Priscilla Presley Speaks To Piers Morgan About The Death Of Her Daughter Lisa Marie Presley

Priscilla first of all how are you I'm okay thank you I'm good you've had a kind of extraordinary few years really um some great highs some terrible lows and I've interviewed you very stages in the last 15 years or so and before I came today I was just wondering actually genuinely how you would doing well in all honesty um you know it has been pretty T you know I lost my mom then I lost my grandson and then I lost my daughter so I don't know exactly how to answer that because I have my good

days and I have my bad days so you know you just you never know and uh it's um how could I say it's uh it's difficult it's difficult to wake up in the morning and and not you know have a call from my daughter or wonder how my grandson is doing it's like a part of your not part but a large part of your life is taken away the particular difficulty for someone like you is that you can't do this privately the everything is magnified on a global stage right and there was a quote which

really resonated with me I suspect it will with you from baz lurman who of course directed Elvis the movie and he said there's the Kennedy and there's the Presley they are the royal families of America and in different ways they both were a Shakespeare says wedded to Calamity is it genetic is it because they have such high standards is it because the world watches them maybe because to be American royalty is not just to have your country watch you to be American royalty is to have the whole world watch you did that resonate with you

absolutely absolutely you know um when you're living a life you know and being married to Elvis Presley you don't really know what you're getting into especially when you're younger and um you know you have to adapt to not really having your privacy um things getting out that you wish didn't um you start uh thinking my gosh you know I I have to be careful you know what I say or it'll be taken wrong or they'll add on to it so it's it's a it's been a journey there's no doubt there's a movie now about you

your Center Stage it's your life it's called Priscilla and when they first a it at the Venice Film Festival you were there and at the end there's a very moving clip as you get a standing ovation from about seven minutes yeah from an ecstatic crowd and you're in tears at the end what was it that moved you in that moment for the uh the for the the movie getting that kind of reception I never you know when you have a movie that's about you um you never know how people are going to take it um

you never know if they're going to understand it I mean they have their own you know with all this people you know that's a big name it's a big name and I was happy because um it had a standing ovation I was happy for Sophia she was quite nervous about it sop cop Sophia Copa right I was nervous too not knowing how people are just going to you know not do anything and just so very nice and get up and leave um so it was a surprise to both of us how well it was received

is it an accurate depiction do you think not just of you but of your relationship with Elvis I think so I think she did a she did a you know I mean she did some homework I mean she and I we talked about it and um you know living with Elis Presley people think oh how wonderful that's great it's Elvis Presley but I went through the ups and downs with him in our very crucial part of his life um you know his ups and downs um his struggles uh you know his uh fears so you

know you when you're living with someone so famous uh and you've been through it with them it's that part of privacy that you're it's hard to give up it's hard to share it's hard to you know I don't want to give out too much because I want some of that myself that's just for me and actually one of the reasons it's reputed that Elvis loved you so much was that from the very first moments that you were together even though you were very young and you were at school and we'll come to that you never

spoke about him to people right you absolutely respected and protected his privacy even though at the time he one of the biggest stars in the world and that really endeared you to him the fact that you safeguarded the Privacy I did when I first started dating him or let's say you know he would call to to my parents to see if I could um come over just on the weekends you know maybe Friday maybe Saturday that whole I mean part of my life was um getting to know him but the question was why me why

is he drawn to me why is he asking my mother and father if it's okay if you know I would go visit and when I put all the pieces together it's because I really I was The Listener I was the one that he trusted um more I think than anyone and I honored that and I would never give that up um I never told kids at school that I was seeing him no one even knew because I valued that trust um and why and I would ask the question why me why does he trust me

um I was the listener he would tell me about how upset he was with his father who was who actually he lost his mother uh a year before he went to the Army and then his father met this woman who had three children and he couldn't believe his father I couldn't believe yes that his father would so soon start dating and falling in love and then he would pour his heart out uh to me get emotional about it because he was so close to his mother so I look at the trust Factor meant a lot

to him a lot and to this day you know there are things I hold to my heart and I won't give up you never bad mouth Elvis I've noticed that about you your entire life no you've never have even though you got divorced and everything else you've been an impeccable support to him even decades after his death it obviously matters to you a lot a lot he was a very special human being and to be put in the position that he was never expecting to be as big as he became came you know he just

