Tupelo is “all shook up” with excitement for the King of Rock & Roll’s 90th birthday. Elvis Presley faithful young and old are joining in on the celebration – including the youngest of them all.
Newborn babies who enter the world this month at North Mississippi Medical Center (NMMC) Women’s Hospital are doing so in style as they don an Elvis-themed onesie that reads “I was born in the birthplace of Elvis Presley.” Around 200 babies are expected to be dressed in the festive, rock ‘n’ roll garb by the end of January via the partnership between the hospital and the Tupelo Convention & Visitor’s Bureau (CVB).
“We thought it would be the perfect opportunity to bring this collaboration back,” CVB public relations manager Samantha Nanney said. “We have the onesies for the babies born in the month of January and kick off our whole celebration Tupelo of 2025. We’re going to have monthly events across the whole town with iconic people and places. It’s a year full of celebration and we invite everybody. It’s going to be a party.”
As Nanney says, the town’s Celebrate Tupelo 2025 will cover the span of this year, with a flurry of monthly events, festivals, and other happenings paying homage to the north Mississippi’s rich history.
NMMC Women’s Hospital staff aren’t stopping at dressing the newborns in commemorative gear, either. Medical staff have been spotted in the hallways with Elvis costumes, lip sync competitions, and plenty of music.
Does all this mean some of the newest Tupelo natives will be named after the town’s most famous resident?
“They’ve got lots of inspiration today,” NMCC Vice President of Women’s and Children’s Services Ellen Friloux said with a laugh. “There’s a lot of Elvis tunes and Elvis impersonators walking around so you never know.”
Presley was born on January 8, 1935, in the now-famous small frame house in East Tupelo.
