Monday, October 13, 2008

Big Turnout for Local Hero who was more Important than "J. P."


Just received this photo of the parade down Main Street (also the highly trafficked US 78) in Tupelo when Elvis made his first visit to the Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show on Sept 26th, 1956. If you prefer, we just called it "the fair".

There is a story that then-governor J. P. Coleman was on his way to the fairgrounds in his state-owned Lincoln with his family. He got involved in backed up traffic behind the parade, and when some kids saw the car, they descended on it screaming and running. When they found out who the occupants were, they were disgusted, and said "Aw Heck, It's just the Governor"!

That was a day to remember!
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Click on image to enlarge

13 comments:

  1. That was a hot day in more ways than one.

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  2. I was to young to go to the Fair by myself then, but old enough to notice the 'shaking hips' of ELVIS!!!!!!!!! Wow, what a show!

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  3. I was to young to go to the Fair by myself then, but old enough to notice the 'shaking hips' of ELVIS!!!!!!!!! Wow, what a show!

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  4. Best dollar and a half I ever spent as a young girl!
    I thought I would die when he gyrated that body. He came so close to me, I tried to grab him, but he was too quick!
    Peggy

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  5. Lisa Marie presented the family with healthy twins. Rumor is that Michael J. is the real father.

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  6. I was 10 years old in 1956 and distinctly remember attending the Fair that day. In anticipation of what was an exciting annual event, I had earned about $15 picking cotton, mowing lawns and selling coke bottles. My brother (Gary) and I spent the entire day thoroughly enjoying the bumper cars, ferris wheel, spook house, and of course the food. When it came time for the Elvis show, I decided there was no way I would "waste" that much money to see some "singer". The irony is that more than twenty years later, and the year before Elvis died, I paid almost $100 for a pair of good seats to see him in Champaign, Il.

    Phil C

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  7. That day in Tupelo was my first live concert, and what a great introduction it was! After that I saw Elvis a couple of times in Memphis, but the best Elvis show I ever attended was in Las Vegas where my friends and I were "invited guests", which meant we didn't have to buy tickets and had front row seats. But no backstage passes, darn it.

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  8. Well gang, I was there also, Joe Grissom and I were not too happy about what was going on cause the girls were all acting crazy, I quess we were jealous and didn't enjoy the show as much as we should have-- Elvis was a very close friend with Billy Crabb who lived in East Tupelo and they went to school together, after school they would stop by my aunt Minnie Crabbs house and sit on the steps while she made peanut butter sandwiches---at that time I couldn't understand what all the hoo-haa was about. He was just like us yet everyone suddenly was crazy bout him--now you know "the rest of the story"

    John M

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  9. Hey, J.M.- living in Tupelo you are familiar with the businesses in the photo, I'm sure. I think you probably remember Olivia's Gift Shop in the upper left of the photo, maybe? She had the most complete line of HO model railroad stuff, and also flying model airplane kits, a wide variety of .049 to .49 gas engines, fuel (Power Mist was my favorite, Testor's was next), glow plugs, battery packs, control line and cable sets, and most especially plenty of wooden replacement props for my many nose-over landings.
    I spent quite a bit of time and money in there. It was a real pleasure to just browse thru.

    I remember that Arch and I rode to Tupelo once with my dad on his way to work at the Journal and he dropped us off there. I bought I believe, ten new props and broke several of them carrying them back home in my pants pocket. We came back on the "doodlebug" for 60 cents fare.
    And as it always was, those props didn't last long either with my poor landings!

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  10. Carl, I remember in 1960 several of my fellow ICC (IJC) students had a variety of small decals depicting flames, lightning bolts etc. decorating the dash of their cars.

    When I asked where they got them I was told that they came from model car kits from the same shop you mention.

    Seems they would have someone distract the clerk and open the kits and pilfer the pane of decals!

    If you ever bought a model kit that was missing the decals, you know why....

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  11. Carl, Being an old military type,I couldn't help but notice that the majorettes are not in step with the drum major and the rest of the band. I spotted at least one band member on the wrong foot also!

    Phil C

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  12. Phil, I didn't notice that they weren't in step or cadence! I only noticed what they were wearing (ha).

    Incidently, I have rarely seen Air Force personnel marching. Just kidding!

    Thanks!

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  13. Carl, when I was stationed at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio I used to visit a friend out at Lackland Air Force Base and I actually saw them marching, and in step!

    They did have odd colored uniforms though....

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