loved his music he loved to sing he loved to entertain people and that's what he started out until much to his surprise he was received so well and I remember being in Las Vegas and it was always a packed I mean literally he he sold out every night and he looked in the audience and he'd see it full every single night and then he'd go later on and start touring and that would be sold out every night and he said to me you know I see all these people coming to see me and I don't

understand why am I to do and be something else is there a message for me that maybe I should be preaching maybe I have a message for people and he would bring out the Bible at night sometimes and look and read and not that he compared himself to Jesus in any way he he read the Bible all the time it was just it was just him thinking maybe I'm here for another purpose a message to give and people you know when I when I have said that very rarely um it's something that it weighed on

him one of the contentious points of the movie is one of the contentious points about your relationship with Elvis which is when you met him you were 14 and he was 24 how do you think the movie deals with that some people who've reviewed it say well you can see there he's he's grooming her um others saying that now post me too he would have been cancelled for this kind of thing what do you feel about it because it was a different time it was the early 60s the early 60s and you know I I

compare this to my mother my mother my father was in the military my mother would dress up for my father every day when he came home from work she was dressed up that was that and women were that way we we were you know not that it was just for our men but we took care of ourselves and we wanted to be um when I say we I I I include myself um we respected my mother respected my father uh and other women wore dresses back in the day they did not wear pants slacks jeans

uh so that was just the time it was I mean you know Elvis was was um like I said he was very unique but he was uh I don't know about grooming me he I didn't take it at that I never heard the word I mean obviously it's all new now but you know he loved to take me to to um beautiful uh stores to buy me a an outfit I didn't have any money I he would take me you know to the movies every night that's when you dressed up and he wanted me to

be to look good and not feel bad that I had jeans or not jeans but you know a little dress that didn't really fit uh for or be suitable for where we going so um so yes he would buy clothes for me and and and love to and look at when you see what he wore he would dress up to a tea so he want to me wanted me also to be dressed up but people today with the mindset of today will look back and say it was inappropriate that he would be with a girl

of 14 what do you say to people that think that I understand I understand but um I was 14 in Germany and um my I was uh there was always people around um uh and our talks were yes private but he never ever ever was aggressive nor did he ever make love to me um I was somehow like I said earlier someone he trusted to talk to and pour his heart out and famously you only consumated your relationship on your wedding night that's right in fact that's when Lisa Marie was conceived that's right that night

and you were 21 I think when you got married mhm no one would believe that but it's the honest of God truth yeah I believe it yep I've seen you say it before yep in the movie again depending what your mindset is I think you could either say some people have done that Elvis comes off as kind of distant emotionally abusive to degree um a drug addict obviously people knew that towards the end of his life um quite a negative characterization but other people have said in the same light that you just did about it

that it was a different time and that actually he was also coping with the extraordinary pressures yes of being the biggest superstar in the world yes and that brings with it unique challenges he had a lot on his shoulders to take care of to do he had you know films that he hated all of them actually except the first two really yes he was you know he felt that he was being a joke you know to have this kind of on the beach girls girls girls and that's all really what hell Wallace gave him Colonel

Parker signed a five-year contract with with Hal Wallace and uh never cared about what kind of movies they were Elvis was frustrated that the fact that he couldn't get roles that he wanted um and uh Colonel just didn't understand his client at all what was he like Colonel bur yeah um colonel was he like the Tom Hanks portrayal in the movie uh somewhat but um Colonel I never had a problem with colonel colonel was different not being Colonel uh we would go to his home in Palm Springs and visit him um Elis would wanted to

wanted to see carinal and they' talk a little bit business and I'd be stuck with his wife and didn't know what to say but um but um there were times when Elvis and him would talk and they'd get along it's just when Colonel Parker interfered with Elvis's choice of songs um that's when it really that's part of the movie and when he's upset because colonel was you know trying to change the music and wanting him to sing a different song or talk to a producer and said he should be doing this when he got in

