The King Of Rock 'N' Roll
Elvis Aron Presley
January 8, 1935 to August 16,
1977
Last Will And Testament Of Elvis
A. Presley, Deceased
Filed August 22, 1977
I,
Elvis A. Presley, a resident and citizen of Shelby County, Tennessee,
being of sound mind and disposing memory, do hereby make, publish and
declare this instrument to be my last will and testament, hereby revoking
any and all wills and codicils by me at any time heretofore made.
Item I
Debts, Expenses and Taxes
I
direct my Executor, hereinafter named, to pay all of my matured debts and
my funeral expenses, as well as the costs and expenses of the
administration of my estate, as soon after my death as practicable. I
further direct that all estate, inheritance, transfer and succession taxes
which are payable by reason under this will, be paid out of my residuary
estate; and I hereby waive on behalf of my estate any right to recover
from any person any part of such taxes so paid. My Executor, in his sole
discretion, may pay from my domiciliary estate all or any portion of the
costs of ancillary administration and similar proceedings in other
jurisdictions.
Item II
Instruction Concerning
Personal Property: Enjoyment in Specie
I anticipate that
included as a part of my property and estate at the time of my death will
be tangible personal property of various kinds, characters and values,
including trophies and other items accumulated by me during my
professional career. I hereby specifically instruct all concerned that my
Executor, herein appointed, shall have complete freedom and discretion as
to disposal of any and all such property so long as he shall act in good
faith and in the best interest of my estate and my beneficiaries, and his
discretion so exercised shall not be subject to question by anyone
whomsoever.
I hereby expressly authorize my Executor and my
Trustee, respectively and successively, to permit any beneficiary of any
and all trusts created hereunder to enjoy in specie the use or benefit of
any household goods, chattels, or other tangible personal property
(exclusive of choses in action, cash, stocks, bonds or other securities)
which either my Executor or my Trustees may receive in kind, and my
Executor and my Trustees shall not be liable for any consumption, damage,
injury to or loss of any tangible property so used, nor shall the
beneficiaries of any trusts hereunder or their executors of administrators
be liable for any consumption, damage, injury to or loss of any tangible
personal property so used.
Item III
Real Estate
If I am the owner of any real estate at the time of my death,
I instruct and empower my Executor and my Trustee (as the case may be) to
hold such real estate for investment, or to sell same, or any portion
therof, as my Executor or my Trustee (as the case may be) shall in his
sole judgment determine to be for the best interest of my estate and the
beneficiaries thereof.
Item IV
Residuary Trust
After payment of all debts, expenses and taxes as directed
under Item I hereof, I give, devise, and bequeath all the rest, residue,
and remainder of my estate, including all lapsed legacies and devices, and
any property over which I have a power of appointment, to my Trustee,
hereinafter named, in trust for the following purposes:
(a) The
Trustees is directed to take, hold, manage, invest and reinvent the corpus
of the trust and to collect the income therefrom in accordance with the
rights, powers, duties, authority and discretion hereinafter set forth.
The Trustee is directed to pay all the expenses, taxes and costs incurred
in the management of the trust estate out of the income thereof.
(b) After payment of all expenses, taxes and costs incurred in the
management of the expenses, taxes and costs incurred in the management of
the trust estate, the Trustee is authorizes to accumulate the net income
or to pay or apply so much of the net income and such portion of the
principal at any time and from time to time to time for health, education,
support, comfortable maintenance and welfare of: (1) My daughter, Lisa
Marie Presley, and any other lawful issue I might have, (2) my
grandmother, Minnie Mae Presley, (3) my father, Vernon E. Presley, and (4)
such other relatives of mine living at the time of my death who in the
absolute discretion of my Trustees are in need of emergency assistance for
any of the above mentioned purposes and the Trustee is able to make such
distribution without affecting the ability of the trust to meet the
present needs of the first three numbered categories of beneficiaries
herein mentioned or to meet the reasonably expected future needs of the
first three classes of beneficiaries herein mentioned. Any decision of the
Trustee as to whether or not distribution, to any of the persons described
hereunder shall be final and conclusive and not subject to question by any
legatee or beneficiary hereunder.
