Priscilla Ann Presley ( Wagner, changed by adoption to Beaulieu; born May 24, 1945) is an American actress and businesswoman. She is the former wife of American singer
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
, as well as co-founder and former chairwoman of
Elvis Presley Enterprises
Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. (EPE) is a corporate entity created by "The Elvis Presley Trust" to conduct business and manage its assets, including Graceland. (EPE), the company that turned
Graceland
Graceland is a mansion on a estate in Memphis, Tennessee, United States, which was once owned by rock and roll icon Elvis Presley. His daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, inherited Graceland after his death in 1977. Graceland is located at 3764 Elv ...
into one of the top tourist attractions in the United States. In her acting career, Presley co-starred with
Leslie Nielsen
Leslie William Nielsen (11 February 192628 November 2010) was a Canadian actor and comedian. With a career spanning 60 years, he appeared in more than 100 films and 150 television programs, portraying more than 220 characters.
Nielsen was bo ...
in the three ''
Naked Gun
Nudity is the state of being in which a human is without clothing.
The loss of body hair was one of the physical characteristics that marked the biological evolution of modern humans from their hominin ancestors. Adaptations related to ...
'' films and played the role of
Jenna Wade
Jenna Krebbs (maiden name Wade; formerly Marchetta) is a fictional character on the popular American television series ''Dallas'', played, most notably, by Priscilla Presley from 1983 to 1988. Jenna was also briefly played by Morgan Fairchild in 19 ...
on the long-running television series ''
Dallas
Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
''.
Early life
Priscilla Ann Wagner was born at
Brooklyn Naval Hospital
Brooklyn Naval Hospital was a hospital in Brooklyn, New York City, within the Brooklyn Navy Yard. It was one of the oldest naval hospitals in the United States, having operated from 1838 to 1948. Two of the structures in the former hospital's sit ...
in
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
on May 24, 1945.
Her maternal grandfather, Albert Henry Iversen (1899–1971), was born in
Egersund
Egersund is a town in Eigersund municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. The town is located along the southwestern coast of Norway, about south of the city of Stavanger. The town is situated along a strait which separates the mainland from t ...
, Norway.
["Egen plass i bestefars fødeby"](_blank)
(March 14, 2008) nrk.no
NRK, an abbreviation of the Norwegian ''Norsk Rikskringkasting AS'', generally expressed in English as the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, is the Norwegian government-owned radio and television public broadcasting company, and the largest ...
. He immigrated to the United States, where he married Lorraine Davis (1903–1984), who was of
Scots-Irish and English descent. Their only daughter was Anna Lillian Iversen (1926–2021), who later was called, or her name was changed to, Ann.
[Finstad (1997)] She gave birth to Priscilla when she was 19 years old.
Priscilla's biological father was
US Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage of ...
pilot James Frederick Wagner (1921–1945), son of Kathryn (1901–1995) and Harold Wagner (1897–1958) of
Cherrytree Township, Pennsylvania
Cherrytree Township is a township in Venango County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,297 at the 2020 census, a decrease from 1,973 in 2010. It is part of Titusville.
History
The Bridge in Cherrytree Township and Drake Oil Wel ...
. At age 23 he married Priscilla's mother, Ann, on August 10, 1944; they had been dating for more than three years. Wagner died in a plane crash returning home on leave when Priscilla was six months old.
[Presley (1985), p. 22]
In 1948, Ann married a
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...
officer named Paul Beaulieu, from
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
, Canada. The couple raised Priscilla along with half-siblings Donald (b. 1949), Michelle (b. 1954), Jeffrey (b. 1959) and twins Thomas (1962–2013) and Timothy Beaulieu (b. 1962). Priscilla took the Beaulieu surname on April 17, 1950. Over the next few years, the growing family repeatedly relocated as her stepfather's Air Force career moved them from
Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
to
New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Tiguex
, OfficialLang = None
, Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...
to
Maine
Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...
. Priscilla describes herself during this period as "a shy, pretty, little girl, unhappily accustomed to moving from base to base every two or three years."
[Presley (1985), p. 19] Priscilla later recalled how uneasy she felt having to move so often, never knowing if she could ever make friends for life, or if she would fit in with the people she would meet at the next place.
In 1956, the Beaulieus settled in
Del Valle, Texas
Del Valle ( ) is an airport-defined edge city of Austin and part of the Austin–Round Rock–San Marcos Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is founded upon the 19th-century Santiago Del Valle leagues, the largest granted land parcel in Tr ...
, but soon her stepfather was transferred to
Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden () is a city in central western Germany and the capital of the state of Hesse. , it had 290,955 inhabitants, plus approximately 21,000 United States citizens (mostly associated with the United States Army). The Wiesbaden urban area ...
,
West Germany
West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...
.
[Presley (1985), p. 24] Priscilla was "crushed" by this news, as just after junior high, her fear of having to leave friends behind and make new ones was once again justified.
Life in West Germany
When the Beaulieus arrived in West Germany, they stayed at the Helene Hotel, but, after three months, living there became too expensive, and they looked for a place to rent.
[Presley (1985), p. 25] The family settled into a large apartment in a "vintage building constructed long before
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
." Soon after moving in, the Beaulieus realized it was a
brothel
A brothel, bordello, ranch, or whorehouse is a place where people engage in sexual activity with prostitutes. However, for legal or cultural reasons, establishments often describe themselves as massage parlors, bars, strip clubs, body rub par ...
