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I wasn’t able to attend the Elvis Birthday Tour last year, so I was excited about going this year. I actually was at all the shows. That was possible because I was Shawn Klush’s assistant for both weekends of the tour.
It was the 18th annual Omar Presents The Elvis Birthday Tribute Tour. The show included the legendary DJ Fontana who has participated every year since the start of the Birthday Tour, The Sweet Inspirations (Estelle, Myrna, and Portia), Shawn Klush, Ryan Pelton, Justin Shandor, Dan Lentino and the Fabulous Ambassadors Elvis Tribute Orchestra and promoter, Omar Farag, and his associate, Ms Terry Ann Defenser.
Omar and the entire cast were committed to bringing the fans the best Elvis Show possible. The longevity of the show speaks volumes for the quality of the show. The cities included in the tour this year were Aurora, Illinois; Merrillville, Indiana; Cleveland, Ohio; Indianapolis, Indiana; Cincinnati, Ohio; and Louisville, Kentucky.
DJ and his wife, Karen, being on the tour was a special treat for me. I hadn’t seen them for about a year and a half. DJ played the drums and did a question/answer segment for the show. The fans love DJ and it is easy to see DJ enjoys spending time with the fans chatting, taking pictures, and answering questions about his time with Elvis. Thank you DJ and Karen Fontana for all you give the Elvis world.
I met the Sweet Inspirations for the first time during this tour. They are wonderful, talented, sweet ladies with awesome voices. I understand why Elvis loved them. I had a lot of fun chatting with each of them. Estelle Brown’s stool actually slid off the back of the riser on the first day of the tour, breaking her wrist in 4 places on the final number of the evening but she was on stage the next night singing and grooving. What a trouper! The girls sang backup vocals for Ryan and Shawn and performed their hit song ‘‘Sweet Inspiration’’ and ‘‘Amazing Grace.’’
Justin Shandor presented the early ‘50’s Elvis and movie years. For his ‘50’s set, he wore gold lame and sang That’s Alright Mama, Don’t Be Cruel, Heartbreak Hotel, and other ‘50’s songs. Justin’s movie set included Girl Happy, Return To Sender, Come On Everybody, Viva Las Vegas, and Unchained Melody which received a standing ovation each night of the tour. Justin has a great voice and is very energetic on stage. All I can say is “look out Elvis world.” This young man is coming on strong!
Ryan Pelton did a GI set, a leather set, and a gospel set. Ryan wore the army outfit, black leather, and the white suit from the NBC ‘68 Special. His songs included GI Blues, Frankfurt Special, Teddy Bear, the ‘68 Medley with Trouble introduction, Jailhouse Rock, the ‘68 Gospel Medley, and If I Can Dream. Ryan is a handsome, sexy guy who possesses an uncanny resemblance to Elvis. He is very dynamic on stage and drives the girls crazy.
Shawn Klush portrayed the Elvis Concert years. Throughout the tour he wore the powder blue, the Cisco Kid, and the Conquistador jumpsuits. You could feel the excitement in the audience when the band started to play 2001. Shawn would enter from the back and come down through the audience. The audience let him know they loved it by whistling, yelling, and applauding. Shawn sang See See Rider, I Got A Woman/Amen, Hurt, Johnny Be Good, Walk A Mile In My Shoes, My Way, How Great Thou Art, and many other concert songs. Shawn is the closest in concert to Elvis anybody will ever see on stage. He commands the stage and his presence is very impressive, powerful and inspired. When he is done with his last song, you think WOW! He had the audiences going wild -- they cried, laughed, sang and believed that they had just come as close as they possibly could to seeing Elvis live in concert. This should be a ‘‘must see’’ event for any Elvis fan.
Omar Farag and Dan Lentino should be commended for presenting such a high quality show. The Elvis Birthday Tour is a show all Elvis fans should see.
I was tired when the tour was over but I truly enjoyed playing a part in it this year. I also got to see some old Elvis friends I hadn’t seen in a while and got to meet many new Elvis friends. Thanks Omar and Dan
Terri Mueller
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