This week has been rather crazy, but so, so fun. I refer to my classes at College for Kids, where we presented a play about Elvis. It is amazing how my 8 to 11 year old students knew all about The King of Rock-N-Roll, but they didn’t know his life as a child.

The play, which I wrote several years ago, “Elvis Sings Old Shep” told of the time when eight year old Elvis sang as a contestant for a talent competition sponsored by a local radio station in Tupelo, Mississippi. The announcer pulled up a chair for Elvis to stand on so that he could reach the mic.

When I was a lad

And old Shep was a pup

Over hills and meadows we’d stray

Just a boy and his dog

We were both full of fun

We grew up together that way.

It was said that the crowd went crazy with applause and whistles. The announcer asked Elvis to come sing whenever he could for the radio audience. And he did.

But he didn’t win, actually he placed only fifth in the competition, but this week as the students and I discussed the crazy fact that even though Elvis Presley was not a winner for his first public appearance, he didn’t give up. That’s important.

In the play, the mother of Elvis, Gladys, plays an important part as his encourager. Also his church family at the Assembly of God Church supported him throughout his childhood years. The church was an important part of his life.

We Mississippians take special pride in all of our native sons and daughters. It just goes without saying that in Mississippi our family ties are as strong as our hearts are generous and loving. Just maybe, our hearts are attached to each other in a way that the other residents of our world can never comprehend.

With the foundation of a Mississippi family and church deeply rooted in his youth, Elvis was indeed set apart from the rest of the world, as with many who live in the south. We try harder, love deeper and persevere.

Oh, I remember fondly the shakes and shimmies of a rocking Elvis whether he was scolding a hound dog, bogeying around the jailhouse or be-moaning a “hunk-a-hunk of burning love.” He was our fellow Mississippian, our Elvis, a bundle of jiving talent in the overkill mode of an over-talented artist lost in his own creation of entertainment. He could bellow the croons of the lovesick as well as exclaim his joy over blue suede shoes! I believe that he never really understood the admiration and commitment of his fans. You could read it on his face – that unbelieving grin. The grin seemed to say, “Hey, I’m just a Mississippi man here to make music.”

I also remember and have read about the storm of his overnight popularity. That storm ignited into worldwide fame which admired his unique talent along with acknowledgement that this man really sang from his heart. Multi-talented in every area of music but (to me) I could see his deep personal feelings as he dug deep into his soul to sing the old familiar spirituals of his upbringing in the hills of northern Mississippi.

My best memories of Elvis are attached to his gospel music and this week in Act II of our play, we sing Amazing Grace as if we are right there in the Assembly of God Church in Tupelo, Mississippi. The choir is there, the pastor and music director and of course, Momma Gladys, all there to support their favorite soloist.

But what about his childhood, his influences and mentors? It is true that so many fans do not know. This week, 24 elementary-age students were introduced to Elvis, who was just a Mississippi kid, who wanted to sing. The final line in this week’s play, “And the rest is history.”

Anne McKee is a Mississippi historian, writer and storyteller. She is listed on the Mississippi Humanities Speakers Bureau and Mississippi Arts Commission’s Performing Artist and Teaching Artist Rosters. See her website: www.annemckeestoryteller.com.