Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough's Book: From Here to the Great Unknown

[brian]

So the lowlife actually wrote a book and included these in his book?

He admits to being hugged by Lisa when she was 11 years old and feeling aroused by her. Feeling sexual attracted and developing sexual feelings towards her. He would talk about getting aroused by Lisa at other times as well. He would fantasize about having sex with her. If I remember right he admitted to touching Lisa inappropriately one time. In his book he doesn't admit to raping her but does admit to those other things. Some of the things that Lisa talks about in her book he admitted in his book. Now he's changing his story.

[Walter Hale 4]

Three possibilities:

Either Lisa did not reveal the abuse(s) to her mother until sometime after Priscilla relationship with Edwards was finished.

Or. if she did reveal it during the relationship, Priscilla did not believe her.

Another one would be, Priscilla was very much in the limelight in the early-mid 1980s with regards to the TV series Dallas and then some movies that followed, that she did not want the explosive allegations of abuse causing any negativity, overshadowing her career.

[brian]

He’s claiming the his publisher told him to embellish that part of his book.

I'm aware of that. What he's saying is bullshit though. He talks about being sexually attracted to Lisa and all sorts of weird sh*t in his book. But yeah he just said something that could get him put in prison just to embellish for his publishers. I would never do that and never talk about something so serious like that just to embellish for a book publisher. If he said he was high on drugs when he wrote the book that would be a more believable excuse. Then you have Lisa Presley saying he did do those things. You gotta admit that Lisa Presley saying Priscilla knew about it doesn't make her look good.

[Walter Hale 4]

More Pure Riley , Bless her

[eligain]

He’s claiming the his publisher told him to embellish that part of his book.

I'm aware of that. What he's saying is bullshit though. He talks about being sexually attracted to Lisa and all sorts of weird sh*t in his book. But yeah he just said something that could get him put in prison just to embellish for his publishers. I would never do that and never talk about something so serious like that just to embellish for a book publisher. If he said he was high on drugs when he wrote the book that would be a more believable excuse. Then you have Lisa Presley saying he did do those things. You gotta admit that Lisa Presley saying Priscilla knew about it doesn't make her look good.

His book must have flown under the radar at the time. I remember hearing about this coming out and portraying an unflattering side of Priscilla but I don’t remember any uproar over his feeling towards Lisa. I’ve been hearing a lot about his book lately because all the Priscilla hater YouTube channels are quoting it but only his unflattering portrait of Priscilla, none of them have mentioned his feelings and potential abuse of Lisa though. Lisa has mentioned his behavior towards her before in either an article or interview because I have heard it before in the last 10 or so years.

I’m surprised there wasn’t an uproar over this when this book came out. I wonder why there wasn’t?

[brian]

I’m surprised there wasn’t an uproar over this when this book came out. I wonder why there wasn’t?

Mike Edwards met Priscilla after Elvis died and began a relationship with her then. He never knew Elvis. His book is about his romantic relationship with Priscilla and him living with both Priscilla and Lisa. Mike Edwards book wasn't all that popular because it was about Priscilla not Elvis. Therefore most Elvis fans didn't read his book and weren't aware of it. Books about Priscilla Presley aren't popular. I do know that some Elvis fans read it and they have mentioned Mike Edwards's book before. I know that it does get mentioned from time to time on Elvis forums but most fans didn't read it.

[Galahada]

Another tale of obtaining fame and fortune and then getting into the hell of drug addiction.The lesson of Elvis himself destroying his life through it was not learned. Once again the Doctors involved were more interested in a fast Buck than saving a life.The pressure of being famous has been too much for so many performers over the years and will continue to be in a person who has a weakness in their character. This story has a lot of joy in it but ended in deep sadness.Lets pray that the rest of the family have full and happy lives. Rest in peace Lisa..

[Jaime1234]

For the 4th day straight the book keeps the #1 spot in Amazon Books' best selling charts:



#1 ----------------------------------in all books
#1------------------------------- in books about love & loss
#1 and #2 ---------------------- in memoirs
#1 #2 and #3--------------------in actor and entertainer biographies

https://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/books/ref=zg_b_bs_books_1/ref=zg_d_sccl_2_bsb/138-1999525-6186243?pd_rd_w=EcAbW&content-id=amzn1.sym.193afb92-0c19-4833-86f8-850b5ba40291&pf_rd_p=193afb92-0c19-4833-86f8-850b5ba40291&pf_rd_r=F3STCVFDZP1R78HVVS84&pd_rd_wg=V6m01&pd_rd_r=80e925ba-2a2d-4286-a041-822ae667f909&pd_rd_i=0593733878

[Dan_T]

[billy jack]

Three possibilities:

Either Lisa did not reveal the abuse(s) to her mother until sometime after Priscilla relationship with Edwards was finished.

