Friday 27 August 1965 | People, The Beatles
| Date | Friday 27 August 1965 |
| Location | 525 Perugia Way, Bel Air, Los Angeles |
| Arrived | Shortly before 10pm (convoy of three limousines) |
| Duration | Approximately three hours |
| Arranged by | ‘Colonel’ Tom Parker |
| Ground rules | No press, no photographs, no recordings, no advance leaks |
On Friday 27 August 1965, The Beatles met Elvis Presley at his mansion at 525 Perugia Way, Bel Air, Los Angeles — one of the most celebrated encounters in the history of popular music. It was the only time the two greatest acts of the rock and roll era would ever meet in person, and it lasted approximately three hours.
The meeting had been years in the making. The Beatles had idolised Presley since their teenage years in Liverpool, and had tried on numerous occasions to arrange an introduction — only to be deflected each time by Presley’s manager, the formidable ‘Colonel’ Tom Parker, who would send souvenirs as a substitute for access. The invitation to Perugia Way, when it finally came, was highly anticipated by all four Beatles and their manager Brian Epstein.
The day: Benedict Canyon
27 August was The Beatles’ fifth day off at 2850 Benedict Canyon, the Beverly Hills mansion they had rented from Zsa Zsa Gabor during a break in their 1965 North American tour. Despite the tight security surrounding the group, Paul McCartney and chauffeur Alf Bicknell had managed to slip away during the day for some sightseeing around Los Angeles — McCartney wearing a disguise. The ground rules for the evening had been established in advance: no press, no photographs, no recordings, and no leaking of the plans.
The journey to Perugia Way
“Meeting Elvis was one of the highlights of the tour. It was funny, because by the time we got near his house we’d forgotten where we were going. We were in a Cadillac limousine, going round and round along Mulholland, and we’d had a couple of ‘cups of tea’ in the back of the car… We pulled up at some big gates and someone said, ‘Oh yeah, we’re going to see Elvis,’ and we all fell out of the car laughing, trying to pretend we weren’t silly: just like a Beatles cartoon.”
— George Harrison, The Beatles Anthology
The convoy of three black limousines, led by Colonel Parker and his people, arrived shortly before 10pm. Press officer Tony Barrow described the scene:
“The property consisted of two storeys nestled into a hillside. It was a vast, round building with a lot of windows and a spacious front garden. There was a Rolls Royce and a couple of Cadillacs lining the drive. Members of the famous ‘Memphis Mafia’ guarded the tall gates but they waved our line of limousines straight through.”
— Tony Barrow
The living room
Presley greeted The Beatles in his large circular living room, bathed in red and blue light, containing a colour television (sound off, Presley playing bass when they arrived), a jukebox, a crescent-shaped couch, games tables and a bar.
“It was very exciting, we were all nervous as hell… it still felt like, ‘Big house, big Elvis.’ He had lots of guys around him… And he had pool tables! It seemed amazing to us; it was like a nightclub.”
— John Lennon, 1976, The Beatles Anthology
Brian Epstein and Colonel Parker stood aside before drifting to a quiet corner — where Epstein raised his secret agenda: persuading Parker to let him present Elvis in UK concerts. It was, as Barrow noted, “a hopeless project from the outset”, though Parker pretended to leave the door open.
The awkward opening
The atmosphere was stilted at first. Eventually Presley broke the tension: “If you damn guys are gonna sit here and stare at me all night I’m gonna go to bed.”
Lennon had spoken first, awkwardly firing questions at Presley — most pointedly asking why he had abandoned rock and roll for soft-centred film ballads. Presley and Parker explained that the one time they departed from the formula — Wild in the Country — they lost money.
“We met Elvis Presley at the end of our stay in LA. We’d tried for years to, but we could never get to him. We used to think we were a bit of a threat to him and Colonel Tom Parker, which ultimately we were… After all, he was Elvis, and who were we to dare to want to meet him?”
— Paul McCartney, The Beatles Anthology
The jam session
With the ice broken, Presley called for guitars. A jam session followed — ‘You’re My World’ (the Cilla Black ballad from 1964) and ‘I Feel Fine’ were among the songs played. Ringo Starr, without a kit, tapped the backbeat on the nearest wooden furniture.
