Elvis Presley Birthday Celebrations Get Underway In Palm Springs

To mark what would have been his 77th birthday, fans of Elvis Presley can book tickets for a special guided tour of the Elvis Honeymoon Hideaway. The Palm Springs residence is the house that Elvis and Priscilla Presley retreated to after their wedding and although the memorabilia inside did not actually belong to The King himself, the house has apparently been "restored with him in mind", according to today's report from the Los Angeles Times (January 6, 2012).

The guided tours are taking place on Saturday and Sunday this weekend to mark the anniversary of Presley's birth. On Saturday, a special birthday concert will take place, featuring the Elvis impersonator Ted Torres and Bobby Brooks Wilson, son of the R&B rock singer Jackie Wilson. Tickets for the concert are already sold out. As well as the connection to Elvis and Priscilla, the house is also notable for its unusual architectural design. The house was built by Helene and Robert Alexander and it consists of four circles, built over three floors. The house was featured in a number of magazines at the time that it was built and it was dubbed 'The House of Tomorrow'. Tragically, the Alexanders both died in a plane crash in 1965.

Elvis and Priscilla only rented the house for a year. Their more permanent residence, Graceland, in Memphis Tennessee has been a popular tourist destination for some years and has its own 2012 birthday celebrations planned for visitors. including a Fan Club President's event and a Memphis Symphony Orchestra concert.