Tupelo Elvis Birthplace and Museum celebrate Elvis at 90
Fans from the nation and world celebrate Elvis' 90th birthday
TUPELO, MISS. (WCBI) – It was a full day of tours, music, hundreds of cupcakes, and the traditional song, all to celebrate Elvis’ 90th birthday at the singer’s birthplace and museum, John Coventry with the Strictly Elvis UK Fan Club and his wife Clare are helping lead a diverse group.
“This year, above all years, I was taken by the thought, that one man is responsible for all this, not just here in Tupelo, but also in Memphis. One man from his talent, all of this sprang and here we are, ninety years after his birth,” Mr. Coventry said.
‘You have a lot of groups, they fade out with that generation, we have young people, fifteen-year-olds, on the tour,” said Mrs. Coventry.
Peter Wall brought along his wife, daughter, and sister-in-law.
“It is a dream come true to be here. Why? It is where Elvis was born, always wanted to see it,” Wall said.
The standing-room-only crowd also included fans from Northeast Mississippi and the nation, who say coming to the singer’s birthplace is special.
“He was a phenomenon and he still is , there is nobody ever like him, he was an amazing artist and amazing human,” said Sybilla Walther.
“Elvis lived down the street from my husband, Elvis didn’t have a car but my husband did, he would go get Elvis and they danced with the girls,” said Lil Nelson, whose husband knew Elvis as a teenager in Memphis.
“He was good looking, he could sing and move,” said Mary Cobb, who also shares a birthday with Elvis.
No matter their age, hometown or home country, every Elvis fan we spoke with said they admire Elvis’ well known generosity. Even after he became a world wide sensation, he never forgot his humble beginnings
The British tour group also visited schools Elvis attended, and the hardware store where he got his first guitar. A mural by artist Betty Harper was also unveiled. The mural will go on a blank outside wall, just south of the event center and theater. It will tell the story of Elvis’ boyhood years in Tupelo and his return to Tupelo in 1956. The mural should be installed this spring.
