1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:04,199 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of iHeartRadio. 2 00:00:05,720 --> 00:00:09,360 Speaker 2: Hello and welcome to This Day in History Class, a 3 00:00:09,440 --> 00:00:12,559 Speaker 2: show that delivers a hunk a hunk of burning history 4 00:00:12,960 --> 00:00:16,920 Speaker 2: every day of the week. I'm Gabe Luesier, and in 5 00:00:16,960 --> 00:00:19,880 Speaker 2: this episode, we're looking at the day when the private 6 00:00:19,920 --> 00:00:23,560 Speaker 2: home of one of America's most beloved musicians became the 7 00:00:23,680 --> 00:00:35,800 Speaker 2: ultimate pilgrimage for rock and roll fans worldwide. The day 8 00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:42,000 Speaker 2: was June seventh, nineteen eighty two. Elvis Presley's Memphis home, 9 00:00:42,240 --> 00:00:45,519 Speaker 2: known as Graceland, was open to the public for tours. 10 00:00:46,360 --> 00:00:50,640 Speaker 2: The sprawling, twenty three room mansion was the primary residence 11 00:00:50,640 --> 00:00:53,840 Speaker 2: of the singer and his family for twenty years, right 12 00:00:53,920 --> 00:00:57,600 Speaker 2: up to his untimely death in nineteen seventy seven. As 13 00:00:57,640 --> 00:00:59,840 Speaker 2: a tribute to Elvis and as a way to pay 14 00:00:59,880 --> 00:01:03,760 Speaker 2: for the house's costly upkeep, Graceland was opened as a 15 00:01:03,840 --> 00:01:09,039 Speaker 2: museum slash tourist attraction five years after his passing. On 16 00:01:09,200 --> 00:01:13,080 Speaker 2: opening day, more than three thousand fans happily paid the 17 00:01:13,160 --> 00:01:15,959 Speaker 2: five dollars admission fee for a chance to visit the 18 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:18,920 Speaker 2: home of the late great King of rock and roll. 19 00:01:19,680 --> 00:01:22,640 Speaker 2: In the four decades since then, more than twenty two 20 00:01:22,920 --> 00:01:26,680 Speaker 2: million visitors have done the same, though of course most 21 00:01:26,680 --> 00:01:31,720 Speaker 2: of them paid more than five dollars money honey. Elvis 22 00:01:31,840 --> 00:01:36,399 Speaker 2: Aaron Presley grew up dirt poor in Tupelo, Mississippi, but 23 00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:39,920 Speaker 2: he promised his parents, Vernon and Gladys that one day 24 00:01:39,959 --> 00:01:42,680 Speaker 2: he'd make enough money to buy the family a nice, 25 00:01:42,720 --> 00:01:46,640 Speaker 2: big house to share. At the time, the Presleys may 26 00:01:46,680 --> 00:01:49,680 Speaker 2: not have put much stock in their young son's big talk, 27 00:01:50,040 --> 00:01:53,160 Speaker 2: but in nineteen fifty seven, when Elvis was just twenty 28 00:01:53,200 --> 00:01:57,200 Speaker 2: two years old, he made good on his promise. After 29 00:01:57,280 --> 00:01:59,920 Speaker 2: three years in the spotlight, he was looking to find 30 00:02:00,080 --> 00:02:03,280 Speaker 2: a private retreat from the pressures of stardom, and his 31 00:02:03,360 --> 00:02:08,919 Speaker 2: search eventually led him to a fourteen acre estate in Memphis, Tennessee. 32 00:02:08,960 --> 00:02:11,840 Speaker 2: The property was a steel at just over one hundred 33 00:02:11,840 --> 00:02:15,320 Speaker 2: thousand dollars, and while that's more like a million dollars 34 00:02:15,360 --> 00:02:18,160 Speaker 2: in today's money, that would still be a bargain for 35 00:02:18,240 --> 00:02:21,400 Speaker 2: a house with eight bedrooms and bathrooms and more than 36 00:02:21,440 --> 00:02:25,520 Speaker 2: a dozen acres of land. Elvis made all sorts of 37 00:02:25,560 --> 00:02:29,639 Speaker 2: renovations and additions to graceland, including a pair of custom 38 00:02:29,840 --> 