TUPELO, Miss. (WTVA) -- He may be known as the King of Rock and Roll around the world, but Elvis Presley came from humble beginnings.
Born in Tupelo, he quickly discovered a love and talent for music.
Two events Monday night tied all that together.
Officials say the lighting of the Elvis Homecoming statue in Tupelo's Fairpark District forever links the All-America City with the King of Rock and Roll.
"This statue recreates that iconic moment from 1956 when Elvis returned to Tupelo, on top of the world," Tupelo Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Neal McCoy said. "This just really hammers home that Elvis was the original 'American Idol' and he's from right here in Tupelo."
A stone's throw away from the statue, officials with the Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association unveiled the poster for this year's Elvis Festival and headliners for the June concert, another way fans of the King can get their Tupelo fix and share his love of music.
"Last year was record-setting for the Elvis Presley Festival. And we intend to set that mark again," 2013 Elvis Festival Festival Chairman Russell Conerly said. "We just keep increasing what we intend to accomplish, sustain and enhance the downtown experience."
Cowboy Mouth and Montgomery Gentry serve as the 2013 headliners.
Since Elvis himself played in Tupelo and struck that famous pose, no one as big as the King has played here.
Some fans say that could be an indication of just how significant he really was.
Jonesboro, Ark., resident David Smock said his reason for coming -- you might say -- was set in stone.
"Looking at the statue is like looking at a frozen moment in time," Smock said. "Being able to come here is like being able to go to that time, but having a brick here is like being permanently connected to that time and place."
