NBC's Elvis Special: Lana Del Rey's Haunting Rendition Leaves Viewers Emotionally Touched

NBC's special "Christmas at Graceland" paid tribute to the iconic legacy of Elvis Presley through a night full of star-studded performances.

Kicking off the inaugural event was country star Lainey Wilson, followed by Lana Del Rey, who gave an emotional rendition of Elvis' unchained melody, which left many attendees in tears.

Lana Del Rey Performance

When Lana Del Rey took the stage, she wasted no time. She sang a haunting version of "Unchained Melody," first released as a chart-topping song by the Righteous Brothers in the mid-1960s.

The King of Rock' n' Roll, Elvis Presley, also gave a memorable rendition when he performed it on June 21 at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center two months before his untimely passing at age 42.

The collective reaction to Lana's cover of "Unchained Melody" was overwhelming, according to The Sun.

On X, formerly known as Twitter, one person commented: "I cried when Lana put the song on streaming."

Further reinforcing this sentiment, another person wrote: "As a girl, hearing Lana's rendition of Unchained Melody brought tears to my eyes."

Elvis Night

Lainey and Lana headlined NBC's star-studded live event at the legendary Tennessee property, but many other famous artists were also part of the show.

These included John Legend, Alanis Morissette, Post Malone, Kasey Musgraves, Kane Brown, and The War and Treaty. Adding to the family atmosphere of the holiday special was Riley Keough - granddaughter of Elvis and Priscilla Presley - who was also an executive producer.

Every year, hundreds of thousands flock to Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee - the 13.8-acre estate of late music legend Elvis Presley - to honor his life and legacy.

This holiday season is extra special as it marks the debut of Christmas at Graceland, a live musical televised holiday special that features never-before broadcast footage from Presley himself.

Lana Del Rey Album

It was back in 2012 that Lana Del Rey burst onto the music scene with her hit single, "Video Games," taken from her second studio album and major-label debut, "Born to Die."

2023 saw the release of her ninth album, "Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd," which gained a No. 3 ranking on the Billboard 200. This marks one of nine top 10 appearances by the artist on the chart, with two of them reaching the coveted No. 1 spot: "Ultraviolence" in 2014 and "Lust For Life" in 2017.

Tags

Lana Del Rey, Elvis Presley