Priscilla Presley

Presley’s Casanova image did little to bring down her love for him. In December 1966, he proposed marriage to her and on May 1, 1967 the two entered into a wedlock. Exactly nine months later, they were blessed with their only child, Lisa Marie.

Life following marriage and child was happy for Priscilla despite Presley’s sporadic love affairs. However, following Presley’s career rise, the marriage soured as Presley spent more time touring and indulged in numerous love affairs.

The lack of interest shown by Presley in the marriage led Priscilla to get into love relationship with her karate instructor, Mike Stone. Though Presley was still her first love, she couldn’t stop herself from being close to Stone.

Priscilla Presley was born as Priscilla Ann Wagner on May 24, 1945 to Ann Iversen and James Wagner, a US Navy pilot in Brooklyn, New York. When she was merely six months old, her father died in a plane crash. Ann Iversen remarried Paul Beaulieu, a US Air Force officer who took over as young Priscilla’s legal father.

Her father’s profession made young Priscilla move from one city to another every two to three years. She loathed relocation for the challenges that it brought of settling in a new city and new environment.

In 1956, her father was transferred yet again to Austin, Texas. Just when Priscilla finally settled down at the new place and had made friends, the transfer orders came in, this time to Wiesbaden, Germany.

It was in Wiesbaden, Germany that Priscilla first met Elvis Presley, who in turn was serving in the United States Army’s 3rd Armoured Division. The two met at a party at Elvis’ home.

Elvis Presley was floored by Priscilla’s beauty and charm. Though she was ten years younger to him, she managed to make a huge impression. The two dated until his departure in March 1960.

Priscilla’s career did not start immediately following her studies. Instead she went into the wedlock with the singing sensation Elvis Presley who was popularly known as the King of Rock n Roll

It was following her divorce with Presley in 1973 that she eventually started her career as a proprietor of Bis & Beau, a clothing boutique, along with friend and stylist Olivia Bis. The store was a major hit and had high-society clients including Cher, Lana Turner, Barbara Streisand and Natalie Wood. The store, however, shut down in 1976.

Following Presley’s death in 1977, she served as the executor for his only heir, her daughter, Lisa Marie. The Graceland estate required a whooping amount of $500,000 as maintenance costs which limited Lisa Marie’s inheritance to merely $1 million. Due to financial constraints, selling Graceland estate was the only option before Priscilla. However, she did not succumb to the pressures and instead acted wisely.

She took the risk of converting Graceland estate into a tourist attraction, a move which paid off handsomely. Opened to public on June 7, 1982, the estate came under Elvis Presley Enterprises of which she served as the president. Under her, the enterprise grew on to become a multi-million dollar trust.

In 1988, she launched her own line of fragrance. She soon followed it up with her own range of linens. Meanwhile, she also produced a couple of films including ‘Breakfast with Einstein’ and ‘Finding Graceland’. In 2000, she was appointed to the board of directors of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.