Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash music publisher’s estates look to sell prominent Phoenix land

Jan 13, 2017

Land is for sale at the southwest corner of Indian School Road and Central Avenue in midtown Phoenix neighboring Willo Historic District, Encanto-Palmcroft Historic District, FQ Story, Alvarado and Ashland Place districts.

That is one of the busiest intersections in the region and is also on the Metro light rail systems. The land is owned by real estate entities managed by trusts of the Aberbach family.

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Richard Nixon and Elvis Presley

Julian J. Aberbach, who died in 2004, was the music publisher for Elvis Presley. Music publishers do deals related to song writing and royalties when compositions are used.

Public records and real estate databases show land at the Indian School/Central land is owned by Aberbach Investments LLC and Vembec LLC.

Those entities are managed by estates for Julian J. Aberbach and his family.

Greg Vogel’s Land Advisors Organization is marketing the land.

The corner was previously home to an AM/PM gas station which is no longer there, parking lots and a Yoshi’s restaurant.

Vogel said the land for sale totals approximately 3 acres with an asking price of $50 per square foot.

Vogel sees the Indian School/Central land as a good spot for a new apartment development.

Julian Aberbach and his late brother Joachim Jean Aberbach were in the music publishing business and forged deals with Elvis Presley, Ray Charles and Johnny Cash.

Julian Aberbach died in 2004 at age 95.

The New York Times outlined in his obituary the business ties to Presley whom he first forged a deal with in 1955. That included telling Presley to hire songwriters to provide him more music.

“I gave Elvis a check for $2,500, an advance against the royalties of his stock ownership,’’ Aberbach said in a 2002 interview with Billboard magazine according to the Times obit. “And he promptly went to the Cadillac dealer and got a pink one.”

Elvis first appeared on the “Ed Sullivan Show” in 1956.

Land Advisors is a leading real estate firm in the state and region. Vogel’s group forged the deal that is bringing Lennar-developed apartments to the northwest corner of McDowell Road and Central Avenue.