Priscilla Presley Biography Priscilla Presley was born Priscilla Ann Wagner on May 24, 1945, in Brooklyn, New York. When Presley was an infant, her biological father, pilot James Wagner, was killed in a plane crash. Her mother, Lillian Iversen, remarried to United States Air Force officer, Paul Beaulieu, and Priscilla took on his last name. When Priscilla was fourteen, her family was stationed in West Germany at the same time that Elvis Presley was serving in the United States Army. Priscilla met Elvis in Wiesbaden, Germany, and the pair began dating. Presley was so taken with the young beauty that he talked her parents into allowing Priscilla to move to Memphis and live with his father, Vernon Presley, and stepmother, Dee Presley. Escorted by her father, then seventeen-year-old Priscilla flew to Memphis where they met with Vernon Presley and she was enrolled in the Immaculate Conception school.
Now living in Memphis with Elvis’s parents, Priscilla gradually moved into Graceland, where, according to her 1985 autobiography, Elvis and Me, Elvis would often spend hours alone in his bedroom with Priscilla without making any advances. Priscilla also recounted in her book that Elvis would stay up all night, sleep most of the day, and relied heavily on prescription sleeping pills. On May 1, 1967, Priscilla and Elvis wed in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Aladdin Hotel. Daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, was born nine months later on February 1, 1968. Five years after their wedding, the couple split, sharing custody of Lisa Marie between Priscilla’s home in Los Angeles and Graceland. Priscilla then opened and operated her own boutique, and got involved in modeling and acting. In 1980, she made her small screen debut as a co-host of the ABC series Those Amazing Animals, and three years later, landed the role of Jenna Wade on popular Aaron Spelling soap, Dallas, which she played until 1988.
After Elvis’s death in 1977, Priscilla became chairwoman and president of Elvis Presley Enterprises, overseeing the merchandising and management of Graceland. In 1982, the musical gates of Graceland were opened to the public as a museum, which continues to attract tourists from all around the globe. Priscilla and her daughter endured a tumultuous relationship for a number of years, particularly when Lisa Marie was a teenager. The rift intensified further in 1994, when Lisa Marie married embattled pop star, Michael Jackson. Priscilla and Lisa Marie have since worked out their differences, and appeared on a 2005 episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show discussing the evolution of their mother-daughter relationship. Priscilla and Lisa Marie are also both members of The Church of Scientology, introduced to Priscilla by John Travolta in the late 70s. In 1988, Priscilla proved her impeccable comedic timing when she starred opposite Leslie Nielsen in The Naked Gun. She took on the role again to star in the film’s sequels, The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear in 1991 and The Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult in 1994, also starring OJ Simpson. During the 90s, Priscilla developed four signature fragrances: Moments, Experiences, Indian Summer, and Roses and More. She has also launched her own line of bed linens, called the Priscilla Presley Collection. From 1984 to 2006, Priscilla was in a relationship with Brazilian screenwriter-director Marco Garibaldi, and in 1987, they welcomed the birth of their son, Navarone. Priscilla was previously involved in a seven-year relationship with male model, Mike Edwards, during the 70s. Edwards later wrote a tell-all tale of their relationship titled Priscilla, Elvis, and Me. Let us know of updates to the Priscilla Presley biography at editor@yuddy.com |
