Fourth Annual NC Tribute to the King
Tribute Weekend Celebrates Lexington’s Lasting Elvis Connection
LEXINGTON, N.C. – What started by happenstance nearly 70 years ago has turned into a decades-long connection between the city of Lexington and the King of Rock ’n’ Roll.
NC Tribute to the King — three days of professional tribute concerts and a competition for amateur performers — celebrates Lexington’s enduring tie to Elvis Presley, April 25-27.
Presley appeared at the Lexington YMCA in 1956 as a lesser-known replacement for an ailing Eddy Arnold, who was originally scheduled to perform. The concert sold out. Four years ago, the city decided to honor that fortuitous event with North Carolina’s first Elvis tribute festival.
“This event really ties back to Elvis’ original rise to the top, and Lexington was a part of that,” says Morgan Brinkle, director of Visit Lexington, NC, which organizes the event.
Concerts take place Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m., followed by a gospel concert Sunday at 1 p.m. Three professional Elvis tribute artists — Alex Mitchell, Dwight Icenhower and Travis Powell — will be in town for the weekend and perform at all three shows.
A native of Shelby, Powell has been performing Elvis’ music since he was 4 years old.
“Anywhere you go that has a historical connection to Elvis, it means a lot to us as performers,” Powell says. “To be in the same town and walk the same streets and go to places he may have visited, it’s one of those deals where you get chill bumps when you think about it.”
On Saturday morning, 10 up-and-coming Elvis tribute artists will compete for first, second and third place, as well as cash prizes. This year’s contest prohibits contestants from singing Elvis’ No. 1 hits. This stipulation stiffens the competition by requiring performers to dig deeper into the Elvis archives and diversifies the song selection, which makes the show more interesting for attendees.
All performances take place at the Edward C. Smith Civic Center on Main Street. The location makes it easy for attendees to stroll, shop and dine throughout the pedestrian-friendly uptown area.
“Some people have experienced Lexington for the first time at the Elvis event and then come back throughout the year,” Brinkle says.
For Powell, NC Tribute to the King is another avenue to spread the King’s story.
“We know we aren’t Elvis and there won’t be another Elvis,” Powell says, “but we try to keep the music alive and give people a window where they can think, ‘Maybe this is what it was like to see him.’”
For tickets and info: www.VisitLexingtonNC.com/nctributetotheking or (336) 236-4218.