Celebrating the King of Rock and Roll

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – Thursday marks the 41st anniversary of the death of Elvis Presley. Saturday, however, was Fan Appreciation Day at the Elvis Birthplace in Tupelo.

Fans gathered at the birthplace home to once again remember Tupelo’s most famous favorite son. While the attendance did not match last year’s 40th anniversary event, there was a good crowd in attendance.

“Tupelo is certainly proud of what he accomplished in the world of music and the entertainment industry. More importantly I think that we’re proud of our native son how he inspired other people, some know to him, many unknown to him to go for it, to dream their dream and make it happen. To rise above their disadvantages and humble beginnings and become extraordinary successful. Elvis truly embraced what we call the American dream,” said Board Chairman Henry Dodge.

Executive Director Dick Guyton briefed those in attendance about some of the future improvements on the grounds.

“One of the first things on the drawing board is to redo the parking area behind the coming so you can come in from the back side but they’ll be room for buses. They’ll be rooms for cars to park and that way people can access The Coming without having to walk all the way up there,” said Guyton.

Much has been made about Elvis’s connection to Memphis and Graceland and Sun Records.

They’re wouldn’t be a Graceland and there wouldn’t be the Elvis Presley legend and the multi-multi million dollar Elvis Presley industry it weren’t for what happened in this house behind me.

“Of course, he was born there. Of course they just lived there a very short time and the guy that loaned Vernon the money he foreclosed on him and Vernon couldn’t pay it so they had to move out. And they lived in several different locations here in East Tupelo,” said Guyton.

Harris who is regarded as Elvis’s historian remembers when his boyfriend came home for that memorable concert in 1956.

“Oh that was a very big day you know the schools were out for kids day at the fair and everybody who could scrape up enough money to buy one of those tickets to the afternoon show or the night show when he was performing that evening at night were there, and I know I went to the afternoon show,” said Harris.

Tupelo continues to proudly call itself the Birthplace of Elvis Presley.

The Elvis birthplace annually draws fans from every state in the union and many foreign countries.

Categories: Local News

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