She was a singer-songwriter, proud mother, and only child of the King of Rock 'n' Roll, Elvis Presley. Music royalty Lisa Marie Presley died unexpectedly yesterday (January 12). She was 54 years old.
"It is with a heavy heart that I must share the devastating news that my beautiful daughter Lisa Marie has left us," Lisa Marie's mother, Priscilla Presley, confirmed in a statement on Thursday evening. "She was the most passionate strong and loving woman I have ever known. We ask for privacy as we try to deal with this profound loss. Thank you for the love and prayers. At this time there will be no further comment."
On Thursday morning, Presley was rushed to the hospital for a possible cardiac arrest. A spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department confirmed that paramedics responded to the 5900 block of Normandy Drive in Calabasas to treat a woman in her 50s who was not breathing. When they arrived, the paramedics began CPR and, upon noting the patient had "signs of life," transferred the woman to a local hospital for "immediate medical care." It all happened just hours after Presley attended the Golden Globes on Tuesday, where actor Austin Butler won the prize for playing her father in the biopic Elvis.
Born in Memphis, Tennessee on February 1, 1968, exactly nine months after Elvis and Priscilla's wedding, Lisa Marie was briefly raised in the area before moving to Los Angeles at age 4 with her mother following her parents' 1973 divorce. Elvis Presley died in August 1977 when Lisa Marie was only 9 years old, making her the joint heir to his estate alongside grandfather Vernon Presley and great-grandmother Minnie Mae Hood Presley. Following their respective deaths in 1979 and 1980, she became the sole heir and also inherited her father's Graceland residence.
As a recording artist, Lisa Marie released three albums: 2003's To Whom It May Concern, which went on to become gold-certified in the United States, as well as 2005's So What and 2012's Storm & Grace. She was known for pop rock tracks such as "Shine," "Idiot," and "Lights Out."
In October 1988, Lisa Marie married longtime boyfriend Danny Keough, a Chicago-based musician, with whom she welcomed two children: daughter Riley in 1989 (who would grow up to become a famous actress) and musician son Benjamin in 1992. After five and a half years of marriage, the couple divorced in May 1994. Less than a month later, she married singer Michael Jackson, whom she first met at one of her late father's Las Vegas concerts when she was 7 and the King of Pop was still a member of the Jackson 5. Two years later, Lisa Marie would end her relationship with him, too.
She would also have relationships with Hawaiian-born musician John Oszajca, Hollywood actor Nicholas Cage, and Michael Lockwood, with whom Lisa Marie welcomed twin daughters: Harper and Finley. Lisa Marie then filed for divorce from Lockwood in June 2016. Ever since their separation, the two have been embroiled in an ongoing custody battle over their children.
In 2020, Lisa Marie's son Benjamin died by suicide on July 12, which would've been his 28th birthday. "My beautiful beautiful angel, I worshipped the ground you walked on, on this earth and now in Heaven," she wrote on Instagram shortly after his death. "My heart and soul went with you. The depth of the pain is suffocating and bottomless without you every moment of every day." She was open about her grief in the years since, posting tributes on Benjamin's birthday and penning a heartfelt essay for People Magazine in 2022 about the loss.
Lisa Marie was also a dedicated philanthropist. She oversaw the Elvis Presley Charitable Foundation, which benefits homeless families and offers rent-free housing, daycare for children, and other services to families in need. She also worked with Oprah Winfrey's Angel Network to provide relief to those affected by Hurricane Katrina, as well as the Dream Factory to benefit children with life-threatening illnesses or disabilities.
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Article Image: Close-up of Lisa Marie Presley while she attended the 2015 premiere of "Mad Max: Fury Road." (PopularImages via DepositPhotos.)
