Lisa Marie’s mother and daughter honor her memory and legacy with touching messages as fans also mourn the loss of the King’s only child.
One year after Lisa Marie Presley’s untimely death at age 54, her mother Priscilla Presley and daughter Riley Keough have shared emotional tributes in her memory. Lisa Marie, the only child of music icon Elvis Presley, died on January 12, 2023 after suffering cardiac arrest at her home in Calabasas, California.
On Friday, Priscilla took to social media to post a touching photo of Lisa Marie as a child smiling brightly with a flower in her hair, along with a moving message.
“Today would have been Lisa’s 55th birthday,” she wrote. “My wish is to protect my three grandchildren and keep our family together. From this day forward, I will shower them with the love and affection I gave Lisa. It’s the least I can do to make her soul smile and give her comfort knowing her little ones are cared for.”
| Lisa Marie Presley | February 1, 1968 – January 12, 2023 |
| Age at Passing | 54 |
| Survived By | Mother Priscilla Presley, Children Riley, Benjamin and Harper Keough |
Priscilla signed off saying, “We love you Lisa. Mom.” Lisa Marie shared daughter Riley, 33, and twin 14-year-old girls Harper and Finley with her fourth husband, musician Michael Lockwood. Her son Benjamin tragically took his own life in 2020 at age 27.
Riley also posted a cherished photo from her childhood with her late mom on Instagram Friday, which shows Lisa Marie smiling brightly while holding a young Riley in her lap.
“I feel blessed to have these photos and this side of her to keep close to my heart,” Riley wrote. “I hope you are at peace now but still I miss you everyday. In some ways it feels like losing you more and more the farther I get from the last time I saw you. I promise I’ll always take good care of your grandchildren.”
A Musical Dynasty Cut Short
As the daughter of one of the biggest music legends of all time, Lisa Marie faced astronomical expectations from birth. She was born exactly nine months after Elvis and Priscilla’s wedding in 1967. After Elvis’ death when Lisa Marie was just 9 years old, she became joint heir to his estate with her grandfather Vernon Presley and great-grandmother Minnie Mae Hood Presley.
Lisa Marie would go on to follow in her father’s footsteps with her own musical career, releasing three albums: 2003’s To Whom It May Concern, 2005’s Now What, and 2012’s Storm and Grace. While she achieved modest success, Lisa Marie would struggle with substance abuse and storms relationships over the years while carrying the weight and legacy of the Presley name.
After Elvis died at only 42 years old, Lisa Marie saw her father’s Memphis mansion Graceland decline from mismanagement. When she turned 25 in 1993, Lisa Marie inherited Elvis’ estate and made it her mission to turn Graceland into a successful tourist attraction that would carry on her father’s legacy. Today Graceland sees over 500,000 visitors per year and continues to honor the king of rock and roll.
“I was terrified of failing my father and the legend,” Lisa Marie told People in 2012 on the 35th anniversary of Elvis’ death. That fear drove her to drink excessively as she struggled with the pressure.
A Life Marked By Tragedy
In addition to substance abuse issues and failed marriages, Lisa Marie endured unspeakable personal tragedy, particularly later in her life. Her son Benjamin Keough struggled with depression and took his own life in July 2020 at age 27. Then in January 2023, Lisa Marie herself suddenly died of a cardiac arrest, leaving behind her surviving children devastated.
Lisa Marie’s death came as a shock to fans, as she had made her last public appearance looking happy and healthy at the Golden Globe Awards just days before with her mother Priscilla to support the Elvis biopic starring Austin Butler. According to one close friend, Lisa Marie was “frail” and “struggling” emotionally due to the loss of her son in the final years leading up to her death. Her tragic passing compounded the grief for Elvis fans worldwide.
Remembering the Legacy
In the year since her passing, Lisa Marie’s loved ones have worked hard to honor her memory and preserve her legacy for generations to come. Daughter Riley Keough has collaborated with Random House publishing to prepare a posthumous memoir written by Lisa Marie to be released this fall.
According to grandson Ben Smith-Petersen, Lisa Marie’s four grandchildren are being cared for by her mother Priscilla Presley within the Presley family. Meanwhile, fans continue leaving flowers and paying tribute to Lisa Marie at Graceland in Memphis, which saw record visitors last year for the Elvis movie release.
As the world reflects on the enormity of her absence, Lisa Marie’s indomitable spirit lives on through her children and creative works. While her life was marked by unimaginable highs and lows, Lisa Marie Presley made her own indelible impact on the world.
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