attack in one of Graceland's
bathrooms.
Even more tragically, Lisa would see his body for herself, lying face-down on the carpet,
and she actually remembers crying out, my daddy's dead.
Believe it or not, but Elvis' body wasn't removed from the property following his death,
something that Lisa Marie would later remember as being surreal, but also, oddly comforting.
What's more, when Elvis died, his estate was worth practically nothing.
He was down to his last million, and the fortune Lisa Marie was set to inherit on her 25th
birthday had been dumped into a mass of tax debts.
So Priscilla got to work changing all of that.
She spent $500,000 refurbishing the home and restoring it, ripping out that tacky red paint
Elvis installed in the 70s, and replacing it with a more tasteful combination of blue,
gold, and white.
She then opened Graceland to the public in 1982.
With Elvis' Aunt Delta living in the home as a sitting tenant almost overnight, Graceland
became a smashing success, with 300,000 visitors traveling to check it out over the course
of the first year.
By the end of the 90s, Lisa Marie's estate was worth $200 million, and Aunt Delta, the
last person to ever live in the house, passed away in 1993.
Today, nearly 650,000 visitors each and every year make the pilgrimage to pay tribute.
Once they've made the short bus ride from the mansion gates to the main entrance, visitors
are issued with an audio recording of Priscilla and Lisa Marie, welcoming them to the miniature
palace they once shared with the king.
Of Graceland's nearly two dozen rooms, roughly half are out of bounds, and only family members
are allowed to go upstairs.
The reason?
Well, if you're a fan of conspiracy theories, the most popular rumor is that it's because
Elvis is still alive and well, living up there.
As much fun as that might be to believe, we all know this family just isn't that lucky.
If you need any further proof of that, look no further than the last home Lisa Marie Presley
would ever own, and the tragedy that unfolded there.
In March of 2020, Lisa Marie Presley bought a new property for herself in the California
city of Calabasas for $1.8 million.
Set on a cul-de-sac in a guard-gated community, this vaguely Mediterranean-style stucco house
was constructed in 1989, and sits with a handful of other similar-looking homes.
With the home recently being sold in an off-market deal, images and details are somewhat scarce,
but tax records suggest this two-story villa measures in at around 3,600 square feet, and
boasts five bedrooms and four full baths, including a guest bedroom on the ground floor
of the premises.
For the most part, the property's exterior has remained unchanged throughout the decades,
but the interior was recently remodeled to suit more current and popular trends, like
the installation of top-of-the-line stainless steel appliances, as well as a recessed lighting
in the home's kitchen.
Meanwhile, upstairs, the spa-style main bathroom is not only large, but offers dual vanities
and a glamorous glass shower with its own inset soaking tub.
Out back, there's a grassy lawn to run around on, as well as a stone pathway that leads
to and from the plunge-style pool.
There's also some mesmerizing views of the surrounding hills.
Residents who live in this gated community, one of many that populate Calabasas, pay around
$439 a month in extra fees to cover the cost of 24-7 guards, plus a variety of extras like
a pristinely maintained park and several sports courts.
Not that Lisa Marie ever really got the chance to enjoy any of that.
Scarcely four months after moving in here, her son Benjamin, the 27-year-old grandson
of Elvis, took his own life at the home with a shotgun.
Lisa Marie Presley's son, Elvis Presley's grandson, Benjamin Keough, has died.
It was the very definition of tragedy, and unsurprisingly, Lisa Marie wanted nothing
to do with the home after it happened.
She not only moved out, she listed the house and sold it to a non-famous woman for $2 million
in March of 2021.
Following which, she moved in with her former first husband and Benjamin's father, Danny Keough.
Danny also owned a property in the Calabasas region, so Lisa didn't have that far to go.
Despite how tragic the circumstances of her life had become, Lisa never gave up on her
role as a steward to her father's estate.
As recently as only a few days ago, she traveled to Graceland to give a moving speech on what
would have been her father's 88th birthday, telling everyone gathered there how much their
love and support has meant to her over the years.
More than just that, Lisa was achingly honest about how ever since her son's death, she
had turned into a recluse, never wanting to leave the house unless it was to celebrate
her family's legacy, like at the 2023 Golden Globes, when she was in the audience to lend
her support to Austin Butler as he took home the award for Best Actor thanks to his portrayal
of Elvis in the Baz Luhrmann biopic.
Just two days after that ceremony ended, the LA County Sheriff's Department responded
to a call in the city of Calabasas for a female in her 50s that had suffered a cardiac arrest.
That woman was Lisa Marie Presley.
It was Lisa Marie's housekeeper who found her unresponsive in her bedroom, and right
around that same time, her ex, Danny, returned home from taking the kids to school, and he
began performing CPR until the paramedics arrived.
Lisa Marie was then transported to West Hills Hospital, where her mother met her.
Unfortunately, Lisa Marie Presley wouldn't be able to pull through.
She passed away from a heart attack, the same condition that took the life of her father
at only 54 years old.
I'm not gonna lie, this is a heartbreaking conclusion to a story that wasn't exactly
feel good in the first place.
Considering what the Presley family has meant to the history of not only pop culture, but
in many ways, America itself, you'd hope for a happier ending.
But sometimes, that's just not in the cards.
Here's hoping that Lisa's surviving children can carry on her family's legacy as proudly
as she once did.
Alright everyone, that's gonna bring this house tour to a close.
But before we wrap up, give some thought towards the following question.
Considering no one has officially lived in Graceland since Aunt Delta's passing, what
do YOU think is upstairs that the family is keeping off limits?
Let's hear your most interesting theories in the comments down below, and be sure to
leave your condolences for Lisa Marie and the Presley family.
Otherwise, like, subscribe, and turn on your notifications to never miss an episode.
Thanks for tuning in, my name is Kara the Vampire Slayer, and I'll see you all on the
next tour.
Bye!