Elvis family honour Austin Butler with greater Graceland access than Paul McCartney WATCH
ELVIS PRESLEY's granddaughter Riley Keough, the eldest child of Lisa Marie, has shared a "special and overwhelming experience I haven't quite processed" with Austin Butler at Graceland. The King's family gave the Elvis movie star unprecedented access that surpasses even The Beatles' Paul McCartney when he visited the Memphis mansion. A new video has also been shared showing Butler playing Can't Help Falling In Love on the guitar.
ELVIS: Official second trailer for Baz Luhrmann’s movie
The Elvis movie is set to finally hit cinemas next week after a global press tour that most recently landed at Graceland. Elvis Presley’s home of 20 years hosted a lavish premiere attended not only by director Baz Luhrmann and stars Austin Butler and Tom Hanks, but also three generations of The King’s family. Priscilla Presley arrived with her daughter Lisa Marie and granddaughter Riley Keough for the special screening.
Over the weekend, Elvis movie star Austin Butler hung out with The King’s family at Graceland, where he received an unprecedented honour, not even Paul McCartney was given access to.
Riley posted on Instagram pictures of the 30-year-old strumming away on Elvis’ personal 1956 Gibson J-200 in the Jungle Room.
The King’s granddaughter captioned the post: “We got to spend time with @austinbutler this weekend in the house, at Graceland. It was such a special and overwhelming experience I haven’t quite processed.”
Riley added: “One of many sweet things that happened while we were there - Austin played my grandfather’s guitar in the house. This guitar hasn’t been played by many people. I know it was tuned by @paulmccartney once, but as far as people sitting down and playing it @austinbutler is one of very few people aside from my grandfather.”
Elvis purchased the iconic guitar with his name on it through OK Houck Piano Co in Memphis back in October 1956.
The instrument was famously used with a tooled leather cover made by Charles Underwood for an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in January 1957.
The King would continue using the guitar for years, with him playing it during his Las Vegas residencies from 1969. During the Graceland premiere, Lisa Marie made a rare appearance and speech praising the film.
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Paying Respects #OutThere at #Graceland pic.twitter.com/eCV1FXCzed
— Paul McCartney (@PaulMcCartney) May 26, 2013
Lisa Marie shared: “I do want to say that I feel so honoured to be a part of this. I really wasn’t expecting this. I didn’t know what to expect. I saw it twice. The first time that I saw it I was nervous, I was gripping the chair going like, ‘Oh God, what’s going to happen? How’s the actor going to be? Is it going to be crazy?’ In my life, it’s been one disappointment after the other in terms of people portraying my father in various films or attempts to…bless their hearts…but let me just tell you something. At this point, I tell you this with all my heart and it’s the only reason that I’m here: It’s been done right.”
Elvis hits cinemas on June 24, 2022.