The world was left shocked after the “Princess of Rock and Roll,” Lisa Marie Presley, suddenly passed away on Jan. 12, 2023 at the age of 54.  

Presley’s housekeeper reportedly found her unresponsive in her bedroom before calling 911 while Danny Keough, Presley’s ex-husband, performed CPR until paramedics arrived. Presley suffered a second cardiac arrest before later being pronounced dead at the hospital. Her death came as a shock to many, as she was just seen two days before at the Golden Globes celebrating Austin Butler for receiving Best Actor for his performance in the movie “Elvis.” However, Presley’s family recently made a statement reporting that her opioid addiction had relapsed, and she was undergoing an extreme weight loss plan prior to her death.  

“The death of Lisa Marie Presley is a tragedy that has left the world mourning the loss of a true legend,” Hayden Raffield, sophomore, said.  

Presley was famously given the nickname the “Princess of Rock and Roll” after following in her father’s, the “King of Rock and Roll,” footsteps. Presley’s career started after she released a cover of her father’s song “Daddy Don’t Cry” where she sang along with his vocals. She then went on to release her first solo album in 2003, “To Whom It May Concern,” which rose to number five on the Billboard 200. She released two more albums in her lifetime but is also known for her mission to help others deal with grief after losing her own son, Benjamin, to suicide. According to Presley’s grief counselor and close friend, David Kessler, Presley led grief groups at her home for bereaved parents and was working on a podcast about grief, which she planned to co-host with him. 

“[She] tenderly talked to this heartbroken mother about what to expect in grief. That is what interested her most these days, helping others in grief,” Kessler said. 

After Elvis’s death, Lisa Marie controlled his Graceland property, which she helped turn into a tourist attraction and had a 15% stake in his estate. After her passing, she gave these assets to her three children; however, her mother, Priscilla, is currently contesting her will. Priscilla claims that a 2016 amendment to Presley’s will, which removed Priscilla and Barry Siegel (her business manager) from being co-trustees and replaced them with her three children, is inauthentic as Presley’s signature was not the same, and she was never notified of the change. She is hoping that the court will invalidate this amendment and return her as a co-trustee. However, Lisa Marie’s close friends say that she wanted to remove her mother and manager from the will, as she did not have any sort of relationship with either of them at that time.  

“I loved Elvis very much, as he loved me. Lisa is a result of our love. For anyone to think anything differently would be a travesty of the family legacy and would be disrespectful of what Elvis left behind in his life,” Presley said in response to criticism towards her decision.   

The world continues to mourn the loss of a legend and the “Princess of Rock and Roll,” as many travel across the world to visit her at Graceland.