(c) Upon the death of my Father,
Vernon E. Presley, the Trustee is instructed to make no further
distributions to the fourth category of beneficiaries and such
beneficiaries shall cease to have any interest whatsoever in this trust.
(d) Upon the death of both my said father and my said grandmother,
the Trustee is directed to divide the Residuary Trust into separate and
equal trusts, creating one such equal trust for each of my lawful children
then surviving and one such equal trust for the living issue collectively,
if any, of any deceased child of mine. The share, if any, for the issue of
any such deceased child, shall immediately vest in such issue in equal
shares but shall be subject to the provisions of Item V herein. Separate
books and records shall be kept for each trust, but it shall not be
necessary that a physical division of the assets be made as to each trust.
The Trustee may from time to time distribute the whole or any part
of the net income or principal from each of the aforesaid trusts as the
Trustee, in its uncontrolled discretion, considers necessary or desirable
to provide for the comfortable support, education, maintenance, benefit
and general welfare of each of my children. Such distributions may be made
directly to such beneficiary or to the guardian of the person of such
beneficiary and without repsonsibilty on my Trustee to see to the
application of nay such distributions and in making such distributions,
the Trustee shall take into account all other sources of funds known by
the Trustee to be available for each respective beneficiary for such
purpose.
(e) As each of my respective children attains the age of
twenty-five (25) years and provided that both my father and my grandmother
are deceased, the trust created hereunder for such child care terminate,
and all the remainder of the assets then contained in said trust shall be
distributed to such child so attaining the age of twenty-five (25) years
outright and free of further trust.
(f) If any of my children for
whose benefit a trust has been created hereunder should die before
attaining the age of twenty- five (25) years, then the trust created for
such a child shall terminate on his death, and all remaining assets then
contained in said trust shall be distributed outright and free of further
trust and in equal shares to the surviving issue of such deceased child
but subject to the provisions of Item V herein; but if there be no such
surviving issue , then to the brothers and sisters of such deceased child
in equal shares, the issue of any other deceased child being entitled
collectively to their deceased parent's share. Nevertheless, if any
distribution otherwise becomes payable outright and free of trust under
the provisions of this paragraph (f) of the Item IV of my will to a
beneficiary for whom the Trustee is then administering a trust for the
benefit of such beneficiary under provisions of this last will and
testament, such distribution shall not be paid outright to such
beneficiary but shall be added to and become a part of the trust so being
administered for such beneficiary by the Trustee.
Item V
Distribution to Minor Children
If any share of corpus of any trust established under this
will become distributable outright and free of trust to any beneficiary
before said beneficiary has attained the age of eighteen (18) years, then
said share shall immediately vest in said beneficiary, but the Trustee
shall retain possession of such share during the period in which such
beneficiary is under the age of eighteen (18) years, and, in the meantime,
shall use and expend so much of the income and principal for the care,
support, and education of such beneficiary, and any income not so expended
with respect to each share so retained all the power and discretion had
with respect to such trust generally.
Item VI
Alternate Distributees
In the event that all of my
descendants should be deceased at any time prior to the time for the
termination of the trusts provided for herein, then in such event all of
my estate and all the assets of every trust to be created hereunder (as
the case may be) shall then distributed outright in equal shares to my
heirs at law per stripes.
Item VII
Unenforceable Provisions
If any provisions of this
will are unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall, nevertheless, be
carried into effect.
Item VIII
Life Insurance
If my estate is the beneficiary of any life insurance on my
life at the time of my death, I direct that the proceeds therefrom will be
used by my Executor in payment of the debts , expenses and taxes listed in
Item I of this will, to the extent deemed advisable by the Executor. All
such proceeds not so used are to be used by my Executor for the purpose of
satisfying the devises and bequests contained in Item IV herein.
Item IX
Spendthrift Provision
I
direct that the interest of any beneficiary in principal or income of any
trust created hereunder shall not be subject to claims of creditors or
others, nor to legal process, and may not be voluntarily or involuntarily
alienated or encumbered except as herein provided. Any bequests contained
herein for any female shall be for her sole and separate use, free from
the debts, contracts and control of any husband she may ever have.
Item X
Proceeds From Personal Services
All sums paid after my death (either to my estate or to any of
the trusts created hereunder) and resulting from personal services
rendered by me during my lifetime, including, but not limited to,
royalties of all nature, concerts, motion picture contracts, and personal
appearances shall be considered to be income, notwithstanding the
provisions of estate and trust law to the contrary.
