The intensity of the criticism that now followed Elvis wherever he went was matched only by the intensity of the adoration he commanded from his audience. “Hound Dog” went on to top the charts in the US for eleven weeks, selling over ten million copies globally.
On September 26, 1956, he returned to his birthplace, Tupelo, where he received a hero’s welcome and was given the key to the city by the local mayor. Elvis was the star attraction at the Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show. Town leaders proclaimed the day was Elvis Presley Day in Tupelo. His parents joined him for the two performances he gave that day. Among the audience was a 14-year-old Tammy Wynette, and 100 National Guardsmen were on duty to control the crowds and protect Elvis. However, one female fan still managed to storm the stage before any of them could react.
Elvis performed:
- Heartbreak Hotel
- Long Tall Sally
- I Was the One
- I Want You, I Need You, I Love You
- I Gotta A Woman
- Don’t Be Cruel
- Reddy Teddy
- Love Me Tender
- Hound Dog
News cameras captured the afternoon show, and the footage is readily available on YouTube.
It was a triumphant occasion. Today, a statue of Elvis stands in the park where the shows were performed, depicting him as he reaches out to the screaming audience.
