LUZERNE COUNTY, Pa. — For decades, Alan Stout covered some of the biggest names in local and national music.
One of his most cherished interviews was with the daughter of the 'King of Rock and Roll,' Lisa Marie Presley.
"And when I heard she was on tour back in 2013, I thought she'd be an interesting person to talk to. I was a big Elvis Presley fan but also of her music," said Alan Stout, Former Music Journalist in Luzerne County. "She had a terrific new album out that year it was getting some great reviews, and I loved the record."
After his phone interview with Presley, Stout went to one of her performances outside of Philadelphia, delivering the article and meeting the singer in person.
"But they loved the article so much that they asked me if they could use it in some other markets, and they put it up on her website, too," said Stout.
Presley had just begun to step back into the spotlight, being seen at her childhood home Graceland for what would've been her father's 88th birthday on Sunday, January 8, and at the Golden Globes where Austin Butler won Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama depicting her father in the movie ELVIS.
After hearing about Presley's untimely death Thursday, Stout recalled just how much she cared about protecting her family's legacy.
"I always thought that she was a straight shooter," said Stout. "Some of the guys that she felt betrayed her father they wrote books about him after he employed them for 20 years she would not hesitate at all to tell you how she felt about that."
Stout hopes Presley is remembered for more than just being someone's famous kid, but also a talented musician in her own right.
"As an artist, a singer-songwriter who wrote from her heart," said Stout.
Alan Stout is now director of the Luzerne County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Lisa Marie Presley is set to be laid to rest next to her father and son at their Graceland home in Memphis, Tennessee.
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