Lisa Marie Presley was the beloved daughter of the famous 1950s singer Elvis Presley and his wife Priscilla. With such a star-studded family tree, Lisa Marie’s life from the outside appeared charmed and glamorous, but behind the scenes, it was filled with tragedy.
Her father Elvis died when she was only nine years old, an event that colored her life for years to come. Yet that wasn’t the only big loss Lisa Marie experienced, as her son’s unfortunate passing was also a tragic event in her life.
Lisa Marie met singer Danny Keough through the Church of Scientology in the organization’s Los Angeles Celebrity Center. The two tied the knot in 1988 and the marriage resulted in two children; a daughter, Danielle “Riley” Keough, and their son, Benjamin Keough. Their marriage was somewhat short-lived as they divorced in 1998, and Presley would go on to marry Michael Jackson, Nicolas Cage, and Michael Lockwood in subsequent years.
Yet, Presley always proclaimed the true love of her life was her son, Benjamin.
Who is Benjamin Keough?
Benjamin Storm Presley Keough was born in October of 1992 in Tampa, Florida. He was the son of Lisa Marie Presley and Danny Keough, and the grandson of Elvis. Bearing a striking resemblance to the King, it was clear he had inherited his grandfather’s good looks. Unfortunately, he, even more than most of the family, felt the pressure of being in his grandfather’s shadow. Carrying that resemblance, he felt the pressure to succeed and live up to the legacy left behind.
In an attempt to follow in those footsteps, Keough signed a record deal with Universal at the tender age of 17. It was rumored to be a contract worth $5 million that held the potential for five full albums. Despite the deal and spending time in the studio, Keough’s music was never officially released, and neither was the reason for the music being withheld.
The Presley family tragedies
Over the next few years, things for the Presley family continued to go downhill. Benjamin’s mother Lisa Marie headed toward her fourth divorce and landed in serious financial trouble. It was reported that her financial manager had made some criminal errors with her trust, taking it from multi-millions down to a mere few thousand. The additional stress on the family, coupled with the ever-present pressure to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps, seemed to add to Keough’s mental health and addiction struggles.
Keough also reported that his upbringing in the Church of Scientology, the organization that his parents met through, was to blame for a lot of his ongoing issues. He revealed to a friend “growing up in the Church of Scientology messes kids up,” as reported by Daily Mail. Both of his parents were heavily involved in the organization, with Lisa Marie also investing a lot of money with the church over the years.
Keough was open about his struggles with drugs and alcohol and even attempted to go to rehab, although it was unsuccessful. He died by suicide on July 12 2020 by gunshot. He was 27 years old. The autopsy revealed drugs and alcohol in his system at the time of his death. It was another tragic end to a Presley family member. Keough was buried beside his grandfather in the Meditation Garden in Graceland.
Unfortunately, Keough’s death affected his mother especially hard and family members reported she “walked around in a fog” following his suicide. Lisa Marie recently passed away at the age of 54. She died from cardiac arrest caused by a bowel obstruction, the result of a recent weight loss surgery, as reported by BBC. It was yet another tragic and early end for a Presley family member, which also began a feud between Priscilla and her granddaughter Riley over the remaining estate.
The Presleys will always be legends in the musical community. Although their name is synonymous with fame, it now also holds a resonance with tragedy. The remaining family struggles to hold together their dwindling lineage and legacy as they face an unknown future without their beloved Benjamin and Lisa Marie.
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