, but, given the scarcity of housing, they had little choice but to remain.
Life with Elvis Presley
Germany
On September 13, 1959, during
Elvis Presley's Army career
American singer and actor Elvis Presley served in the United States Army from 1958 to 1960. At the time of his enlistment, he was widely regarded as the most well-known name in the world of entertainment.
Before entering the Army, Presley had ...
, he met Priscilla at a party at his rented home in
Bad Nauheim, Germany.
[Clutton (2004)] Though only 14 years old, she made an impression on him. Elvis allegedly regressed to acting like an "awkward, embarrassed" boy-next-door figure in front of her. By the end of the evening, however, he managed to compose himself.
[Goldman (1981), p. 306] Priscilla’s parents were upset by her late return home the night of that first meeting and insisted that she never see Elvis again, but his eagerness for another rendezvous and his promise never to bring her home late again
[Goldman (1981), p. 307] led them to relent. Thereafter, he and Priscilla were frequently together until his departure from West Germany in March 1960. After Elvis left, Priscilla was inundated with requests for interviews from media outlets around the world. She received fan mail from Elvis fans, some positive and some negative, as well as mail from "lonesome G.I.s". With gossip-magazine rumors swirling about his relationship with
Nancy Sinatra
Nancy Sandra Sinatra (born June 8, 1940) is an American singer and actress. She is the elder daughter of Frank Sinatra and Nancy Sinatra ( Barbato), and is best known for her 1966 signature hit "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'.
Nancy Sinatra ...
, Priscilla became convinced that her romance with Elvis was over and she would never see him again.
[Presley (1985), pp. 62–70]
Move to Graceland
![Graceland Memphis Tennessee](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/Graceland_Memphis_Tennessee.jpg)
After Elvis's return to the US, she managed to stay in touch with him by phone, though they would not see each other again until the summer of 1962, when Priscilla's parents agreed to let her visit for two weeks.
[ They allowed her to go on the condition Elvis pay for a first-class round trip and arrange for her to be chaperoned at all times, and that she write home every day.][ Elvis agreed to all these demands, and Priscilla flew to Los Angeles. Elvis told her they were going to ]Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
, and to throw her parents off the scent, he had Priscilla write a postcard for every day they would be away – to be mailed from Los Angeles by a member of his staff.[
It was during this visit, while on a trip to Las Vegas, that Priscilla first took amphetamines and sleeping pills to keep up with Elvis' lifestyle. After another visit at Christmas, Priscilla's parents let her move to Memphis in March 1963.] Part of the agreement was that she would attend an all-girls Catholic school, the Immaculate Conception High School in Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...
, and live with Elvis' father and his stepmother in a separate house a few streets away from the Graceland mansion at 3650 Hermitage Drive, until she graduated from high school in June 1963. Part of the agreement was that they would eventually marry. However, according to her 1985 autobiography, ''Elvis and Me
''Elvis and Me'' is a 1985 biography written by Priscilla Presley with Sandra Harmon. In the book, Priscilla talks about meeting Elvis Presley, their marriage, and the factors and issues that led to the couple's divorce. The book rights were p ...
'', she "spent entire nights with Grandma at Graceland and gradually moved her belongings there." It is believed she had her permanent residence at Graceland as early as May 1963. Her parents eventually agreed to her living there if Elvis promised to marry her.[ Priscilla later said, "The move was natural. ... I was there all the time anyway."
Priscilla was keen to go to Hollywood with Elvis, but he kept telling her he was too busy and had her stay in Memphis. During the filming of '']Viva Las Vegas
''Viva Las Vegas'' is a 1964 American musical film directed by George Sidney and starring Elvis Presley and Ann-Margret. The film is regarded by fans and film critics as one of Presley's best films, and it is noted for the on-screen chemistry bet ...
'', Elvis began an affair with his co-star Ann-Margret
Ann-Margret Olsson (born April 28, 1941) is a Swedish–American actress, singer, and dancer. As an actress and singer, she is credited as Ann-Margret.
She is known for her roles in ''Pocketful of Miracles'' (1961), ''State Fair'' (1962), ''B ...
. When Priscilla read of these reports in the press, she confronted Elvis. He told her they were simply rumors to promote the film and that she should not believe everything she read in the press. For the next few years, Elvis had intimate relationships with many of his leading ladies and co-stars, all the while denying their existence to Priscilla. Eventually she was allowed to visit him in Hollywood, but her visits were kept short.[
]
Marriage and pregnancy
Shortly before Christmas 1966, Elvis proposed to Priscilla. Colonel Parker
Thomas Andrew Parker (born Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk; June 26, 1909 January 21, 1997), , Elvis's manager, encouraged him to marry by reminding him about his RCA
The RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded as the Radio Corporation of America in 1919. It was initially a patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse, AT&T Corporation and United Fruit Comp ...
"morals clause" within his record contract. Priscilla suggested in a 1973 interview with ''Ladies' Home Journal
''Ladies' Home Journal'' was an American magazine last published by the Meredith Corporation. It was first published on February 16, 1883, and eventually became one of the leading women's magazines of the 20th century in the United States. In 18 ...
