TUPELO, Mississippi — Two statues have been added to the Elvis Presley Birthplace that illustrate transformation of Elvis, the boy, to Elvis, the entertainer.
Collectively named “Becoming,” one statue depicts a life-size 11-year old Elvis sitting on a milk crate playing his guitar, while his audience is a larger-than-life statue of Elvis who has become the international superstar.
They tell the story of a boy who dreamed big dreams and had those dreams come true.
The statues were sculpted by Michiel Vandersommen who previously sculpted the “Elvis at 13” statue, also located on the birthplace grounds.
The statues are placed at the highest elevation on the property, a spot where Elvis played as a child with his friends. A walkway connects the rock amphitheater on the lower grounds of the birthplace to the statues and interpretive panels that explain the significance of the statues.
“Both figures represent a slice of life of the same man who came from humble beginnings,” said Henry Dodge, Elvis Presley Memorial Foundation chairman. “They illustrate the transformation from the boy to one of the greatest cultural icons of the 20th century.”
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