Item
XI
Executor and Trustee
I appoint as executor of
this, my last will and testament, and as Trustee of every trust required
to be created hereunder, my said father.
I hereby direct that my
said father shall be entitled by his last will ant testament, duly
probated, to appoint a successor Executor of my estate, as well as a
successor Trustee or successor Trustees of all the trusts to be created
under my last will and testament.
If, for any reason, my said
father be unable to serve or to continue to serve as Executor and/or as
Trustee, or if he be deceased and shall not have appointed a successor
Executor or Trustee, by virtue of his last will and testament as stated
-above, then I appoint National Bank of Commerce, Memphis, Tennessee, or
its successor or the institution with which it may merge, as successor
Executor and/or as successor Trustee of all trusts required to be
established hereunder.
None of the appointees named
hereunder,including any appointment made by virtue of the last will and
testament of my said father, shall be required to furnish any bond or
security for performance of the respective fiduciary duties required
hereunder, notwithstanding any rule of law to the contrary.
Item XII
Powers, Duties, Privileges and
Immunities of the Trustee
Except as otherwise stated expressly
to the contrary herein, I give and grant to the said Trustee (and to the
duly appointed successor Trustee when acting as such) the power to do
everything he deems advisable with respect to the administration of each
trust required to be established under this, my last will and Testament,
even though such powers would not be authorized or appropriate for the
Trustee under statutory or other rules of law. By way of illustration and
not in limitation of the generality of the foregoing grant of power and
authority of the Trustee, I give and grant to him plenary power as
follows:
(a) To exercise all those powers authorized to
fiduciaries under the provisions of the Tennessee Code Annotated, Sections
35-616 to 35-618, inclusive, including any amendments thereto in effect at
the time of my death, and the same are expressly referred to and
incorporated herein by reference.
(b) Plenary power is granted to
the Trustee, not only to relieve him from seeking judicial instruction,
but to the extent that the Trustee deems it to be prudent, to encourage
determinations freely to be made in favor of persons who are the current
income beneficiaries. In such instances the rights of all subsequent
beneficiaries are subordinate, and the Trustee shall not be answerable to
any subsequent beneficiary for anything done or omitted in favor of a
current income beneficiary may compel any such favorable or preferential
treatment. Without in anywise minimizing or impairing the scope of this
declaration of intent, it includes investment policy, exercise of
discretionary power to pay or apply principal and income, and
determination principal and income questions;
(c) It shall be
lawful for the Trustee to apply any sum that is payable to or for the
benefit of a minor (or any other person who in the Judgment of the
Trustee, is incapable of making proper disposition thereof) by payments in
discharge of the costs and expenses of educating, maintaining and
supporting said beneficiary, or to make payment to anyone with whom said
beneficiary resides or who has the care or custody of the beneficiary,
temporarily or permanently, all without intervention of any guardian or
like fiduciary. The receipt of anyone to whom payment is so authorized to
be made shall be a complete discharge of the Trustees without obligation
on his part to see to the further application hereto, and without regard
to other resource that the beneficiary may have, or the duty of any other
person to support the beneficiary;
(d) In Dealing with the
Trustee, no grantee, pledge, vendee, mortgage, lessee or other
transference of the trust properties, or any part therof, shall be bound
to inquire with respect to the purpose or necessity of any such
disposition or to see to the application of any consideration therefore
paid to the Trustee.
Item XIII
Concerning the
Trustee and the Executor
(a) If at any time the Trustee shall
have reasonable doubt as to his power, authority or duty in the
administration of any trust herein created, it shall be lawful for the
Trustee to obtain the advice and counsel of reputable legal counsel
without resorting to the courts for instructions; and the Trustee shall be
fully absolved from all liability and damage or detriment to the various
trust estates of any beneficiary thereunder by reason of anything done,
suffered or omitted pursuant to advice of said counsel given and obtained
in good faith, provided that nothing contained herein shall be construed
to prohibit or prevent the Trustee in all proper cases from applying to a
court of competent jurisdiction for instructions in the administration of
the trust assets in lieu of obtaining advice of counsel.
