Tupelo Honors "Most Famous Son" with Festival

Warren Wilson The Downtown Tupelo, MS., Main Street Association presents the third annual Elvis Festival this weekend, June 1 - 3, offering two stages of live music, among other events, in recognition of The King’s legacy. "Tupelo is the birthplace of Elvis Presley, and the festival is a tribute to honor Tupelo’s most famous son," said Jim High, assistant director of this year’s festival. High emphasized several changes in this year’s celebration, most notably a move to early June from August and an admission fee of $10 per day to the formerly free festival. "It’s kind of hard to put $150,000 worth of music and stages on the street for free," he said. Scotty Moore and D.J. Fontana, two of Presley’s original band members, will play with Ronnie McDowell, and Jerry Lee Lewis, Marty Stuart and R.L. Burnside will also perform as will Travis LeDoyt, a young Elvis performer/impersonator. Events will begin at 5 p.m. Friday and the music will be on two stages off Front Street, downtown. The festival will commemorate Presley’s earlier music, another change, said Malcolm White, talent buyer and production coordinator "What we try to promote is Elvis during what we call the 'Tupelo years',from his birth until 1956, and the early rockabilly he played," White said. Presley’s first concert at the Tupelo fairgrounds was in 1956, and this weekend's music represents his country, blues, and gospel influences, the early rock music of the 1950's, and the legacy of those influences. The Kudzu Kings and the North Mississippi All-Stars, two younger Mississippi bands, will be playing this weekend and are part of that legacy, White said. The festival will close with a short ceremony and gospel music Sunday afternoon, but plenty of non-musical activities will take place over the weekend as well. These include a movie poster show featuring original posters of all of Presley's 33 films in the mall at Barnes Crossing, and also bicycle races, a pet parade, the "Walk a Mile in My Shoes" charity walk, and a recliner race. For a complete schedule of events, visit www.tupeloelvisfestival.com