Lisa Marie Presley Pulled Back the Curtain on Elvis Presley’s Secret Agony: Exposes His ‘Lonely’ Struggles and Downward Spiral
Lisa Marie Presley was often asked about her father, Elvis Presley, during press interviews. She typically shared the same stories. However, one time she pulled back the curtain on her father’s life, exposing his “lonely” struggles and downward spiral.
Elvis Presley had no one to keep him ‘leveled off,’ claimed Lisa Marie
In a 2003 interview with Rolling Stone, Lisa Marie Presley spoke at length about life as Elvis Presley’s daughter and her burgeoning music career. Lisa released her debut album, To Whom It May Concern, around the time of the interview’s release.
In the lyrics of the song, “Nobody Noticed It,” Lisa discussed her father’s downward spiral in the late 1970s. She believed Elvis’s hangers-on didn’t keep him grounded the way they should have during this critical period of his life.
“He didn’t have anyone to keep him leveled off. You get into this world where nothing you do is wrong,” Lisa explained to Rolling Stone.
“I don’t think any artist has really done that well with it — they usually end up destroying themselves. Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison … he wasn’t the only one.”
Lisa concluded, “It’s like you have no basis anymore. No foundation. And I think he was one of the first ones to go through it. It was very lonely there, where he was. I know that.”
Lisa Marie Presley said remarks made by Elvis’ longtime friends sparked fury
The song “Nobody Noticed It” was inspired after watching commentary by Elvis Presley’s longtime associates during the TV special The E! True Hollywood Story: The Last Days of Elvis. The documentary shared details of Elvis’ life during his final days.
Specifically, Lisa called out those in Elvis’ inner circle who benefitted from her father’s generosity. She believed these same friends profited from Elvis’s downfall in his later years.
Lisa felt these hangers-on talked about Elvis disrespectfully. “I couldn’t believe they were trying to take his dignity — Sonny West, Marty Lacker, Red West, all these people that were worse than him,” she explained.
She told Rolling Stone these men “scared the hell out of me when I was a kid.” Lisa revealed her anger got the best of her after watching the special. She called the men “slithering mother*****er,” claiming they weren’t blame-free when it came to smearing Elvis’ legacy.
“His dignity was one of the most important things to him,” Lisa claimed. “And you are trying to take it away.”
Lisa Marie Presley defended Elvis in the months leading up to her untimely death
Lisa Marie Presley reflected on growing up with Elvis Presley on a 2013 episode of The Talk. She told the hosts she leaned more toward the Presley side of her family when it came to characteristics, including Elvis’s “intensity.” She joked about his lax parenting and the quiet times they shared.
In her later years, Lisa recorded her memories with the intent of writing a memoir. She enlisted her daughter Riley Keough to help her put her thoughts on paper. Riley ended up finishing the project after Lisa’s untimely death.
In the pages of From Here to the Great Unknown, Lisa Marie defended Elvis Presley’s legacy. She said he was a “God to me,” and believed he was a “chosen human being.” Lisa added she and Elvis were “super-connected” and that he was “one thousand percent there for me.”
Elvis Presley died at the age of 42 on Aug. 16, 1977. Lisa Marie died on Jan. 12, 2023, at 54. Father and daughter are buried in Graceland‘s Meditation Garden.