Elvis's way that's when Elvis would go to all all out did you did you feel Elvis was a controlling influence on you um controlling I I don't think it was controlling I never thought about it being controlling no I don't um the only the only thing that I can think of is when he would appear in Vegas is when he he would say you know you can come on the weekends um I had my daughter at the time Lisa so um I didn't like leaving her I had a nanny yes um but he would say

well then wanted you just come on the weekends or you know pick another time because I was concerned about leaving my daughter and he didn't really want not that he didn't love children he loved children but he didn't feel Vegas was where you brought children which is true I still think that too it's I mean you know I'm not what I what I mean is when when you're having big uh shows like he had and kids would start crying or whatever I just kind of yeah you don't want to scream the baby all this show

exactly you were 16 when you first went to graceand 17 17 MH I mean again a crazy experience for a young teenage woman to suddenly be propelled from a very normal life into this do you remember it vividly the the first few experiences there well when um when I first went to graceand to visit it was in June of' 62 I believe and um I I um no was 63 it was I was in Vegas in 62 okay 63 Elvis um was there and he wanted uh for me to close my eyes when they drove

up to the gate cuz I had heard about grin he told me all about grain and I would love grin it's so beautiful and I mean he he he loved grin that was his home and the first home he ever bought so I closed my eyes and um he asked the driver to have the gates open and you could see the beautiful Gates and they'd start they'd open up and the lights were on the it was so beautiful I I more than what I ever expected but he was so proud of it and to not

just to me to show people and and to um taking them around the house and the grounds and and it was it was it was beautiful it was a nice moment it was a magical place in many ways and yet what comes through from the movie is that he would go up and make his movies and while he was away you often left for long periods of time on your own in this extraordinary place and that actually life there could be quite dull mundane repetitive lonely I mean uh sopia cppa she made lost in translations

and there's a little bit of that vibe that comes through where you think yeah okay you were you were with Elvis Presley but life for a lot of the time for you was not wildly exciting at all there was a lot of telephone calls right he would always call me at 5:00 in the evening and I would wait for pH call every night yes and you'd be there ready I'd be there by the phone I was uh was it lonely for you or not it was a bit lonely I I had no friends I I

made friends with his double first cousin py I'm still friends with her she's still with us thank goodness um but she worked in the office so I would go out in the office and talk with her and of course the other secretary that was there and CH chitchat until uh Vernon would come in and tell me that that I was um you know I was kind of intruding on their time and what they're doing and their work so he put a sign up which is still there only people who were basically are you know have

to be in the office so that's not exactly what it says but um very close so yes it was lonely and I went bowling with py um went to the movies um took care of grandma talk with her for hours and watch television doesn't sound particularly Showbiz no it's not chiz but I I would just wait for him to come home and and then life would start life started when he came home and there's this sort of sense you get in the movie and you get it whenever you read about Elvis you would know better

than anybody obviously when he walked into a room energy levels through the roof I mean he was Elis presly the the Charisma was just crazy even if he wasn't in a great mood it was still crazy this Charisma do you do you remember that oh my God yes he'd walk into the room and it's like wow I mean he he didn't realize you know what he had as far as his appearance or what he felt or his Charisma but um there was a few times when he'd K around and he said damn I'm good looking

kiddingly when he would be in his his um bathroom and he'd be getting ready to go somewhere but he had a great sense of humor a great sense of humor and I I treasure those days sitting at the dining room table and I was the only woman and um maybe the guys sitting around about six of us and we would um laugh and talk and that he ate late hours um actually about 9:30 or so and we watched Johnny Carson and as soon as uh the monologue was over it's time to go to the movies

that he would rent a theater um downtown so life was life was fun when he was around he just there's a lovely story that Kaylee spany tells who plays you in the movie she was very impressed to learn that you did Karate to a pretty high level and you actually used to for Elvis and his mates you would perform your moves in a dressing heels well he made me do that a couple of times I remember Rael Welch came into the dressing room when he was performing in Vegas and he'd be so proud of me

that I can learn that I learned karate CU he was he was you know he was a black belt and he would say so you know show show one of your moves to to Raquel and I'm dressed up and I said you do I have to do it right now and know I'm in my dress he goes no no no you can do that back kick show how you do the Pat kick oh my God you still do it I can still do it really yeah I can still do it don't make me do it