Or. if she did reveal it during the relationship, Priscilla did not believe her.

Another one would be, Priscilla was very much in the limelight in the early-mid 1980s with regards to the TV series Dallas and then some movies that followed, that she did not want the explosive allegations of abuse causing any negativity, overshadowing her career.

Lisa informed her mother a day later, after Edwards had lewdly groped Lisa. So Priscilla was certainly aware of Edwards' practices, at the time this occurred.

[eligain]

I’m surprised there wasn’t an uproar over this when this book came out. I wonder why there wasn’t?

Mike Edwards met Priscilla after Elvis died and began a relationship with her then. He never knew Elvis. His book is about his romantic relationship with Priscilla and him living with both Priscilla and Lisa. Mike Edwards book wasn't all that popular because it was about Priscilla not Elvis. Therefore most Elvis fans didn't read his book and weren't aware of it. Books about Priscilla Presley aren't popular. I do know that some Elvis fans read it and they have mentioned Mike Edwards's book before. I know that it does get mentioned from time to time on Elvis forums but most fans didn't read it.

I should have said and what I meant was that this part of Edwards’ book must have flown under the radar. I don’t know how well it sold but it got a lot of publicity when it came out. I remember seeing story after story about it on shows like “A Current Affair”, “Inside Edition” and “Entertainment Tonight”. But it focused on what he wrote about Priscilla and Elvis. I was still Involved in Elvis fan clubs when the book came out and it was a big topic of discussion among fan club members at the meetings then. So to say that Elvis fans didn’t know about the book was not true. The consensus at the time by most fan club members was that his book was untrue. Unlike recent times, most Elvis fans (at least that were in the 3 fan clubs I was involved in) did not have an overly negative opinion of Priscilla.

[Igotstung]

I have never been too interested in Elvis' family life, so read this book out of mild curiosity at best, and didn't have any expectations.

I was surprised at how moved I was when I finished. This is not a review, but more of first impressions without spoilers on first reading.

Riley Keough is a very good writer. Her prose is flowing with insightful narrative mixed with gentle wit, which, despite the most unusual lifestory she is telling, has intimate and relatable moments. Her contemplation on grief and family life is excellent. She is also very grounded and able to review her family history rationaly. She never dips in salaciousness or low hanging fruits of Elvislore and that makes it a refreshing read as far as celeb memoirs go.

Lisa's voice is also strong. Funny and heartbreaking, contemplative and reckless at the same time, it would be easy to dismiss her, as she herself calls " sad princess bullshit". Given how privileged she was, one would be tempted to roll their eyes at her self destruction, spiritual quests and angsty daddy issues. But her almost childlike brutal honesty stops one from being judgey. She freely acknowledges her inherently damaged persona. One wishes she was more self aware earlier in life. Even as we read about her life in her own words, we can see the pattern: problematic childhood, dependence on strong ( male) figures, her oscillating and unfocused work, her self destructive rebeliousness and her inherent refusal to ground herself even for her beloved children. But she was who she was, and her self criticism does make one wonder if with right support she could have brought happiness to her life.

As far Elvis is concerned, Lisa's time with her father seems to be the backbone of her life, for good or bad. Her intense love for him is evident, pure in its childlike adoration. Anecdotes are funny and heartfelt. The months leading to his death are truly heartbreaking, as the bratty little girl watches her beloved father slowly disintegrating. Elvis' parenting was terrible and he hardly comes across as an adult in the relationship. His deep love for her notwithstanding, the relationship did set her up for failure, as it was tough to escape the fascinating but ultimately damaging aura he set.

There are many shocking tales regarding other people in her life, celebs or not, but the overall tone is never gratuitous. Both the writers seem to want to learn something from these admittedly volatile experiences and that sets this book apart.

It is an eminently readable book, and as I mentioned earlier, unexpectedly moving one for me.

