Lisa Marie Presley, singer and daughter of Elvis, dies aged 54
From BBC
Lisa Marie Presley, the only child of rock ‘n’ roll legend Elvis, has died at the age of 54, her mother has said.
“It is with a heavy heart that I must share the devastating news that my beautiful daughter Lisa Marie has left us,” Priscilla Presley said.
Lisa Marie, also a singer, was rushed to hospital earlier on Thursday. US media said she suffered cardiac arrest.
“She was the most passionate, strong and loving woman I have ever known,” Priscilla said in a statement.
“We ask for privacy as we try to deal with this profound loss.”
Her mother gave no details about the possible cause of death.
TMZ reported that the star was found unresponsive in her bedroom on Thursday morning. Her former husband Danny Keough, who also lives at the property, arrived and performed CPR, the site said.
Tributes soon poured in from fans and friends around the world.
Actor Tom Hanks played her father’s manager Col Tom Parker in Baz Luhrmann’s 2022 biopic Elvis. On behalf of the couple, Hanks’ wife Rita Wilson posted on Instagram that their hearts were “broken”.
“Tom and I had spent some time with the family during the Elvis movie promotional tour. Lisa Marie was so honest and direct, vulnerable, in a state of anticipation about the movie,” she wrote.
“She spoke so eloquently about her father, what the movie meant to her, that it was a celebration of her dad.”
Lisa Marie Presley was last seen in public on Tuesday night at the Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills.
Accompanied by her mother, the pair were seen in tears as they watched the show, where Austin Butler won best actor in a film drama for his portrayal of her father in Luhrmann’s movie.
During an emotional speech, the actor thanked the Presley family for their help during the film.
“Thank you guys, thank you for opening your hearts, your memories, your home to me,” Butler said. “Lisa Marie, Priscilla, I love you forever.”
https://emp.bbc.com/emp/SMPj/2.47.2/iframe.htmlMedia caption,
Watch: Austin Butler thanks Lisa Marie and Priscilla Presley after winning a Golden Globe for playing Elvis
Days before her death, she had visited Graceland, the mansion owned by her father in Memphis, Tennessee, to celebrate what would have been his 88th birthday on 8 January.
Following the news of Lisa Marie’s death, well-wishers laid flowers and lit candles outside Graceland’s gates.
Born in 1968, Lisa Marie followed in her father’s footsteps and forged a career in music. The star released three albums, with her 2003 debut studio album selling hundreds of thousands of copies and receiving generally positive reviews.
The star was also well-known for a series of high-profile marriages to pop legend Michael Jackson, actor Nicolas Cage and musicians Keough and Michael Lockwood.
She had four children, including the actress Riley Keough. Presley’s son, Benjamin Keough, killed himself in 2020.
Last August, Presley wrote an essay on grief for US publication People about “the horrific reality” of how she felt after her son’s death.
“I’ve dealt with death, grief and loss since the age of nine years old,” she wrote, referring to her age when Elvis died in 1977 from a heart attack when he was 42. “I’ve had more than anyone’s fair share of it in my lifetime and somehow, I’ve made it this far.”
Those paying tribute to her included LaToya Jackson, sister of Michael, who wrote on Twitter: “I will never forget how much you shared the love you had for my brother with me, I thank you for being so honest #RIP.”
Singer and actress Bette Midler said: “So beautiful and only 54 years old; I can’t actually comprehend it.”
Garbage singer Shirley Manson wrote that Lisa Marie was “surprisingly sweet, fierce, generous, talented and painfully vulnerable”.
“I will treasure you always in my heart girl. Thank you for your kindness. May you now be granted peace,” she added.
‘One of a kind’
Beach Boys co-founder Brian Wilson also paid tribute, saying it was “hard to take when someone so young and full of life passes on”.
US pop star Pink described Presley as “one of a kind” and “smart as a whip, sensitive [and] talented”, while Oscar-winning actress Marlee Matlin wrote a message referring to Priscilla.
“I had the chance to know Cilla Presley when I was on Dancing With the Stars and as a mother, I can’t imagine the pain she must be going through with the untimely passing of Lisa Marie,” she said.
Grammy Award-winning songwriter Diane Warren expressed her sorrow at the “horrible news”. The singer added that “the entire world is sending love and prayers to Priscilla and Lisa Marie’s children right now”.
John Travolta said his “heart goes out” to the Presley family, writing: “Lisa baby girl, I’m so sorry.
“I’ll miss you but I know I’ll see you again. My love and heart goes out to Riley, Priscilla, Harper and Finley.”
For more on this story go to: BBC