00:02:33,200 Speaker 2: entry gates made to look like sheet music. But one 39 00:02:33,240 --> 00:02:36,840 Speaker 2: thing he didn't add himself was the property's famous name. 40 00:02:37,680 --> 00:02:41,560 Speaker 2: The Colonial Revival style mansion had been built in nineteen 41 00:02:41,680 --> 00:02:44,880 Speaker 2: thirty nine by doctor Thomas Moore and his wife Ruth, 42 00:02:45,200 --> 00:02:49,080 Speaker 2: and they named it Graceland, after Ruth's aunt, Grace Toof. 43 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:52,680 Speaker 2: The Toofs were the previous owners of the land on 44 00:02:52,720 --> 00:02:55,560 Speaker 2: which the mansion was built, having used it for farming, 45 00:02:56,040 --> 00:02:58,720 Speaker 2: so naming the property after Grace was a way to 46 00:02:58,760 --> 00:03:02,200 Speaker 2: honor that family history. Elvis liked the sound of the 47 00:03:02,280 --> 00:03:04,800 Speaker 2: name as well, and decided to keep it after moving 48 00:03:04,840 --> 00:03:08,280 Speaker 2: in when he wasn't on the road, The singer lived 49 00:03:08,280 --> 00:03:11,920 Speaker 2: at Graceland full time with his parents, his wife Priscilla, 50 00:03:11,960 --> 00:03:15,480 Speaker 2: and their daughter Lisa Marie. Plenty of other friends and 51 00:03:15,520 --> 00:03:18,639 Speaker 2: relatives called the mansion home as well, but just about 52 00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:22,480 Speaker 2: all of them moved out after Elvis's sudden death on 53 00:03:22,520 --> 00:03:26,200 Speaker 2: August sixteenth, nineteen seventy seven. The singer died of a 54 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:30,000 Speaker 2: heart attack in the bathroom of his upstairs bedroom suite. 55 00:03:30,040 --> 00:03:33,040 Speaker 2: He was only forty two years old, but had abused 56 00:03:33,080 --> 00:03:37,360 Speaker 2: prescription drugs for years, an addiction that likely contributed to 57 00:03:37,400 --> 00:03:40,800 Speaker 2: his heart condition. By the time of his death, Elvis 58 00:03:40,800 --> 00:03:44,040 Speaker 2: and Priscilla had already gotten divorced, so when his father 59 00:03:44,200 --> 00:03:48,080 Speaker 2: passed away two years later, Lisa Marie became Elvis's sole 60 00:03:48,200 --> 00:03:52,520 Speaker 2: living heir. However, since she was only eleven years old 61 00:03:52,600 --> 00:03:55,880 Speaker 2: at the time, her mother became a Graceland trustee in 62 00:03:55,880 --> 00:04:00,680 Speaker 2: her stead until she came of age. Unfortunately, while Elvis 63 00:04:00,760 --> 00:04:04,080 Speaker 2: was hard to beat as an entertainer, his financial planning 64 00:04:04,120 --> 00:04:07,320 Speaker 2: skills left a lot to be desired, a fact that 65 00:04:07,400 --> 00:04:12,000 Speaker 2: his unscrupulous manager, Colonel Tom Parker, infamously used to his 66 00:04:12,040 --> 00:04:16,120 Speaker 2: own advantage. When Elvis passed away, he didn't leave behind 67 00:04:16,240 --> 00:04:19,200 Speaker 2: nearly as much wealth as you might expect, and as 68 00:04:19,200 --> 00:04:22,599 Speaker 2: a result, paying for the upkeep of Graceland quickly became 69 00:04:22,640 --> 00:04:23,960 Speaker 2: a burden on his estate. 70 00:04:24,640 --> 00:04:27,240 Speaker 1: It was costing the family more than half a million 71 00:04:27,320 --> 00:04:30,680 Speaker 1: dollars a year in maintenance and taxes, and by the 72 00:04:30,760 --> 00:04:34,719 Speaker 1: nineteen eighties, the estate's accountants and bankers were recommending that 73 00:04:34,800 --> 00:04:39,520 Speaker 1: Priscilla sell the house to avoid bankruptcy. Instead, she and 74 00:04:39,560 --> 00:04:43,120 Speaker 1: the other two executors decided to open the house to tourists. 