Introduction:
Nearly five decades after the passing of music icon Elvis Presley, new and deeply personal details continue to emerge about the final moments surrounding his life. In a recent interview with Oprah Winfrey, actress and filmmaker Riley Keough opened up about her family’s legacy, shedding light on how her late mother, Lisa Marie Presley, instinctively sensed that something was wrong on the morning her father Elvis died.
The conversation comes almost two years after Lisa Marie’s own passing and coincides with the release of her memoir, From Here to the Great Unknown. Though Lisa Marie began writing the book before her death, it was Riley who completed it using audio recordings her mother had made over the years. The memoir marks the first time Lisa Marie spoke in such detail about losing her father when she was just nine years old.
According to Riley, Lisa Marie recalled saying “good night” to Elvis with an unusual sense of awareness, as if she somehow knew it would be the last time. Riley explained that her mother had always been highly observant of her father’s condition, even at a young age. Lisa Marie often noticed when Elvis seemed unwell, remembering moments when she found him disoriented or physically struggling, holding onto railings just to stand.
These observations were not fleeting childhood memories. Lisa Marie had written letters as a child expressing her fear of losing her father, including one that read, “I hope my Daddy doesn’t die.” Riley described this as evidence that her mother sensed ongoing instability in Elvis’s health long before his sudden death. Elvis Presley passed away at the age of 42 from a heart attack at his Memphis home, Graceland.
Despite the chaos that often surrounded the Presley household, Riley emphasized that there was a deeply intimate bond between Elvis and his daughter. Upstairs at Graceland, it was often just the two of them, allowing for quiet, personal moments away from the noise below. Those memories, though painful, became a central part of Lisa Marie’s story.
During the interview, Oprah and Riley also explored a collection of Elvis’s personal belongings, including his Bible from 1957 and a black box he carried everywhere—described by Riley as his version of a purse. Inside were untouched personal items such as a credit card, a hair comb, and other private effects, offering a haunting glimpse into the life of the legendary performer beyond the spotlight.
Riley also explained the meaning behind the memoir’s title. From Here to the Great Unknown was inspired by a song Lisa Marie once performed as a duet with her father. Though hesitant at first, Lisa Marie later embraced the song, and for Riley, the title reflects a way of viewing grief—not as an ending, but as a journey into something unknown yet meaningful.
The Oprah special, The Presleys: Elvis, Lisa Marie, and Riley, airing October 8 on CBS, promises an intimate portrait of a family shaped by fame, loss, and enduring love—told through the voices of those who lived it.