1034 Audubon Drive
Elvis Presley's First House
1034 Audubon Drive
Memphis,
Tennessee 38117
United States
On This Very Spot in March 1956, a 21-year-old
Elvis Presley purchased this home for $29,000 following his first success as a singer. He and his parents had moved out of their subsidized housing project only three years before.
On This Very Spot Elvis lived during the most successful year of his career, in which he had an astonishing eleven Top 40 hits, including the classics
Heartbreak Hotel,
Don't Be Cruel,
Hound Dog, and
Love Me Tender. His first album hit #1 on the charts in May, and by October he had sold more than 10 million records. In April he signed a movie deal with Paramount, and in November
Love Me Tender opened, quickly garnering the second-highest ticket sales of 1956. Elvis dated actress
Natalie Wood, and she was a houseguest on this very spot at Halloween. Also during this year, Elvis made his controversial appearances on
The Ed Sullivan Show and
The Milton Berle Show.
On This Very Spot Elvis fans would regularly gather on the sidewalk and driveway, necessitating the move to the more secure Graceland in March of 1957.
Condition: This home looks much as it did at the time, except that the trees have grown much bigger.
Public Access: This is a private residence and is not open to the public. DO NOT trespass on this property or disturb the occupants or neighbors in any way!
Parking: Free parking is available on the street in front of the house.
Location: Memphis is in the southwest corner of Tennessee at the intersection of I-40 and I-55. This spot is in East Memphis inside the I-240 loop. The street runs south off Park Avenue between Getwell and Perkins, both of which have exits on the southern portion of 1-240.
Nearest Major Airport: Memphis International Airport
Nearest Rail: Memphis Central Station
Directions: Add Directions
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I finished the 8th grade at Humes in 1953, when Elvis graduated. In 1956 I lived in east Memphis and went to White Station HS, not far from Audabon Drive. When Elvis was in town, a bunch of us would go to his house and try to see him. Sometimes, Elvis would come out to the street and sign autographs. I saw Elvis and Natalie Wood leave the house in his Lincoln one day. The next day there was a picture in the Commercial Appeal of Natalie Wood, in a mink coat, watching Elvis play touch football at Gughrie Park. I also saw Nick Adams, who played Johnny Yuma on TV. He wasen't that popular then and spent a lot of time out at the street talking with the girls. After Elvis moved onto that quiet, suburban street, the city had to put up "No Stoping or Parking" signs. I heard that the neighbors got together and offered to buy Elvis' house if he would move. Elvis said that he liked it there and if they wanted to move, he would buy all of their houses.
posted on July 21st, 2008