though just what would it take to trigger a few karate chops the wrong question a Karate uniform um let's let's talk about you you split from Elvis and you get divorc from Elvis but you have this little girl Lisa Mar she's your child that you have with Elvis is his only child what was that relationship like after the divorce between the three of you would you say well I because when I left I wanted I you know I he adored her and I never wanted to take that away from him so I made arrangements that

on Christmas or holidays or Easter that she that he it was a point that that I would send her to Gracin oh of course the nanny's was there with her I we bring her there that that he had time alone with her so even in in uh Las Vegas the same thing I I wanted them you know to be close which they were and be was he a good father despite all the problems he was having he was as good a father as he could be you know he was never around children and you know

it was he you know growing up so he really honestly when he was she was smaller he didn't quite know what to do with her um but as as she got a little bit older and a little bit older and then she could travel you know to visit him and be with him for at least two weeks you know when there was um like I said Christmas or Easter or something then he became closer to her his death was something that shook the entire world but for you and your daughter it must have been a

particularly seismic shocking moment devastating to get a call absolutely devastating I had just talked to him the night before actually and I um no two nights before and it to get that call um Jo bizo actually called me and said s um Elvis is dead and he was already emotional and I just yelled you know I thought he was kidding you know you you just never imagine that we would joke around all the time and then when I found out that you know it was true and I just went to my bedroom and just stayed

and Joe said you send the plane for me the private plane and I just stayed in my room and couldn't believe it and cried and I don't know it's it's interesting even now this is 50 years ago pretty much nearly yeah but it still has a profound effect on I can still hear Jo was those words SOA oh this is dead and that was like I couldn't I just couldn't imagine him ever you know especially you know his age and all being so still so young and wanting to do so much and had so much

planned and not having him not having him not talking to him um not having him be the father of our child and what you know my big fear was Lisa you know and how do I how do I tell her and she was only nine at the time I have a daughter of 11 I can't imagine a harder conversation to have right how how did you tell her well I just told her we're going to Gracin and where we're going to go see Daddy but Daddy won't be you know Daddy will be resting and she

just asked me and she goes well what resting I've never actually told this before because it's been hard but um I said well he's going to go to sleep for a while and she goes will I be able to see him and I said yes you'll be able to see him you'll be able to see him and then she sees him and uh I don't think she really quite got it but uh because she went out and the golf cart and started uh she had a little friend and driving in the golf cart and all

around the backyard of grin so I don't it didn't really hit her until later I would say like took her to Europe actually uh when I got back to uh LA because the paparazzi was around my home and making phone calls and trying to reach me and that's what I didn't want her to see so I took her with my sister and her and we went to Europe for two weeks and I wouldn't let her in some of the papers at the airport they'd still they had people selling the shock of him dying they were

selling the papers and I just took everything and went the other way and didn't want her to see the you I didn't I kept her from school and I asked the teachers you know please don't mention I don't want her I don't want kids coming up to her I mean I can't even imagine because it was such a huge story for the rest of the world but for you this is just this is real life this is your man that you loved still loved still loved today still up today yep he was like I said

he was unique he was um it's personality was Unreal he was caring um he cared for people he had um he wondered why him um and when I mean he there's stories about him I don't know if you ever heard the story about a there was a black woman who was um looking at a car on beill Street uh a car dealership and he was looking and he was just driving around and he saw her looking in the in the windows at the new cars that were there and he said told Charlie to stop the

car he stopped out and he went over to the woman and he goes boy those are nice cars and he said oh yes sir beautiful look at that and he goes what one do you like and he she goes o I like that black one right there know that blue one right there and he goes really yeah I kind of like that too so then he takes her in and they go in see the car and she he says what do you think oh that's a beautiful car you'll be good in that car right he

goes well just a minute he goes and gets a Salesman he says give me the keys to that car I'm getting it and he gives the keys to her and that was a beautiful blue Cadillac brand new that's him that's what he would do anyone in trouble he'd give them money anyone who had you know a problem with anything really you know and they couldn't afford it even with some of the guys who needed uh medical care he'd pay for it when you've watched Elvis the movie in our Priscilla and it's made you revisit all

