In her posthumous memoir From Here to the Great Unknown, Lisa Marie Presley shared the devastating story of the day her legendary father, Elvis Presley, passed away. The memory not only shaped her life but also deeply affected millions of grieving fans around the world.

How Old Was Lisa Marie Presley When Elvis Died?

Lisa Marie Presley was only nine years old when Elvis Presley died of a heart attack in August 1977. He was just 42 years old.

In her memoir, Lisa Marie recalled waking up that afternoon with a strong feeling that something was terribly wrong. She ran to her father’s room at Graceland and discovered him lying face down in the bathroom.

Lisa Marie’s Painful Recollection

According to her account, she tried to reach Elvis but was held back as attempts were made to resuscitate him.
“They were trying to work on him,” she remembered. “I was screaming bloody murder. I knew it was not good.”

She also recalled hearing the heartbreaking cries of her grandfather, Vernon Presley.
“That noise. I’ll never get past that sound of him wailing. I could hear, ‘Oh, he’s gone. He’s gone,'” she shared.

Saying Goodbye to the King

During the memorial at Graceland, Elvis’s body was laid in an open casket for two days. Lisa Marie remembered longing for a private moment with her father. She wanted to “touch his face, hold his hand, and talk to him” one last time.

Grief That Never Faded

The memoir also reveals that Lisa Marie’s grief did not fade with age. She admitted that even as an adult, the pain often resurfaced.
“There have been nights as an adult when I would just get drunk and listen to his music and sit there and cry,” she confessed. “The grief still comes. It’s still just there.”

Riley Keough’s Contribution

Lisa Marie’s daughter, actress Riley Keough, helped complete From Here to the Great Unknown after her mother’s passing. She pieced together her mother’s memories using recorded audio and added her own reflections. Riley noted that her mother never fully processed the trauma of losing Elvis at such a young age.