'' that she and Elvis were quite happy to just live together
"Live Together" is a song recorded by British singer, songwriter and actress Lisa Stansfield for her debut album, '' Affection'' (1989). It was written by Stansfield, Ian Devaney and Andy Morris, and produced by Devaney and Morris. It was releas ...
, but "at that time it wasn't nice for people to ust UST or Ust may refer to:
Organizations
* UST (company), American digital technology company
* Equatorial Guinea Workers' Union
* Union of Trade Unions of Chad (Union des Syndicats du Tchad)
* United States Television Manufacturing Corp.
* UST Grow ...
live together". Accounts by Elvis's cook, Alberta, claim that he was so upset about the wedding that she caught him crying about it one day. When she asked why he did not just cancel the wedding if it upset him so much, he replied "I don't have a choice." Marty Lacker, a close friend to Elvis, has also spoken about Elvis's reluctance to marry, while others such as Joe Esposito Joe Esposito may refer to:
*Joe Esposito (author) (1938–2016), American author and publisher
*Joe Esposito (singer) (born 1948), member of the Brooklyn Dreams
*Joe Esposito (politician) (1872–1928), American corrupt politician
*Joe Esposito (ba ...
have asserted that Elvis was excited to marry Priscilla.
In her book, ''Elvis and Me'', Priscilla describes Presley as a very passionate man who was not overtly sexual towards her. According to her account, the singer told her that they had to wait until they were married before having intercourse. He said, "I'm not saying we can't do other things. It's just the actual encounter. I want to save it." Priscilla says in her autobiography that she was a virgin and she and Elvis did not have sex until their wedding night. However, this claim is questioned by biographer Suzanne Finstad
Suzanne Finstad (born Suzanne Elaine Finstad September 14, 1955 in Minneapolis, Minnesota) is a bestselling American author, biographer, journalist, producer, and lawyer.
Work pre-1990
Finstad received the Frank Wardlaw Prize in 1984 for liter ...
.
The couple married on May 1, 1967, at the Aladdin Hotel
Planet Hollywood Las Vegas (formerly the Aladdin) is a casino hotel on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment. The property was previously the site of an earlier resort known as the Aladdin, ...
in Las Vegas. The wedding, arranged by Parker to maximize publicity, featured very few guests and was over in only eight minutes.[ It was followed by a quick press conference and a $10,000 breakfast reception, attended by friends, family, and business associates from ]MGM
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...
, RCA, and the William Morris Agency
The William Morris Agency (WMA) was a Hollywood-based talent agency. It represented some of the best known 20th-century entertainers in film, television, and music. During its 109-year tenure it came to be regarded as the "first great talent a ...
.[ The wedding caused rifts between Elvis and several of his closest friends who were not invited to the actual wedding ceremony.] Red West
Robert Gene "Red" West (March 8, 1936 – July 18, 2017) was an American actor, film stuntman and songwriter. He was known for being a close confidant and bodyguard for rock and roll singer Elvis Presley. Upon his firing, West wrote the contro ...
, especially, was furious about the situation. He and his wife had been personally invited by Elvis to Las Vegas for the wedding, had dressed for the occasion, and at the last minute were told that they would not be present. For Red, who had been with Elvis since the beginning of his rise to fame and had given Elvis the role of best man at his own wedding, this was enough of an insult that he decided to quit his job working for Elvis. Many other friends of Elvis were also disappointed and held resentment towards him for many years to follow, although they mainly blamed Parker for their exclusion rather than Elvis himself.[
Following the reception, Elvis and Priscilla boarded a private jet and enjoyed a short honeymoon in ]Palm Springs
Palm Springs (Cahuilla: ''Séc-he'') is a desert resort city in Riverside County, California, United States, within the Colorado Desert's Coachella Valley. The city covers approximately , making it the largest city in Riverside County by land ...
.[ On May 4, they flew back to Memphis and retreated to their private ranch, just over the Mississippi state line, for a three-week break. Many of Elvis' inner circle joined them, although for the most part the couple were left alone and were able to enjoy each other's company without the intrusion of the ]Memphis Mafia
The Memphis Mafia was the nickname given by the media to a group of Elvis Presley's friends, associates, employees and cousins whose main functions were to accompany, protect, and serve Presley from the beginning of his career in 1954 until his de ...
. "I loved playing house," she later remarked; adding, "Here was an opportunity to take care of him myself. No maids or housekeepers to pamper us." In an attempt to heal rifts, Elvis and Priscilla held another reception at Graceland on May 29 for the friends and family who were unable to attend the original ceremonies.[
Soon after, Priscilla found out that she was pregnant. She was upset at such an early pregnancy, certain that it would destroy the closeness she had finally found with Elvis.] She had asked him earlier if she could take birth control pills, but Elvis had insisted they were not perfected yet. She considered abortion, and even discussed it with Elvis at one point, but both decided they could not live with themselves if they had gone through with it. Their only child, Lisa Marie, was born exactly nine months after their wedding, on February 1, 1968.[
Priscilla wrote in ''Elvis and Me'' that, around the time Elvis was filming '']Live a Little, Love a Little
''Live a Little, Love a Little'' is a 1968 American musical comedy film starring Elvis Presley. It was directed by Norman Taurog, who had directed several previous Presley films. This was to be Taurog's final film, as he went blind shortly after p ...