of these times that you had with him do you have any part of you that thinks if only i' done this this or this things could have turned out differently you know I don't know I don't think so because I I really um you know I gave my all to him I I you know I couldn't I couldn't change his mind I mean he was strong minded you know when he wanted he thought something or he wanted to share things with people he was very he was was very excited about you know getting people gifts

um didn't like receiving them but giving he was a giver but I I look back and I mean we still had a relationship that's the best thing really well I think he he loved you and you loved him till the day he died that's clear yes it was an extraordinary love story he would call me all the time and it was so funny because whoever he was with he would usually go into his bathroom to make the phone calls so they couldn't ask yeah and I I've never really shared that at all actually but yes

he would either that or go out to the office and call and um that that was kind of fun do you remember your last conversation with her my last conversation yes was when Lisa was coming home that she needed to come home because school was starting and Lisa Lisa was there during that time yeah it was it it's very I mean it's it's very poignant for me to talk to you who's in the end you're you're a woman that had this extraordinary life and had this extraordinary relationship with this man but here we are I

think he died in 1977 MH and here we are in 2023 and I can see the effect he still has on you just on a personal human level there's nothing t or anything about this this was a real visceral love affair between you I miss him I miss him very much yeah I miss his words I miss his love I miss his laugh I miss his energy I miss the fun times I think you know you don't really realize the fun times that you're having until you go back and you look at your albums and

your pictures and you go oh my God we had so much fun we did so much and uh you know it's still it's still there is there a song that whenever you hear it you think for whatever reason there's one song of his memories really mhm yeah press between the pages of my mind yeah yeah I do I don't listen to them that songs very often because it just you know I go into you know another place but I I know sometimes I I I'm a little um surprised at myself that I still get emotional

and um I still you know love is still there it's amazing really some people many people I think might go through their entire lives without ever having that feeling well I think too I think too is because he's so present he's still so present he's still so people but he you know it it's like when I go to Vegas sometimes you know I think my God that you go to the Hilton Hotel you see these big showrooms you go if people it's never Vegas has never been the same I think I don't think there was

only one Elvis I mean they there are lots of Pretenders to the crown but there's never been any one like him right it's since he died it's true you know in the movie um Sophia did um which he was angry you know with Colonel Parker and you know yes he was angry and yes he threw the chair or whatever but he he would when he was angry he would go especially with Colonel Parker he would go into that moment you know because he just felt that colonel was you know colonel was really uh deceiving him

in many ways that he wasn't giving him what he wanted and yet he would talk behind his back let's say to the whoever was doing the albums or whatever the sound people even um you would have personal relations personal relationships with them so I think that I my memories go right to that and right you know in the moment and saving the movie was hard and that I was never I mean Sophia was never making that movie to show at the bad side of of us that was a real moment when he was upset with

caral Parker and it showed that he yes he had a temper yes that's you know what he felt you know at that moment but that didn't mean he was like that all the time hardly but he knew what he wanted and he didn't want you know someone to go against him when he knew and he did his instincts were absolutely right yes absolutely right so you know people walk out oh my God he's got oh my God he was no he was a human being and he had feelings and yes he had a temper he

didn't show it that much but when he did he had every reason to when you when you're out and about when you get on planes or wherever you may go how did people react to you they were friendly very friendly and you know they ask my for my autograph which sometimes you know surprises me but um that they even recognize me to be honest but uh uh yes someone told me that often they'll they'll clap yes sometimes they will do that's amazing I know I know just just applaud because you are still yeah American royalty

well you know I happen to be married to someone very very famous but I don't really look at it that way but I can see with him but um but people people have been great I really I can't I have no complaints they've been very I've been very fortunate in that there's a a horrible irony in many ways that it was literally at the moment that the Elvis movie was being fed at the Golden Globes and you attended with Lisa Marie that within 48 Hours of that she incredibly sadly died in her mid 50s what

was I I've read an account that you both went to chatow maral and you were laughing together as a mother and daughter um and everything seemed fine and then she suddenly said to you that she was having these crippling stomach pain yeah did you did you fear there was something very bad happening well I I she didn't look well that night and I was concerned and uh she asked Jerry Schilling who is a good friend of mine very one of my best friends if not the best friend um if he she could if he could

hold her her heels were high and and she's worn them before and I thought is she okay she didn't really look that okay she looked very frail so I let that go and then uh we watched the show and U we had a few laughs and and we were all excited about Austin Butler and you know baz and you know the movie went so well we're proud of them and you know and then we started to go and she said mom you want to go to chatau Mama and have a drink and I said sure

