Priscilla Presley: back in Palm Springs, where the couple honeymooned

The Palm Springs home of Elvis and Priscilla Presley is a Celebrity Tours stop. Priscilla Presley
  talks about the couple's time in the famous home when she presents a one-woman show and chats about her life with "The King" tonight at Oscar's, Palm Springs.  The home is featured on tours, too.

 'The King' lives on in legend as Priscilla Presley shares their life
stories in the couple's honeymoon town where tourists
from around the world visit their "honeymoon home."

ELVIS PRESLEY'S ONLY WIFE PRESENTS INTIMATE MEMOIR OF HER LIFE WITH 'THE KING'

STORY by CHRISTENE MEYERS

PHOTOS by BRUCE KELLER

and courtesy of Graceland, the Elvis Presley Estate

THE MYSTIQUE of Elvis Presley continues to inspire awe, curiosity and new generations of fans years after his 1977 death.

Admirers of all ages have an opportunity to find out more about him in an evening with his only wife, Priscilla Presley, now 76 and touring an engaging show with images and commentary.

The show, said Presley, "gives me an opportunity to connect with my fans, to celebrate Elvis, and for people to maybe learn something they didn't know about Elvis."

Oscar's talented Dan Gore has a long
love of Hollywood lore, and says the
Palm Springs mystique is alive and well.

OSCAR'S, A LIVELY cabaret in the center of Palm Springs, California, is next on Presley's tour with a Nov. 11, show.  "I'm excited to be there," she says, about the inventive cabaret, known for its tea dances, lively shows and LGBTQ-friendly environment. Palm Springs has a long connection to Hollywood, from the days when studios demanded their stars be able to return quickly to Los Angeles for editing, rehearsals, photo shoots. Thus Palm Springs became a popular close-by get-away -- a calm, rejuvenating, relaxing, sunny alternative to the smog and bustle of Los Angeles.  "The mystique continues," says Dan Gore, owner of Oscar's.

GORE HAS garnered international attention for Oscar's inventive programming, with a focus on gay and trans entertainment. A creative menu and attentive service kick things up a notch, all thanks to Gore's show-biz savvy.  He is a veteran Hollywood producer, whose cabaret shows, dances and weekend brunches are a hit with locals and tourists alike.

Elvis and Priscilla Presley admire
their infant daughter, the couple's
only child, born  in 1968.

PRISCILLA'S LIFE with Elvis began Sept. 13, 1959, during Presley's much publicized Army career. The two met at a party at his home in Bad Nauheim, Germany. Hers was a military family and she was only 14 years old -- ten years younger than 24-year old Elvis. They kept in touch and Priscilla Beaulieu married Elvis Presley eight years later when nearing her 22nd birthday.

Elvis and Priscilla had
a 10-year age difference. 

Her presentation, "Elvis and Me:  An Intimate Evening With Priscilla Presley," includes anecdotes about their courtship, including her dream of living on a horse ranch. But although smitten, she says, "I hadn't considered marrying one of the world's most famous rock stars." She'll tell the Oscar's crowd that she knew she was in love when "the king" waved goodbye to her as he left his station in Germany to return to the states.

Graceland has become a successful enterprise with
Priscilla Presley's guidance and business sense.
Below, she's with Leslie Nielsen in "The Naked Gun." 

"He told me he'd be looking for me," Presley remembers. Her presentation includes home movies and photographs of their life together, plus a question and answer period.

Elvis Presley's life with
Priscilla is on tap at
Oscar's Thursday.

"HE ALSO told me, 'I don't want any sad faces. I want a smile.' Just seeing him walk up the stairs, I realized my life would be empty without him."
Elvis and Priscilla were married for five years before they separated in 1972 and divorced the following year. He passed away five years later, in August of 1977. His possessive nature and her youth may have played into their  separation, but they remained friends and she has developed her own fan base. "I miss him very much, as many people do," said Presley, who crafted a successful life on film and TV as well as in the corporate world.  She is known for her business acumen and loyalty to her fans, whom she meets for presentations, tours and celebrations at Graceland.
HER INVENTIVE spirit and enduring affection for Elvis and his legacy have helped perpetuate the late star’s music sales and have made Graceland a world renowned mansion-turned-museum.
Graceland, the Elvis’ estate is still profitable four-plus decades after his death and Elvis is among the top highest-earning dead celebrities, along with Michael Jackson, Prince, Bing Crosby, Dr. Seuss and Arnold Palmer. Through Priscilla's shrewd business sense, his estate made more money this year than the singer had the year he died. And she has crafted a successful acting career, in "Dallas," "The Naked Gun" and many other shows.
More info about the Palm Springs Presley show and ticket options including a dinner-show package  and a meet-greet with Ms. Presley: oscarspalmsprings.com; priscillapresley.com; Palm Springs Celebrity Tours: comfy fan, hotel pick-up, three hours, 50 celebrity homes, including Elvis & Priscilla's honeymoon home, 760 895-8005.   

UP NEXT: 

The energy of Mariachi Arcoiris de Los Angeles
prompted applause and standing ovations at a recent
sell-out concert at Oscar's in Palm Springs.

The world's only LGBTQ mariachi band is touring its sell-out show. We were delighted to be in the audience at Oscar's, Palm Springs for Mariachi Acoiris de Los Angeles. We take you inside this ground-breaking group, with a look at its ambitious goals and brave history, noting the precision of the players, their acclaimed, authentic sound and passion for acceptance. Remember to explore, learn and live and catch us each week for a fresh spin on the arts, nature, travel, family and changing times: www.whereiscookie.com