Many were shocked and saddened by the death of Lisa Marie Presley, who passed away at the age of 54 due to cardiac arrest. The late singer-songwriter was laid to rest at Graceland today, where she’ll be buried alongside her famous father, Elvis, and late son, Benjamin. Lisa Marie was many things to many people: a beloved daughter, a devoted mother and of course, an adored entertainer. But as it turns out, she was apparently also a grandmother. This piece of information came to light during her funeral service, when the husband of Riley Keough – her eldest child – revealed it during a moving speech.
Since 2015, Riley Keough has been married to Ben Smith-Petersen, who spoke at the funeral on his wife’s behalf. He addressed the attendees with a speech written by his wife and, during a particularly tender moment, he mentioned that he and Keough are parents to a little girl. The speech itself was incredibly heartwarming and beautifully illustrates what Lisa Marie Presley meant to her daughter. ET managed to capture some of the loving sentiments:
I hope I can love my daughter the way you loved me, the way you loved my brother and my sisters. Thank you for giving me strength, my heart, my empathy, my courage, my sense of humor, my manners, my temper, my wildness, my tenacity. I'm a product of your heart, my sisters are a product of your heart, my brother is a product of your heart.
This wasn’t the first time that the actress had honored her mother since her passing. Just a few days ago, Riley Keough dropped a sweet tribute on social media. She posted a throwback photo featuring her and her famous mama and, for the caption, she simply included a heart emoji. The post was sweet – and received reactions from various stars – but it would seem that the speech was the manner in which the star truly wanted to make her feelings known. News of her having a daughter of her own is surprising, though it's wonderful to know that her mom was able to welcome a grandchild before her passing.
The Mad Max: Fury Road alum and her family had plenty of support at the service, according to ET. A number of people attended the funeral in Memphis, Tennessee, and it included quite a few musical selections from noted stars. The Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan sang a rendition of “To Sheila,” while Jason Clark & The Tennessee Mass Choir performed “Amazing Grace” and “Revelation 19:1.’” Alanis Morissette warmed hearts with “Rest,” and Guns ‘N Roses founding member Axl Rose, who also spoke about his friendship with late “So Lovely” singer during the proceedings, belted out “November Rain.”
Lisa Marie Presley’s family – specifically her mother, Priscilla and her three children – surely appreciated the love. At present, the brood is facing a multitude of changes – particularly the kids, who now have the Graceland estate. Presley’s 14-year-old twin girls, Harper and Finley, are also now in the custody of her ex-husband, Michael Lockwood, who spoke out about her death and how he and their kids are doing. One would imagine that the two teens along with sister Riley Keough and her daughter, will seek to keep their mom and grandmother’s legacy alive for years to come.
We here at CinemaBlend continue to extend our thoughts to Lisa Marie Presley’s family and loved ones during this time.
