Growing up in one of the world’s most famous families, Lisa Marie Presley faced a formidable challenge to define her own identity. Despite living under an unrelenting spotlight, she was able to break free and forge success on her own terms – until Thursday when news broke that she had tragically passed away at age 54 after suffering cardiac arrest.
As a young child, Lisa Marie Presley encountered the darker side of fame and celebrity when she found fans lurking in trees outside her home. With composure far beyond her years, she took matters into her own hands by slyly taking money from admirers for photos that were never taken – an early sign of how poised this star would be throughout life’s many ups and downs.
Lisa Marie experienced a tragedy that left an indelible mark on her life. In 1977, the then-young girl watched helplessly as unsuccessful efforts were made to save her beloved father at Graceland – where his death would later be confirmed. Lisa Marie opened up about how this devastating experience influenced who she became in a Rolling Stone interview years later.
From a very young age, Lisa Marie Presley was thrust into the spotlight due to her famous father’s legacy. Although Priscilla Presley did everything she could to shield her daughter from this burden and keep their lives as normal as possible, Elvis’ passing triggered years of high-profile litigation that made headlines – leaving no question in little Lisa Marie’s mind about who she really was.
She had a reputation for being strong and intimidating, but as she explained to Playboy in 2003 it was only ever an act of self-protection. Growing up with the feeling that everyone disliked her despite not having been arrogantly created a kind of invisible barrier that kept people at bay – until now.
Lisa Marie Presley embraced her father’s musical influence and leveraged it to give back. She founded the Presley Charitable Foundation, which supports The Dream Factory – a charity akin to Make-A-Wish that grants wishes for children with life-threatening illnesses – as well as providing aid in the form of housing assistance through ‘Presley Place New Orleans’. This amazing organization gives hope to those facing some of life’s greatest struggles.
From a very early age, Presley showed an undeniable passion for music. She strongly identified with her father’s soulful songs and especially connected to the lesser-known tunes that didn’t climb any charts; as Rolling Stone commented in their feature on her career, it was these “melancholy” pieces that truly drew Presley into his world of sound. Paying tribute every anniversary since he passed away, she has made posthumous duets such as In The Ghetto and I Love You Because – heartfelt reminders of how deeply rooted this daughter-father bond will always remain through song.
Presley was determined to start her solo career on the right foot, so she took time to hone her skills before entering the spotlight. As Presley told Playboy, “I wanted my debut record to make an impact – a goal which I couldn’t achieve if I made novice mistakes in front of everyone.” With determination and perseverance, it’s no wonder she became one of music’s brightest stars.
She stubbornly maintained her creative course and created a powerful autobiographical album with To Whom It May Concern. Despite the pressure, she released Lights Out as an homage to her father in both US and UK markets. The subdued Nobody Noticed was also included; it paid tribute to all those who had endured pain yet were overlooked by society.
After blazing her own trail in the music world, she forged unique relationships with acclaimed pop-rock producers like Glen Ballard and Clif Magness. The result? A CD that fuses contemporary sounds of rock ‘n’ roll with a hint of country twang and bluesy flair – all co-penned alongside Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan.
After making her presence known in the music world with her debut album, Lisa Marie Presley mastered songwriting for Now What released in 2005. This record showcased both a cover and original tracks showcasing not only Presely’s velvety vocal range but also an invigorated rock ‘n’ roll style that took listeners by storm; most notably on Here Today Gone Tomorrow (originally recorded by The Ramones) and Heartbreaker which she performed live alongside renowned singer Pat Benatar.
On Storm & Grace, Presley explored a blissful collision of moody Americana and blues through intricate arrangements and country-soul vibes. Produced by the legendary T Bone Burnett, it also unearthed her emotive voice as she wrapped listeners in beautiful ballads brimming with vulnerability.
Reflecting on her sound, Storm & Grace is a unique blend of influences from varied sources; Presley’s roots in rockabilly and blues can be distinctly heard within the album. Ultimately leading to her making an iconic debut at The Grand Ole Opry, this project successfully combines many styles into one cohesive work- displaying just how much inspiration goes behind every track.
Elvis Presley’s life was filled with music, but it also had a powerful family dynamic at its core. Not only did her first marriage to Danny Keough give rise to two talented children in Riley and Benjamin with the latter recently starring in the anticipated online adaptation of Daisy Jones & The Six but Presley saw one of their own win big at Cannes: War Pony director Benjamin took home 2022’s Caméra d’Or for Best First Feature Film.
Despite facing unfathomable tragedy when her beloved son Benjamin passed away in 2020, Lisa Marie Presley was determined to endure and find strength. In 2022 she courageously shared her grief on National Grief Awareness Day with a poignant essay that highlighted both the pain of loss but also gave an uplifting message of perseverance – “No matter how much sorrow I may have seen since the age of nine, I’m still here”.
After his historic Oscar win for portraying Elvis, Butler graciously thanked the Presley family Lisa Marie and Priscilla in particular. The emotion could be seen as he spoke from his heart with gratitude that they had opened up their home to him. It was a gesture reciprocated by Lisa Marie on Sunday at Graceland when she remarked how proud she was of the movie which moved her deeply. Tragically after this touching moment between them, details have now emerged about what transpired during Rodgers’ death scene.
