Palm Spring home today

Palm Springs is famous for its glittery past as a Hollywood haven but many people don’t realize that it’s possible to bring a suitcase, hang up your toothbrush and spend a few nights in some of the storied pied a terres.

Here are some homes of the rich and famous that you can call your own—albeit on a rental basis.

Elvis Presley Honeymoon House in Palm SpringsOne of the most well-known is Elvis Presley’s Honeymoon Hideaway. Located in Old Las Palmas, the home boasts a jutting prow of living-room windows and lily-pad steps ascending to the front door. Built by the father-son Alexanders—builders of the city’s iconic mid-century homes—the home was first occupied by son Robert Alexander until he, his family and father perished in a 1965 airplane crash.

Elvis Presley Honeymoon House in Palm SpringsNot long after, Elvis signed a one-year lease for $21,000, carrying his new bride, Priscilla, over the threshold on May 1, 1967. He puportedly sang The Hawaiian Wedding Song as he did so; daughter Lisa Marie was born exactly nine months later. This was also the venue in which he shot out his TV upon seeing Robert Goulet on the screen.

Elvis Presley Honeymoon House in Palm SpringsThe 5,200 square-foot home has been faithfully restored to its ’60s glory, complete with customized 64-foot curved sofa on which the newlyweds were photographed. Photos of the compelling couple in the home dot the interior.

He and Priscilla soon moved to a home around the corner since he felt this one lacked privacy.

Cost to rent: $1500 to $1800 a night. www.ElvisHoneymoon.com

Lucy and Desi's Palm Springs' homeLucille Ball and Desi Arnaz’s 1930s hacienda was across the street from the swinging El Mirador Hotel —now Desert Regional Medical Center—and was the first private Palm Springs’ residence to have its very own pool.

Lucy and Desi frequently visited their desert home in the late ‘40s and early ‘50s. The four-bedroom home includes a guest casita.

Cost to rent: $2,080 per week in the summer; $3500 during high season

Frank Sinatra's Twin Palms Estate in Palm SpringsOl' Blue Eyes' Twin Palms Estate is located in the heart of the Old Movie Colony. The 4,500 square-foot home is a spectacular example of mid-century contemporary architecture that has been oft used in commercials, from Coca-Cola to Mercedes Benz.

Frank Sinatra's Twin Palms Estate in Palm SpringsDesigned in 1947 by legendary architect Stewart Williams for Frank and his first wife, Nancy, the property was named for the pair of towering palm trees above the piano-shaped pool.

Sinatra hosted lavishly—the A-list included Joan Crawford, Bob Hope, George and Gracie, Lana Turner, even the reclusive Greta Garbo. After his first marriage collapsed, he later spent tumultuous years in the home with second wife, Ava Gardner, before finally selling it in 1953 for $85,000.

Cost to rent: $2600 a night (3-night minimum) with concierge service Link

Howard Hughes Estate in Palm SpringsPerched below Bob Hope’s own iconic John Lautner-designed mushroom home in south Palm Springs sits Howard Hughes' mini estate. The 2,100 square-foot home is multi-layered and offers 220-degree views of the valley below. Other notable owners of the home include Green Acres' Eva Gabor and producer Paul Keyes.

Features preserved from the fascinating aviator and inventor’s time include the kitchen, step-on light switches and a hotplate Hughes installed in one of the bathrooms.

Cost to rent:
$450 per night (3-night minimum)

Hughes designed this next home for his friend Howard Hawks, the writer/director/producer of films spanning 60 years, from His Girl Friday to Scarface.

Howard Hawks' Palm Springs EstateLocated close to Elvis’s honeymoon house, Hawks named his 5,600 square-foot hacienda Casa de Plata (House of Silver). The home is hidden behind high walls in Old Las Palmas and retains many of the original features, including Mexican hacienda-style fireplaces in each of the five bedrooms.

Cost to rent:
$1,200 per night (4-night minimum)

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The On Tour Interviews Volume I and II Promo CDs



The On Tour Interviews Volume I and II Promo CDs are talking only albums with interviews during the filming of Elvis On Tour, 1972.

Elvis talks to Piere Aldridge and Robert Able (Hollywood, Ca.) / Elvis talks about his childhood / Elvis talks about his early years, his movies, his JC Award and musicians / Conversations with Mayor Roy Webber (Roanoke Airport, VA.) / Backstage conversations (Macon, GA.) / Conversations with crew and gang (Jacksonville, FL.) / Conversations with his entourage (Little Rock, AK.)/ Conversations with his entourage (San Antonio, TX.).

Volume two continues with the following tracks...

Elvis Presley autopsy auction cancelled


Elvis Presley in 1973


An auction of instruments allegedly used in Elvis Presley's autopsy has been cancelled. "Due to questions of ownership," the retired embalmer behind the sale will instead "donate" the tools to an unknown party.

Last week, a Chicago auction house announced that it would be selling a grisly collection of music memorabilia, including rubber gloves, lip brushes, needle injectors, forceps and aneurysm hooks used in the singer's postmortem examination. An embalmer in Memphis had apparently stored the tools since 1977, but now hoped to let fans "own a piece of the celebrity themselves".

Officials at Leslie Hindman Auctioneers have now withdrawn the lot, reportedly at the request of the owner and his son. The objects will instead be turned over to the funeral home that originally administered the autopsy, or at least its parent company, "with the intention of donation". It is not clear whether Graceland or another Elvis museum is interested in the tools.

According to the Memphis Commercial Appeal, the president of the Memphis Funeral Home, EC Davies, kept Presley's embalming report in his desk. He later donated it to a funeral service museum in Houston, but the Presley family has never granted permission for it to be displayed. Last week, Davies questioned the authenticity of the auction items. "Anybody could fake something like this," he said. "It's ridiculous."

Elvis Presley's Graceland

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