Lisa Watch

Presley finds her voice: Escapes her father's shadow with a different style By Steve Penhollow ((Journal Gazette, November 18 2005) Lisa Marie Presley was famous for being Lisa Marie Presley long before she understood fame or knew herself. Her reputation preceded her before she'd had a chance to establish one. Presley has never known life outside the public eye, and it has made her wary. "Nowadays, a lot of celebrities want that whole, like, machine going on," Presley said in a phone interview. "Or they both want it and don't want it. That's why I think they get a bit confused. They feel hounded by the press, but their publicists get antsy if they don't make the cover of People magazine. I was never a part of that. It was just happening to me. I didn't realize anyone even knew of me. So I had all that crap I had to combat. There was this whole persona prior to me coming out on my own." In 2003, Presley ignored a tidal wave of forewarning and waded into atypically treacherous waters: She entered the family business. The musical sons and daughters of famous musicians never fail to fall far from the tree in critics' estimations, but Presley potentially had it tougher. Her father was the King of Rock 'n' Roll, a title he earned rather than commissioned from marketers. Presley's mother - the actress Priscilla, who is no stranger to the slings and arrows of outrageous tabloids - was dead-set against this career move. Against all odds and admonitions, Presley survived and thrived. ... Presley finds Mr Right (Irish Examiner, November 5 2005) Elvis Presley's daughter Lisa Marie is convinced she's found her perfect man in boyfriend Michael Lockwood - because the couple never fight. The three-times-married rocker has been dating her guitarist beau for the past year and insists she's never been happier. She says: "I am the happiest I've ever been and I'm in the most sane, calm, best relationship that I've ever been in, for sure. "The most amazing thing is that we've been together for two years and there hasn't been one fight, which is a pretty big deal." Whoa, speed racer! My 170-mph trip around Lowe's was the best of thrill rides By SCOTT FOWLER (Charlotte Observer, October 19 2005) Until I climbed inside a race car and sat alongside TV announcer and former driver Wally Dallenbach on Saturday, I never totally understood stock-car racing. ... We were the only car on the track. It was six hours until the real race began, and the speedway gates weren't open yet. In the passenger seat, I had put on a fire suit, a helmet and a HANS device -- all in case Dallenbach crashed. As the wall started coming closer, I began to understand things really fast. ... Although no one has ever been hurt, some bigger names haven't done well on "Wally's World." Lisa Marie Presley took a ride with Dallenbach this year at Daytona and was angry afterward, convinced he was trying to scare her. Hey, Lisa Marie was married to Michael Jackson once. She frightens more easily now. ... Hollywood marriages: Corporate mergers or true romances? By John Hiscock (The Independent, October 4 2005) Matt Damon ... is in the vanguard of a growing number of Hollywood stars who are looking for their lifetime partners among the ranks of what Elizabeth Hurley calls "civilians", and the Hollywood film industry newspapers describe as "non-pros". More and more, as celebrity marriages crumble under the combination of publicity and paparazzi, the rich and famous are finding happiness with partners unknown to fans, photographers and anyone outside their immediate circle. If Julia Roberts' A-list actress and Hugh Grant's bookstore owner made it work in Notting Hill, why shouldn't it work in real life, too? ... A quick scan through the names of some of the literally hundreds of two-star marriages that ended in tears proves his point. And you don't have to go as far back as Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. ... So where are the best spots to bag a celebrity if you're looking for a Hollywood husband or wife? Waitressing is definitely the best bet for women. Jack Nicholson and Bruce Willis have both had long-running relationships with waitresses, and Nicolas Cage met his third wife, the 20-year-old Alice Kim, when she was a waitress in a Los Angeles sushi restaurant where he and a group of friends were eating. They were married in July and she is expecting a baby. It was Cage's first non-celebrity wedding, having previously been married to the actress Patricia Arquette and Elvis Presley's daughter Lisa-Marie