Experience won the day for Collingwood’s Elvis Tribute Artist competition this year.
Tim E Hendry won the pro-division competition and will go to Memphis for his ninth attempt at Ultimate Champion.
“I’m feeling so many emotions … the biggest is relief,” said Hendry.
He dedicated his win to his father, Diamond Jim Hendry.
“I have two heroes, Elvis Presley and my father,” said Hendry. “This one was for [my dad].”
Hendry won the Collingwood Elvis Festival competition in 2010, and competed last year, but didn’t finish in the top three. He sang My Way and Polk Salad Annie for this year’s Grand Final round in Collingwood at the Eddie Bush Arena.
“I wasn’t on my game,” he said. This year, he said he tried hard to “behave” and made sure to drink only water and go to bed early.
Hendry admires Elvis Presley for his humanitarian work and for being the “best performer ever.”
His plan for the competition in Memphis is to do what he can do.
“I try to portray Elvis’ music in a respectful way with integrity and a lot of class,” said Hendry, adding his favourite part about being a tribute artist is the fans. “I tell the guys all the time, those are Elvis’ fans out there and we’re here to help them.”
Hendry gave a nod to his competition and said everyone brought their A-game for every round.
In the amateur division, champion Pete Doiron’s win was 24 years in the making. He competed at the first-ever Collingwood Elvis Festival and the London native has come back to the festival numerous times since in search of a title win.
He said this year a costume change pushed him over the edge.
“It’s my first year wearing a jumpsuit,” he said. “This is exciting, it’s sort of like the monkey off your back.”
Doiron said he’s a fan first and a tribute artist second. He does it because he loves Elvis Presley. In the grand finale, he performed Johnny B. Goode, and Please Release Me.
“It’s always stiff competition no matter what, the tribute artists put their heart and soul into it,” said Doiron, who is headed to the Tweed Elvis festival later this year.
In the youth category, Connor Russo reigns again for the fifth time as Collingwood’s youth champion tribute artist.
Russo performed Jailhouse Rock and Power of My Love, in a leather jacket and pants.
He said he loves the community and friends he meets as a tribute artist. Russo is from Toronto.
The Elvis Tribute Artist competition took place at the Eddie Bush Memorial Arena on Sunday, July 29 starting at 2 p.m. Each of the grand finalists had to perform two songs for the judges and an audience.
The results were as follows:
Pro-division
1. Tim E. Hendry
2. Sylvain Leduc
3. Michael Cullipher
4. Jesse Aron
5. Garry J. Foley
Amateur division
1. Pete Doiron
2. Dennis Chambers
3. Spencer Bristow
4. Frank DiRienzo
5. Berry Chumbley
Youth division
1. Connor Russo
2. Aaron Gallant
3. Rowan McLellan
