Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest Brings the King to Life
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If you happened to be in downtown Tupelo in June 2007 and thought you saw Elvis, it wasn’t your imagination. In fact, you probably saw dozens of Elvis impersonators.
That’s because the first-ever Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest was held during the 10th-annual Tupelo Elvis Festival in 2007, with 35 contestants decked out as the King of Rock ’n’ Roll.
“The first year was really great,” says Debbie Brangenberg, festival director for the Tupelo Elvis Festival. “Attendance for the weekend was 9,200. We had contestants from 15 states and five foreign countries.”
Contestants were judged on vocals, appearance, performance, stage presence and overall tribute to Elvis. The first-place prize package included the opportunity to compete in the Elvis Presley Enterprises-sponsored Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Qualifying Rounds in Memphis, a cash prize, lodging for seven nights in Memphis during Elvis Week, a guitar from Tupelo Hardware Co. (where Elvis got his first guitar), a commemorative plaque and a library-size bronze statue of Elvis identical to the life-size statue at the Elvis Presley Birthplace.
Brandon Bennett of Ponchatoula, La., won first place and went on to make the top 10 finalists at the Memphis competition in August 2007.
The second annual Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest returned to Tupelo in June 2008.
“We feature different things each year,” Brangenberg says. “This year featured the 2007 Tupelo winner and the 2007 Ultimate Tribute Artist Winner from Elvis Presley Enterprises.”
Legendary artists who played with Elvis also appeared at the festival in 2008, including D.J. Fontana, Elvis’ drummer for 14 years; The Stamps Quartet, the gospel group Elvis worked with; and Sweet Inspirations, who sang backup for Elvis.
For information on the 2009 festival, visit www.tupeloelvisfestival.com.
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Story by Jessica Mozo
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