IT Offspring

Image credit: Lisa Marie Presley Photograph by Martin Schoeller

All About

Lisa Marie Presley

Get the latest photos, news, and more

Why Her? The pundits and playa hatas had the knives out for Elvis' only daughter. But her hit debut CD, ''To Whom It May Concern'' -- released this spring after years of false starts -- has gotten its fair share of respect, begrudging or otherwise.

Hitting the Ground Rocking Her first gigs were industry showcases, and the next were radio-station shows in venues like Giants Stadium, so ''there was really no runway,'' she says. ''But I'm getting more at ease. The [VH1] 'Divas' thing was probably the most stressful, because it was live, and I'm brand-new on the scene, and white, and wondering why am I here with these amazing singers?''

Yes, Why? ''Because it was cool to throw the rock element in there and break it up a bit, and then [duet] with Pat [Benatar], who was a huge influence on me as a kid.''

Another Unexpected Influence ''Oddly enough, the biggest impact on my life musically has been Pink Floyd. Those songs never, ever go away. That's all I wanted to project -- something timeless.''

Gossip Hounds, Beware ''I understand that people want to place whoever with whichever song. But there are people out there -- thank God -- who are just listening to the songs, not going 'Is this about [ex-husband] Nic [Cage]? Is this about [ex-husband] Michael [Jackson]?' That's expecting a lot, but I know those fans are out there. I've met them.''

Next A summer tour with Chris Isaak.