I had gone in my own car and she came had her own car cuz she lived in calabas she and uh let's go and we get out and we get down to the we both had our high heels and both of us tripped at the one staircase we started laughing and and giggling and then we went there and sat down and um she and Mom I have to go my my stomach really hurts and I go of course you okay she goes yeah yeah just I really have to go and I go okay yeah okay

we'll get the cars now and then we walk toward the car and like I hugged her and U she went her way and I went mine and that was that hug was the last was the last hug I gave her and it's still shocking that um you know I don't we don't have her I I got that call from her um ex-husband Danny that uh you know I need that I need to go to the hospital see Lisa that she's in the hospital and and then I thought oh my God you know this is not

the first time but I never thought that it was last and it was too late you you didn't see her it was too late Al you were still alive yeah I mean they say that it's the worst possible thing to lose a child I given your relationship how close you were what you'd all what you'd been through as a family MH it must have been particularly painful unbearable well it is it was unbearable you know I lost my mother I lost my grandson and I lost my daughter and um losing Ben was was was that

was the hardest thing for her losing Ben CU he took his own life he took his own life and he was I mean he was the love of her life that child she adored him she would do anything for him anything and um we were in Memphis we sitting up in the suite and she said mom you know I don't know I don't know I don't know if I want to be here and I go what are you talking about you know my Ben and she'd go on about Ben and how she is still grieving

and this was a couple of months before that she was feeling almost suicidal herself I think so she really she was almost like I she wanted to go earlier but the the Twins were still young or Too Young let's put it that way so Twins were what 13 it's so sad mhm I know don't talk anymore about can you stop the camera please sorry about that no of course it be completely understandable um Lisa of course at one stage was married briefly to Michael Jackson right arguably after Elvis the other great pop icon has ever

been were you concerned MH about that mhm very yeah and I was honest with her you know she told me she was seeing him and you know she was seeing him for a little bit actually and then I remember being in Hawaii and she was we were walking together on the beach and she said Mom I'm really concerned and I go this is while they were married and said that you know i' never see him I go what do you mean never see him he's always gone I go where does he go and she goes

I don't know I don't know where he goes he'll call me maybe 3 or 4 days later I said well don't you ask him where he's going he goes he just said you know he's around he has things to do and I always felt that you know Michael you know Jackson Lisa Presley and he he you know loved Elvis or respected Elvis so I always felt excuse me that having the name you know um be associated with the name with his daughter yeah I did I was concerned I told her you thought maybe that was

his main motivation I did did you I did I mean I I I know he was a bit fearful of me and she told me you know he's afraid of you and I go what is he afraid of me for why is he afraid why should he be afraid of me and she goes I don't know he doesn't think you like him I said I've hardly talked to him because he always hides right we were at the peab Buddy Hotel in Memphis and um I went to see her at her suite and and we're talking

and then all of a sudden I said well how's Michael said he's getting dressed and I go okay so I he pops out really quickly to get his hat that was left on the end table and then rushes back and closes the door I said God do I scare him that much well did you think because he knew you saw through him a bit I yeah I think I think he's I I think he was quite smart and I think he did yeah I think he did but um she then told me that you know

they were getting that she wanted a divorce and and then the rest is history yeah the don't get me wrong I thought he was very talented um truly talented and but I never really got to know him and you would have preferred him not to Mar your daughter yeah I just because I felt that he was so intrigued about Elvis and you know just you know here's Lisa and is he with her because she's Lisa or because she's a president I think more because she was a Presley yeah after Lisa died it was widely reported

obviously that there was a dispute between you and Riley M her daughter and it's all been settled oh yeah and Riley gave an interesting interview to Vanity Fair and I thought there was some there were some wonderful lines there I thought because it really resonated with me for any F any family particularly a family like yours which has all the added outside pressures and of course huge amounts of money with the estate and everything else um and she said when my mom passed there was all the chaos in every respect of Our Lives everything felt

like the carpet ripped out and the floor had melted from under us everyone was in a bit of a panic to understand how we move forward and it took a minute to understand the details of the situation because it's complicated we're a family but there's a huge business side of our family so I think that there was Clarity that needed to be had and Clarity is been had and they then asked are things with Grandma happy and she said a really interesting response things with Grandma will be happy they've never not been happy she said

