When Lisa Marie Presley, the only daughter of the legendary Elvis Presley, passed away in 2022, the world lost more than just a celebrity — it lost the final living connection to one of the most enduring cultural icons of the 20th century. Yet, Lisa Marie’s voice remains alive through her haunting autobiography, From Here to the Great Unknown, completed by her daughter Riley Keough. This book offers a raw and poignant glimpse into a life shadowed by pain, survival, and the complicated legacy of the Presley family.
Released on October 8th, the autobiography deviates sharply from a glamorous memoir, laying bare the deeply personal and raw struggles Lisa Marie faced. She recounts the soaring highs of her musical success, selling millions of records and carving out her own career, but she also unveils a life marked by grief, fractured family ties, and relentless personal battles. For decades, Graceland has been regarded as a place of myth and magic, but this memoir shatters illusions, exposing the heavy human cost hidden behind the Presley name.
One of the most gut-wrenching sections reveals Lisa Marie’s childhood memories of her beloved father. At just eight years old, she sensed Elvis’s declining health and lived in terror long before his death. Her haunting poems, such as “I hope my Daddy doesn’t die,” give voice to her young heartache. The memoir vividly describes nightmarish scenes at Graceland: Elvis collapsing, desperate aides holding him upright, and Lisa Marie’s last fleeting moments with him before his tragic and sudden passing. These memories are far from mere anecdotes; they are the traumatic milestones that forever shaped her existence.
The autobiography bravely dives into disturbing revelations about her upbringing under Priscilla Presley. Lisa Marie exposes moments of neglect, her forced move from Memphis to California, and chilling allegations against Priscilla’s then-boyfriend, Michael Edwards. She accuses him of inappropriate behavior, casting a dark shadow over Priscilla’s reputation and igniting fierce debates among fans and followers alike.
Her turbulent adult years paint a picture of instability and deep emotional turmoil. From her young marriage to Danny Keough, the immense pressures of parenting under the relentless gaze of the public, to her whirlwind relationship with Michael Jackson, Lisa Marie’s story captivates. Surprisingly, she recalls Jackson with tender affection, emphasizing their profound emotional bond despite the challenges that crushed their marriage. Notably absent are chapters on her marriage to Nicolas Cage and her bitter divorce with Michael Lockwood, a choice seemingly influenced by Riley Keough’s careful editing to shield her younger siblings from renewed pain.
Arguably the most devastating parts of the book recount Lisa Marie’s struggles with addiction, her health issues following bariatric surgery, and the unbearable grief after the tragic death of her son Benjamin in 2020. Her decision to keep Benjamin’s body in her home for weeks after his death shocked many but was described with such anguish that it revealed the profound depths of her despair.
Ultimately, From Here to the Great Unknown stands not only as a record of tragedy but as a powerful testament to resilience and survival. Lisa Marie’s candid honesty crafts a legacy now fiercely protected by her daughter Riley, who is the trustee of Graceland and an accomplished artist herself. Despite the pain that colors her story, Lisa Marie’s truth and voice will inevitably endure alongside Elvis’s immortal legacy — a legacy now guarded amid ongoing controversy surrounding Priscilla Presley and the Presley family name.
