Fire damage to Elvis Presley's former Memphis home put at $100K
MEMPHIS — A Saturday fire at the one-time home of Elvis Presley on Audubon Drive in East Memphis caused an estimated $100,000 in damage, according to fire officials.
The estimate is based on damages to the home itself and does not include contents, said the statement put out late Saturday evening. The cause was determined to be an overloaded outlet in the living and dining room area.
Curious tourists and neighbors passed by throughout the morning Sunday to look at the one-story, wood-frame house at 1034 Audubon, but the gate was locked and there was no one in the house. Memphis Fire Department spokesman Wayne Cooke said no additional information was available early Sunday afternoon.
Elvis bought the house in 1956 and lived there a little over a year during the period when he appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show and recorded Hound Dog and Don't Be Cruel. He eventually left the house for Graceland as fans flocked to the East Memphis address as his fame rose.
Rhodes College now serves as steward of the house, which is owned by Mike Curb. The Curb Institute for Music at Rhodes hosts events and private concerts at the home. John Bass, executive director of the institute, was not able to get inside the house Saturday. He could not be reached Sunday.
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