I'm trying to think of a way to answer it's not a 20 minute ation it was a bit of an upheaval then she said this about you she's a beautiful woman and she was a huge part of credit my grandfather's Legacy in Graceland it was very important to her he was a love of her life anything that was suggest otherwise in the Press makes me sad because at the end of the day all she wants is to love and protect graceand and the Presley family and the Legacy that's her whole life it's a big responsibility

she Tred to take on none of that stuff has ever really been a part of our relationship prior she's just been my grandma and I thought that was actually a lovely way to describe it yeah I I never read that wow wow I'm G to cry again yeah how does that make you feel oh my God I love her I mean I've we have always gotten along you know I think it was the press that really started all this and you know it's like like everything else you don't give you you know they don't when

something comes out like yes it was a little bit of um trying to figure out the will trying to figure out you know like you normally do but Riley and I have always been close I mean at the center of it it seemed quite straightforward that Lisa Marie had changed her will but hadn't actually told you and in changing it she'd made the executives or Trustees of the will were to beat her children which is perfectly understandable absolutely you just didn't know so when she suddenly dies tragically young and this all comes out you just

were caught blindsided that's what it seemed to me that's all it was that was all it was you know and I think Riley will be great um she's you know asked me a few things about what to do and where we'll we'll talk about like I want to I want to help her like with Gracin I mean she has her own career as well and doing so well with her she's very talented she's so talented so you're an incredibly talented f aren't you I mean putting aside all the drama and the heartache and all the

other stuff underpinning it a lot of very talented people thank you in your family thank you I think so as well even Ben was was quite talented as well and he had dreams but um but uh with Riley um I told her anything she needs to know about graceand about Elvis more so about Elvis because you know she never really took a part of of of going to graceand only on special times of whether it be Christmas or you know we'd all go for I don't know for some occasion not that many times but uh

I want her you know to know a lot about Elvis and um I'll probably you know help her in that way she was asked in the interview about this stuff that have been gossiped about let's put it like that that there may be some issue about whether you would one day be buried with Elvis and graceand Ben is obviously there Lisa Marie's there now and she said as far she was concerned absolutely MH do you want to clear that up I mean how are your feelings about that well I because my feelings are great I

mean that's you know what what I want and wanted you'd like to be buried next World yes yes and that will happen yes I think people would like that at least right now well no obviously I don't want to be no no I mean let's hope it's a very long way down the line but but that's that's settle that's nothing to be no no um um I think you know with Riley She's she's got a great head on her shoulders she really is and and we've had many talks um I trust her I I I

believe she's capable of taking taking on some especially some you know some things that gray son when we have to be there in person together or just her and and but after all you turned Grace it was losing money it was basically going out of business you turned it almost single-handedly actually I mean you had help but it was your driving force that's turned it into a100 million a year business I mean it was an amazing achievement that you did that I know I sometimes look back at how in the world did I do this

how did you do it be proud red up myle will be proud of you yeah I just rolled up my sleeves and it said it has to be done because it was I was um uh I had two I had uh El's um bookkeeper and his attorney the three of us were Executives they didn't know anything about Elvis I didn't know his you know what he wanted what he didn't want they just took care of business and I they came to me this is three years after uh we got grin and one of them came

to me and said Priscilla we're in dire need of money we don't have it we have to sell grin and I just looked at him and I said that will never never happen he goes but we're out of money I said that will never happen and then I left and then I just rolled up my sleeves and I went out and asked people who you know as people that I knew I'm looking for someone to help me do this how do I open up the home what do I go where do I go who do

