Lisa Marie Presley ‘Horrified’ After Elvis Caught Her Singing at Graceland

Elvis Presley inspired his daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, to pursue a music career. Music was constantly present at his Graceland home, from listening to records to Presley performing at the piano for family and friends. So it was only natural Lisa Marie would gravitate toward the music business. However, she was “horrified” when her father once caught her singing while visiting Graceland. Presley, on the other hand, had a different reaction.

Elvis Presley was a naturally skilled musician

Presley was best known for playing guitar. However, he was proficient in many instruments.

He became a guitar player at the age of 11 in Tupelo, MS, when his parents, Gladys and Vernon Presley, purchased the instrument for him as a birthday gift. That same guitar stayed with him throughout high school and his early performance career. 

The official Graceland website cites Presley also played bass and piano and tried his hand at the drums, accordion, and ukulele. While he couldn’t read or write music and had no formal lessons, he was a natural musician and played everything by ear. 

Therefore, Lisa Marie was exposed to all styles of music and instruments. Naturally, she wanted to try her hand at the one thing her father was best at, singing. She began performing around Graceland as a child, much to Presley’s delight.

Lisa Marie Presley said she was ‘horrified’ when Elvis caught her singing at Graceland

As a child, Lisa Marie was precocious and regularly surrounded by adults, including her father, his friends, and his entourage. Subsequently, she wanted to behave much like those who surrounded her. So as a child, she picked up a hairbrush and began singing to her reflection in the mirror while her father watched in amusement.

Lisa Marie shared her feelings regarding the titular moment with Access Hollywood. She said with a smile: “I remember being absolutely horrified! I realized he’s been watching me this whole time. I was going [for it]. I must have been three or four years old at the time.”

Presley couldn’t contain his pride and amusement at his only daughter. “He was just laughing. He got a huge kick out of it.”

Lisa Marie Presley had her own music career

At the age of 33, Lisa Marie launched her own music career. She released her first album titled To Whom It May Concern, which reached Gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America. She followed that up with the albums Now What in 2005 and Storm & Grace in 2012.

Lisa Marie once told Oprah Winfrey that she was not “the type of person that wants attention on me. This battle has been my biggest, and it’s why it took me so long to do a record. I had to find how to be OK with that before doing it.”

She also said music was a way to define herself to the world. “When I put the record out, I realized how much was there before introducing myself and coming out in public and talking. I was like, ‘You have no idea who I am.’ I’m introducing myself to you for the first time, and you have all of these pre-conceived [ideas] of me.”

Lisa Marie would perform posthumous duets with her father, including “Where No One Stands Alone” and “Don’t Cry, Daddy.”