The Sweet Inspirations were as talented as they were beautiful.

Here is Lady Luck Music’s pictorial account of the historic weekend in Ottawa, Ontario, June 27-29. Many of the pics are big, so if you are on a dial-up connection, it will take a while to load. At the bottom of each page is a menu to help you navigate through the pages. If you want to return to Elvis Tribute Artists Radio, just click on the logos in the top left hand corner of each page.
Below is a brief account of the event, but the real story is told by the many beautiful pictures taken by LLM’s Doug McCready and Patricia Parker.

What took place on Friday:
Opening ceremonies kicked off at 5pm on the Friday during a pre-game show at Lansdown Park. With 23,000 people in attendance for the Ottawa Renegades opening season football game, it was a warm welcome for all the Elvis entertainers who would be featured during the weekend's festival! The outdoor stage was set and the cast ready to make their first appearances. Backed by the ExSpence Account Show Band were the ETA contestants, "Kid Elvis" Paul Fracassi, John Loos, Paul Ross, Mike Morrissette, Marcus Wells, with special guest appearances by Ryan Pelton, the Jordanaires, Sweet Inspirations and host Al Dvorin. Shawn Klush was flying in from Vegas and unlike the spectacular "Flying Elvii" who dropped from the sky during the games half time, Shawn would rather save his spectular performance for when his plane landed and he was able to walk on to the stage Saturday night!
Afterward at the Marriott Hotel, fans gathered to enjoy a "Meet & Greet" and Karaoke night in the lounge/restaurant. ETAs continued to excite the audience with song and set the tone for a fabulous Elvis weekend. Autograph hounds teemed the stars, flashes from cameras constantly went off and Elvis fans were eager to hear the personal memories shared by some of Elvis' close friends. No one went to bed until the wee hours of the morning, and no one seemed to mind they had to wake at 8am Saturday to continue reveling in the festivities!

What took place Saturday:
am-
Vendors were all in place in the foyer of the arena, displaying a wide array of Elvis memorabilia including books about Elvis and books about ETAs! Contestants had been gargling for at least an hour before the 1st round of the ETA contest at 9am. Though it was an early call, all 14 did a great job. Here's who appeared: James Begley (Oshawa), Mike Bravener (NB), Larry Gold (Toronto), Mike Jay (NY), Shawn Rowan (Ottawa), Dan Burgess (Ottawa), Steve Rosati (Montreal), Armando Naftali (Montreal), James Brownrigg (Gatineau), Rob Moncreif (Peterborough), Dan Champagne (Cornwall), rocky Rivers (Ottawa), Scotty Davis (Montreal) and Nadia Alvista (Ottawa).

afternoon shows: Backed by the ExSpence Account Show Band, "Elvis On Stage" was to be re-created!

John Loos - The '68 Comeback Special: A fantastic performance! His raw energy captivated the audience just the way it did back in '68. John's show was very well executed, his vocals outstanding and his rapport with the audience very entertaining!

Paul Ross - That's The Way It Is: Performing songs from Elvis' last concert at the International Hotel in Las Vegas, Paul did an outstanding job, complete with authentic jumpsuit and powerful voice! He delighted the very appreciative audience and let them stroll down memory lane one more time.

Marcus Wells: A Moment With The King: A beautiful, enjoyable set to watch! Re-creating a typical pre-recording session rehearsal, sharing the Jordanaires' memories of working with Elvis and singing Gospel with them, was an absolute thrill for Marcus. His performance both alone and with the Jordanaires had the entire arena filled with deep emotion - a sensational performance!

As Al Dvorin brought the curtains down with his famous words "Ladies and gentlemen, Elvis has left the building", the fans couldn't wait for what was to follow in the evening's performances, as "Memories of Elvis - the Professional Showcase" would be unveiled!

Saturday night shows:
Highlights of Elvis' career included special guest appearances and commentaries by Al Dvorin, the legendary Jordanaires and the Sweet Inspirations.

Paul Fracassi-
Proceeds for the weekend's festival were all in profit of CHEO, the Children's Hospitals Of Eastern Ontario. It was therefore fitting that youth was represented not only in the audience, but on the stage. Canada's junior heart-throb, "Kid Elvis" Paul Fracassi, opened up the show and executed one heck of a dynamic performance! Clad in his 70's jumpsuit, accompanied by a darling little scarf girl, incredible stage presence and energetic delivery, Paul's show was well received by all!

Ryan Pelton -
The uncanny resemblance to the young Elvis of the 50's was none other than Ryan Pelton! Together on stage with the Jordanaires who performed back up, along with the joking and bantering between them and superb authentic re-creations of the vocals and stage presence - the perfect illusion was presented! The audience was totally captivated and more often than not, hysterical! Fans who had had the opportunity to see Elvis in the 50's, were reminded of the mania Elvis had induced - and the fans who never had that chance, now understood the magic Elvis had inspired! Ryan Pelton successfully re-created the marvelous era of the 50's!

Beads of sweat falling into Shawn Klush’s eye during his heated performance Saturday night.

Ryan Pelton Sunday afternoon re-creating the historic Elvis concert.

The Jordanaires were a big hit with the crowd!

Ryan during the“ army years” segment.

Jordanaires -
Adding to the magic were the Legendary Jordanaires! Exceptionally talented vocalists and recording artists in their own rite (Grammy winners, induction into the Gospel, CMA, NACMAI and Rockabilly Halls of Fame and numerous other awards), the Jordanaires had the audience awestruck as they performed by themselves in segments throughout the weekend and received many standing ovations! Especially touching were the stories they shared with the audience about their on and off stage memories of Elvis Presley. The praise and admiration shown towards on of the greatest legends of our time was sincerely depicted by the Jordanaires and appreciated by all who listened!

Shawn Klush:

Lights roved around the arena, the theme of 2001 Space Odyssey began to play, the charismatic deepn voice of Mr Dan Lentino made the introduction, curious murmurs were heard and heads turned to see a team of security guards escorting Shawn Klush down the aisle. Before he made it to the stage, shaking many hands along the way, the murmurs were replaced by a thunderous roar of applause! Shawn Klush, with the Sweet Inspirations providing back up vocal, re-created the magic of the Aloha From Hawaii Concert! Another authentic and fantastic performance! What a way to top off an incredibly entertaining day of events, and of course, what authentic "Elvis concert" could be complete without Al Dvorin, host of the show, bringing the curtains down saying "Ladies and gentlemen, Elvis has left the building".

Sunday:

The parade of antique cars filled with the stars of the shows strolled through the streets of Canada's capital city began at 9 am. By 10 am, the arena began to fill up to see contestants in the semi finals. The afternoon was filled with entertainment, beginning with the Historical Performance. Ryan Pelton starred in the exact re-creation of Elvis' 1957 Ottawa Concert, performing a 9 song set with the Jordanaires. Clad in the gold lame jacket, Ryan gave an electrifying performance and the audience was lost in time reliving the event.
Concerts by John Loos (One Night With You), Paul Ross (Elvis On Tour) and Mike Morrissette (Elvis In Concert), entertainingly followed suit. By 8 pm, the contest finals took place, winners (James Begley 1st - Dan Burgess 2nd, Scotty Davis 3rd) were announced and after the closing ceremonies of awards, credits and thanks to the artists and fans who attended and Al Dvorin bided everyone adieu until next year!