Tupelo's Icons and Innovators

Words by Visit Tupelo

Roy Turner, Executive Director, Elvis Presley Birthplace & Museum

Elvis Presley performed homecoming concerts in Tupelo both in 1956 and 1957. He gave the money from those shows back to the city so they could purchase the home where he was born and the 15-acres of land around it to provide a park for the children in east Tupelo. Roy Turner was one of those children. Today, Turner serves as the executive director of the Elvis Presley Birthplace & Museum, where he welcomes visitors from around the globe as they experience the humble beginnings of the world’s greatest entertainer. An Elvis historian, Turner has dedicated years to researching Tupelo’s favorite native and shares his knowledge daily in his “dream job” at the Birthplace of Elvis Presley. 

Jeri Carter, Owner, Queen’s Reward Meadery

What began as a hobby for Jeri Carter is now the first and only meadery in Mississippi. Jeri’s larger-than-life personality and penchant for storytelling brings patrons from far and wide to taste her small batch meads made with 100% Mississippi honey. Whether enjoying a tasting of the various mead varieties bottled on site or sipping on the latest mead slushie flavor on the vast lawn at Queen’s Reward Meadery in Tupelo, Jeri loves introducing visitors to Mississippi mead. Lovingly referred to as the Queen Bee, Jeri is a former kindergarten teacher turned mead maker whose passion for creating a quality product shines through every glass she shares.   

Adam Morgan, Owner, Blue Canoe

Adam Morgan has an ear for music and the patrons of Blue Canoe in Tupelo reap the rewards. Up-and-coming musical acts grace the Cathead Stage throughout the week while the kitchen serves up eclectic bar food and the best beer selection around. Morgan’s musical prowess has brought the likes of Gary Clark, Jr., St. Paul & The Broken Bones, and the Alabama Shakes to play Tupelo’s home for original live music. Great live music is a must in the birthplace of Elvis Presley and Adam Morgan is helping keep the city’s musical torch burning at his laid back, funky joint in Tupelo’s Barnes Crossing District. 

Cooper Miller, Chef, Forklift Restaurant

Chef Cooper Miller walked in to apply for a line cook position while in college and walked out as the executive chef. He quickly realized that he didn’t know what he didn’t know and promptly enrolled at Le Cordon Bleu Atlanta. Today, he is one of Tupelo’s top chefs and visitors flock to experience his culinary creations at Forklift Restaurant in the Jackson West neighborhood. Chef Miller’s expertly crafted southern food celebrates the flavors that make Tupelo unique and the restaurant’s craft cocktails provide the perfect accompaniment. Named 2022 Mississippi Seafood King, Miller represented Tupelo during the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival in both 2022 and 2023.