75 00:04:43,720 --> 00:04:47,119 Speaker 1: That way, they could continue funding the estate while also 76 00:04:47,200 --> 00:04:51,360 Speaker 1: keeping Elvis's memory alive in the public mind. In late 77 00:04:51,440 --> 00:04:55,400 Speaker 1: nineteen eighty one, the Estate hired Jack Soden, a Missouri 78 00:04:55,440 --> 00:04:59,040 Speaker 1: investment counselor who would later become the long running CEO 79 00:04:59,440 --> 00:05:03,919 Speaker 1: of Elvis Presley Enterprises. With Sodan's help, they secured a 80 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:07,760 Speaker 1: five hundred thousand dollars investment and then began visiting other 81 00:05:07,839 --> 00:05:12,680 Speaker 1: tourist attractions for inspiration. The main focus was historical homes 82 00:05:12,720 --> 00:05:15,960 Speaker 1: that had been converted into museums, such as Hurst Castle 83 00:05:16,200 --> 00:05:19,799 Speaker 1: and Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, but they also paid a visit 84 00:05:19,839 --> 00:05:23,320 Speaker 1: to the Disney World theme park for good measure. Most 85 00:05:23,360 --> 00:05:25,800 Speaker 1: of the planning was left to Jack Soden, but it 86 00:05:25,839 --> 00:05:29,520 Speaker 1: was Priscilla Presley's idea to keep everything in Graceland the 87 00:05:29,560 --> 00:05:32,680 Speaker 1: same as it was when Elvis was alive, including as 88 00:05:32,680 --> 00:05:37,760 Speaker 1: many fixtures, furnishings, and personal belongings as possible. The opening 89 00:05:37,839 --> 00:05:40,720 Speaker 1: of Graceland was set for the early summer of nineteen 90 00:05:40,760 --> 00:05:44,320 Speaker 1: eighty two, with tickets being sold in advance that spring 91 00:05:44,560 --> 00:05:47,159 Speaker 1: in order to pay for uniforms for the tour guides. 92 00:05:47,920 --> 00:05:51,159 Speaker 1: There were three thousand and thirty four tickets allotted for 93 00:05:51,240 --> 00:05:54,080 Speaker 1: the first day's tours, and every one of them sold 94 00:05:54,120 --> 00:05:58,000 Speaker 1: out well ahead of the June seventh opening. Demand remained 95 00:05:58,080 --> 00:06:00,880 Speaker 1: so strong in the coming weeks that the estate made 96 00:06:00,960 --> 00:06:04,200 Speaker 1: back its half million dollar investment in just a little 97 00:06:04,240 --> 00:06:08,240 Speaker 1: over a month. In a somewhat awkward twist, the Presley 98 00:06:08,320 --> 00:06:12,000 Speaker 1: family hadn't fully left the building when the public tours began. 99 00:06:12,560 --> 00:06:16,840 Speaker 1: Elvis's aunt, Delta May Presley Biggs, was still living at 100 00:06:16,839 --> 00:06:20,159 Speaker 1: Graceland with her dog Edmund. She was front and center 101 00:06:20,279 --> 00:06:23,520 Speaker 1: during the opening ceremony as well, cutting the blue ribbon 102 00:06:23,680 --> 00:06:27,320 Speaker 1: with a little help from Jack Soden. Aunt Delta's first 103 00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:31,040 Speaker 1: floor bedroom remained off limits to the public during her lifetime, 104 00:06:31,240 --> 00:06:33,719 Speaker 1: but it was added to the tour one year after 105 00:06:33,760 --> 00:06:37,159 Speaker 1: her death in nineteen ninety three. The same can't be 106 00:06:37,279 --> 00:06:41,320 Speaker 1: said for Elvis Presley's upstairs suite. To this day, that 107 00:06:41,440 --> 00:06:44,640 Speaker 1: part of the house remains closed to everyone but family 108 00:06:44,680 --> 00:06:49,279 Speaker 1: members and Graceland's staff. During the early years of operation, 109 00:06:49,600 --> 00:06:53,400 Speaker 1: the Graceland Mansion tour took guests through Elvis's living room, 110 00:06:53,640 --> 00:06:57,560 Speaker 1: music room, dining room, TV room, pool room, and a 111 00:06:57,600 --> 00:07:01,800 Speaker 1: trophy building