Presley. ... Britney Spears, Baby Forced from Home by California Wildfires By Jill Atkins (National Ledger, October 1 2005) [HOLLYWOOD] ... Pop couple Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey were also among those who evacuated, as well as Heather Locklear and her husband Richir Sambora, Lisa Marie Presley and Beau Bridges. The flames, which are dangerously close to the set of hit TV show 24, have also threatened the homes of such stars as Will Smith and his wife Jada  Pinkett Smith and Charlie Sheen. ... Dean remains a young rebel: The 50th anniversary of screen rebel James Dean's death is being marked by fans on Friday By Chris Leggett (BBC News, September 30 2005) Dean was only 24 when he suffered fatal injuries in a smash between his Porsche and another car on a Californian highway on 30 September 1955. ... A candlelight vigil in Dean's hometown in Indiana will be held at the time of his death on Friday. ... When he died, Dean had released only one film, East of Eden. Rebel Without a Cause and Giant were his other big screen releases. Yet the young man who played angry young outsiders on-screen and lived life fast by racing cars off-screen remains a hugely popular cultural icon. Half a century after he died, Dean is still a global star. ... Mr Loehr says Dean's modern counterpart is Britain's Billy Eliot star Jamie Bell. "He's fairly unknown in the US but he's fantastic and so realistic," says Mr Loehr. "He's a serious fan of Dean and came to visit the [Fairmont] gallery about three years ago. He's stayed in touch, too." Bell is not the only celebrity visitor, says Mr Loehr. "Bob Dylan, Lisa Marie Presley and Meatloaf have all visited Fairmount, too. In 1988, Dylan even visited the farm where Dean lived and walked round the fields at 2am, which must have been a cosmic moment." Gig of a lifetime: Lisa Marie Presley By Maureen Ryan (Telegraph, September 29 2005) Lisa Marie Presley on Marilyn Manson at the Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles, 2001 I love him, he's so amazing live, my favourite. I've seen him about eight times. Sometimes I go two nights in a row, because I think he's such a theatrical genius on stage. This first time I saw him was the best. I went with Johnny Ramone [the Ramones' guitarist] and his wife, not knowing what to expect. I already liked his Mechanical Animals album, but I became an enormous fan after seeing him that night. I love it when he gets up in his pulpit, dressed as a priest, and rants. We're actually quite good friends now. He's definitely someone who it's good to have a nice bitch-fest with. He recently announced how sick he is of this whole industry, so, anytime I feel like that, I can just give him a ring, and he gives me some ideas about what I can do to get beyond it. Lisa Marie Presley Parade of Stars By Maureen Ryan (Style.com, September 10 2005) Fashion week officially kicked off yesterday, but the festivities began back on Tuesday and continued throughout the week everywhere from Liberty Island to Bleecker Park to Radio City. ... We Will Rock You Gwen Stefani, David Bowie, Nelly, and the Arcade Fire took the stage at Radio City Music Hall on Thursday for Conde Nast's second annual Fashion Rocks event. The mutual admiration fest attracted designers including Betsey Johnson, who sang Stefani's hit "Crash" as she sidled down the red carpet, and BCBG's Max Azria, along with musician Lisa Marie Presley, and actresses Heather Graham, Lily Taylor, and Kim Cattrall. And Billy Idol tipped his hat to Bowie for "telling us from the start that street fashion is where it's at." ... Oprah gets it right in New Orleans By Maureen Ryan (Chicago Tribune, September 10 2005) Can someone tell President Bush to call Oprah? In her response to the Katrina disaster, the talk show host got everything right. In the episodes that aired Tuesday and Wednesday, Oprah once again proved why she's the best at what she does. She went to the Superdome. She heard firsthand what went wrong from New Orleans' chief of police and mayor. She hugged evacuees -- as Bush did on his visits to the region -- but then she stayed. She listened to the stories of horror and rape and loss and heartbreak. After grieving and listening, she began her giving. And Oprah knows a thing or two about giving. Oprah and various celebrity friends went to work at various evacuation centers across the South, bringing in truckloads of supplies, water and clothing. Faith Hill sang "Amazing Grace" with evacuees by the side of a road in Mississippi. Lisa Marie Presley, wearing