Before we dive into today's article, I want to put a quick disclaimer out there. I know this topic is bound to cause a bit of a stir, but first and foremost, my goal is always to support ETAs. I'm absolutely not here to bash any one person or tear down a specific contest. Instead, I want this to be a platform for open discussion about the tribute world where performers can actually be heard. Please keep in mind that the thoughts, experiences, and opinions shared in today's ar

I’m tired of tiptoeing around the elephant in the room. Before I get into this, let me be perfectly clear: I am not disparaging any winners or contestants, I am not writing on behalf of any one particular ETA, and I am not writing about any one specific event. This is a topic that comes up repeatedly, and nearly every tribute artist I’ve spoken with agrees. We need more transparency with scoring. Now, this might not seem like a huge deal on the surface, but hear me out. If yo

At the Illinois Elvis Festival, I was doing my thing, chasing down every pair of sideburns and black pompadours in sight, when I saw a young man in a blue jumpsuit. Like a networking shark, I made my way over to him and introduced myself. His girlfriend, Anessa, was with him, and we began chatting. Imagine my surprise later that day when they introduced a talented young man onstage and Jackson walked out. He sang a duet with Cote Deonath and completely blew my mind! My jaw hi

While conducting interviews for this blog, I often ask the artists who they think I should talk to next. I can't even tell you the amount of times I heard "Tyler Christopher, I love that guy!" And after spending time chatting with Tyler myself, I can confidently join that chorus. Whenever his name comes up in conversation now, I’m right there saying it too. It isn't just his fellow ETAs that love Tyler—the fans feel the exact same way. In the Tupelo competition earlier this y

Listen to episode 236 featuring me here! I was at the Illinois Elvis Festival last month, watching the competition, when they started introducing the judges. When they got to Scott Williams, he was introduced simply as the CEO of the Discovery Park of America. I sat there feeling a bit confused. What in the world is the head of a museum doing at an ETA contest? Naturally, I started doing some digging. That’s when the lightbulb went off, and I realized: I HAVE GOT TO TALK TO T

We're taking another trip across the pond for this interview! Today’s feature takes us all the way to Scotland to spend some time with an incredible Elvis Tribute Artist, Sam C. I have to admit right off the bat, when I first learned where Sam was located, my speech-to-text software practically started sweating. Modern AI technology and a rich, authentic Scottish brogue don't always see eye-to-eye, turning my transcript into a hilariously scrambled guessing game at first. But

It's always a fun experience talking to people on the other side of the world. Charlie Hurst took the time to chat with me all the way from Manchester, England. We were having a bit of a heat wave over here at the time, and I expressed my total dislike of southern summers. Charlie will actually be experiencing those southern summers himself very soon, as he'll be visiting Memphis in August. He's also planning a visit to Florida, which I joked was basically "Australia light" w

This is basically me in the audience The big day had finally arrived: the very first Ultimate qualifier for the Illinois Elvis Festival! Five of "my boys," as I call them, were competing, so I had a lot of cheering to do. Taylor Salamon's girlfriend, Sophia, wanted to get good seats, so I met up with her to watch the first round. For some reason, I couldn't find Mat's official picture The first competitor was someone I've seen before and was excited to see perform again: Mat

Saturday morning rolled around, and I was pretty much bouncing off the walls with pure excitement. And why, you ask? BECAUSE I WAS FINALLY GOING TO SEE DEAN Z PERFORM! Seeing Dean perform live has been at the absolute top of my bucket list for what feels like forever. Branson is a bit too far for me, and since that’s where he performs most of the time, I wasn't sure if I'd ever get the chance to catch his show in person. My mom and I got to the venue super early, despite alre

I just got back from the Illinois Elvis Festival, and honestly? What. A. WEEKEND! My heart is still full, my feet are still tired, and my brain is still trying to process all the incredible music. Fun fact, Collinsville, Illinois is actually known for being the home of Brooks Catsup. The city is so devoted to their hometown condiment that their water tower is a giant ketchup bottle. I’m not kidding. There used to be a ketchup festival, and I’m devastated that I was not aware