'' (1968), she began taking private dance lessons. She found herself deeply attracted to the instructor, known simply as Mark in the book, and she confesses to having a short affair. She implies regret, however, saying, "I came out of it realizing I needed much more out of my relationship with Elvis."[Presley (1985), p. 262]
Despite Priscilla's affair and Elvis's on-and-off relationships with his co-stars and leading ladies, the first few years they were married seemed a happy time for the couple. However, when Elvis's career took off again after his 1968 television special, he was constantly touring and playing in Las Vegas. Elvis had also been seeing other women on and off, often leaving Priscilla at home with Lisa Marie. Because Elvis was away so often, the marriage soured.
Separation and divorce
Elvis was a keen karate
(; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ) is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tii'' in Okinawan) under the ...
student and persuaded Priscilla to take it up. Priscilla thought it was a good idea, as it would pass the time she spent alone if she had a hobby on which to concentrate, and she was also keen to share in Elvis' interests. Following disruptions from Elvis, Priscilla began taking lessons from Mike Stone, a karate instructor she had met in 1972 backstage at one of Elvis' concerts. She soon began an affair with him. Priscilla states in her book, "My relationship with Mike had now developed into an affair. I still loved Elvis greatly, but over the next few months I knew I would have to make a crucial decision regarding my destiny."[Presley (1985), p. 297] She later states, "Elvis must have perceived my new restlessness." A couple of months later, she said that Elvis had requested to see her in his hotel suite. It was then that she writes in her book that Elvis "forcefully made love to me... s he said'This is how a real man makes love to his woman.'"
She later stated in an interview that she regretted her choice of words in describing the incident, and said it had been an overstatement. She went on to say following the incident, "what really hurt was that he was not sensitive to me as a woman and his attempt at reconciliation had come too late," suggesting that his actions were a deliberate attempt at reconciliation or compensation for his lack of sexual interest in Priscilla which had been a source of hurt and discontent for her for years. Priscilla states in her book, "He had mentioned to me before we were married that he had never been able to make love to a woman who had a child"[Presley (1985), p. 259] and she later expressed the personal repercussions of their sexual dysfunction, saying, "I am beginning to doubt my own sexuality as a woman. My physical and emotional needs were unfulfilled." After this incident, Priscilla summarized, "this was not the gentle, understanding man I grew to love."
Elvis and Priscilla separated on February 24, 1972, and filed for legal separation on July 26. To avoid Priscilla having to make her home address available on the public records and therefore risking the security of both her and Lisa Marie, Elvis filed for divorce on his 38th birthday, January 8, 1973. Later that month, Elvis reportedly became paranoid about Mike Stone and said, "There's too much pain in me... Stone ust UST or Ust may refer to:
Organizations
* UST (company), American digital technology company
* Equatorial Guinea Workers' Union
* Union of Trade Unions of Chad (Union des Syndicats du Tchad)
* United States Television Manufacturing Corp.
* UST Grow ...
die." His outbursts continued with such intensity that a physician was unable to calm him, even with large doses of medication. After another two days of raging, Elvis' friend and bodyguard, Red West, made inquiries to arrange a contract killing
Contract killing is a form of murder or assassination in which one party hires another party to kill a targeted person or persons. It involves an illegal agreement which includes some form of payment, monetary or otherwise. Either party may be ...
of Stone, but was relieved when Elvis said, "Aw hell, let's just leave it for now. Maybe it's a bit heavy." The divorce was finalized on October 9, 1973.[Guralnick/Jorgensen, p. 329]
The couple agreed to share custody of their daughter and Priscilla was awarded an outright cash payment of $725,000 as well as spousal support, child support, 5% of Elvis' new publishing companies and half the income from the sale of their Beverly Hills home. Originally the couple had agreed upon a much smaller settlement; a $100,000 lump payment, $1,000 a month spousal support, and $500 a month child support.[Guralnick, pp. 474–480] Priscilla was keen to make it on her own and prove that her marriage to Elvis was not about money. Soon afterwards, however, her new lawyers persuaded her to increase her demands, pointing out that a star of Elvis' stature could easily afford more for his former wife and child.[
Priscilla and Elvis remained close, leaving the courthouse on the day of their divorce hand in hand.]
Business
In 1973, after her split from Elvis, Presley set up a clothing boutique in Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
called Bis & Beau with her friend and stylist
Stylist can refer to:
Occupations
* Automotive stylist or car stylist, a person involved in designing the appearance and ergonomics of automobiles
* Food stylist, a person who makes food look attractive in photographs
* Hair stylist, a person w ...
Olivia Bis. Elvis was supportive of Priscilla's venture, and even contacted several friends in public relations to help with promotion for the launch. In a 1973 interview to promote the opening of the store, Priscilla said, "After the separation, I had to make up my mind about what I wanted to do, and since I had worked with Olivia for such a long time on my own clothes, I decided to try it professionally. We both do the designing for the shop, and have people who sew for us."[ The shop was a successful venture, with celebrity clients including ]Diana Ross
Diana Ross (born March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame as the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown's most successful act during the 1960s and one of the world's best-selling girl groups o ...