sweats and no makeup, bought diapers and T-shirts at Target. John Travolta delivered tractor-trailers full of food and drink. ... Of course, governmental agencies, the Red Cross and other charities are giving away meals and other essentials, and have been doing so for days. But Oprah's impromptu gifting of the Katrina victims -- getting all those supplies to the region quickly, and getting herself to the heart of the madness as well -- demonstrates that where there's a very powerful, very determined will, there is a way. Armed soldiers didn't want to let her in to the Superdome, but Oprah, being Oprah, got in, and showed viewers the mountains of garbage and debris left inside. ... IDOL + PRESLEY ARE MAN + WIFE AT FASHION ROCKS (contactmusic.com, September 10 2005) Punk legend BILLY IDOL and LISA MARIE PRESLEY thrilled guests at Thursday night's (08SEP05) Fashion Rocks concert in New York by turning up as man and wife. Presley dressed up in a black wedding gown, complete with headdress for the odd couple's quirky rendition of Idol's WHITE WEDDING. Give 'em shelter: Stones offer $1M (New York Daily News, September 9 2005) People kid Mick Jagger about being flinty, but the rock god and his fellow Stones are peeling off $1 million to help Hurricane Katrina victims. The band is also making it easy for fans to join them in giving to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund at each stop on their Bigger Bang Tour.... John Travolta, Kelly Preston and Lisa Marie Presley were part of the Scientology Disaster Response Team that hit Baton Rouge and New Orleans this week. The controversial sci-fi sect doesn't always attach its name to relief activities. But this time, hundreds of "volunteer ministers" proudly wore church T-shirts as they visited a shelter. Travolta personally gave hurricane victims massages - or, as the church calls them, "assists" ... More Stars Align for Hurricane Help By Sarah Hall (Yahoo! News, September 7, 2005) The stars are coming out in droves to support Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. Numerous musicians and actors have signed on to appear on Friday's multi-network benefit, Shelter From the Storm: A Concert for the Gulf Coast, which will be broadcast commercial-free by ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, The WB and UPN and will also air on a multitude of cable networks, including E! The special will also be broadcast in at least 95 countries around the world, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Spain, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and virtually all of Asia and the Middle East. ... Oprah Winfrey devoted Tuesday and Wednesday's episodes of her show to covering the devastation of Hurricane Katrina on location. Stars including Julia Roberts, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Chris Rock, Lisa Marie Presley, John Travolta, Kelly Preston and Faith Hill joined the talk show host in visiting with victims of the storm and delivering food and supplies. ... Oprah Winfrey hosts shows for hurricane victims (Asian News International, September 7, 2005) Talk show queen Oprah Winfrey has garnered support for victims of Hurricane Katruna by enlisting some of her celebrity pals like Julia Roberts and Jamie Foxx, to help them. According to Contactnusic, Oprah cut short her summer break last weekend to host shows for America's storm-ravaged Gulf region, where people are desperately trying to piece their lives back together. And she took a few famous faces with her - Foxx helped serve up food to 5,000 hurricane victims in a shelter in Dallas, Texas, while Matthew McConaughey and Faith Hill brought joy to survivors in Zachary, Louisiana, and Gulfport, Mississippi respectively in a show that aired in America on September 6. Meanwhile, Winfrey's pals John Travolta, Lisa Marie Presley and Chris Rock joined Roberts for segments taped another show. A tearful Winfrey also hosted a show from the Astrodome in Houston, Texas, where thousands of hurricane survivors are seeking temporary refuge and medical help. DIDDY KILLED VIDEO STAR By MAUREEN CALLAHAN (New York Post, August 30, 2005) The Video Music Awards try to generate at least one buzz-worthy, water cooler moment each year: Jacko and Lisa Marie Presley. David Lee Roth and Van Halen. Britney and Madonna. Axl Rose's face. But this year, there was no such moment - only an overwhelming consensus, among industry insiders and viewers alike, that the show was a disaster. ... LISA MARIE'S THRILL RIDE NIGHTMARE (Contact Music, August 29, 