Treated to a life of
luxury at the 14-acre Graceland estate in Memphis, Tennessee, life was
still hard for young Lisa Marie. Her father's fame and drug abuse made
an impression on her.
At the age of five, Lisa Marie saw Elvis and Priscilla go through a
very public divorce. Her mother subsequently won custody over her,
though Elvis
saw her frequently and never stopped lavishing her with gifts,
which included jewels, meetings with celebrities like John Travolta,
ponies, and even a golf cart in which she famously rode around the
grounds of her father's estate with.
August 16th,
1977, the tragic day Elvis Presley died. Lisa Marie, then only nine
years old, was at the house when it happened and, to escape the madness
that ensued, took refuge in her golf cart. Months later, it was
revealed that Elvis had left his entire estate to his only child, Lisa
Marie, to be taken over when she turned 25. Although her mother
Priscilla Presley initially tried to protect her from the media, Lisa
Marie could not escape and for years retreat into her shell in order to
find some peace and solitude. At 25, her father's Will was altered so
that she would take control of the funds on her 30th birthday.
Lisa Marie's late adolescent years were filled with partying, drugs and
alcohol. Only after constant pressure by Priscilla did the Lisa Marie
finally relent and at age 18 went through Scientology's Purification
program (Travolta - her childhood hero - introduced her to the
religion) and now claims she has not touched drugs since. After rehabilitation, Lisa Marie's love life took off. In 1988, she
married musician Danny Keough and with him, had two children: Danielle
Riley, now 18, and Benjamin Storm, now 14. The marriage lasted five
and a half years and, of her three husbands, Danny remains the most
present today, as one of Lisa Marie's best friends. A Mere 20 days after her split with Keough, Presley married
Michael Jackson in the Dominican Republic, in May 1994. They had
been friends for a long time (Lisa Marie actually first met the King of
Pop when he was touring with the Jackson 5; Elvis introduced them), had
lost touch, and then reconnected. Thanks to a highly watched interview
with both Presley and Jackson on network television, as well as a very
public kiss at MTV's Video Music Awards, their marriage became the
focal point of tabloids throughout its short life. Though she swore
that she was at one point madly in love with him, Presley eventually
could not take the marriage anymore and filed for divorce in January
1996.
Still in the limelight, Presley appeared on the cover of Vogue not long
after her split with Jacko, and was also in the news after establishing
Elvis Presley's Memphis, a successful restaurant that closed its doors
in 2002. Unfortunately, despite being a presenter at MTV and VH1
awards shows, appearing with Janet Jackson on Janet's Velvet Rope
album, and breaking ground with her own Scientology center in Memphis,
the press has not been kind to Lisa Marie Presley.
When Lisa Marie turned 30 and became one very powerful businesswoman
after taking over Elvis Presley's $150 million estate, the media did
not cut her much slack. Her engagement and subsequent breakup with John
Oszajca and then romance (and brief) marriage
to Nicolas Cage in 2002 were popular news stories.
Despite the negative press, Lisa Marie deserves a some accolades. Her
presence at Congress in 2002, where she spoke out against medicating
mentally-challenged children, was an emotional experience while the
establishment of Presley Place, a housing development for previously
homeless families, was a very charitable project.
Elvis'
Birth Certificate | Meaning
of the Name Elvis | Elvis
Horoscope
| Elvis - Chinese Astrology
Philanthropy aside, Presley has been keeping busy producing her very
first album. Putting aside her modeling duties for the Gap, Versace and
Cartier watches, she released her rock/pop CD called To Whom It May
Concern in April 2003. Behind the strength of the first single,
"Lights Out," and its accompanying video, the album debuted
at number five on the Billboard chart. Her appearance on the cover of
Rolling Stone helped spread the word of her musical talent, however,
her tours are not the sell out shows her father commanded. Despite desperately, trying to come into her own the only thing
Lisa Marie Presley will be remembered for just being Elvis Presley's
little girl.
