Fans, celebs gather at Graceland to mourn Lisa Marie Presley

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Lisa Marie Presley, a singer, songwriter and the daughter of Elvis Presley, was remembered during a funeral service Sunday as a loving mother and an “old soul” who endured tragedy but persevered as a dedicated protector of her father’s legacy as a rock ‘n’ roll pioneer and pop icon. More than a thousand people gathered on the front lawn of Graceland on a gray, chilly Memphis morning to mourn the death and remember the life of Lisa Marie Presley, who died Jan, 12 after she was taken to a hospital in California. “We will always be grateful.” Among those who spoke during the service were Lisa Marie’s mother, actor Priscilla Presley; Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York; Jerry Schilling, a close friend of Elvis; and former Memphis Mayor A C Wharton, who called Lisa Marie’s parents Memphis’ royal couple and a “conduit to the throne, the keeper of the flame.” In a soft voice, Priscilla Presley read a poem from one of Lisa Marie’s three daughters, Harper Vivienne Ann Lockwood, entitled “The Old Soul,” in which she calls her mother “an icon, a role model, a superhero to many people all over the world.” “In 1968, she entered our world, born tired, fragile, yet strong. Clark said Lisa Marie “went through a lot” in her life and equated the service to the time when Elvis died, when “people came from all over.” “She was born into the public, born into fame.