The strength of the book is that even if one doesn't care about Presley family, there are universal themes and lessons in these decidedly unusual lives. Generational trauma if you will, in a bittersweet tale.
One author ( Lisa) was damaged : probably by genetics, her impossible love for her larger than life father, ineffective mother, tabloid intrusion, fame & money unearned and thus taken for granted, lack of self awareness and insecurities. The other author ( Riley) could have gone down the same route, but turned out to be a strong and grounded person. At the end, there is hope, because we have this intelligent and empathetic young woman, now a parent herself.

When you go beyond the sensational revealations, it is a rich examination of loss, being a parent, being a child of a damaged parent, holding family together in myriad ways and love of various shades.

Lisa probably would have gone the same route, as the way she was treated by her father and at Graceland was a recipe for disaster. Elvis' death was a blow she would have carried all her life, but the sexual abuse after he died, likely cemented her insecurities and loneliness, as her own mother did pretty much nothing. From being a kid who was a princess of the king & ruled his kingdom, to a kid who was helpless at the predatory advances of older men and being in the spotlight constantly is just heartbreaking.


Lisa lacked self awareness, no question. Her life choices repeatedly brought her down.
The same overbearing & obsessive parent- child love of the Presleys seems to be repeated in her relationship with her son. Riley suggests that Lisa's descent in addiction excerbated her brother's fragile mental state and hissuicide further hastened Lisa's own demise.

Riley's portions put things in perspective and make this book so good. She mentions that she would have liked to be the mother ( metaphotically) to not just her mother but also her grandmother- young girls whose young lives were lived under the shadow of supernatural fame.

Priscilla doesn't come off well in this book. I do think it was impossible for the daughter to not clash with her, given the oversized love and power her father had. We all know the fun parents- whose partners have to take the role of boring discipline. However, it is impossible to defend Priscilla in the whole Mike Edwards saga.

I also like that Riley doesn't attempt to appease fans by fake fangirling Elvis or her heritage. But she tries to learn from his life- his spiritual quest detailed in notes in his books, his boldness, his talent, his unconditional love for his daughter. Her musings about where she would be had Elvis not walked in Sun Records are funny and tender. One gets a sense that her subtle sense of humour, protectiveness and sound mind is partly due to her father however.



This book, I hope, will appeal not just to Elvis fans or those curious about Lisa, but discerning readers in general.

[MartyMcFly]

Very well written evaluation, Igotstung, to which I overall completely agree.
In haven't the book yet (my wife plans to give it to me as a present ) and I can't wait to read it and also listen to the audio book. Riley seems like an intelligent, grounded and self-confident young woman and I hope she retains her strength given the big legacy she has inherited from her mum.

[jurasic1968]

Agree with you.

[bronsky]

1. Why does almost everybody call him Mike Edwards, and does not identify him in his real name, Michael Edwards?
2. Why do some persons try to whitewash Priscilla out of this incidence?

[jurasic1968]

It doesn't matter anymore.

[brian]

I should have said and what I meant was that this part of Edwards’ book must have flown under the radar. I don’t know how well it sold but it got a lot of publicity when it came out. I remember seeing story after story about it on shows like “A Current Affair”, “Inside Edition” and “Entertainment Tonight”. But it focused on what he wrote about Priscilla and Elvis. I was still Involved in Elvis fan clubs when the book came out and it was a big topic of discussion among fan club members at the meetings then. So to say that Elvis fans didn’t know about the book was not true. The consensus at the time by most fan club members was that his book was untrue. Unlike recent times, most Elvis fans (at least that were in the 3 fan clubs I was involved in) did not have an overly negative opinion of Priscilla.

I don't know why the media didn't focus more on the Lisa aspect at the time. Some Elvis fans did know about the book at the time but some didn't. However I'm saying most Elvis fans didn't read it because it was about Priscilla and weren't aware of the things he said at the time. If the book had been more popular that would've been different. Whenever I would see the book discussed on Elvis forums people would talk about what Mike Edwards said about Priscilla and also what he said about Lisa. They would talk about both of those things. They would also talk about what a sick perverted man Mike Edwards was for the things he said about Lisa. The fans discussing his book would say Mike Edwards came across as a sick man and an egotistical man. He didn't come across well in his own book. So you may not have heard the Lisa aspect of his book discussed by fans but I have. There wasn't a general consensus that he was lying about the things he said about Lisa or that his book was untrue.

