Elvis tribute artist contest in Gatlinburg

The Elvis Entertainment Network (EEN) held an Elvis Tribute Artists contest this past weekend at Lou Vuto’s Reflections Theater in Gatlinburg. According to Nance Fox, EEN President, the Network, which is the only all-Elvis booking agency in existence, holds approximately 30 contests a year in countries all around the world. The winners of these contests are then eligible to compete in the annual “Worldwide Images of the King” contest in Memphis during Elvis Week. The EEN Vice President of Events, Ronnie Craig, acting as Master of Ceremonies introduced the 19 contestants. Craig, a veteran entertainer himself, opened the show with a great sounding song of his own. He said that though there was not a lot of room backstage in the theater, the performers work good-naturedly as a team, encouraging each other with compliments. He added, “It’s a brotherhood of guys, we all have a love of Elvis as a common bond.” The Elvis tribute artists, also known as “Elvi” (plural of Elvis), wore bright colored jumpsuits, leather jackets and bright suit coats with black slacks. The contestants varied in many ways, short and tall, heavy and thin, young and old. They all had black hair and sideburns. They came from many states, New York, Texas, Illinois, Florida, Alabama, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and North Carolina, as well as from Tennessee. Fox said, “They are really nice boys - it’s just a job for them. When my husband was ill with a terminal disease a few years ago, these boys came and mowed my lawn, cleaned out my gutters, and would get my husband out on the porch and sing to him to distract him from the pain. They were great!” Winner Dwight Icenhower from Dexter, Ohio received a $2,500 prize. Icehower came in second at the 2004 Memphis Worldwide Images of the King Contest. Icenhower said, “My mother, an Elvis lover herself, got me started when I was younger.” He added, “I wish that everyone knew that Elvis Tribute Artists are different from Elvis impersonators. We don’t think that we are Elvis, we take it seriously as a tribute to an artist that we love, there is a big difference.” Icenhower, a music major in college, can play most musical instruments. He said that he performs full-time and that Elvis Tribute Artists can make anywhere from $40,000 to $100,000 annually if they are good. Icenhower also noted that every year the crowd at Graceland gets younger, “50% were in their early thirties to fifties.” Fox noted that a new remix of “The Jailhouse Rock” by Elvis, has been number one on the charts in England for the past two weeks. She said, “They release them one at a time over there, because they are such great hits!” A highlight of the contest was the fact that two of Elvis’ old friends were present as judges. Patty Perry, the only female of the “Memphis Mafia,” and a dear friend of Elvis, came all the way from California to act as judge. She had tears in her eyes after the program as she hugged the different impersonators and told them she thought it was wonderful they were so remembering a man that she loved. Doc Livingston met Elvis after selling him a couple of Cadillac’s. He ended up hanging out at Graceland as a friend. Livingston was the other Elvis friend that acted as judge for the contest. The auditorium filled with people of all ages. It was a common sight to see women go to the front of the stage to be handed a slender silk scarf by the Elvis Tribute Artist. The crowd clapped vigorously for the various performers, and yelled out in approval at some of the “hip-moving agility” the performers displayed. One of the guests said it well, “We all have a great time! This is something that all ages can enjoy that is part of our American culture.”