LOVED HER TENDER
Hundreds of mourners lined the front lawn of the iconic Graceland mansion in Memphis, Tenn., on Sunday to pay their respects at a celebrity-packed memorial for Lisa Marie Presley, Elvis’ only child who died Jan. 12 of cardiac arrest.
Lisa Presley, 54, was buried on the mansion’s grounds, near her revered father, who died at 42 in the mansion on Aug. 16, 1977, and next to her son Benjamin, who died by suicide in 2020.
The late singer’s service, packed with star-studded speeches and performances, opened with a performance of “Amazing Grace” by Jason Clark and the Tennessee Mass Choir, followed by “To Sheila” by Billy Corgan.
Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, then read “A Tribute to the Children,” which was followed by Alanis Morrissette performing “Rest.”
Presley’s mother, Priscilla, also spoke, along with Riley Keough, Presley’s oldest daughter.
Guns N’ Roses’ Axl Rose performed the band’s song “November Rain.”
Lisa Marie Presley’s three daughters, Keough and 14year-old twins Finley and Harper, are expected to inherit Graceland through a trust.
Envisioned final rest
Lisa Marie became the sole owner of the estate, worth an estimated $500 million when she inherited it on her 25th birthday.
Presley spoke of being buried in Graceland in a Playboy magazine interview, 20 years before her passing.
“The back lawn of Graceland is a graveyard, basically. How many people have a family grave in the backyard?” she said.
“All the graves are lined up and there’s a spot there, waiting for me, right next to my grandmother.
“I’m sure I’ll end up there,” she said. “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.”