With Jumpsuits, Wigs and Dance Moves, These Young Boys and Teens Keep Elvis' Legacy Alive
The performers studied Elvis’s voice and style as 14-year-old RJ Hursey won the youth competition, organizers said.
- RJ Hursey, a 14-year-old from Bloomington, Illinois, won the Tupelo Elvis Festival's youth tribute artist competition last week, which featured performers aged seven to 17.
- Nearly 50 years after Elvis Presley's death, young performers are preserving his legacy through dedicated study, striving for authenticity unlike impersonators who present a characterized version.
- Ayden Maloy, 16, from Logansport, Indiana, said the music helped him through difficult times, while Charles Session, 15, from Morrilton, Arkansas, called it "surreal to pay tribute to Elvis in his hometown."
- Tucker Gladden, 17, from Madison, Mississippi, emphasized the performers' philosophy: "We're not trying to be him," aiming instead to recreate the experience for those who never saw Elvis live.
- Before competing, the young artists toured the Elvis Presley Birthplace, the complex where the late star was born and first heard Southern gospel music, deepening their connection to his legacy.
36 Articles
36 Articles
Los Angeles Times
Independent EspañolThis is what was seen in Elvis' youth tribute artists contest in Tupelo, Mississipi
Mississippi Today
DeSoto County NewsWith jumpsuits, wigs and dance moves, these boys and teens keep Elvis’ legacy alive
Audio recording is automated for accessibility. Humans wrote and edited the story. TUPELO — Nearly 50 years after the death of Elvis Presley, a gaggle of exuberant boys and teens shook up his hometown, intent on keeping the king’s legacy alive for a new generation. Ranging in age from 7 to 17, some in jeweled jumpsuits, they took the stage at the Tupelo Elvis Festival’s youth tribute artist competition last week. In this screenshot from video, T…
The Toronto Star
The Seattle TimesWith jumpsuits, wigs and dance moves, these young boys and teens keep Elvis’ legacy alive
TUPELO, Miss. (AP) — Nearly 50 years after Elvis Presley's death, a gaggle of exuberant young boys and teens shook up his hometown, intent on keeping the king's legacy alive
The Daily Advance
With jumpsuits, wigs and dance moves, these young boys and teens keep Elvis' legacy alive
A group of young Elvis Presley tribute artists, ranging in age from seven to 17, competed in the king’s hometown last week as part of the Tupelo Elvis Festival. Together, they donned jeweled jumpsuits and wigs, sang songs and found…
The Record
A new generation of Elvis tribute artists compete in the king’s hometown
TUPELO, Miss. (AP) — Nearly 50 years after Elvis Presley's death, a gaggle of exuberant young boys and men shook up his hometown, intent on keeping the king's legacy alive for a new generation.
Associated Press News
A new generation of Elvis tribute artists compete in the king's hometown
A group of young Elvis Presley tribute artists, ranging in age from seven to 17, competed in the king’s hometown last week as part of the Tupelo Elvis Festival.
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