Secrets of Elvis Presley’s Graceland exposed. Picture: Wikimedia Commons; EPE
Elvis Presley‘s granddaughter, Riley Keough, has opened the doors to the rock ‘n’ roll legend’s iconic Graceland estate during a candid interview with Oprah Winfrey.
The actor and musician took Winfrey on a private tour of the estate in Memphis, Tennessee, where her mother Lisa Marie Presley was raised, while discussing the late star’s posthumous memoir, “From Here to the Great Unknown.” Keough helped complete the book after her mother’s 2023 death.
Lisa Marie’s untimely passing at the age of 54 made Riley the sole owner of Graceland, Realtor reports.
The “Mad Max: Fury Road” star recently fought to save from a foreclosure sale, taking her battle to court, where a judge blocked Naussany Investments & Private Lending LLC from putting it on the market to settle debt on a $US3.8 million ($5.6 million) loan.
Now, Riley has settled her legal woes and secured her place as the sole trustee of Graceland.
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Elvis Presley’s granddaughter Riley Keough has opened the doors to his historic Graceland estate in an emotional interview with Oprah Winfrey. Picture: Instagram/Oprah
Riley is now the sole trustee of her grandfather’s former home (pictured in 2018). Picture: Wikimedia Commons
Elvis bought the home for just $US102,500 in 1957. Picture: EPE.
Graceland
The King of Rock and Roll died in 1977 and left behind his estate, Graceland.
Now opened to the public, the piece of music history is visited by some 650,000 tourists a year, The estate, where Elvis is buried, is also where his personal belongings and so many memories remain.
The home is a Colonial Revival style with stately columns built in 1939. It was named a National Historic Landmark in 2006. Today, many people have the opportunity to tour the home but few have the chance to get such an intimate look inside.
“Wow. We are here in Elvis’s living room, where I’m going to interview Elvis’ first grandchild,” Oprah said in a video posted to her Instagram.
“Look at Elvis’s painting right there. Look at the piano. Look at the TV,” she went on, marvelling at the gleaming white piano and the very retro television set, which was undoubtedly considered a state-of-the-art model in its day.
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In a video shared on her Instagram account, Oprah was seen marvelling over the items that still stand in the home today, including images of Elvis, as well as his TV and piano. Picture: Instagram/Oprah
Secrets of Elvis Presley’s Graceland exposed. Picture: YouTube
“She crashed a few,” Riley said of her mother’s golf cart antics, while an image of one of the vehicles appeared on screen. Picture: CBS
Elvis’s sanctuary
Outside in another video, Oprah explained that she had never before seen the property in the daytime, having visited Lisa Marie at Graceland in the evening many years before.
“Well, I don’t think I actually saw it in the daytime,” she said. “This is my first time taking in the house. It’s the first time I’m getting to see what Elvis saw.”
Standing in the property’s grounds, she joked that the area was where a 4-year-old Lisa Marie was “raising hell, running around in golf carts and hitting trees, and running into people and getting them fired!”
She went on: “But I can see why [Elvis] would love it. Because there’s a lot of trees in Graceland.”
Hidden treasures
During the tour, Riley and Oprah donned gloves in order to pore over some of Elvis’ treasures, including a family Bible dating back to 1957.
Other items include a golf cart key belonging to Riley’s mother, Lisa Marie. It has her name on it “from when she was a little terror,” Oprah jokes.
“She crashed a few of them,” Riley confirms.
The most unique item in the room is a beaten-up old black box that contains a treasure trove of Elvis’ most prized personal possessions.
“This is Elvis’ black box, which was basically like his purse,” Riley said. “He would travel with it everywhere. It was just his most personal things and nothing has been touched.”
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Oprah and Riley donned special white gloves to go through some of Elvis’ personal possessions. Picture: YouTube
The media mogul was fascinated by the items concealed inside what Riley described as Elvis’ “black box,” including one of his old combs. Picture: YouTube
The pair proceeded to pull out Elvis’ personal American Express card, which expired in 1972, and leaves Oprah open-mouthed in awe.
“It says ‘Elvis Presley!’” she exclaimed while holding up the credit card.
The next item they uncover is an old comb, the same style that Elvis was pictured using on multiple occasions over the years.
“See any hairs in there?” Oprah questioned while holding it up to the light. “I think I see some in there.”
Riley joked: “You could probably sell those for a lot!” prompting Oprah to agree: “Yeah, you could sell that for a lot. That hair right there. Elvis’ comb. Wow. Treasures from Elvis’ black box. Wow.”
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The rocker’s old American Express card, which expired in 1972, was also unearthed from the box. Picture: YouTube
The duo pored over a family Bible that dates back to 1957. Picture: CBS
“This is Elvis’ black box, which was basically like his purse,” Riley said. Picture: CBS
Looking ahead
Speaking about the future of Graceland, Riley explained that she plans to continue running the property in much the same way, granting access to more than 2,000 tourists each and every day, explaining that she wants to fulfil her mother’s wishes of keeping the estate a “home.”
“I think, like, my instinct with everything is always to do what my mother would have wanted, which is to keep it a home,” she shared. “It was our family’s home.”
Parts of this story first appeared in Realtor and were republished with permission.
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