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Axl Rose Pays Tribute to ‘My Friend’ Lisa Marie Presley
Axl Rose has paid tribute to Lisa Marie Presley. On Monday (Jan. 16), the 60-year-old Guns N' Roses lead vocalist joined the chorus of celebrities remembering Presley, the singer-songwriter and only child of late rock trailblazer Elvis Presley and actress Priscilla Presley.
Lisa Marie died last week (Jan. 12) at age 54 after being hospitalized for cardiac arrest. The tragedy followed the 2020 death of Lisa's 27-year-old son, Benjamin Keough, Elvis' grandchild and the brother of Lisa's daughter, Riley Keough, 33, who is now an actress.
"I will miss my friend Lisa," Rose tells People. "Her passing, just as her son's, or as a kid, her father's, doesn't seem real. Lisa loved her family, all her children. My heart goes out to them."
He continues, "Her son's passing was shocking, tragic and devastating. It was something that, at a point, you obviously didn't want to bring up but awkwardly would in an effort to let her know you cared and were thinking about her, about them, and to be of any comfort one could, which she appreciated."
Rose says he "wanted her to be happy, to feel good about things, at least as much as one could under the circumstances. And really, with the closeness of their relationship, one could hope — but truthfully, it didn't seem, at least without some real time passing, a reasonable reality."
He adds, "What comes after life, who knows, but I'd like to think they're together, her and Ben with her father and Ben's grandfather in some way, and Lisa, and the most important men in her life are happy together."
The Guns N' Roses mainstay also recalled talking with Lisa about her legendary dad, the rock star who people call "The King of Rock and Roll." Elvis died at 42 in 1977.
Rose says, "I was fortunate enough to hear about her father and her experiences and memories with him first hand. She came to shows and we hung out backstage. It was always great to see her and she was always fun [and] super supportive."
The rocker reveals, "We spoke a lot about the Elvis movie which she was very proud of, and especially that it touched on her father's love since early childhood of black gospel, and later, the blues/ She was very nervous at first of how the public would react to the film because it was so important to her to do right by her father."
Below, listen to Lisa Marie's music through the years.
Lisa Marie Presley, "Over Me" (2013)
Elvis + Lisa Marie Presley, "I Love You Because" (2012)
Lisa Marie Presley, "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" (2012)
Lisa Marie Presley, "Thanx" (2005)
Lisa Marie Presley, "Idiot" (2005)
Lisa Marie Presley, "Dirty Laundry" (2005)
Lisa Marie Presley, "Sinking In" (2003)
Lisa Marie, "Lights Out" (2003)
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