Nancy Sinatra Reveals Candid Phone Call From Elvis Presley After Lisa Marie's Birth

By Ashley Turner

A long-time friend of the Presleys paid tribute to Lisa Marie Presley after news broke Thursday of her passing at age 54. Following the announcement, Nancy Sinatra wrote: "Every now and then I find myself wishing very hard that there is a hereafter and tonight is one of those times. Otherwise the nothingness, the emptiness are too hard to bear." On Jan. 13, Nancy tweeted another ode to the late singer from a memory of her famous father. "When his little girl was born Elvis called me, she wrote. "He was so excited his voice was whispery. He said his baby was born blessed and would live a life of privilege, but there are "so many babies born in the ghetto who will have hard lives and struggles. It isn't fair." Nancy continued, "His heart was full of love – and pain. I don't know why he shared his thoughts with me but I'm glad he did so I can share them with you. Elvis was much more than a phenomenon, he was a loving, caring mortal man." It is also worth noting that their fathers, Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra, sang together multiple times and appeared in the 1960 television special Welcome Home Elvis.

Recently, Nancy celebrated Elvis' 88th birthday by remembering her good times with him. As she marked the rock 'n' roll legend's birthday on Jan. 8, the 82-year-old singer and actress tweeted a throwback photo of her and a young Elvis laughing enthusiastically. Presley died at 42 in 1977. "I'm thinking of my dear friend on his birthday and wishing he were still here to celebrate with us," Nancy wrote. "This is my favorite picture of Elvis and me. It shows the fun and affection we shared. Oh, God, how I miss him." As a 19-year-old, she first met Elvis after he returned from Germany following his discharge from the military at New Jersey's Fort Dix in 1960. Elvis' first television appearance after serving in the military was going to be on Frank Sinatra's show, so Sinatra sent his daughter to meet him. "I wish I could remember what made us laugh so hard," she tweeted.

As Nancy didn't specify where the photo was taken, it may have been on a movie set. She played Elvis' love interest in the 1968 musical Speedway. According to Nancy, Presley also had a philanthropic side that he freely shared with her. "I know he was the funniest man and probably the most serious man I knew, both people in one. He made me laugh so hard," told PEOPLE. "And at the same time, he would call me late at night to discuss things like the ghetto and his concern for people in the ghetto. "I don't know if that's surprising," she added. "People who follow his life probably are aware of his sensitivity."

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