A celebration of the Gulf South’s King of Rock and Roll

By Gulf States Newsroom staff

Published October 9, 2026 at 5:00 AM CDT

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Martha Crump (left) with her daughter at the Elvis ‘56 Anniversary concert in Tupelo, Mississippi, on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026. Crump attended both the 1956 concert and the 2026 recreation.

In this week's episode of the Gulf States Gumbo, community engagement reporter Elise Catrion Gregg hosts a double feature looking at how Mississippi celebrates Elvis Presley — Tupelo's native son and the King of Rock and Roll.

Joining her is Nick Perkins, an Elvis Tribute Artist and the 2018 champion of the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Competition at the Tupelo Elvis Festival.

This episode is hosted by Elise Catrion Gregg. The podcast is produced by Aubri Juhasz, Maya Miller, Drew Hawkins, Tanya Ott, Orlando Flores Jr. and Ryan Vasquez. Joseph King is our social producer. Nellie Beckett is our community engagement producer. Our theme music is by DJ Supreme.

To get in touch with the team, email connect@gulfstatesnewsroom.org.

And support our local station partners by donating to WWNO, WRKF, MPB, or WBHM.

Nick Perkins (center) performs as Elvis Presley to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the King’s homecoming concert in Tupelo, Mississippi, on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026.

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