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Growing up as the daughter of the most famous man on earth sounds like an absolute dream, but behind the grand doors of Graceland hid a very scary reality. The final days of Elvis Presley have always been a heavy mystery to fans all over the world. Recently, his granddaughter Riley Keough sat down with Oprah Winfrey to reveal some chilling new details. For the very first time, the world is learning about the deep, heartbreaking connection a young Lisa Marie shared with her father right before his tragic death.
Lisa Marie was only nine years old when the King of Rock and Roll passed away, but she already knew that something was terribly wrong. In her new memoir, Riley shares that her mother had a powerful instinct on the exact morning of his death. When Lisa Marie said good night to her dad the evening before, she felt a heavy, sinking feeling. She somehow sensed that he was slipping away from her, even at such a young and innocent age.
The signs of his struggles were completely visible to his little girl long before that terrible day. Riley revealed that Lisa Marie would often find her dad looking totally out of it in his private upstairs bathroom. She watched him weakly hold onto the bathroom railing just to stand up straight. Despite the non-stop chaos and massive crowds constantly flooding the lower levels of Graceland, the upstairs remained a quiet, private sanctuary just for the two of them.
Living in that private world meant Lisa Marie saw the flawed, human side of the music god everyone else worshipped. The fear of losing him was actually so strong that she used to write him little letters. As a tiny child, she would pen heartbreaking notes saying she hoped her daddy would not die. Even though he was struggling, he was still her absolute hero, making her early instincts about his death incredibly sad for fans to hear.
Riley Keough reveals Lisa Marie Presley’s instincts on the day Elvis died in Oprah special
All of these dark and beautiful memories are finally coming to light in the new book “From Here to the Great Unknown.” Before Lisa Marie passed away suddenly last year, she recorded hours of secret voice tapes telling her life story. Riley took on the heavy task of listening to those tapes to finish the memoir for her mother. Hearing her mom’s voice talk about everything from deep grief to funny childhood moments was a wildly emotional ride.
The book is so powerful that Oprah Winfrey personally selected it for her famous Book Club. Riley actually found out the massive news while sitting all alone in a doctor’s office for a standard checkup! Oprah chose the memoir because it perfectly captures the incredibly complicated life of the Graceland princess. It shares the heavy grief Lisa Marie carried after losing both her father and her son, but it also highlights the funny times, like when a four-year-old Lisa Marie would ride around on a golf cart firing the Graceland staff!
Riley Keough on writing Lisa Marie Presley’s memoir, being selected for Oprah’s Book Club
The Presley family story is a stunning mix of incredible global fame and absolute heartbreak. Thanks to Riley Keough’s brave work fans are finally hearing Lisa Marie’s true voice and real experiences. The memoir proves that behind the flashy jumpsuits and gold records there was just a fiercely loyal family trying to survive the heavy weight of stardom. The legacy of Elvis Presley continues to fascinate the world, but this deep look into his daughter’s heart makes his memory even more powerful and human.
