Elvis tribute comes to Uptown Lexington
The streets of Uptown Lexington were overflowing with excitement this past weekend, as die-hard fans packed the Smith Civic Center to pay tribute to music legend Elvis Presley at the “3rd Annual NC Tribute Festival to the King.”
The tribute festival featured three days of nothing but Elvis, as headliners and competitors shared the stage bringing with them their own energetic renditions of decades of hits. The competitors ranged in age from 10 to 60 and tracked from across the nation to take part in the tribute festival.
Formerly known as Elvis impersonators, many performers now prefer to be referred to as Elvis Tribute Artists (ETA)
{Image: Clarence-Vernon Hargrave/Davidson Local} ETA Rick Brooks strikes a classic Elvis pose as he greets fans during intermission at The”3rd Annual NC Tribute Festival to the King” in Lexington, NC.
Both the performances and the appearances of the ETA at the tribute festival were uncanny. The passion that the ETA portrayed with each gesture closely mimicked the mannerisms of Elvis. It was evident that each ETA looks at what they do as a carefully studied craft. These talented performers included:
Headliners:
Dwight Icenhower - Florida
Taylor Rodriguez - Virginia
Travis Powell - South Carolina
Nick Perkins - Los Angeles
Jordan Poole - Georgia
Competitors Main Division:
Rick Brooks - Sophia, North Carolina
Grey Galloway - Sevierville, Tennessee
Robert Hill, Jr. - Raleigh, North carolina
Maxlee James, Conway, South Carolina
Doug Jarrell - Denton, North Carolina
Christian Parson - Gillsville, Georgia
Austin Pugh - Lansing, Tennessee
Robert David Whitson - Erwin, Tennessee
Jake Williams - Kerneck, Texas
Big “Little King” Youth Division:
Preston Adams - Jonesville, North Carolina
Aiden Joiner - Pell City, Alabama
Dorian Mathis - Lake View, South Carolina
{Image: Clarence-Vernon Hargrave/Davidson Local} Fans of all ages pack the Smith Civic Center for the “3rd Annual Tribute Festival to the King.”
On each day of the tribute the ETA performed two separate Elvis songs which ranged in variety and spanned numerous eras and genres. You would have thought that the auditorium was transformed back in time as ticket holders sang, bopped along to the music and expressed their excitement. From Boomers to Gen Z, you could not decipher who was having the most fun.
{Image: Clarence-Vernon Hargrave/Davidson Local} Joy Sapp of Savannah, GA was the most fashionable in her custom Elvis garb at the “3rd Annual NC Tribute Festival to the King” in Lexington, NC.
In 1956 Elvis performed in Lexington at the gymnasium of the YMCA to a standing room-only crowd of nearly 5,000 fans, with over a thousand having to turn away at the door. This concert carries the lure of an urban legend in Lexington as numerous stories and conversations can still be generated just by its mention.
The Lexington Visitors Center https://www.visitlexingtonnc.com was inspired to create the “NC Tribute Festival to the King” in 2022 after receiving positive feedback and an overwhelming interest from past Elvis events which they hosted. The emcee for the tribute festival was the whitty Dan Barrella, who entertained the crowd for the entire weekend and all of the artists were provided live, flawless accompaniment by the EAS Band.
The winner of the “3rd Annual NC Tribute Festival to the King” will travel to Memphis for Elvis Week in August 2024 to compete in the semifinal round being hosted by Elvis Presley Enterprises, where ETA from around the world will compete for their chance to capture the title of “Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist of 2024.”
Congratulations to the winners of the “3rd Annual NC Tribute Festival to the King.”
The winners are:
1st Place - Grey Galloway
2nd Place - Maxlee James
3rd Place - Rick Brooks
4th Place - Austin Pugh
5th Place - Christian Parson
Big “Little King” Youth Division Winner:
Aiden Joiner
Because the 1st place winner, Grey Galloway previously won an ETA competition which qualifies him to compete at Elvis Week 2024, the 2nd place winner qualified to compete in August as well.
Best wishes to all of the winners that will advance to the semifinals in Memphis this summer.
{Image: Clarence-Vernon Hargrave/Davidson Local} Christian Parson entertains the crowd of Elvis fans at the Smith Civic Center in Lexington, NC for the “3rd Annual NC Tribute Festival to the King.” He is accompanied by the EAS Band.
