Elvis Presley: Why Priscilla Presley and Her Family Rarely Discuss Him
Elvis Presley is so famous that people still talk about his music, life, and movies to this day. However, Priscilla Presley and her family do not talk about him much. Here’s a look at why they don’t — and how they choose to honor him anyway.
Priscilla Presley discusses the impact of Elvis Presley on Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough
Elvis died in 1977. At that point, Jimmy Carter was president, punk rock and Star Wars: A New Hope were new, and The Eagles’ “Hotel California” was tearing up the charts. His death was so long ago it might be forgivable if the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll wasn’t a huge part of the lives of Priscilla and her family. However, Priscilla says that’s not the case — with a catch.
Mara Reinstein of TV Insider asked Priscilla if Elvis still came up in conversation around her daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, and her granddaughter, Riley Keough. “Oh, gosh, he’s definitely still a part of our lives,” she said. “But to be honest, we don’t sit around and talk about him and reminisce. He’s in us already. We understand. We know who he was and who he is in present time with everyone who still loves him and supports him. We get it. We lived it. We still go to Graceland [the family estate in Memphis] a few times a year for special occasions and have dinners.”
What Priscilla Presley said about ‘unreachable’ expectations
This isn’t the only time Priscilla mentioned limiting the Elvis talk with members of her family. ‘My son Navarone [who was born in March 1987 from her relationship with Marco Garibaldi] is his own person,” she told The Guardian. ‘He wants to do his own thing and I’m really proud of him. He doesn’t want to step into the spotlight, and he’s always been that way. He’s not riding on Elvis and he’s not riding on Lisa. We have never been, ‘Elvis this, Elvis that,’ to our children because otherwise, you’re building up something that is almost unreachable for them.”
A short look at the careers of Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough
While Elvis’ fame might be unreachable for members of his family — and the vast majority of people — that hasn’t stopped Lisa Marie and Keough from pursuing careers in the arts. Lisa Maria released three albums to date: To Whom It May Concern, Now What, and Storm & Grace. In addition, she released a number of stand-alone singles, including a version of her father’s songs “I Love You Because” and “In the Ghetto.”
Keough, on the other hand, found success as an actress. She appeared in films like Mad Max: Fury Road, Under the Silver Lake, and The Lodge. Lisa Marie and Keough will likely never attain the level of fame the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll did. However, that hasn’t stopped them from becoming entertainers.
