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Elvis Presley was born Jan. 8, 1935 in this two-room shotgun house built by his father, Vernon Presley, in Tupelo, Miss. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Elvis’ 76th birthday celebration to be ‘low key’ in Tupelo

Tom Hoepf
Tom Hoepf

Elvis Presley was born Jan. 8, 1935 in this two-room shotgun house built by his father, Vernon Presley, in Tupelo, Miss. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Elvis Presley was born Jan. 8, 1935 in this two-room shotgun house built by his father, Vernon Presley, in Tupelo, Miss. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
TUPELO, Miss. (AP) – Edison Pena, the rescued Chilean miner with a passion for Elvis Presley songs, will be taken on a private tour of the King’s birthplace Sunday as part of Tupelo’s celebration of Presley’s 76th birthday.

Dick Guyton, executive director of the Elvis Presley Memorial Foundation, tells the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal that fans will be served birthday cake and punch Saturday at the Elvis Presley Birthplace and Museum.

“We expect it to be a low-key day,” Guyton said. “It’ll give us an opportunity to visit with folks.”

Guyton said Pena’s visit to Elvis’ boyhood home in east Tupelo comes as part of his participation in events at Graceland on Saturday in Memphis, Tenn.

During his months underground, Pena jogged to music by the King of Rock ’n’ Roll and led the other miners in Elvis sing-alongs.

“We’ll be happy to show him around,” Guyton said.

Presley was born in Tupelo and moved to Memphis when he was 13. Presley died at Graceland on Aug. 16, 1977, and is buried in a small garden on the grounds.

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Information from: Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, http://www.nems360.com

Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

AP-CS-01-05-11 0403EST

ADDITIONAL IMAGES OF NOTE

1957 Jailhouse Rock publicity photo featuring the film's star, Elvis Presley. Source: Library of Congress.
1957 Jailhouse Rock publicity photo featuring the film’s star, Elvis Presley. Source: Library of Congress.
Elvis Presley was born Jan. 8, 1935 in this two-room shotgun house built by his father, Vernon Presley, in Tupelo, Miss. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Elvis Presley was born Jan. 8, 1935 in this two-room shotgun house built by his father, Vernon Presley, in Tupelo, Miss. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.