[eligain]

I should have said and what I meant was that this part of Edwards’ book must have flown under the radar. I don’t know how well it sold but it got a lot of publicity when it came out. I remember seeing story after story about it on shows like “A Current Affair”, “Inside Edition” and “Entertainment Tonight”. But it focused on what he wrote about Priscilla and Elvis. I was still Involved in Elvis fan clubs when the book came out and it was a big topic of discussion among fan club members at the meetings then. So to say that Elvis fans didn’t know about the book was not true. The consensus at the time by most fan club members was that his book was untrue. Unlike recent times, most Elvis fans (at least that were in the 3 fan clubs I was involved in) did not have an overly negative opinion of Priscilla.

I don't know why the media didn't focus more on the Lisa aspect at the time. Some Elvis fans did know about the book at the time but some didn't. However I'm saying most Elvis fans didn't read it because it was about Priscilla and weren't aware of the things he said at the time. If the book had been more popular that would've been different. Whenever I would see the book discussed on Elvis forums people would talk about what Mike Edwards said about Priscilla and also what he said about Lisa. They would talk about both of those things. They would also talk about what a sick perverted man Mike Edwards was for the things he said about Lisa. The fans discussing his book would say Mike Edwards came across as a sick man and an egotistical man. He didn't come across well in his own book. So you may not have heard the Lisa aspect of his book discussed by fans but I have. There wasn't a general consensus that he was lying about the things he said about Lisa or that his book was untrue.

I’m talking about when the book came out in the late 80’s, there was no internet as we know it and no Elvis forums yet. I’m talking about what fans and the media were talking about then. Even with Priscilla’s book, there was very little negative focus on her age when they met. It just was a different time with less sensitivity to age differences or a girls young age in relationships. Most fans and the media knew that Priscilla was 14 when Elvis met her from the very beginning and nothing much was made of it. Most fans and the media knew she had come to live in Memphis at 17. They just didn’t know that she was living at Graceland and sleeping on Elvis’ bed. My Mom and Aunt who were OG Elvis fans from the 50’s used to say that they weren’t naive, they figured Priscilla and Elvis were “shacking up” when she came to Memphis to live.

I do remember the book being discussed in the early days of Elvis forums.and there was some discussion of his comments about Lisa but still not the outrage there is now on these kind of subjects in general. I mentioned that I heard these allegations against him from Lisa before and doing a little digging, one of the sources was from Lisa’s Playboy interview in 2003. So what is in Lisa’ book is not totally new. I don’t think she came out and said rape then.

[brian]

Okay.

[DEH]

The Mike edwards book received lots of press at the time, he appeared on talk shows as well. Elvis fans knew about it. It wasn't ignored. He admitted he felt aroused by Lisa at times but that he never acted on it. Lisa was asked about him years ago and she mentioned the book but nothing about him doing the things she says in
her book. She said he tried to cause a rift between her and her mother and the things he said in the book were gross. At the time fans and media wondered why he would even admit to those feelings in a book.

[Walter Hale 4]

The Mike Edwards book received lots of press at the time, he appeared on talk shows as well. Elvis fans knew about it. It wasn't ignored. He admitted he felt aroused by Lisa at times but that he never acted on it. Lisa was asked about him years ago and she mentioned the book but nothing about him doing the things she says in
her book. She said he tried to cause a rift between her and her mother and the things he said in the book were gross. At the time fans and media wondered why he would even admit to those feelings in a book.

well, i never heard of him let alone his disgusting abuse(s) of Lisa

Is it possible that Priscilla did not actually believe Lisa?

Or even if she believed, was told to sweep the abuse allegations under the carpet so as not to overshadow Priscilla's then film and T.V. career? Don't forget Priscilla was also doing substantial media appearances in the 1980's and 1990's and that would have been one of the questions press would have put for her to deal with on national/ international television.

Could possibly be a reason that led to a rift (or one of the rift's) between the two?

[Walter Hale 4]

Jamie's been weighing in with this 11-minute vid on the book. Good one Jamie

[brian]

There are a lot of victims of sexual assault and for various reasons many of them don't report it. Often times the people who commit sexual assault get away with it. There can be various reasons why they didn't report it at the time. It's hard to say in Lisa's case why Priscilla didn't go after Mike Edwards.

[Walter Hale 4]

I just bought the book, & am looking forward to reading it this weekend...

so, if i can ask, is the australian edition re. Lisa-Marie physical/psychological abuses at the hands of Edwards also censored in AU ?

If so, i would be forced to aquire a copy from import dealers.

[Walter Hale 4]

post deleted.