The Evolution of Elvis in Tupelo

Having seen the rise, demise and living legend of the King in Memphis, we headed Southeast to Tupelo, Mississippi, to experience the birthplace and early life of young Elvis.

A welcoming greeting in Tupelo. 

Our first stop was Elvis's favorite first stop after school, Johnnie's Drive-In. We arrived before noon but already the booths were filling up.

A group of female fans had taken over the "Elvis booth," and even as we were leaving after lunch showed no sign of relinquishing it.

We slid into another one and ordered a Doughburger, the poor Southerner's answer to more mouths than meat to feed them. I had never tried one and Johnnie's is one of the few spots left serving the fried mix of flour and hamburger meat. Let's just say I should have followed Elvis's example and ordered a regular cheeseburger and an RC Cola.

It was easy to picture him as a grade schooler sitting in that booth by the wall reading a Captain Marvel Jr. comic book.

There are those who say that the inspiration for the lightning bolt, hairstyle and capes Elvis favored came from that poor young cripple who could turn into the world's strongest boy. There is an equal number who say otherwise, but it is heartwarming to imagine a poor little boy with limited prospects finding inspiration and hope in a comic book character with whom he could identify.

Tupelo Visitors Center
(photo courtesy of Visit Tupelo)

Elvis was born here. 

To see just how limited those opportunities appeared, we drove to where his first home and first church have been moved: the Elvis Presley Birthplace Park.

"Elvis at 13" in the Elvis Presley Birthplace Park.

The Elvis Presley Birthplace memorial complex with visitors' center and museum sets both amid lovely trees and landscaping, but the two-room shotgun house must have been bleak in its original location. Vernon Presley borrowed $185 from his employer for the materials, but was unable to keep up the payments and the family had to move two years after moving in.

On the hill behind the memorial center is an impressive tribute to the boy who had ambitions and the man who realized them.

Elvis made his first public appearance at the age of 10 in the Mississippi-Alabama Fair Dairy Show. He sang the Red Foley ballad "Old Shep" and won 5th place.

For his 11th birthday Elvis wanted to spend the money he had earned doing errands and chores for people on a .22-caliber rifle or a bicycle he saw in the window when his mother Gladys took him down to Tupelo Hardware.

Tupelo Hardware

A prominent three-story building on downtown's Main Street, it had everything a mechanic, farmer, handyman, housewife or even an 11-year-old could want. The clerk,  Forrest Bobo, knew that Gladys hated guns and the bicycle was pricey, so he handed Elvis a guitar. "How about this?" he asked, pulling up a wooden box  behind the showcase and letting Elvis play with it.

Tupelo Hardware still has an array of guitars.

Elvis didn't have enough money for the guitar or the rifle, but Gladys said if he chose the guitar she would pay the difference. No one's fool, Elvis looked at Gladys and said, "That's alright, Momma," and left with the guitar.

Prints and pictures of Elvis and, like this one, "The Magic Moment," are hung on shelves filled with more typical hardware fare.

It was a beginner model Kay and cost $7.75 plus 2 % tax. Much later, Joe Perry of Aerosmith bought a guitar here, too, as have other admirers of the entertainer 11-year-old Elvis became.

One can do Elvis all day long in Tupelo from murals

to delightful painted six-foot tall guitars all over town.

We were particularly fond of a meadery and several restaurants.

Our first night we found, finally, the much recommended Blue Canoe. It does not disappoint either. Picture a corrugated structure adorned inside with neon and painted signs with a bandstand at one end for nightly live music,  a bar at the other. Casual and fun, its food is Southern with an exclamation point.

My Pork and Greens entree arrived looking as good as it tasted: pulled pork and collard greens atop silky cheese grits with a red vinegar sauce and cornbread. Heaven. Debi was equally pleased with hers.

Pork and Greens

Dessert. Connie's Blueberry Doughnut Bread Pudding, which we shared, was a knockout, too.

To be honest, we weren't sure we wanted to go to the first meadery in Mississippi, but we quickly decided we did once inside and  talking to owner of Queen's Reward Jeri Carter.

It is easy to see why this has become a popular spot in town. A combination of a savvy entrepreneur and the consummate Southern hostess, Jeri makes everyone feel welcome.

 In addition to the array of small-batch, well balanced mead to be tasted by adults,visitors are encouraged to bring picnics, pets and kids to relax and play games outside on the expansive grounds. On weekends, food trucks and music might be added.

Relax or play games outside.

We capped our final evening at Forklift Restaurant, a popular upscale neighborhood eatery. A nice piece of salmon and veggies was just the thing.

We were in for an unexpected treat our last morning in Tupelo. Our hostess, Jennie Bradford Curlee, of the Tupelo Convention and Visitors Bureau, insisted we could not go without brunch at King Chicken Fillin' Station.  

We arrived early. As we looked around, we did not hold out much hope of a fine meal as it was, in fact, a filling station, gas pumps and all, plus an Elvis theme. 

Mural at the Filling Station

Inside it was basic brightened by painted ceiling tiles starring chickens, 

Tupelo

 and Elvis.

The brunch menu consisted of the darnedest concoctions we had ever encountered with fried chicken, eggs and biscuits as the basis for most. With some trepidation, I ordered Love Me Tender: an open-faced honey butter biscuit, fried chicken, smoked bacon, sausage gravy, white cheddar cheese and fried egg. Debi chose A Hot Mess: open-faced honey butter biscuit, sausage, smoked bacon, fried egg, peppers and onions, sausage gravy, roasted jalapeno hot sauce, white cheddar cheese.

A Hot Mess

Love Me Tender

The verdict: delicious.

All Elvis fans and those driving the Natchez Trace Parkway should consider an overnight stop in Tupelo.