Lisa Marie Presley, famous from the second she was born as the only child to Elvis and Priscilla Presley, died Thursday night after being rushed to the hospital earlier in the day following a cardiac arrest. She was 54.
“It is with a heavy heart that I must share the devastating news that my beautiful daughter Lisa Marie has left us,” her mother confirmed in a statement. “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.”
Presley was last seen publicly alongside her mother two days ago at the Golden Globes award ceremony, where she appeared on the red carpet with Austin Butler, the star of Baz Luhrmann’s biopic, Elvis, which was nominated for best motion picture-drama. Butler, who won best actor, thanked “the Presley family” for “opening your hearts, your memories, your home to me. Lisa Marie, Priscilla, I’ll love you forever.”
Presley had been mostly absent from social media since her eldest son, Benjamin Keough, committed suicide in 2020. He was the first person to be buried at the Presley estate, Graceland, since 1980. In May, 2022, she posted praise on Instagram of Luhrmann’s film and Butler’s performance: “Austin Butler channeled and embodied my father’s heart and soul beautifully. In my humble opinion, his performance is unprecedented and FINALLY done accurately and respectfully. (If he doesn’t get an Oscar for this, I will eat my own foot, haha.)”
Presley was born to the breed. A singer-songwriter, she released three albums: To Whom It May Concern (2003), Now What (2005) and Storm & Grace (2012). She also released “duets” with her father using his pre-recorded tracks. Unlike Elvis, she did not pursue a film career. “I was always intrigued that she was making records,” T Bone Burnett, who worked with Presley on Storm & Grace, said in a joint interview at the time. “I thought it was a gutsy thing to do — being in the family business is complicated.”
“I had the celebrity before the music,” Presley said in 2013. “I always have to struggle to conquer – that’s one element and I get it – that’s one element, and that’s where the music is. This is what you read, and I get it, that other persona. But that’s not what this music’s about, that’s not what I do it for.”
Presley was born Feb. 1, 1968. He father doted on her. According to Priscilla, he once flew her to Idaho because she had never seen snow. Her father christined his 1958 Convair 880 private jet after her, calling it “The Lisa Marie.” She was four years-old when her parents divorced and nine was he died. She eventually became the sole heir to her father’s $100 million estate when her grandparents passed in 1979 and 1980, respectively.