, Carol Burnett
Carol Creighton Burnett (born April 26, 1933) is an American actress, comedian, singer, and writer. Her groundbreaking comedy variety show ''The Carol Burnett Show'', which originally aired on CBS was one of the first of its kind to be hosted ...
, Jill Ireland
Jill Dorothy Ireland (24 April 1936 – 18 May 1990) was an English actress and singer. She appeared in 16 films with her second husband, Charles Bronson, and was additionally involved in two other of Bronson's films as a producer.
Life and ca ...
, Mary Tyler Moore
Mary Tyler Moore (December 29, 1936 – January 25, 2017) was an American actress, producer, and social advocate. She is best known for her roles on ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'' (1961–1966) and ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (1970–1977), which ...
, Victoria Principal
Vicki Ree Principal (born January 3, 1950),[Michelle Phillips
Michelle may refer to:
People
*Michelle (name), a given name and surname, the feminine form of Michael
* Michelle Courtens, Dutch singer, performing as "Michelle"
* Michelle (German singer)
* Michelle (Scottish singer) (born 1980), Scottish wi ...](_blank)
, Dyan Cannon
Dyan Cannon (born Samille Diane Friesen; January 4, 1937) is an American actress, director, screenwriter, producer, and editor. Her accolades include a Saturn Award, a Golden Globe Award, three Academy Award nominations, and a star on the Ho ...
, Julie Christie
Julie Frances Christie (born 14 April 1940) is a British actress. An icon of the Swinging Sixties, Christie is the recipient of numerous accolades including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. S ...
, Suzanne Pleshette
Suzanne Pleshette (January 31, 1937 – January 19, 2008) was an American theatre, film, television, and voice actress. Pleshette started her career in the theatre and began appearing in films in the late 1950s and later appeared in prominent ...
, Cher
Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...
, Liza Minnelli
Liza May Minnelli ( ; born March 12, 1946) is an American actress, singer, dancer, and choreographer. Known for her commanding stage presence and powerful alto singing voice, Minnelli is among a rare group of performers awarded an Emmy, Grammy ...
, Lana Turner
Lana Turner ( ; born Julia Jean Turner; February 8, 1921June 29, 1995) was an American actress. Over the course of her nearly 50-year career, she achieved fame as both a pin-up model and a film actress, as well as for her highly publicized per ...
, Barbra Streisand
Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers List ...
, and Natalie Wood
Natalie Wood ( Zacharenko; July 20, 1938 – November 29, 1981) was an American actress who began her career in film as a child and successfully transitioned to young adult roles.
Wood started acting at age four and was given a co-starring r ...
shopping there regularly. The shop closed in 1976.[Worth & Tameruis, ''Elvis: His Life from A To Z'', p. 17]
After Elvis's death in 1977, his father Vernon was one of the executors of his estate, which was held in trust for his daughter Lisa Marie. Vernon named Priscilla to be his successor upon his death. She assumed the role following Vernon's 1979 death. Graceland itself cost $500,000 a year in upkeep, and expenses had dwindled Lisa Marie's inheritance to only $1 million. Taxes due on the property and other expenses due came to over $500,000. Faced with having to sell Graceland, Priscilla examined other public homes and museums. She hired a CEO, Jack Soden, to turn Graceland into a tourist attraction. Graceland was opened to the public on June 7, 1982. Presley's gamble paid off; only four weeks after opening Graceland's doors, the estate made back all the money it had invested. Priscilla became the chairwoman and president of Elvis Presley Enterprises
Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. (EPE) is a corporate entity created by "The Elvis Presley Trust" to conduct business and manage its assets, including Graceland. (EPE), stating that she would remain in the position until Lisa Marie reached 21 years of age. Under Presley's guidance, the enterprise's fortunes soared and eventually the trust grew to be worth over $100 million.
In 1988, Presley launched her own fragrance, Moments, and followed this up with a range of best-selling perfumes in the 1990s – Experiences in 1993, Indian Summer in 1996, and Roses and More in 1998.[ She has also successfully sold her line of products live on the ]Home Shopping Network
HSN, an initialism of its former name Home Shopping Network, is an American free-to-air television network owned by the Qurate Retail Group, which also owns catalog company Cornerstone Brands. Based in the Gateway area of St. Petersburg, Flor ...
and was coached by veteran HSN host Bob Circosta
Bob Circosta is an American businessman and television host. He is television's first ever home shopping host and has achieved over one billion dollars in personal product sales on live television. His offices are in Clearwater, Florida, just a fe ...
.
In 2006, Presley flew to Sydney, Australia
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and List of cities in Oceania by population, Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metro ...
for the debut of her worldwide line of bed linens, called the Priscilla Presley Collection. She partnered with Australian designer Bruno Schiavi for the line.
She has helped produce a couple of films, including ''Breakfast with Einstein'' and ''Finding Graceland
''Finding Graceland'' is a 1998 American film starring Harvey Keitel, Johnathon Schaech, Bridget Fonda, and Gretchen Mol. The film features a character who claims to be an alive-and-well Elvis, years after staging his death.
Premise
An eccentr ...
''.[ In September 2000, Presley was elected to the board of directors at ]Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by amazon (company), Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded o ...
