From the moment the first sustained note is played from the
theme to “2001 Space Odyssey”, goose bumps begin to form and anticipation heightens. During that nearly 2 minute musical
introduction, your imagination runs wild.
You begin to believe that Elvis Presley is going to walk out
on the stage.
It wasn’t “The King” in persona that appeared but the looks,
the moves, and the voices presented by the top ten finalists was nothing short
of stunning. Last evening was the
culmination of a three-day event to honor Elvis and his music and to compete
for the coveted title of “2018 E.P. Expo Tribute Artist Champion”.
In preparation for the event, the venue at the Quechen Casino in Yuma, Arizona was
transformed to accommodate three jumbotrons, hundreds of lights, state-of-the
art sound systems and a plethora of cameras.
Before entering the theater you are greeted by a display of Elvis memorabilia including jump suits, photos and some of his favorite jewelry. Once inside there is plenty of opportunity to purchase books, tapes, photos, jewelry, etc. Be aware of your surroundings as you might just encounter Elvis. I spotted him buying jewelry.
The first hour was a “Live for TV” production featuring the
outstanding talents of three prior winners - Jacob Roman 2013 Champion, Jay Dupuis 2014
Champion, and Bill Cherry 2009 Champion.
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| Bill Cherry |
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| Jacob Roman |
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| Jay Dupuis |
During that hour you are transported back, via
the use of multimedia footage, to the life and times of Elvis. Starting with his earliest high school days,
then moving to his military days and finally ending with his final concert appearance in 1977. It brought back a flood of emotions.
Jacob Roman, Bill Cherry and Jay Dupuis each represented a different era of Elvis’s life, complete with the look, the dress and the songs. Both Bill Cherry and Jay Dupuis have gone on to perform in
Las Vegas, most notably in “Legends In Concert” at the Flamingo, the longest running show in Las Vegas history.
After a short intermission the top ten finalists entertained
the audience with two songs each. The styles,
the dress and the looks all varied but each one did a fantastic job. Now it was time for the judges to announce
the winners.
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| The ten finalists |
My second place pick pulled off the win and received the $2,500 prize money.
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| WINNER! On the left in the blue jumpsuit |
It was truly an outstanding evening of Elvis music and I
hope to attend a similar event in the future.
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