Watch Lisa Marie Presley Speak About Her Son Benjamin Keough on ‘The Talk’

Lisa Marie Presley does not often talk about her children, but she did open about raising her son Benjamin Keough in a 2012 interview with The Talk, mentioning how hard it was to balance being a friend and a parent. Keough, her only son and the only grandson of the late Elvis Presley, died on Sunday from an apparent suicide. He was 27.

While sitting next to Sharon Osbourne, Presley said it was “frustrating” to let her children “go through stuff” so they can learn themselves. One of the hosts noted that Keough was the “spitting image” of her father and asked Presley if he has any interest in music. “He loves music, but I really kind of don’t want to… that’s a lot to put on him,” Presley explained. “So I’m trying to let him do his thing without pushing that on him so much because I want him to feel I know it’s going to be hard.” She went on to share how she wanted him to come to music on his own terms, rather than pushing it on him.

Presley was promoting her 2012 album Storms & Grace when she stopped by The Talk. The Huffington Post also asked her if Keough was interested in music as well. She said he enjoyed touring with her but noted both Keough and his older sister, actress Riley Keough, were already living their own lives. “He loves to be part of it. He loves touring. It’s on his time frame. Always,” she said at the time. “Then when he’s ready to see me, he’ll come. It ebbs and flows, but they are very supportive.”

Keough did try to start a music career. In 2009, he signed a five-album record deal with Universal, although he did not release any records. He was reportedly the inspiration for the title track of Storm & Grace, as his middle name is Storm. “You have the most beautiful heart/That I’ve ever known/It kills me you can’t ever show it/And a shell has been grown,” Presley sang in the track. A photo of Keough can also be spotted in the video for “I Love You Because,” a “duet” Presley recorded with her father in 2012.

Not much is known about Keough’s life, as he did not have a public social media presence. One of his last public appearances was back in 2017 when the Presley family held a vigil at Graceland to mark the 40th anniversary of Elvis’ death. Keough was the son of Presley and her first husband, Danny Keough. He also has two half-sisters, Presley’s 11-year-old twins Finley and Harper Lockwood.

After news broke of Keough’s death, Presley’s manager released a brief statement to TMZ. “She is completely heartbroken, inconsolable and beyond devastated but trying to stay strong for her 11-year-old twins and her oldest daughter Riley,” the statement read. “She adored that boy. He was the love of her life.”

If you or someone you know are in crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741-741.