Lisa Marie Presley

1968–2023

Latest News: Cause of Death

According to an autopsy report released in July 2023, Lisa Marie Presley died from a small bowel obstruction. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office said the obstruction was caused by scar tissue that developed after a bariatric surgery that Presley had years prior. Presley died in January at age 54.

Who Was Lisa Marie Presley?

Singer Lisa Marie Presley was the only daughter of Elvis Presley and Priscilla Presley. Her life was marked by tragedy from an early age. Just 9 years old when her father died, Lisa Marie dropped out of high school and began abusing illegal drugs. Later, Presley turned to music for solace and released three albums, starting with To Whom It May Concern in 2003. She was married four times, including brief marriages with Michael Jackson and Nicolas Cage, and had four children, including actor Riley Keough. Presley died in January 2023 from a bowel obstruction at age 54.

Quick Facts

FULL NAME: Lisa Marie Presley
BORN: February 1, 1968
DIED: January 12, 2023
BIRTHPLACE: Memphis, Tennessee
SPOUSES: Danny Keough (1988-1994), Michael Jackson (1994-1996), Nicolas Cage (2002-2004), and Michael Lockwood (2006-2021)
CHILDREN: Benjamin, Riley Keough, Harper, and Finley
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Aquarius

Early Life

Born on February 1, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee, to Elvis and Priscilla Presley, Lisa Marie Presley grew up living in her father’s Graceland estate, until the age of 4, when her parents separated. After, Presley moved with her mother to Los Angeles. Even though her parents were separated, she continued to see both, splitting time between both Los Angeles and Memphis. When she was 9, Presley’s father died of an apparent heart failure associated with prescription drug abuse.

As a junior in high school, Presley dropped out of school and began abusing illegal drugs. At 17, Presley was sent to Scientology’s Celebrity Center rehab facility.

Husbands

Presley was married four times in her life. Her husbands included Danny Keough, Michael Jackson, Nicolas Cage, and Michael Lockwood.

While in rehab, Presley met rock ’n’ roll musician Danny Keough. Presley and Keough married on October 3, 1988. The couple had two children, Danielle Riley and Benjamin, but after six years of marriage, Presley and Keough divorced in 1994.

Only 20 days after her divorce to Keough was finalized, Presley married Michael Jackson, who reportedly proposed over the phone after only four months of dating. Their relationship was short-lived, however, and Presley filed for divorce from Jackson in January 1996.

In 2000, while engaged to musician John Oszajca, she met Nicolas Cage. She soon broke off the engagement to Oszajca to date Cage. The couple married soon after in Hawaii on August 10, 2002, but divorced only 108 days later.

On January 22, 2006, Presley married for the fourth time, this time to Michael Lockwood, a guitarist, producer, and director. The couple welcomed twins, Harper and Finley, in October 2008. Although her longest marriage, Presley ultimately filed for divorce in 2016. It was finalized in 2021 after a lengthy custody battle.

Kids

Presley had four children: Danielle Riley and Benjamin with husband Danny Keough, and twins Harper and Finley with husband Michael Lockwood.

Danielle Riley Keough, whose better known by her stage name Riley Keough, was born May 29, 1989. A former model, Riley has transitioned into a successful acting career. She has appeared in movies and TV series, including Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), Logan Lucky (2017), The Girlfriend Experience, and 2023’s Daisy Jones & The Six.

Presley’s second child, Benjamin Keough, was born October 21, 1992. Like his parents, Benjamin pursued a music career but never released an album. In July 2020, 27-year-old Benjamin died by suicide. “My and my three daughters’ lives as we knew it were completely detonated and destroyed by his death,” Presley wrote in an essay about grief in August 2022.

Fraternal twins Harper and Finley Lockwood were born on October 7, 2008. During Presley’s custody battle with Michael Lockwood, Harper and Finley were placed in protective custody with grandmother Priscilla.

Music Career

While she was building her family, Presley was also forming a music career. In 1992, she recorded her first demo. She rejected the record contract she was offered afterward, however.

Presley released her first album, To Whom It May Concern, on April 8, 2003. The album debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 chart and was certified gold in June 2003. Now What, Presley’s second album, was released on April 5, 2005, and debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard 200. The album was certified gold in November 2005.

In 2007, Presley recorded the single “In the Ghetto” as a posthumous duet with her father. The video released for the song reached No. 1 on iTunes and No. 16 on the Billboard singles chart, with all proceeds going to a Scientology charity. Her third album, Storm and Grace, was released in 2012.

In addition to her music career, Presley served as a co-trustee of the Elvis Presley Estate along with her mother, Priscilla, and the National Bank of Commerce. She also remained connected to Scientology through her mother, the Apple School, and the Celebrity Center rehab facility.

Death

Presley died on January 12, 2023, at age 54 in California. Early reports shared that she suffered cardiac arrest. In July 2023, an autopsy report cited a small bowel obstruction caused her cardiac arrest.

She is buried at Graceland, where her memorial service was also held.

Fact Check: We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn’t look right, contact us!

Biography.com Editors

Staff Editorial Team and Contributors

The Biography.com staff is a team of people-obsessed and news-hungry editors with decades of collective experience. We have worked as daily newspaper reporters, major national magazine editors, and as editors-in-chief of regional media publications. Among our ranks are book authors and award-winning journalists. Our staff also works with freelance writers, researchers, and other contributors to produce the smart, compelling profiles and articles you see on our site. To meet the team, visit our About Us page: https://www.biography.com/about/a43602329/about-us

READ More:   Martina McBride

Adrienne Donica

Deputy Editor

Adrienne directs the daily news operation and content production for Biography.com. She joined the staff in October 2022 and most recently worked as an editor for Popular Mechanics, Runner’s World, and Bicycling. Adrienne has served as editor-in-chief of two regional print magazines, and her work has won several awards, including the Best Explanatory Journalism award from the Alliance of Area Business Publishers. Her current working theory is that people are the point of life, and she’s fascinated by everyone who (and every system that) creates our societal norms. When she’s not behind the news desk, find her hiking, working on her latest cocktail project, or eating mint chocolate chip ice cream.