Hail to ‘the King’

TUPELO — Ask almost any Mississippian to name the state’s biggest tourist attraction and they would likely answer, “Gulf Coast beaches.” Still others might mention the grand antebellum homes of Natchez or historic sites in and around the Capital City.

Surprisingly, the place that draws 80,000 tourists each year, including visitors from every country around the globe, is a humble shack in Tupelo. It’s the birthplace of Elvis Presley, who was born in the tiny, two-room wood home at 4:34 a.m. on Jan. 8, 1935.

Presley was only 42 when he died 33 years ago today. At the time of his death, the musical era he represented hadn’t yet lived long enough to get old, although many thought he had outlived his fame.

Immediately following his death, the Mississippi native’s musical heritage was believed to have died with him, leaving behind a caricature of an aging, overweight Vegas star in a sequined jumpsuit.

Dick Guyton, executive director of the Elvis Presley Birthplace Park in Tupelo, said early detractors of Presley’s legacy are now regretting their prophecies. As he showed visitors from four countries around the park last Friday, Guyton said, “Elvis is even more famous today than when he was alive.”

“Interest in Elvis Presley has not diminished since his death; it has also gotten stronger,” said Guyton. “Today alone, we’ve hosted groups from France, Australia, Brazil and Belgium. Next week, we’re expecting two groups from England and thousands more from around the U.S. and other countries. Fans want to see where Elvis was born and imagine what his early life was like.”

Graceland, with its annual Candlelight Vigil attended by thousands, is the biggest Elvis attraction on the anniversary of his death, Guyton said. Therefore, the Elvis Presley Birthplace Park held Fan Appreciation Day last week to allow fans to travel to Memphis today. But that won’t deter fans from stopping by in droves this week and every week of the year, he said.

Although he’s been dead 33 years, the generosity for which Presley was known when he was alive keeps on giving.

Despite its location in a relatively unknown southeastern U.S. city, the experience of visiting his birthplace knows no cultural boundaries. Instead, it translates well to all backgrounds, nationalities and ages, providing an entertaining, memorable way for fans to experience his meager beginnings.

His birthplace also provides a major economic boost for his hometown, a ripple effect that not only draws tourists to the north Mississippi city, but generates millions of dollars throughout the state, tourism officials say.

In 1956 and again in 1957, Presley gave fund-raising concerts in Tupelo to pay for a community park on land that included the original cabin his father, Vernon, built in the early 1930s to house his family.

The baseball field, picnic shelter and kid’s playground that Presley also helped finance are now relegated to the back of the hilly park.

The main area of the Elvis Presley Birthplace Park has been turned into a shrine of sorts, complete with a private museum and gift shop, a small chapel and, most importantly, the white, clapboard cabin consisting of a kitchen and bedroom where the Presleys lived until their son was two years old.

It costs $12 for adults to walk through the cabin’s two rooms and tour the other areas, including the nearby Assembly of God Church where the Presleys worshipped.

To enter the home on a busy day, tourists should expect a short wait as fans gather in the small home’s doorway or sit in the wooden porch swing and pose for pictures.

Inside, visitors find a humble, antique farm cabin with no plumbing and rough, utilitarian furniture, a testament to the hard, poverty-driven life that Elvis escaped through music.

Records say the small boy slept with his parents in the bedroom, which also served as the living room, the family room and his play room.

The furniture in the house today is not the original furniture but is accurate to the time period when the Presleys lived here, Guyton said. It is similar and placed in the approximate location as it was when they lived here, according to Vernon Presley. The basic structure is original, although the ceiling and roof have been replaced. The house is located on the original location it was built.

The Elvis Presley Museum was originally opened in 1992 and consisted mainly of the personal collection of Janelle McComb, a Tupelo resident and long-time family friend of the Presleys.

Completely renovated in 2006, the state-of-the-art museum still pays tribute to McComb’s friendship with Presley through an exhibit area titled “Remembrances of Things Past.”

However, it’s the updated museum exhibit that showcases both the spiritual and professional side of Presley. His personal Bible, a menorah, and two religious vestments are on display, along with one of his Vegas costumes.

Two documentaries portray his childhood in Tupelo and the early influences of black culture, church and gospel music.

Before his death, Presley dreamed of having a “place of meditation” at the Elvis Presley Birthplace Park. Fans made that dream a reality in 1979 with their monetary donations. Featuring handmade stained glass windows and another of the Presleys’ Bibles, the chapel is a popular place for fans to sit quietly and listen to Presley’s gospel recordings.

One of the latest attractions to be added to the tour is the nearby Assembly of God Church, the site of Presley’s first religious training as a small boy. The church has been fully restored and allows visitors to watch a video presentation of an old time worship service.

A gift shop filled with souvenirs, T-shirts and other keepsakes is located on the grounds for fans desiring to take home a memento of the birthplace.

Guyton said last week’s Fan Appreciation Day to commemorate the anniversary of Presley’s death was held in a memorial garden encircling the park, another popular area included in the tour. The components of the garden represent an integral part of Elvis’ childhood, one influenced heavily by his Tupelo upbringing.

The garden includes the Walk of Life, which consists of 42 granite blocks representing each year of Elvis’ life; a Fountain of Life symbolizing the significance of the Tupelo years; a Story Wall featuring 11 childhood narratives told by boyhood friends of Elvis; and a 1939 green Plymouth, a duplicate of the type of car the Presleys owned in 1948 when they moved from Tupelo to Memphis.

Fans can also have their picture taken with the famous “Elvis at Age 13” statue, which portrays an adolescent Presley with slicked-back hair, wearing oversized overalls and carrying his first guitar.

The statue was unveiled in 2002 on the 67th anniversary of the singer’s birth. Measuring 5’5”, the sculpture is the same height as Elvis when the family departed Tupelo for Tennessee.

Following the tour, visitors can enjoy a picnic or meditate in the chapel, which has become a popular setting for weddings.

Guyton said Priscilla Presley, the only woman Elvis ever married and the mother of his child, Lisa Marie, was pleased to learn of the park’s improvements, but rarely visits the site.

“Priscilla visits Graceland occasionally, but stays busy in California with her show business career,” said Guyton. “Her career really received a boost after her appearance on Dancing with the Stars.”

The Elvis Presley Birthplace Park is located at 306 Elvis Presley Drive in Tupelo. The center is open from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday to Saturday, and from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday. The home is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Admission is $12 for adults and $6 for children.

A self-guided driving tour covers sites important in Presley’s early life, including his first school, the hardware store where his mother bought his first guitar, and the fairgrounds where he performed in 1956 and 1957. For information, call the Tupelo Convention & Visitors Bureau, 1-800-533-0611, or go to www.tupelo.net.

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