THE KID THAT LEFT ME SPEECHLESS: An Interview With Dawson Horn

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 Children's Research Hospital. Okay, my interest was officially piqued.

Then he started singing.

I, along with every single other person in that room, had to physically pick my jaw up off the floor. I slowly turned to my mom, totally awestruck, and said, “When this kid turns eighteen, they may as well just hand him the Ultimate title.” Right then and there, I knew I absolutely had to talk to him. I started asking around the festival, and everywhere I went, I kept hearing the exact same refrain: “Oh, he’s just such a great kid!” Well, after sitting down to interview him, I can say that is the understatement of the century. I’ve done close to forty of these interviews by now, and none of them have ever left me completely speechless like this one. Dawson is, without a doubt, one of the most mature, humble, and big-hearted people I have ever had the privilege to meet.

It turns out his introduction to the King of Rock 'n' Roll started in his grandfather's truck. His granddad loved listening to a radio station called the '60s on 6, and a young Dawson was notoriously not a fan of the playlist. But then one afternoon, an Elvis song came on the airwaves. Dawson remembers thinking, "Finally! This is the first good song that’s come on this channel!" Like so many of us when we first start out, Dawson didn’t realize that this wasn’t just a random old song—it was an entire universe. He knew about the stereotypical Elvis impersonators, the exaggerated, campy impressions with the oversized pompadours and glittery sunglasses. But when he finally attended the Tupelo Elvis Festival, his eyes were opened to the true artistry of the tribute world.

That inspiration quickly turned into action. Every year, Dawson’s family hosts a fundraiser for St. Jude, and Dawson hit upon a brilliant idea: what if they put together a benefit concert to raise the money? They organized the show, and they didn’t just meet their goal—they completely smashed the financial target they had set for the entire year. That was the moment they realized they had found their niche. In a way, Dawson had been training his whole life for the stage, having done musical theater since the age of six.

The twist was that Dawson was only twelve years old when he started singing Elvis, meaning his voice hadn’t dropped yet. As you can imagine, that made certain eras of Elvis a little easier to tackle than others! But he took his musical studies incredibly seriously. He worked diligently not just to mimic the basic sound of Elvis’s voice, but to truly understand the mechanics behind it. He would listen to a track over and over, picking a song apart line by line to learn the exact way Elvis pronounced his words and twisted his vowels. That meticulous attention to detail is exactly what separates a good tribute artist from a genuinely great one. He wants to make sure he masters a song before performing it. 

Dawson: I’ve recently started doing “What now, my love?” And I’ve been working on that song for three months. I don’t think people realize how much goes into learning that song. The range is crazy and I wanted to make sure that I could do Elvis justice. When I first did it, the ending was too high for me and I had to learn to expand my range. It’s a song I really struggled with.

Me: That’s the song you struggled with? Really?

Dawson: Yeah, when I first started.

Me: Because you did “Unchained Melody” when I saw you and absolutely nailed it, but THAT’S the song you struggled with?!

Even with that powerhouse vocal under his belt, Dawson admits that “Unchained Melody” was initially a massive hurdle for him too. He first attempted it last year and mentioned having a bit of difficulty navigating the famous falsetto at the very end. But let’s keep some perspective here: he was fourteen years old! There are seasoned, professional tribute artists who have been touring for decades who still struggle to hit that note.

Dawson: You learn the songs, but you’re never going to be done. That’s how I look at it. There’s always something to get better at.

Honestly, that mindset is not at all what you expect to hear from a fifteen-year-old. He approaches his music with the eye of a true craftsman, constantly analyzing, breaking down the notes, and working to improve his vocal delivery.

When it comes to his journey in the tribute industry, Dawson credits the phenomenal Cote Deonath as being one of his absolute biggest inspirations. Dawson participated in the big Clambake event last year for the very first time, which features a wonderful mentorship program where the youth participants get to pair up with an established artist. Dawson had crossed paths with Cote at previous events and knew their personalities clicked. Because of that bond, they were able to work together seamlessly, especially since they both spoke the secret, shorthand language of Elvis fans.

Dawson: I could tell him that I wanted “Aloha” for “You gave me a mountain” and “That’s the way it is” for “Polk Salad.” And he knew exactly what I meant.

That is an aspect of the tribute world that a lot of casual listeners might not consider. Elvis famously sang the exact same songs several different ways throughout his career depending on the year and the venue. Dawson wanted to sing the specific arrangement of “You Gave Me a Mountain” from the iconic 1973 Aloha from Hawaii satellite special, and the heavy, funky version of “Polk Salad Annie” featured in the 1970 documentary Elvis: That’s the Way It Is. Cote caught the vision instantly. Dawson couldn’t say enough kind things about him, crediting Cote as one of the most genuine, down-to-earth people he has ever met, a true friend, and one of his favorite people.

As we kept chatting, I decided to throw a big-picture question his way. I asked him where he wanted to go with all of this. I made sure to tell him that at fifteen, I certainly didn't expect him to have his entire life mapped out, but I wondered if he saw himself pursuing a permanent career in music.

And this is where Dawson absolutely floored me.

Dawson: Well, I'd like to graduate high school and pursue this as a career. This is something that I think God has given me and blessed me with, not only the ability to sing like Elvis and know all these great people, but he's blessed me with a true opportunity, you know? He's blessed me with a platform that I can use to not only be successful in life and do something that I love, but to also have an opportunity to share the gospel. God has always been number one in my life. And this is something that I absolutely love doing, being on stage and performing, whether that's in a high school musical theater or doing my own shows. It's what feels right to me. I've got years ahead of me, but for right now, that's my plan.