The musical centrepiece was McCartney and Presley bonding over bass:
“That was the great thing for me, that he was into the bass. So there I was: ‘Well, let me show you a thing or two, El…’ Suddenly he was a mate… He was great – talkative and friendly, and a little bit shy.”
— Paul McCartney, The Beatles Anthology
McCartney quipped: “Don’t worry, between us, me and Brian Epstein will make a star of you soon.” He went on to play piano and guitar as the session continued.
“It would be wonderful to have either photographs or recordings. That recording would be invaluable, surely. It would be a multi-million dollar piece of tape. But it wasn’t to be. It was an amazing session to listen to.”
— Tony Barrow
The conversation
As the evening relaxed, the two camps discussed fans, touring and their respective films. Lennon pressed Presley on returning to rock and roll; Presley blamed tight filming schedules.
“I only met him that once, and then I think the success of our career started to push him out a little; which we were very sad about, because we wanted to co-exist with him. He was our greatest idol, but the styles were changing in favour of us.”
— Paul McCartney, The Beatles Anthology
The departure
After around three hours, Colonel Parker gave The Beatles gifts: a complete set of Presley’s albums, gun holsters with gold leather belts, and a table lamp in the shape of a wagon.
As they walked to the limousines, Lennon asked, “Where’s Elvis?” The group came away with the impression Presley had been under the influence of something throughout. Lennon later described it as being “like meeting Engelbert Humperdinck.”
“I remember, as we went out to our limousines, John put on his Adolf Hitler accent and shouted: ‘Long live ze king.’ Also, John said: ‘Elvis was stoned.’ George Harrison responded very quietly: ‘Aren’t we all?’”
— Tony Barrow
No record of the meeting
No footage or photographs exist. A tape of the jam session is rumoured but has never come to light. The only accounts are from McCartney, Harrison and Lennon in The Beatles Anthology, and Tony Barrow in his memoir.
Notably, Presley had telephoned The Beatles backstage in Cincinnati on 27 August 1964 — exactly one year earlier to the day. The two encounters, separated by precisely twelve months, bookend one of the great relationships in rock and roll history.
The Beatles — officially licensed merch
The Beatles: Hard Day’s Night Unisex Long Sleeve T-Shirt (Black) — the 1965 era in style.
Key Facts
| Date | Friday 27 August 1965 |
| Location | 525 Perugia Way, Bel Air, Los Angeles |
| Arrived | Shortly before 10pm |
| Duration | ~3 hours |
| Arranged by | Colonel Tom Parker |
| Songs jammed | You’re My World, I Feel Fine (among others) |
| Gifts from Parker | Full set of Elvis albums, gun holsters with gold leather belts, wagon-shaped table lamp |
| Photographs/recordings | None (rumoured tape never surfaced) |
| Previous contact | Telephone call from Elvis, Cincinnati, 27 August 1964 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Did The Beatles ever meet Elvis Presley?
Yes. The Beatles met Elvis Presley once, on 27 August 1965, at his mansion at 525 Perugia Way, Bel Air, Los Angeles. The meeting lasted approximately three hours and included a jam session. No photographs or recordings were made. It was the only time the two acts ever met in person.
What happened when The Beatles met Elvis?
The meeting began awkwardly until Elvis broke the ice by threatening to go to bed if they kept staring at him. Guitars were brought out and a jam session followed, with songs including You’re My World and I Feel Fine. Paul McCartney taught Elvis some bass licks. After around three hours, Colonel Parker gave The Beatles gifts including a full set of Elvis’s albums and gun holsters with gold leather belts.
Is there any recording of The Beatles meeting Elvis?
No photographs or official recordings exist. It is rumoured that a tape of the jam session was made, but it has never come to light. The only accounts are from McCartney, Harrison and Lennon in The Beatles Anthology, and press officer Tony Barrow in his memoir.
→ The Beatles live: Cincinnati Gardens, Cincinnati – 27 August 1964 (the Elvis telephone call, exactly one year earlier)
→ The Beatles live: Odeon Cinema, Southport – 27 August 1963
→ August in Beatles History
→ The Beatles Knowledge Hub
→ On This Day in Beatles History
Shop The Beatles merch: The Beatles Hard Day’s Night Long Sleeve T-Shirt | The Beatles collection
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