. Always supportive, in 2015 Priscilla became the executive producer of a 14-track album titled '' If I Can Dream: Elvis Presley With the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra''. She states "If Elvis were here, he would be evolving and taking risks, seemingly like everybody else today." Also in that year the U.S. Postmaster General, Megan Brennan, and Priscilla Presley dedicated an Elvis "forever" stamp which featured a 1955 black and white shot by photographer William Speer. It was her second dedication of a USPS stamp. The first Elvis stamp, issued in 1993, was the most popular edition of stamps in the Postal Service history. Elvis became the first musical artist to be featured in two different collections of stamps.
On August 16, 2019, it was announced that she, in conjunction with John Eddie
John Eddie (born 1959, Richmond, Virginia) is an American rock singer. Eddie moved to New Jersey in the 1970s and became a popular club circuit musician there, occasionally performing with Bruce Springsteen.
Music career
John's first studio pr ...
, as well as Sony Pictures, would create and produce "Agent King" a Netflix adult animated fictional series focusing on her former husband's nightly incursions as a spy for the US Government while he remained a musician during the day. The series' first teaser was published on the official Elvis Instagram account on June 15, 2022. The image showed an illustrated Elvis donning a black trench coat.
Acting career
Hal B. Wallis
Harold Brent Wallis (born Aaron Blum Wolowicz; October 19, 1898 – October 5, 1986) was an American film producer. He is best known for producing ''Casablanca'' (1942), ''The Adventures of Robin Hood'' (1938), and ''True Grit'' (1969), along wit ...
, a Hollywood producer who had financed many of Elvis' earlier films, had shown an interest in signing Priscilla to a contract. Elvis, however, had no intentions of allowing his wife to have a career of any kind; in his opinion, not uncommon at the time, was that "a woman's place was in the home looking after her man".[ Priscilla had shown an interest in dancing and modeling, but her knowledge of Elvis' stance meant that she kept them as hobbies instead of pursuing them as careers. She did get the opportunity to model for a local store once, but when Elvis heard about it, he asked her to give it up.][
Presley had originally been offered a role as one of the angels on '']Charlie's Angels
''Charlie's Angels'' is an American crime drama television series that aired on ABC from September 22, 1976, to June 24, 1981, producing five seasons and 115 episodes. The series was created by Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts and was produced by Aa ...
''. She turned down the role because she disliked the show. Priscilla made her television debut as co-host of ''Those Amazing Animals'' in 1980.[ In 1983, she got her first chance to act professionally on a season 2 episode of '']The Fall Guy
''The Fall Guy'' is an American action/adventure television series produced for ABC and originally broadcast from November 4, 1981, to May 2, 1986. It starred Lee Majors, Douglas Barr, and Heather Thomas as Hollywood stunt performers who moonli ...
'' titled "Manhunter".[Victor, Adam (2008). ''Elvis Encyclopedia'', pp. 415–419.] She then found a role in a television film titled '' Love is Forever'', starring alongside Michael Landon
Michael Landon (born Eugene Maurice Orowitz; October 31, 1936 – July 1, 1991) was an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for his roles as Little Joe Cartwright in ''Bonanza'' (1959–1973), Charles Ingalls in ''Little House on the Pr ...
. Although she was treated well by most of the cast and crew, and her acting was praised by several of her co-stars, she found Landon difficult to work with on set. After the television film aired, Presley landed the role of Jenna Wade in the soap opera ''Dallas
Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
''. She was actually the third actress to play the role of Jenna, but played it for the longest. Presley left the show in 1988 after five years.
In 1988, Presley starred opposite Leslie Nielsen
Leslie William Nielsen (11 February 192628 November 2010) was a Canadian actor and comedian. With a career spanning 60 years, he appeared in more than 100 films and 150 television programs, portraying more than 220 characters.
Nielsen was bo ...
in '' The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!'' as Jane Spencer. Critic Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...
praised Presley's performance, saying her "light comic touch" helped balance out the film's more over-the-top humor. She would go on to act in the next two movies in the series: '' The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear'' (1991) and '' Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult'' (1994). All three films performed solidly at the box office. In between, she appeared in ''The Adventures of Ford Fairlane
''The Adventures of Ford Fairlane'' is a 1990 American action comedy mystery film directed by Renny Harlin and written by David Arnott, James Cappe, and Daniel Waters based on a story by Arnott and Cappe. The film stars comedian Andrew Dice Cl ...
'' (1990) with Andrew Dice Clay
Andrew Dice Clay (born Andrew Clay Silverstein; September 29, 1957) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He rose to prominence in the late 1980s with a brash, deliberately offensive persona known as "The Diceman". In 1990, he became the fi ...
. During the mid-to-late 1990s she made guest appearances on the hit television shows ''Melrose Place
''Melrose Place'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on Fox from July 8, 1992, to May 24, 1999, for seven seasons. The show follows the lives of a group of young adults living in an apartment complex on Melrose Place, in ...
'', ''Touched by an Angel
''Touched by an Angel'' is an American fantasy drama television series that premiered on CBS on September 21, 1994, and ran for 211 episodes over nine seasons until its conclusion on April 27, 2003. Created by John Masius and executive produced b ...
