A five-year-old boy found his passion last year at the Collingwood Elvis Festival, and it was a gold ring that started it all.
Spencer Young discovered Elvis Presley when his grandma took him to last year’s festival.
The Wasaga Beach boy and his grandma watched Elvis tribute artist (ETA) Roy LeBlanc perform. LeBlanc is considered a legend among his peers, and is one of this year’s headliner performers.
LeBlanc gave Young one of his “Elvis Rings” and the little boy was hooked.
Since then, he’s watched every Elvis Presley documentary he could get his hands on, and he’s learned to sing and perform some of his favourite Elvis songs, including Hound Dog, All Shook Up and Blue Suede Shoes.
Now six years old, Young is the youngest tribute artist at the Collingwood Elvis Festival and a competitor in the youth division.
His favourite thing about Presley?
“He has cool suits,” said Young.
The young ETA performed Blue Suede Shoes wearing a white jumpsuit and gold-framed shades, and backed by world-renowned ETA backup band the Casino Brothers.
“I like the tune of it,” said Young.
His white-blond hair was sprayed black.
Dad John Young said it took three cans of black hair spray to get it to look like Elvis’s.
This was Young’s first performance on stage.
He said it “felt good.”
He’s planning on continuing as an ETA in the years ahead.
