Southwest Virginia native named ultimate Elvis tribute artist in the world

A Southwest Virginia native has officially been named the ultimate Elvis tribute artist in the world. 

10 News introduced you to 21-year-old Taylor Rodriguez from Goode last month. This weekend, he won the 2019 Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest, held at Elvis Presley's home in Memphis, Tenn. 

For his final song, Rodriguez performed "The Impossible Dream," bringing home the big win.

Rodriguez’s passion for Elvis began when he was 9 years old, after dressing up as the King for Halloween. Since then, he has mastered the legend's iconic looks over various time periods, as well as his moves and some of his famous songs.

"There was something about Elvis that really stuck. It was his performance, his charisma... to his signature dance moves. Just everything about Elvis captured my attention,” Rodriquez said.

He took home $20,000 along with a one-year contract with Elvis Presley Enterprises.


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