By the end of the 1970s, Graceland was in trouble.
Elvis had passed away. His father Vernon, who had looked after things, passed away in 1979. And the money that kept the big house running was starting to run thin. The people around Priscilla Presley sat her down and told her the hard truth. The home might have to be sold.
This weekend, all these years later, Priscilla finally told the story of that moment out loud.
She was in Gothenburg, Sweden, and she told Swedish reporters what went through her mind when she heard those words. She was a young woman. She had a daughter to think about. And she was staring at the idea of losing the one place that meant everything to Elvis and his fans.
Most people would have felt stuck.
Priscilla didn’t.
Priscilla Presley on the decision to open Graceland’s doors
In the clip above, Priscilla talks about why she refused to let Graceland go and what it took to keep it. Watch her face when she explains the choice. You can tell it still means the world to her.
So what did she say back to the lawyer that day?
Her answer was only five words long. “That will never, never happen.” That’s a translation from the Swedish interview, but the feeling comes through in any language. She wasn’t going to let it slip away.
Then she got to work.
Priscilla took charge of the estate and made a bold decision. On June 7, 1982, she opened Graceland’s doors and let ordinary people walk through the home where Elvis had lived. Nobody knew if fans would actually come.
They came.
A look back at 40 years of Graceland welcoming the world
This second video is a warm conversation about how far Graceland has come since those shaky early days. It’s a reminder of what Priscilla saved.
Today the house draws about 600,000 visitors every year. Priscilla told the Swedish reporters that seeing those long lines outside puts “a big smile” on her face, and she said the reason is simple. Elvis “was a very generous person,” and the home keeps giving to the people who loved him.
She still can’t quite believe how it all turned out. A place that was once nearly lost is now one of the most visited homes in America, right behind the White House.
And it all came back to a young woman who looked at the people telling her it was over and gave them five short words.