From Dick to Roy
Dick Guyton has been the executive director of the Elvis Presley
Memorial Foundation that has overseen the Elvis Presley Birthplace and Museum
in Tupelo for the last 20 years. At 82 he has decided it is time to slow
down. He started working at the Birthplace in 2002 (when the EPFCA
started to meet up.)
The Tupelo Convention
and Visitors Bureau several years ago did a study on people coming into
the city and it was estimated that the taxes that Elvis brings in is roundabout
R18 million each year in revenue for Tupelo. More than a million guests have
visited the Elvis Presley Birthplace and Museum since Guy came on board.
The new executive director is Tupelo's Roy Turner, an avid Elvis
fan and key to the writing of the excellent book Elvis and Gladys by Elaine Dundy, who dedicated the
book to Roy for his exceptional work.
In an interview Guyton said:
I have enjoyed every minute of every day. It has been fun and it's been a great ride, a real pleasure to serve the community as well as all the international visitors that we've had. Our board of directors have been looking to continue to improve the place but at the same time to keep it to how the fans want it to be, because that's what we're all about.
