Nearly 50 years after Elvis Presley’s death, a group of boys and teens performed at the Tupelo Elvis Festival’s youth tribute artist competition on June 4, 2026, in Tupelo, Mississippi. The performers, who ranged in age from 7 to 17, wore jewel-studded jumpsuits and danced to Presley covers to keep the singer’s music and image visible to younger audiences, AP reported.
The competitors said they are tribute artists rather than impersonators, aiming for authenticity in voice, mannerisms and style. AP observed that some wore costumes created by B&K Enterprises Costume Co., which is licensed to recreate Presley’s outfits for films and stage productions. “We’re not trying to be him,” said Tucker Gladden, 17, of Madison, Mississippi. “We want to recreate the experience as much as we can for people that maybe didn’t get to see Elvis in their lifetime.”
Several performers said the 2022 film Elvis sparked their interest, while others traced their admiration to distant family connections, Presley’s faith and charity, or early childhood performances. Sixteen-year-old Ayden Maloy of Logansport, Indiana, said Presley’s music helped him through a difficult time and led him to begin performing as a tribute artist three years ago. “I just broke down in tears because it healed me,” Maloy said.
The afternoon drew applause, sing-alongs and swaying from the audience. AP reported that 14-year-old RJ Hursey of Bloomington, Illinois, won the youth competition. Hursey said he practices daily, performs at nursing homes and assisted living facilities, and hopes to one day appear in a remake of an Elvis movie. “It’s humbling,” he said.
While in Tupelo, the young performers toured the Elvis Presley Birthplace complex, which includes Presley’s birth home and the church where he first heard Southern gospel music, AP reported. “It feels so surreal to pay tribute to Elvis in his hometown,” said 15-year-old Charles Session of Morrilton, Arkansas. “I hope that he’s looking down and smiling at all these young performers.”
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