2005) LISA MARIE PRESLEY will be thinking twice before she takes US NASCAR racers up on offers of a drive around the track at the upcoming Sam's Town 250, after one speed-lover terrified her with a thrill ride. The rocker, who is set to enjoy a stint as grand marshal, once agreed to belt up for a hairy high-speed drive in former race ace WALLY DALLENBACH's motor and she's now determined to stay out of fast cars. She says, "He was riding a half inch away from the wall and bottoming out, which freaked me out. It was exciting... but he was having his own party. A party for one." And Presley admits she doesn't know how racing car drivers put up with the intense temperatures they have to endure as they race around the track. She adds, "I got in one of those race uniforms. It's like 250 degrees with that on. It that were me, I would have been in the ER getting electrolytes." Q&A: Lisa Marie Presley Interview by Richard Deitsch (Sports Illustrated, August 25, 2005) The 37-year-old singer (Now What) will serve as the Grand Marshall of the Busch Series' Sam's Town 250 on Oct. 22 in Memphis. Here are additional excerpts from the interview: SI: What did you know about NASCAR prior to peforming at the Pepsi 400? Presley: That was the first race I ever attended. I had never watched the sport on television before and I'm not a sports person. I know that's a great thing to tell you during this interview. But when I was in the pits, I got to listen to what the drivers were saying to the crew. That was fascinating. And, now, oddly enough, I've been watching on Sundays when I get a chance. SI: How did the NASCAR crowd react to you? Presley: It was the most people I've ever played for -- 200,000 - and that was scary. But what was more scary was that I had to go on live and it had been raining all day. The equipment was getting rained on and I was really worried about technical problems. It was being shown live on both coasts, so the audience was 12 million, plus the 200,000 people there. SI: So did you pull an Ashlee Simpson or play live? Presley: No, I played live. SI: How much do you know about your dad's sports connections? Presley: I know he was a huge football fan and player. SI: Kirk Presley, a third cousin of your Dad's was a Mets first-round draft pick in 1993. Ever see him pitch? Presley: I don't know about him because I kind of got immune to the fact that people were coming from all walks of life saying they were a cousin or distant relative of mine. I tend not to know a whole lot about that. ... SI: You're a Scientologist. Could Scientology help an athlete perform better and if so, how? Presley: I think Scientology can help anyone in any area in life. Scientology tends to focus more [on] your abilities than the negative aspects of your person. SI: Are you ever comfortable being interviewed? Presley: Sometimes, if I haven't done one for a while and it's not the same old crap, I actually have some fun. It depends on the interviewer. I either clam up or start chatting. SI: Is this crap? Presley: This is fine. Lisa Marie has it bad -- and NASCAR capitalizes: Presley the focus of sport's latest promotional campaign By B. Duane Cross (NASCAR.COM, July 31, 2005) The question was simple enough: Would you like to interview Lisa Marie Presley? She's the face of the latest 30-second NASCAR ad that asks, "How bad have you got it?" The commercial combines footage of Lisa Marie at the Pepsi 400, race footage and her song Thanx off the Now What album. NASCAR also is in discussions with Capitol Records for cross-promotion at retail and radio venues around the Presley-NASCAR relationship. LMP -- daughter of Elvis and Priscilla, activist, musician. ... Yeah, I could be persuaded. My parents instilled in me at an early age a great sense of history. I know Elvis' story, from Tupelo to Graceland; I grew up 30 minutes south of Tupelo, a couple hours from Memphis. Other than Highway 45, Elvis was the best thing to ever come out of Northeast Mississippi. Elvis and Priscilla were married the day we loaded up the family Ford Falcon and moved from Fayetteville, Tenn., to Aberdeen, Miss. ... After the interview everyone had the same question: What's she like? As if the answer was going to include the words "diva" or "prima donna." Truth is Lisa Marie's every other thirtysomething mother of two with a career. When she's not Lisa Marie Presley, she's mom. What else is there? Lisa Marie comes across as someone you'd want in your circle of friends. And that's where we began ... So, Ms. Presley, would you do another