There is a very specific kind of magic that happens when a kid falls head-over-heels in love with the music of Elvis Presley. Usually, you can trace it back to a cool uncle with a massive vinyl collection, or maybe a parent who insisted on blasting "Suspicious Minds" during long road trips. But every now and then, the origin story of an Elvis Tribute Artist defies the usual family-tree trajectory. For Christian Parson, the spark didn't come from his household at all. It came

Pull up a chair and let me tell you about the time a fifteen-year-old completely knocked my socks off. I was hanging out at the Nashville Elvis Festival this year and watching the final round of the competition. At one point, the announcers mentioned they were going to let a young kid sing. I smiled, thinking, “Oh, that’s sweet, they’re letting a young fan have a moment on the big stage.” Then they added that this teenager had already raised thousands of dollars for St. Jude

If you see Jim Barone's name attached to a show, you're in for a treat! He's been in this industry and taking home first place trophies since 1993. It's been ten years since he competed in Memphis, but thanks to his win at the Niagara Falls Elvis Festival, Jim's in the running for the Ultimate title! Being an Elvis Tribute Artist is a full-time gig for Jim, and his calendar stays absolutely packed with regular shows, as well as a rather surprising career in…construction? Jim

I always feel a bit weird sliding into a tribute artist’s inbox. It usually feels a little like saying, "Hey there! Would you like to video chat with a total stranger for an hour and tell me all the personal details of your life?" You just throw that message out into the digital void on the off-chance it actually gets read, half-expecting it to end up in the spam folder or buried at the bottom of a completely bottomless inbox. I figured it couldn't hurt to try anyway, so I sh

I have to tell you, spotting an Elvis Tribute Artist in the wild is a lot like playing a high-stakes game of "Where’s Waldo?" if every single person in the crowd was also wearing a striped shirt and a beanie. I was at the Nashville Elvis Festival specifically looking for my Facebook friend, Derick Culver, and the degree of difficulty was high. There are jumpsuits as far as the eye can see. But as it turns out, Derick is one of those lucky few who looks pretty much the same in

We’ve all been there—you pick up a hobby just because your partner is obsessed with it, thinking you’ll just be the supportive plus-one. But then, the obsession takes root, and suddenly you’re the one staying up until 3:00 AM researching trivia while they’re fast asleep. That is exactly how Cece Glamour found herself in the orbit of Elvis Presley. Her boyfriend at the time was a massive fan, and Cece, naturally curious, wanted to know what all the fuss was about. When she dis

Usually, when I sit down with a young Elvis Tribute Artist, I hear a very specific origin story. It’s almost always some variation of: "I saw the movie, my soul left my body, and I immediately bought a jumpsuit." So, when I sat down with Jeffrey Jones—the 31st ETA I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing—and he mentioned watching the recent Baz Luhrmann flick, I thought I knew exactly where the conversation was heading. I braced myself for the usual "it changed my life" speech.

Pull up a chair and grab your ibuprofen, because I have a story that is going to make you feel a mix of "wow, I’m getting old" and "the kids are actually alright." We're kicking off a brand-new segment called "Elvis: The Next Generation," where I get to chat with the kids keeping the King alive. Honestly, I don’t know what they’re feeding kids these days, but when I met 14-year-old Zack Maddox at the Nashville Elvis Festival, I didn’t just meet a rising star- I had to literal

We all have that one "Elvis origin story," that specific moment when the music of the King of Rock and Roll finally clicks and shifts from background noise to life-changing soundtrack. For Dan Fontaine, that story is a family heirloom, passed down through a mix of rebellion and cultural shockwaves. It actually starts with a bit of a family divide: Dan’s grandfather was a diehard Johnny Cash man who absolutely hated Elvis. Because of that, Dan’s father grew up in a house where

It is fascinating to think about how much of a cultural earthquake Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis movie caused. When Austin Butler stepped into those boots, he didn't just recreate a legend; he sparked a brand new generation of fans and tribute artists. It was the catalyst that changed the trajectory of so many lives, and that is exactly how Bobby D found his way to the jumpsuit. It’s funny how a single moment of chance can shift your entire world view. Bobby: This was the first tim