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In the year In 1956, Elvis Presley returned to his hometown of Tupelo, Mississippi, wearing a navy blue shirt his mother had made for him. He sang to the crowd at the Tupelo Fair, and the mayor gave him the key to the city.
While he was in town, Presley discovered that his hometown and neighborhood were for sale. He gave Tupelo enough money to buy the property. The next year, when he returned for another concert, he gave the city money to build a youth center on the property.
“This was a 21-year-old rock star, and that says a lot about him,” said Roy Turner, executive director of the Elvis Presley Birthplace and Museum.
The birthplace and museum, along with 13 other sites dedicated to Presley, constantly draw tourists to the northeast Mississippi city in search of “The King.”
“Somewhere between 60,000 and 80,000 visitors visit the house every year,” said Roy Turner, an Elvis historian since 1981. “His music touched people all over the world. Being very poor and far away is the quintessential American dream story. Elvis touched the lives of many people.
Presley was born in Tupelo, grew up in a predominantly black neighborhood, attended two schools and bought his first guitar at Tupelo Hardware on his 11th birthday. He enjoyed watching Westerns at the Lyric Theater, visiting with his friend Sam Bell and being forced to sit in the “colored room.”
Elvis spent many nights at Bell’s house, always showing respect for his friend’s grandparents.
Turner said “yes ma’am” and “no sir” so they thought the world of little Elvis. Gladys tells me she did a good job teaching Elvis to respect people.
The Presley home in Tupelo is decorated with contemporary furnishings.
Tours and festivals
Visitors to Tupelo can visit 14 Presley-related sites on an Elvis Tupelo driving tour or a self-guided bike tour. Attractions include the Lyric Theater, which is rumored to have received Presley’s first kiss; Johnny’s Drive-In, the oldest restaurant in Tupelo; and the Lee County Courthouse, where Presley appeared on WELO radio’s “Saturday Jamboree.”
At Presley’s birthplace, visitors will find an informative museum, a chapel, an interactive film depicting Presley’s early musical influences at his childhood church, and a Presley home decorated with period items. Interior Door was invented by Vernon Presley, Elvis’ father.
Elvis Presley bought his first guitar at Tupelo Hardware on his 11th birthday.
“Every year, 60,000 to 80,000 visitors visit the house,” said Turner, an Elvis historian since 1981. “His music touched people all over the world. Being very poor and far away is the quintessential American dream story. Elvis touched the lives of many people.
Tupelo hosts the annual Elvis Festival, where tribute artists compete for regional titles that advance to the national competition in Memphis. The upcoming June 7-13, 2023 festival will be the event’s 25th year and largest to date, said Jenny Bradford Curley, public relations manager at the Tupelo Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Elvis’ Memphis
Vernon Presley moved his family from Tupelo to Memphis, Tennessee in 1948 in search of better work. The family moved to the Lauderdale Courts public housing project where they lived until 1953.
A teenage Presley walked into Sun Studios one day, paying Sam Phillips $4 to record a song. Phillips asked him who he looked like, and Presley replied, “It doesn’t look like anyone.”
“There was a great exodus from the South at that time,” Turner said, with many Mississippians seeking better jobs moving to industrial cities such as Detroit. “A lot of people who didn’t want to be so far away from home moved to Memphis.”
Elvis Presley heard the sounds of blues and soul growing up in Tupelo, but the scene spread to Memphis’ Belle Street, where musicians moving up from the Deep South played in blues clubs and lounges.
Record studios popped up in the city because of the new sound coming out of Bale Street. One is Sun Studios, owned by Sam Phillips. In the year In 1951, Phillips recorded “Rocket 88” with Jackie Branston and the Delta Cats, including Ike Turner.
A teenage Presley walked into Sun Studios one day, paying Phillips $4 to record a song. Phillips asked him who he looked like, and Presley replied, “It doesn’t look like anyone.”
The rest is history.
The studio executive wasn’t impressed, but when Presley quipped, “That’s right,” Phillips recorded the tune. The song hit the radio and became an instant hit. The rest, of course, is history.
Visitors can tour Sun Studios and stand in the room where Presley recorded many songs in his early years.
Graceland and its surrounding 14 acres contain a gold hall that displays Presley’s gold records and awards, a dedicated Elvis museum, Presley’s vintage auto collection, the plane he used on tour, and more.
Of course, a visit to Memphis wouldn’t be complete without a trip to Graceland, the elaborate mansion built after Presley became world famous.
The home and 14 acres surrounding it contain the Hall of Gold, which displays Presley’s gold records and awards, a dedicated Elvis Museum, Presley’s vintage auto collection, the plane he used on tour, and more.
A great way to follow in Presley’s footsteps is by downloading the “Follow Elvis” app, which highlights the places Presley worked, visited and ate in Memphis. The definitive guide includes articles on Presley, movie times and audio, tourist destinations – even a test. The app is available from Apple and Google Play.
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