I go to how do I do it and then I just met with some top people um uh actually Peter ubera I don't know you know who he yeah okay Peter yov who was actually um supporting the Olympics back in the day and I thought oh wow you know he took on something I want to talk and have a meeting with him and he told me that's not really what he does but recommended somebody and I went to that person and they weren't the right ones either so I went to um I had a friend

who said you know there's someone that lives in Kansas City that I think could be a a great match for you and this was Morgan Maxfield and um I went to I met him in Nashville actually I told him I wanted to open graand I needed help and then long story short we went to uh Disneyland when uh Disney World was opening and I met some people there but that wasn't I don't want a Disney Land and that's not the case at all so um we still talked and we he said listen we we can

I'm got a private plane just my plane and we're going I forgot where are we going and I go um okay uh I was supposed to be on that plane I said I can't go long story short Jack sodin who uh I I hired was his guy in other words he worked for him Morgan well Morgan plane crashed and um everyone they died all of them there's about six I think or one two three I don't know it doesn't matter right now but Jack sodin I talked to CU he went with us to to uh

to Disneyland at that time and we went to uh Nashville to look at some other places and I said Jack I'm coming to you because you were with us and you know what I need and you know the talks that we had I I want you to be the CEO of graand and he goes you know prisilla that's not really what I do and I go yeah but you're smart I know you can do it and uh sure enough he's still there amazing he's still there and it's this huge business is also absolutely in the

spirit of Elvis because it's being driven by someone that knew what his Spirit was right do you you ever go to Grayson oh yes of course what do you feel like when you go I feel like I never left really I feel like I never left I'd go in the house and sit in the living room and look around and go my God so many memories here oh my God I can listen I can hear Elvis's laughter I can see him playing the piano after we'd come home from the theater or the movies um and

we'd go in in the in the um piano room and he'd go straight to the piano and I'd sit on the couch and he'd start singing gospel music that's all all there still in the Vanity Fair interview that Riley did she said this about uh Lisa Marie her mom the life she had wasn't easy the treachery she endured but like of real love and real friends she definitely had some great friends and relationships but I don't think she ever really had then she tells her people were just coming for her since she was born wanting

something from her not being totally authentic she had to develop a thick skin she was a very powerful presence extremely loving extremely loyal sort of a lioness a fierce woman and a really wonderful mother I think that would be my summary because I'm her daughter she was the best mom when I read that I mean you could almost say exactly the same about you wow interesting um well that's a compliment yeah thank you it is I just think it's to try and exist in the Goldfish bowl that you've had to do that least had to

do all the family have had to do right you have to have a thick skin you have to be a bit of a lioness and none of us are thick skinned than we have to be right it's true it is true I mean I chose to be very private I really I really um I'm not out there that much I enjoy my friends my my family what I have left and and um live live a normal life how do you feel now we're coming to the end of this actually what been an extraordinarily revealing interview

far more than I anticipated me too how do you feel I don't know maybe I talk too much I don't know I'm a little nervous um well I don't know I um I've talked about things I've never talked about before I'm at a time in my life where I'm willing to share and you um I trust you and I've always liked your you know your interviews that you've had with different people and um I hope it comes out okay I'm sure it will I think people will feel the same way that I do which is

you're a remarkable person who had a remarkable life and I'm I'm glad you have a movie now which is about you and your life because I think in many ways it's hugely significant and has been hugely significant to not just Elvis when he was alive but also preserving his legacy since he died I think you've played such a massive part in that and that's one of the reasons that he remains today so revered I think is because the work and determination you've had to keep the Elvis flag flying and I hope this movie I mean

I don't want anyone I know there's a few comments on him being angry my God he's a human being he's a human being an artist and an artist absolutely but he you know with with Elvis was I've never met anyone like him and I don't think I ever will again ever he had a biggest heart he had a great sense of humor had a lot of love um he could be a little kid you know when when he wanted to he loved to be babied um and he just I I there's no one like him

and the fact that he still has fans he would never believe that he would never believe it ever that he still has fans and they're everywhere and they're everywhere but um I there'll never be anyone like him ever Priscilla what a privilege to sit with you for the last hour thank you very much for being so open with me I appreciate it thank you thank you