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.
