Lisa Marie Resurrects Elvis
by Gina Serpe
Wed, 15 Aug 2007 11:44:02 AM PDT
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It's a duet fit for the King.

Lisa Marie Presley has recorded a posthumous duet with her daddy, Elvis, in honor of the 30th anniversary of his death this Thursday. To commemorate the occasion, the living Presley laid down vocals over the original 1969 recording of her superstar father's enduring classic "In the Ghetto."

"We had two hours to lay down my vocals," she told Spinner.com, the AOL music site that will debut the song's video on Friday. "So the next morning, I heard the rough...and...I've never cried when I've done anything...ever...but I just lost it when I heard it.

"It's pretty organic. There are no bells and whistles—they just added me into the original recording."

The track will also be available for purchase on iTunes this week. Sales will benefit the New Orleans branch of Presley Place, a transitional housing facility the Presleys are building for homeless families. (The first Presley Place is located in Memphis.) New Orleans is also where the 39-year-old Elvis offspring filmed the music video, which will feature images of her father.

"I landed there to do the video, and I looked around when I got off the plane...It looks like Katrina happened six months ago," she said, explaining her reasoning for setting up a housing facility. "So, that's when it all fell together.

"Families come in and live there, get their life skills together. They get jobs and then they save their money, and about a year later, they move out when they can get back on their feet. It's something [Elvis] was very interested in, because it's kinda where he started from."

Presley said she only came up with the idea to both record a duet—and release it commercially—about three weeks ago. For the 20th anniversary of her father's death, she laid down vocals on his recording of "Daddy Don't Cry," but the song was never released. (Natalie Cole pioneered the posthumous duet craze in 1991 with her Grammy-winning "Unforgettable" pairing with late father Nat King Cole.)

"People have been asking me to do another duet with him forever, but I had to do my own thing before I went back there," the singer told USA Today. "So I was ready. I just had to figure out what would be right. And suddenly it came to me, all at the eleventh hour."

In honor of Elvis' life—and death—more than 75,000 fans have touched down in Memphis to celebrate Elvis Week. He died at Graceland on Aug. 16, 1977.

Later tonight, on the eve of the anniversary of his passing, a candlelight vigil will be held at the Graceland gates. The week's events culminate tomorrow night with a special Memphis concert honoring the King of Rock 'n Roll. During the gig, Presley will perform "In the Ghetto" with live support from her father's former band and backing singers, as well as musical support from Elvis himself, who will appear on stage alongside Presley in video and still images.

It's the second time this year that the hip-gyrating superstar will be featured in a live performance, coming off the heels of a posthumous, if ill-received, duet of "If I Can Dream" with Celine Dion at the American Idol: Idol Gives Back charity special last spring.

Getting approval for the Dion duet was no doubt helped by the fact that Priscilla Presley and Idol exec producer Nigel Lythgoe have been romantically linked in the tabloids. However, Lythgoe denied the coupling reports to E! News' Ryan Seacrest Wednesday.

"We're great friends," Lythgoe said. "Obviously, we've both got lives to lead. You've got to have friends, and Priscilla's been very kind. And we're great friends."

Thank you AHM, this is soooooo tremendously exciting beyond words!!!

I posted a similar article to ahm. I can take mine down if you want me to?

oops, sorry. oh well the more news the merrier

its great that Lisa is doing this not only for the fans, but for a good cause!