My jaw was just hanging slack at this point. I started wildly applauding like an over-enthusiastic contestant on Family Feud. "GOOD ANSWER! GOOD ANSWER!" I mean, come on, this kid is fifteen! And he just calmly delivered the most humble, mature, and eloquent response I've ever heard. I was completely stunned, but he wasn't quite done knocking my socks off just yet.

Me: A lot of people, myself included, have said "hand him the crown." Does that feel like a lot to carry on your shoulders?

Dawson: I think the pressure is what makes it fun. If you've already made it, there's nothing else to have. You live for the pressure and the nerves, and you never get over that stuff. When we were at Clambake this year, I was shaking in my boots to do this one song. I never have stage fright; once I get on the stage, I'm fine. But before… but I think that's what makes it worth doing, you know? That's the special part of the show and that's what I live for. And I know people have their own opinions about me, and I have some people that don't like me but that's part of it.

Me: I have not run into any of those people. Everytime I mention your name, everyone's first reaction is "He's a great kid." I think that you should know that.

Dawson: Well, I appreciate that. And I think it's a huge honor for people to say that, and obviously there's a bit of a name to live up to, but I'm just enjoying it. I think there are some people who will get caught up in having that pressure on them and having to deliver and prove themselves. But I'm a very faith-driven person, and if God has plans for me, then I'm gonna let him take the wheel, you know? Whatever his plans are, I know I'm good, I'm covered. Whatever it is, whether I end up doing this as a career one day and being successful, or whether I don't and he has other plans for me, it's alright. I'm 15, in 80 years I won't be here anymore. I know there's something after this and that's what's really worth it, you know? If you get to do something here on Earth, that's awesome, live it up! But knowing there's more coming, and something that is so much more special and so much more awesome than what we have here…whatever God has planned for me, I'll trust him. I hope it's this, because it's what I love. I know God, and he's got it covered.

I was so profoundly astounded that I was just gaping at him in total shock. Have you ever met one of those rare people in life where you just know deep down in your soul that they are destined for great things? That is exactly how it felt to listen to Dawson speak. I felt like I was sitting across from someone who is truly here to leave a permanent mark on the world. It was almost surreal because it makes you wonder how on earth a teenager can possess that much deep, grounding wisdom. He is clearly someone who is here for a very special reason. Once I finally managed to close my mouth, we continued the interview, where my flabbers proceeded to be thoroughly gasted.

With their past three fundraising shows, Dawson and his incredible family have raised over $20,000 for St. Jude. Yes, you read that right. That is the correct number of zeroes. Twenty. Thousand. Dollars.

Dawson: I have three more years of high school, my goal is to raise $10,000 each year, so when I graduate I'll be able to say I've raised $50,000. This year, it'll be July 25th here in the New Albany high school auditorium. It's really cool to see my hometown coming together to help out. If it's not a school event, you usually have to rent out the auditorium. We were doing it at the Magnolia theater, but we've outgrown it. We were ok to rent it, if it came down to that, but they've allowed us to have it for free. We keep nothing from these shows. We've started having a live band and they play for free. Every single cent we make from the St. Jude show is donated.

I checked in first to make sure it wasn't too personal of a question, but I had to ask him if there was a specific reason their family chose to support St. Jude. He told me that a close family friend's daughter was diagnosed with cancer when she was just six years old. Today, that little girl is completely cancer-free, and her family never had to pay a single cent for her lifesaving treatment. That beautiful miracle is the driving force behind why they work so hard to raise this money. It is just incredibly moving.

At this point in the conversation, I was actively trying not to cry, so I pulled a quick 180-degree turn and asked him what it's actually like balancing life as a fifteen-year-old Elvis tribute artist.

Me: So you play football, right?

Dawson: I'm a varsity football player, yes ma'am.

Can we just pause for a second? He is so phenomenally polite!

Me: This is very "Glee" with musical theater and football.

When it comes to his peers at school, Dawson says they don't necessarily make fun of him for his unique passion, but they don't fully understand it either. However, now that Dawson is earning a stellar reputation and making a massive splash in the tribute community, his classmates are starting to realize that there is a whole lot more to this craft than simply putting on a jumpsuit and crooning a few old tunes. But Dawson is also very clear that he doesn't want to be pigeonholed into just being "the Elvis guy." He is a beautifully well-rounded kid—he's an athlete, a dedicated stage performer, and first and foremost, a devout Christian. Before we wrapped up our conversation, he left me with one final, mind-blowing piece of wisdom that I think we all need to hear.

Dawson: You gotta have love for people, you gotta have love for God, but you've also gotta have love for yourself. If you don't love yourself, then you don't have number one covered. You have to be happy in your own shoes and not afraid to be who you are.

Leaving our conversation, I couldn't help but feel a profound sense of hope. In a world that often rushes teenagers to grow up for all the wrong reasons, Dawson Horn is growing up for all the right ones—anchored by faith, driven by a desire to help sick children, and possessing a vocal talent that absolutely commands the room. Whether he’s rocking a varsity football jersey, commanding a musical theater stage, or channeling the King of Rock 'n' Roll in front of a packed auditorium, Dawson is entirely comfortable in his own shoes. If this is what the future of the tribute world looks like, we are in spectacular hands. Keep your eyes on this young man, folks; he isn't just chasing a crown, he's building a legacy of kindness, and he's just getting started. And props to his parents for raising such an incredible young man.

Tickets to Dawson’s St. Jude concert can be found here

Dawson’s instagram

Dawson’s fan page