Getty Lisa Marie Presley at Graceland in August 2012
Lisa Marie Presley, who died at age 54 on January 12, 2023, will be laid to rest at her family’s iconic home, Graceland, in Memphis, Tennessee. In a statement to People magazine, a representative for Lisa Marie’s daughter, actress Riley Keough, said, “Lisa Marie’s final resting place will be at Graceland, next to her beloved son Ben.” The singer-songwriter died after suffering cardiac arrest and being rushed to a Los Angeles hospital on Thursday morning, according to reports from local law enforcement and media including TMZ and the Associated Press.
The only daughter of music icon Elvis Presley and his wife, Priscilla, Lisa Marie had spoken previously about knowing the exact spot where she would someday be buried, alongside the rest of the Presley family. But her family and fans are stunned by her sudden death, just days after she appeared at Graceland to celebrate her dad’s 88th birthday.
Fans Leave Gifts & Notes at Graceland, Where Lisa Marie Presley Knew She Would Be Buried One Day
GettyFans have began to leave notes, flowers and gifts at Graceland to pay respects to Lisa Marie Presley on January 13, 2023
On January 13, the New York Times reported that fans have already begun to descend upon Graceland, where Elvis Presley lived, died, and is buried, to leave notes, gifts, and flowers in memory of Lisa Marie.
The estate, which has served as both a tourist attraction and the family’s gathering place for decades, includes a Meditation Garden where Elvis is buried along with his mother Gladys Presley, Elvis’ father Vernon Presley, Elvis’ grandmother Minnie Mae Presley, and his grandson — Lisa Marie’s son, Benjamin Keough — who died by suicide in July 2020 at age 27.
When Keough was buried at Graceland, The Daily Memphian reported that it was the first burial at Graceland since 1980, when Elvis’ grandmother Minne Mae died, and the first since the estate opened up for public tours.
Though Lisa Marie often hosted Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, as well as parties, at Graceland, she said it was sometimes odd knowing her family was buried out back.
In a 2003 interview with Playboy magazine, Lisa Marie said, “The back lawn of Graceland is a graveyard, basically. How many people have a family grave in the backyard? How many people are reminded of their fate, their mortality, every @#%$ day? All the graves are lined up and there’s a spot there, waiting for me, right next to my grandmother.”
When the reporter asked Lisa Marie whether she planned to be buried there, she replied, “I plan on anything. I’m sure I’ll end up there. Or I’ll shrink my head and put it in a glass box in the living room. I’ll get more tourists to Graceland that way.”
Lisa Marie Presley Appeared at Graceland Five Days Before Her Death
Though the Elvis Presley estate is managed by a separate company, Elvis Presley Enterprises, Lisa Marie had been the sole owner of the mansion and its grounds since her dad’s 1977 death, according to the Daily Memphian.
After her death, Graceland spokesperson David Beckwith told the newspaper, “The mansion is in a trust that will go to the benefit of (Lisa Marie Presley’s) children. Nothing will change with the operation and management of Graceland.”
Lisa Marie leaves behind three daughters — Riley, 33, whom she had with first husband Danny Keough, and her 14-year-old twin daughters, Harper and Finley, whom she shared with ex-husband Michael Lockwood.
Lisa Marie visited and spoke with fans at Graceland last Sunday, January 8, to commemorate her father’s 88th birthday and unveil a new exhibit dedicated to the making of the new “Elvis” movie starring Austin Butler and Tom Hanks.
In a YouTube video posted by Elvis fan Kyle Slingo, Lisa Marie could be seen at a podium, surrounded by legions of fans on the grounds, with several shouting that they loved her.
She said, “Thank you. It’s been a while. I missed you. I keep saying you’re the only people that can bring me out of my house. I’m not kidding.”
“I love you back and that’s why I’m here,” she continued. “Today, (Elvis) would’ve been 88 years old, it’s hard to believe. I think that he’d be proud. This year has been an incredible year. The movie is incredible, I’m very proud of it, and I hope you are too. But it’s just so moving how every year you come from all over the world. It’s moving to me and my family, so thank you.”