(b) In
managing, investing, and controlling the various trust estates, the
Trustee shall exercise the judgment and care under the circumstances then
prevailing, which men of prudence discretion and judgment exercise in the
management of their own affairs, not in regard to speculation, but in
regard to the permanent disposition of their funds, considering the
probable income as well as the probable safety of their capital, and, in
addition, the purchasing power of income distribution to beneficiaries.
(c) My Trustee (as well as my Executor) shall be entitled to
reasonable and adequate and adequate compensation for the fiduciary
services rendered by him.
(d) My Executor and his successor
Executor and his successor Executor shall have the same rights,
privileges, powers and immunities herein granted to my Trustee wherever
appropriate.
(e) In referring to any fiduciary hereunder, for
purposes of construction, masculine pronouns may include a corporate
fiduciary and neutral pronouns may include an individual fiduciary.
Item XIV
Law Against Perpetuities
(a) Having in mind the rule against perpetuities, I direct
that (notwithstanding anything contained to the contrary in this last will
and testament) each trust created under this will (except such trust
created under this will (except such trusts as have heretofore vested in
compliance with such rule or law) shall end, unless sooner terminated
under other provisions of this will, twenty-one (21) years after the death
of the last survivor of such of the beneficiaries hereunder as are living
at the time of my death; and thereupon that the property held in trust
shall be distributed free of all trust to the persons then entitled to
receive the income and/or principal therefrom, in the proportion in
proportion in which they are then entitled to receive such income.
(b) Notwithstanding anything else contained in this will to the
contrary, I direct that if any distribution under this will become payable
to a person for whom the Trustee is then administering a trust created
hereunder for the benefit of such person, such distribution shall be made
to such trust and not to the beneficiary outright, and the funds so
passing to such trust shall become a part thereof as corpus and be
administered and distributed to the same extent and purpose as if such
funds had been a part of such a trust at its inception.
Item XV
Payment of Estate and Inheritance Taxes
Notwithstanding the provisions of Item X herein, I authorize
my Executor to use such sums received by my estate after my death and
resulting from my personal services as identified in Item X as he deem
necessary and advisable in order to pay the taxes referred to in Item I of
my said will.
In WITNESS WHEREOF, I, the said ELVIS A.
PRESLEY, do hereunto set my hand and seal in the presence of two (2)
competent witnesses, and in their presence do publish and declare this
instrument to be my Last Will and Testament, this 3 day of March, 1977.
[Signed by Elvis A. Presley] ELVIS A. PRESLEY
The
foregoing instrument, consisting of this and eleven (11) preceding
typewritten pages, was signed, sealed, published and declared by ELVIS
A.PRESLEY, the Testator, to be his Last Will and Testament, in our
presence, and we, at his request and in his presence and in the presence
of each other, have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses, this 3 day
of March, 1977, at Memphis, Tennessee.
[Signed by Ginger Alden]
Ginger Alden residing at 4152 Royal Crest Place
[Signed by Charles
F. Hodge] Charles F. Hodge residing at 3764 Elvis Presley Blvd.
[Signed by Ann Dewey Smith] Ann Dewey Smith residing at 2237 Court
Avenue. State of Tennessee County of Shelby
Ginger Alden, Charles
F. Hodge, and Ann Dewey Smith, after being first duly sworn, make oath or
affirm that the foregoing Last Will and Testament, in the sight and
presence of us, the undersigned, who at his request and in his sight and
presence, and in the sight and presence of each other, have subscribed our
names as attesting witnesses on the 3 day of March, 1977, and we further
make oath or affirm that the Testator was of sound mind and disposing
memory and not acting under fraud, menace or undue influence of any
person, and was more than eighteen (18) years of age; and that each of the
attesting witnesses is more than eighteen (18) years of age.
[Signed by Ginger Alden] Ginger Alden [Signed by Charles F. Hodge]
Charles F. Hodge [Signed by Ann Dewey Smith] Ann Dewey Smith
Sworn
To And Subscribed before me this 3 day of March, 1977. Drayton Beecker
Smith II Notary Public My commission expires: August 8, 1979
Admitted to probate and Ordered Recorded August 22, 1977
Joseph W. Evans, Judge Recorded August 22, 1977 B.J. Dunavant, Clerk By:
Jan Scott, D.C.
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