The Truth About Lisa Marie Presley's Son, Benjamin Keough

Lisa Marie Presley was just 9 years old when she lost her famous father, Elvis. Now she is mourning the passing of her 27-year-old son Benjamin Keough, who has reportedly died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in Calabasas, California. According to a statement to Variety issued through Presley's manager, "She is entirely heartbroken, inconsolable and beyond devastated but trying to stay strong for her 11 year old twins and her oldest daughter Riley. She adored that boy. He was the love of her life." People has reported that Presley was particularly close to her son, with whom she shared a matching tattoo. She revealed on Twitter back in 2012, "It is a Celtic eternity knot. Ben (my son) and I got it together in the same place on Mothers Day 3 years ago." Benjamin Keough was also the son of Presley's ex-husband, musician Danny Keough, and brother to Riley, an actress who has appeared in several movies and TV shows. Benjamin is also the grandson of music legend Elvis Presley, one of the most successful singers of all time, and actress Priscilla Presley. Though he kept a low profile, there were rumors that a then 17-year-old Benjamin had reportedly cut a deal with Universal Music for $5 million. The report was later denied by Universal's Executive Vice President Peter LoFrumento, who told People, quote, "The story is totally untrue." Regardless, Lisa Marie Presley was happy to leave Ben to find his own way. She told HuffPost in 2012, "He's doing his own thing right now. I'm going to let him decide when he wants to go out and do what he wants to do." Benjamin did get to spend some time in the music spotlight, as the subject of Lisa Marie Presley's 2012 song "Storm and Grace," which referenced how quickly Lisa Marie thought Ben was growing up. The song, which was the title track of Presley's third album, also referenced Ben in another way, with "Storm" being his middle name. Benjamin Keough also played a part in a tribute song Lisa Marie Presley recorded for her father in 2012. The track, called "I Love You Because," features a duet that blends vocals from Lisa Marie and a recording of Elvis from 1954. The video shows some home videos of Elvis and Priscilla Presley with Lisa Marie, as well as footage of Lisa Marie with her four children. Lisa Marie told CMT in 2012, "Every five years, I try to do something special for the fans as a tribute. I thought, 'OK, I really want to focus on the fact that I think his spirit lives in his grandchildren, very much.' I thought it would be special for the fans to see that, to focus the attention on that, which made it intimate and sweet, because the song is like that. It felt really right." It is in the video where we see Benjamin as the spitting image of his famous grandfather, and fans were quick to comment on the resemblance. Presley has admitted in the past that she noticed the resemblance too. She told CMT, "He does [look like Elvis]! He was at the Opry and was the quiet storm behind the stage!...Everybody turned around and looked when he was over there. Everybody was grabbing him for a photo because it is just uncanny. Sometimes I am overwhelmed when I look at him." While we didn't see much of Benjamin Keough on social media, his mother wasn't so shy about showing him off. She last posted a photo of herself and her four children in 2019 on Instagram captioned, "Mama Lion with Cubs". That photo lit up the internet as longtime fans went on social media to comment on how Benjamin looked like his famous grandfather. One Twitter user responded, "Beautiful Mama Lion and beautiful cubs! Your son is a twin of your Dad! Nice family!" Today, social media is only full of expressions of sorrow and condolences over the family's devastating loss. If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline​ at​ 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​. #MariePresley #BenjaminKeough