Potawatomi

Now the question is: Can you feel it in January in Wisconsin? Now can you tell if the quiver is from the cold or because you have a little bit of the Elvis spirit in you? If you are a true Elvis Tribute Artist or a true Elvis fan, the only place to show your stuff, and have a great time, is at Milwaukee’s own Tribute to the King Contest. The contest, in honor of Elvis’ birthday, is a four-day event and, for the past two years, I have been blessed with the opportunity of planning and organizing it. Little did I know that our 2003 event would not only be enjoyed by me and local Elvis fans, but by ETAs and fans from across the country.

The 2003 contest brought in Elvis Tribute Artists from far-reaching states such as Florida, Texas, Illinois, Wisconsin, Arizona, and Nevada. They came to the first official Tribute to the King Contest, and had a great time at it. With winners such as: Ryan Pelton, Jesse Aron, Travis Morris, and Irv Cass, and headliner Garry Wesley, it truly was a world-class event. Do you feel bad that you missed out on it? Never fear, there is another Tribute to the King Week on the horizon. Now, with the second annual contest and show coming up I am looking forward to welcoming back both Elvis Tribute Artists and fans. I am also looking forward to all of the people the 2004 week will bring in.

The Tribute to the King week is filled with several rounds of competitions. There are preliminary rounds for our ETA’s at Noon, 2:00 pm, and 4:00 pm. Next, each evening the daily finalists will compete on stage before our headliner ETA Garry Wesley with DJ Fontana and the Jordanaires. However, on the final day of the event there will be a last chance round for all remaining competitors who have not advanced during the week. The winner from each evening and the Last Chance Round winner will move on to the Grand Championship that evening to compete. The Grand Champion finishes up the contest singing with the Jordanaires and DJ Fontana and taking home a grand prize of $10,000.

It really is a great event to participate in as an Elvis Tribute Artist and also as a fan, voting for your favorite. So pack up the car, grab your sideburns and head to Milwaukee. Come celebrate Elvis’ birthday with “A Tribute to the King”.