where his many awards, costumes, gold records, and 112 00:07:01,880 --> 00:07:06,320 Speaker 1: other pieces of memorabilia were displayed. Another highlight was the 113 00:07:06,400 --> 00:07:11,320 Speaker 1: King's tiki themed den, appropriately nicknamed the Jungle room. The 114 00:07:11,400 --> 00:07:14,239 Speaker 1: tour would end with fans exiting onto the car port, 115 00:07:14,520 --> 00:07:18,400 Speaker 1: where Elvis's collection of luxury cars and motorcycles were lined 116 00:07:18,480 --> 00:07:21,960 Speaker 1: up for their viewing pleasure. In later years, a visitor 117 00:07:22,080 --> 00:07:24,760 Speaker 1: center with a cafe and gift shop would be added, 118 00:07:25,040 --> 00:07:30,000 Speaker 1: along with additional exhibits, including the singer's private plane. Visitors 119 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:33,800 Speaker 1: can also visit Elvis's meditation garden and pay their respects 120 00:07:33,840 --> 00:07:36,080 Speaker 1: at his grave, as well as those of many of 121 00:07:36,120 --> 00:07:40,800 Speaker 1: his family members. In nineteen ninety three, Lisa Marie Presley 122 00:07:40,920 --> 00:07:44,520 Speaker 1: inherited her father's estate on her twenty fifth birthday, and 123 00:07:44,560 --> 00:07:47,640 Speaker 1: thanks to her mother's savvy stewardship, it was worth far 124 00:07:47,760 --> 00:07:52,480 Speaker 1: more than when Elvis died. Sadly, Lisa Marie Presley passed 125 00:07:52,520 --> 00:07:56,120 Speaker 1: away in January of twenty twenty three, though her estate, 126 00:07:56,360 --> 00:08:00,400 Speaker 1: including her three daughters, still own the Graceland mansion itself, 127 00:08:00,720 --> 00:08:03,400 Speaker 1: as well as all of the personal effects within it. 128 00:08:04,080 --> 00:08:07,880 Speaker 1: As for Jack Soden, he's still the president and CEO 129 00:08:08,080 --> 00:08:11,760 Speaker 1: of Graceland, and during his decade's long tenure, the house 130 00:08:11,760 --> 00:08:16,120 Speaker 1: has received some pretty impressive honors. For instance, in nineteen 131 00:08:16,200 --> 00:08:19,680 Speaker 1: ninety one, Graceland was added to the National Register of 132 00:08:19,800 --> 00:08:23,000 Speaker 1: Historic places, and in two thousand and six it was 133 00:08:23,080 --> 00:08:29,280 Speaker 1: designated a National Historic Landmark. Today, Graceland welcomes about six 134 00:08:29,360 --> 00:08:32,440 Speaker 1: hundred thousand visitors a year, making it one of the 135 00:08:32,600 --> 00:08:36,880 Speaker 1: five most visited homes in America. It's also the second 136 00:08:37,040 --> 00:08:41,640 Speaker 1: most recognizable, surpassed only by the White House. And considering 137 00:08:41,679 --> 00:08:45,920 Speaker 1: that Elvis was an actual royalty, being second to the President, 138 00:08:46,240 --> 00:08:53,440 Speaker 1: he too shabby. I'm Gabe Lucier and hopefully you now 139 00:08:53,520 --> 00:08:57,079 Speaker 1: know a little more about history today than you did yesterday. 140 00:08:57,720 --> 00:09:00,520 Speaker 1: You can learn even more about history by fiollowing us 141 00:09:00,600 --> 00:09:05,880 Speaker 1: on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at TDI HC Show, and 142 00:09:05,960 --> 00:09:08,400 Speaker 1: if you have any feedback you'd like to share, feel 143 00:09:08,400 --> 00:09:10,640 Speaker 1: free to send it my way by writing to This 144 00:09:10,840 --> 00:09:15,280 Speaker 1: Day at iHeartMedia dot com. Thanks to Chandler Mays and 145 00:09:15,360 --> 00:09:17,880 Speaker 1: Ben Hackett for producing the show, and thanks to you 146 00:09:17,960 --> 00:09:19,480 Speaker 1: for listening. I'll see you 147 00:09:19,520 --> 00:09:33,360 Speaker 2: Back here again tomorrow for another day in History class.