ride-along with Wally Dallenbach? "Hell no! ... But I would like to go around the track with someone sane," she says. For those who missed it, her pre-Pepsi 400 "Wally's World" trek around Daytona was must-scream TV. "I knew I was in for it," says Presley, "when I asked him before we started that if I asked he would slow down. He didn't answer." ... ... I'm not someone out for myself," she says. "I'm not vain and I don't want attention. I have to take responsibility because I have the ability to help others. ... I'm blessed to be privileged." LISA MARIE: 'I CAN TAKE CRITICISM' (ContactMusic, July 20, 2005) Singer LISA MARIE PRESLEY is determined to be philosophical about criticism, no matter how harsh it may be - because it keeps her grounded. The sexy rocker, 37, insists she has never wanted to be shielded from reality, even when a crazed fan posted a vicious message on her website, because she inherited a tough streak from her late father ELVIS PRESLEY. She explains, "A website was set up for me, and someone posted a message saying, 'Your album sucks. I hope the next plane you're on crashes. Meanwhile, just go back to spending daddy's millions.' I mean, my God! But I insisted that they left those words up there, for other people to respond to. I've got big balls. I guess I inherited then from my dad." LISA MARIE FINALLY RELATES TO PRISCILLA (ContactMusic, July 18, 2005) Singer LISA MARIE PRESLEY has a better relationship with her mother PRISCILLA now than ever before - and her prim parent even tries to swear occasionally to make her daughter feel more at home. The feisty rocker, 37, was always devoted to her late father ELVIS PRESLEY, but she finally feels just as comfortable with her actress mother. She says, "We've reached a place where we like and respect each other. "After so many years of torture, misunderstandings and men getting involved - her boyfriends, or mine - it's been really nice. "She even tries to say 'f**k' sometimes now, which cracks me up, because she does it so politely." Need for speed (2nd item) By Teddy Greenstein (ChicagoSports.com, July 8, 2005) NBC racing analyst Wally Dallenbach has a rooting interest in Sunday's NASCAR race at Chicagoland Speedway. "To have a good broadcast, you need a good race," he said. "If one guy is smoking everyone, if it's a single-file race, it's no fun for us and the fans." Speaking of fun, Dallenbach will take U.S. Olympic softball gold medalist Jennie Finch for a few laps on the track as part of his "Wally's World" segment. "I hope she's braver than Lisa Marie Presley," Dallenbach said. Last weekend at Daytona, Presley complained about her so-called joy ride. "It would have been great if we just went around really fast in the middle of the track," she said. "But he perpetually wanted to make me feel like I was going to die every two seconds, riding me an inch from the wall." Dallenbach, who said he drives about 160 m.p.h. in the straightaways, had little sympathy for Elvis Presley's daughter: "If you're going to ride with me, strap it in and shut up," he said. "If not, stay out of the car." Racetrack ride leaves Presley all shook up By CARL KOTALA & HILLARD GROSSMAN (NEWS-PRESS SPORTS BUREAU, July 3, 2005) Lisa Marie Presley admitted she's not a big sports fan. Then again, she'd never been to a NASCAR weekend. In town to do a pre-Pepsi 400 concert - and one live song for NBC's pre-race telecast - Elvis' daughter took in the Busch Series Winn-Dixie 250 Friday night and even got to listen in on Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s radio. "It's been a lot of fun. I really didn't know what to expect," Presley said of her first NASCAR experience. "Once the race started last night I was quite ... enamored. I didn't want to leave. I got very involved. And I really like it. It's cool." Part of Presley's Daytona experience included a hot lap with Wally Dallenbach, who apparently wasted no time in giving her the full treatment. "I want to kick his (butt) right this minute," Presley laughed. "I'd like to challenge him and have him let me ride him around on a golf cart. It would have been great if we'd just gone around really fast in the middle of the thing, but he perpetually wanted to make me feel like I was going to die every two seconds and ride me an inch from the wall, which is fine for a second. Other than that, it was fun." Lisa Marie Presley performs for the crowd Saturday before the Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway. CRAIG BAILEY

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