S. Samuel
Rap star Eminem's idolized childhood home has finally met its demise after being demolished this week in Detroit following a severe fire.
According to reports, the crib Em spent his pre-fame days in vanished into thin air last Thursday (November 21).
Say bye bye to Eminem’s childhood home in the 19000 block of Dresden on Detroit’s east side. Frankly, it wasn’t much to look at, particularly after it was damaged by fire on Nov. 7. But it seemed to be getting quite a bit of attention. Detroit has a dearth of real celebrities and Eminem is a big deal. Then demolition crews showed up today to take what was left, all down. It’s history. Tammy Stables Battaglia and Ann Zaniewsk of the Detroit Free Press reported that a photo of his home originally showed up on Eminem’s 2000 album, “The Marshall Mathers LP,” and just recently on the release of “The Marshall Mathers LP 2.” (Deadline Detroit)
Despite putting up a bid, diehard fan Shelly Hazlett recently claimed she learned an auction for the home would not go down.
Shelly Hazlett, 28, of Clarksville, Tenn. told MLive she received word over the phone from the Michigan Land Bank that the home at 19946 Dresden will eventually be torn down. Hazlett also claims a woman in the office, who didn’t identify herself, told her several other abandoned homes on the street between 7 and 8 Mile roads will also be demolished. “My heart just literally dropped when I heard the news,” said Hazlett, who wants to turn Slim Shady’s home into a museum. “The woman told me there’s absolutely nothing I can do.” Attempts to reach Mario Morrow, a Michigan Land Bank spokesman who specializes in Detroit area properties, have been unsuccessful for several weeks. Morrow hasn’t returned phoned messages or responded to emails asking for an explanation and the property’s ownership status. (M Live)
Earlier this month, the historic home went up into flames.
The Detroit Fire Department responded to the blaze in the 19900 block of Dresden Street near East State Fair, just south of 8 Mile, at 6:20 p.m. Thursday, Senior Chief Jack Wiley said. A cause has not been determined. Fan Matt Toporek, 21, of Harper Woods said the abandoned home’s front door was open two days ago when he visited the house, but the inside was intact. Today, the inside was a charred mess. The ceiling between the first and second floors is burned away. Soot stains the exterior above the windows. (Detroit Free Press)
Aside from being featured on Em’s album covers, the home was the property of a local bank.
The home on Dresden, originally pictured on the cover of his 2000 release, The Marshall Mathers LP, was most recently owned by the Michigan Land Bank. The government program that manages vacant properties – including 11,000 in Detroit – was auctioning the property, with minimum bids starting at $1. The home was listed on the land bank website today, but its status was unclear. (Detroit Free Press)
Reports claim Marshall Mather’s mother purchased the place over 20 years ago.
According to public records, Deborah Mathers bought the house in 1987 for $19,900, agreeing to pay the couple who owned it $3,000 down and $220 a month. In 1994, the couple issued a deed to Mathers, who on the same day signed the deed over to Ann Investment. The property changed hands about 10 times before the Wayne County Treasurer’s Office foreclosed for non-payment of taxes in 2001. A company listed as EM & UU Properties bought the house for $1 in 2009 before it was abandoned. After the house failed to sell for $500 at a Wayne County Treasurer’s Office auction, it was turned over to the Land Bank. (WTSP)