'', and ''Spin City
''Spin City'' is an American sitcom television series that aired from September 17, 1996 to April 30, 2002, on ABC. Created by Gary David Goldberg and Bill Lawrence, the show is set in a semi-fictionalized version of the New York City mayor's ...
''.
Presley made her pantomime
Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and (to a lesser extent) in other English-speaking ...
debut in ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'' at the New Wimbledon Theatre
The New Wimbledon Theatre is situated on the Broadway, Wimbledon, London, in the London Borough of Merton. It is a Listed building, Grade II listed Edwardian era, Edwardian theatre built by the theatre lover and entrepreneur, J. B. Mulholland. B ...
, Wimbledon
Wimbledon most often refers to:
* Wimbledon, London, a district of southwest London
* Wimbledon Championships, the oldest tennis tournament in the world and one of the four Grand Slam championships
Wimbledon may also refer to:
Places London
* ...
, London, during Christmas of 2012, starring opposite Warwick Davis
Warwick Ashley Davis (born 3 February 1970) is an English actor. He played the title character in ''Willow'' (1988) and the ''Leprechaun'' film series (1993–2003), several characters in the ''Star Wars'' film series (1983–2019), most nota ...
. She reprised her role of the Wicked Queen at the Manchester Opera House
The Opera House in Quay Street, Manchester, England, is a 1,920-seater commercial touring theatre that plays host to touring musicals, ballet, concerts and a Christmas pantomime. It is a Grade II listed building. The Opera House is one of the mai ...
in 2014.
Charity work and activism
Since 2003, Presley has been the Ambassador of the Dream Foundation, a Santa Barbara-based wish-granting organization for terminally ill adults and their families.
Presley helped inaugurate the Narconon Stonehawk Rehabilitation Center in Albion, Michigan
Albion is a city in Calhoun County in the south central region of the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 8,616 at the 2010 census and is part of the Battle Creek Metropolitan Statistical Area.
The earliest English-s ...
. Narconon is based on principles developed by science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard
Lafayette Ronald Hubbard (March 13, 1911 – January 24, 1986) was an American author, primarily of science fiction and fantasy stories, who is best known for having founded the Church of Scientology. In 1950, Hubbard authored '' Dianetic ...
, the founder of Scientology
Scientology is a set of beliefs and practices invented by American author L. Ron Hubbard, and an associated movement. It has been variously defined as a cult, a business, or a new religious movement. The most recent published census data indi ...
, and is "capable of eliminating the very cravings that drive addicts in recovery back to drugs," Presley said in a statement. Reports in the media in October 2017 that Presley had left the church[ were immediately denied by her. It was later further reported she distanced herself from the church, at the same time as Lisa, but did not leave the religion.
In 2013, Presley spoke out against the Tennessee Ag-Gag Bill in a letter to Tennessee Governor ]Bill Haslam
William Edward Haslam (; born August 23, 1958) is an American billionaire businessman and politician who served as the 49th governor of Tennessee from 2011 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, Haslam previously served as the 67th mayor of ...
. Presley cited her and Elvis' love of horses and expressed her concern that the bill would hinder animal cruelty investigations and reduce protections for horses and other farm animals.
Personal life
Priscilla has had a number of romantic relationships since her divorce from Elvis. Immediately afterwards, she lived with karate instructor Mike Stone, but the relationship dissolved by 1975. She then dated photographer Terry O'Neill, lawyer Robert Kardashian
Robert George Kardashian (February 22, 1944 – September 30, 2003) was an American attorney and businessman. He gained recognition as O. J. Simpson's friend and defense attorney during Simpson's 1995 murder trial. He had four children with h ...
, hairdresser Elie Ezerzer and financier Kirk Kerkorian
Kerkor Kerkorian ( hy, Գրիգոր Գրիգորեան; June 6, 1917 – June 15, 2015) was an American businessman, investor, and philanthropist. He was the president and CEO of Tracinda Corporation, his private holding company based in Beverl ...
.
Beginning in 1978, Presley had a six-year intermittent live-in relationship with model Michael Edwards, until he began developing feelings for the teenage Lisa Marie. Lisa Marie was aged 10 to 16 during his relationship with her mother. Edwards recounts the tale of their relationship in his book ''Priscilla, Elvis, and Me'' (1988), which discloses her liaisons with Julio Iglesias
Julio José Iglesias de la Cueva (; born 23 September 1943) is a Spanish singer, songwriter and former professional footballer. Iglesias is recognized as the most commercially successful Spanish singer in the world and one of the top record ...
and Richard Gere
Richard Tiffany Gere ( ; born August 31, 1949) is an American actor. He began in films in the 1970s, playing a supporting role in '' Looking for Mr. Goodbar'' (1977) and a starring role in ''Days of Heaven'' (1978). He came to prominence with ...
in the early 1980s.
Presley's longest relationship has been with Brazilian screenwriter-turned-computer-programmer Marco Antonio Garcia (a.k.a. Marco Garibaldi), with whom she lived for 22 years. The two were introduced by a mutual friend in 1984 after he wrote a script that she read, hoping to produce. Their son, Navarone Garibaldi
Navarone Anthony Garibaldi (born March 1, 1987) is an American musician. He is the frontman of the band Them Guns. Garibaldi is the son of Priscilla Presley and half-brother of Lisa Marie Presley.
