Riley Keough Reveals Lisa Marie Presley's Sweet Nickname for Granddaughter Tupelo

Riley Keough, in an interview with PEOPLE, describes feeling privileged that she can one day share her late mother Lisa Marie Presley's memoir, *From Here to the Great Unknown*, with her 2-year-old daughter, Tupelo. Affectionately, Lisa Marie referred to Tupelo as "our little light".

An exclusive excerpt from Lisa Marie's memoir—a highlight of this week's PEOPLE cover story—reveals this charming nickname. Details of Tupelo's birth were first publicly shared in January 2023, at Lisa Marie's memorial service at Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee. Lisa Marie tragically passed away at the age of 54 from complications arising from a small-bowel obstruction after bariatric surgery.

Riley, 35, enlisted her husband, Ben Smith-Petersen, to read her tribute to Lisa Marie during the service. In it, she expressed her hope to love her daughter as much as her mother loved her and her siblings. Subsequently, a representative for Riley confirmed to PEOPLE that she and Ben had welcomed Tupelo in 2022.

Tupelo holds a special name, paying homage to Elvis Presley's birthplace in Mississippi. Additionally, her middle name, Storm, is shared with Riley’s late brother Benjamin, who passed away at 27 in 2020.

To complete *From Here to the Great Unknown*, Riley turned to recordings of her mother’s memories. Describing these recordings, Riley stated, "The tapes are an incredible portrait of the force of nature that she was. Depending on the day and her mood, she can sound locked-in or distracted, vulnerable and open, or annoyed and closed off, hopeful, angry—everything. You hear her in all her complications."

As Riley anticipates the renewed public focus on her mother’s story, she's simultaneously looking forward to the time when Tupelo can read and appreciate the memoir. "This is one of the biggest privileges. Not everyone has a book to read about their grandparents. That’s unique to our family. And it’s really a gift," she shares.

*From Here to the Great Unknown*, co-authored by Lisa Marie and Riley Keough, is set to be released on Oct. 8 and available for preorder at various outlets.

Earlier, SSP wrote that Lily Allen admitted to having children for the wrong reasons.