BMO in the MO’rning – Tupelo Mississippi’s own Elvis Presley was born today in 1965 and the world was never the same. If we were alive today he would have been 86 years old and one can only imagine the impact he would still be having on the world of music. Today on the show, I kick off the beginning of a weekend I never would have imagined could happen. If I had a “Bucket List” this would easily be in the top three, but to pull off in the way it is, is what makes this truly special.
First would be to visit Graceland, the second being to be at Graceland during Christmas and finally to attend the birthday bash celebration and knowing that I’ll get to combine all of those in this weekend has me excited to say the least.
As a fan, I often get asked “if I have a favorite song of his” and that’s like asking a parent “if they have a favorite child?” Each one is different but all are truly special. When I think of Elvis, I think of the showmanship, the passion for giving his fans everything he had to give and his generosity. To have the chance to step into the house he called his own, to see it as it was when he was alive will be a moment I don’t think I could ever truly explain. I do have however a favorite era of the man from Tupelo and it would be at the beginning. His return to Tupelo, the money it raised and the legacy he left is still felt to this day. I have been to his birthplace and while it was like so other many businesses and areas affected by COVID-19 closed due to health concerns, I was able to stand outside the house, see the church where as a little boy he’d sit and listen to the songs being sung and just let it sink in. I sat on what was once his front porch, along with that step at the church and while I hope to return once it’s open, to have the chance to enter his final resting place will bring it all full circle. As fans, there aren’t many chances to walk where your heroes once walked and to experience those steps from their first to where they took their lasts is well….is something I’ll experience and try to find words that do them justice tomorrow. Today BMO in the MO’rning shines a spotlight on one of Mississippi’s favorite sons and I hope I do him justice.
BMO
Going through some of personal audio, I have the radio interview from the benefit concert in Tupelo which you can listen to below.