Early life
Garibaldi was born to actress Pri ...
, was born on March 1, 1987. (Presley was starring in the primetime soap opera ''Dallas'' at the time and her pregnancy was written into the storyline.) In 2006, they ended their relationship.[ At the beginning of their romance, Presley ensured Garibaldi sign a promissory agreement that if they should break up, he would not write a book about her.
Between 2006 and 2009, Presley dated British TV executive ]Nigel Lythgoe
Nigel Lythgoe OBE (; born 9 July 1949), also known as Nasty Nigel, is an English television and film director and producer, television dance competition judge, former dancer in the Young Generation and choreographer. He was the producer of the ...
. In the early 2010s she was linked to restaurateur Richie Palmer, ex-husband of Raquel Welch
Jo Raquel Welch ( Tejada; September 5, 1940) is an American actress.
She first won attention for her role in ''Fantastic Voyage'' (1966), after which she won a contract with 20th Century Fox. They lent her contract to the British studio Hammer ...
, as well as Australian entertainer Barry Crocker
Barry Hugh Crocker (born 4 November 1935
Official Barry Crocker website) is an Australian character actor, televisio ...
and disc jockey Toby Anstis
Toby Anstis (born 14 December 1970) is an English radio and television presenter. He is a presenter on Heart and spin-off station Heart Dance.
Early life
Originally from Northampton, Anstis was educated at Desborough School, an all-boys scho ...
.
In 2017 it was suspected by various news outlets that Presley was in a relationship with a longtime friend, Welsh singer Tom Jones, who had become a widower the year before. In 2021, Jones commented on these rumors, stating that they have known each other since the 1960s and that they merely have a close friendship.
Honours
Presley was conferred the degree of Doctor of Humanities by Rhodes College
Rhodes College is a private liberal arts college in Memphis, Tennessee. Historically affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA), it is a member of the Associated Colleges of the South and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges a ...
in 1998. She was named godmother of the largest steamboat ever built, American Queen
''American Queen'' is said to be the largest river steamboat ever built. The ship was built in 1995 and is a six-deck recreation of a classic Mississippi riverboat, built by McDermott Shipyard for the ''Delta Queen'' Steamboat Company. Although ...
, christened April 27, 2012 at its home port in Memphis. The AutoZone Liberty Bowl
The Liberty Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in late December or early January since 1959. For its first five years, it was played at Philadelphia Municipal Stadium in Philadelphia before being held at Atlantic City ...
chose her as its 2018 Distinguished Citizen Award winner. On July 22, 2022, Theatre Memphis
Theatre Memphis is a non-profit community theatre located in Memphis, Tennessee. As one of the oldest and most successful community theatres in the country, Theatre Memphis has offered an opportunity for people with every degree of talent to bec ...
honored her contributions to Memphis art and tourism with a gala, “Honoring Priscilla Presley: The Artist, The Woman,” featuring more than a dozen speakers and a live musical tribute.
Filmography
Portrayals
Since 1979, Ms. Presley has been portrayed in several screen and TV films, both fiction and non fiction focussing on various aspects of her life with Elvis Presley, her husband from 1967 to 1973, by many actresses most notably i) Season Hubley in "Elvis", the 1979 TV movie; ii) Susan Walters in "Elvis and me" a 1988 TV mini series; iii) Kehli O'Byrnein in "Elvis and the Colonel", a 1993 TV movie; iv) Alyson Court in "Elvis Meets Nixon", 1997; v) Antonia Barnath in "Elvis", a TV Miniseries, 2006; vi) Ashley Greene in the fictional 2016 movie "The Shangri la Suite"; vii) Olivia de Jonge in "Elvis", 2022 and viii) Caileen Spaeny in "Priscilla", to be released in 2023
Bibliography
* Presley, Priscilla (1985). ''Elvis and Me
''Elvis and Me'' is a 1985 biography written by Priscilla Presley with Sandra Harmon. In the book, Priscilla talks about meeting Elvis Presley, their marriage, and the factors and issues that led to the couple's divorce. The book rights were p ...
''. .
* Presley, Priscilla; Presley, Lisa Marie (2005). ''Elvis by the Presleys''. .
References
Notes
* Clayton, Rose / Dick Heard (2003). ''Elvis: By Those Who Knew Him Best''. Virgin Publishing Limited. .
* Clutton, Helen (2004). ''Everything Elvis''. .
* Edwards, Michael (1988). ''Priscilla, Elvis and Me''. .
* Finstad, Suzanne (1997). '' Child Bride: The Untold Story of Priscilla Beaulieu Presley''.
* Goldman, Albert (1981). ''Elvis''. .
* Guralnick, Peter (1999). ''Careless Love. The Unmaking of Elvis Presley''. Back Bay Books. .
* Guralnick, Peter; Jorgensen, Ernst (1999). ''Elvis: Day by Day''. .
* Presley, Priscilla (1985). ''Elvis and Me
''Elvis and Me'' is a 1985 biography written by Priscilla Presley with Sandra Harmon. In the book, Priscilla talks about meeting Elvis Presley, their marriage, and the factors and issues that led to the couple's divorce. The book rights were p ...
''. .
External links
Official Website
*
*
*
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