Elvis Tribute Artists battle it out for the crown at Tupelo Elvis Festival
The event celebrates the legacy of Tupelo's most famous son
TUPELO, MISS. (WCBI) – Teenage Elvis fans Elizabeth Thompson and Lexi Scott were front and center at the finals of the Elvis Tribute Artist contest.
Elizabeth and Lexi host an Elvis-related podcast called “Double Trouble.” And even though they are only 15, they look forward to festivals honoring the original American Idol.
“It is like a family, you can go to a festival and make so many friends, it is like a community,” said Elizabeth.
“It is such a special thing, when you gather a bunch of people who enjoy Elvis and his music, you have something to talk about, and from there it just grows,” said Lexi.
Many fans said they admire Elvis’s well-known generosity.
“You can still feel that today, and when you hear people’s stories, it touches your heart. Even though Elvis is not here anymore, you can still feel that,” said Sophia Johnson of Minnesota.
“This is the hometown, this is the birthplace. It is the heart of everything,” said Raleigh Hinton of Georgia.
And the tribute artist competition is always a fan favorite.
“Everyone loves his music so much and he did it in such a style that is only true to him, so even though they are not him, to get a piece of that, it is cool what these guys try and give the audience,” said Alex Wells of Tennessee.
This was Jordan Poole’s third time to enter the Tupelo competition. He said taking the top spot in Elvis’ hometown is a dream come true.
“Like they say, Memphis is one thing, but Tupelo is another, this is where it all started and I come here, never with intentions of, you want to win but my main thing is I love this town, this festival,” Poole said.
With his win in Tupelo, Jordan Poole will now spend the next couple of months, getting ready to represent Elvis’ birthplace at the ultimate competition at Graceland..
There are concerts and other events throughout Tupelo’s Elvis Festival. For more information, go to tupeloelvisfestival.com.
