Elvis at the Williamson County Fair
Twelve of the region’s best swivel-hipped, pouty-lipped hunks of burnin’ love will tear up the stage for a world-class Elvis Tribute Artists’ contest at the Williamson County Fair presented by Tractor Supply Company.
“Viva Las Franklin,” Saturday Aug. 4 at the Williamson County Ag Expo Center, is an official qualifying event for the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest to be presented by Elvis Presley Enterprises. The finals will be held in Memphis during Elvis Week August 11-19, which this year marks the 30th anniversary of the rock ’n’ roll legend’s death. First-round competitions are being held in 23 cities in the United States, Canada, England and Australia.
“This is an international competition, and we are so thrilled to have a preliminary contest right here in Franklin at the Fair,” says Fair Advisory Board member Diane Giddens, who is organizing the Fair event. “Nobody gets more excited than I do when you mention the name Elvis. I want this to be an entertaining night that will get everybody’s blood pumping the way it does mine.”
Limited-seating, reserved tickets for the 6 p.m. show, sponsored by Performance Builders. Inc. of Franklin, are available for $12.50, and include free admission to the Fair. Call 615-794-4386 or visit the Fair website www.williamsoncountyfair.org for information.
Aspiring “Elvi” at the Fair are especially fortunate in having Elvis’s very own legendary backup singers, The Jordanaires, performing with them, as well as the Dan Lentino Band. This Chicago-area group has been associated with Elvis Tribute Artist performances since the 1970s; Lentino was part of the film, “Legends in Concert.”
Twelve qualified contestants will be chosen to perform in the Franklin contest, which will be judged by a panel of celebrities, to be announced. Contestants will perform two songs and an additional song in the event of a runoff. Cash prizes will be awarded to the three top-ranked contestants. The overall winner will receive a $200 cash prize and a complimentary seven-night hotel stay in Memphis for the finals.
Contestants may enter in one of three categories: 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Only one winner, the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist, can move on to the Memphis finals. Download entry forms at www.williamsoncountyfair.org and return them to Williamson County Fair Association, P.O. Box 329, Franklin, TN 37064 no later than June 8. Contestants must also submit a Participation Release Form and include a $100 entry fee, a 30-minute video or DVD performance, a 100-word biography and a photograph.
