The honour of performing in the Elvis Gospel Service at the 30th Parkes Elvis Festival was so special for Ian Harris he wasn't singing anywhere else so he could save his voice.
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The Elvis Tribute Artist from Kyabram, near Shepparton, was Parkes' first Elvis gospel singer, becoming part of the event in 2003, and he's just about to turn 80.
He stepped out on the main stage in Cooke Park before a crowd of thousands on January 8 wearing a white jumpsuit Parkes couple Elvis and Debby Lennox made for him and sang 'How Great Thou Art'.
Ian had always planned to attend the 30th anniversary of the festival but wasn't expecting to appear in the gospel service until the reverend who started the event and was in town too for the 30th anniversary, Tom Stuart, and festival director Tiffany Steel got in contact with him.
"I did have a few nerves this time," Ian said, who's been an ETA since the early 2000s and is known as the Ghost of Elvis.
"We did the rehearsal back in the Uniting Church and it was just wonderful, it was fantastic.
"It made my whole festival - both (singing in the birthplace of the service and on stage on January 8).
"And meeting up with people I haven't seen in a long time... I haven't seen Tom since the last service he did here (in 2013).
"Down at the main stage, it was 'wow-wee'!
"It was big when it was in the carpark and it's even bigger in the park."
Of course the gospel service looked very different in 2003 - initially held in the Parkes Uniting Church, then moved to the Big W carpark before outgrowing those locations and moving to the park.
Ian attended his first Elvis Festival in 2002, going to Gracelands and entering the singing competition and won.
"Mind you there was only four or five of us in it, nothing like it is today, and I was 20 years younger," he laughed.
But after that he was talking to Reverend Stuart and the idea for an Elvis Tribute Artist to perform at the gospel service, which began that same year, emerged.
"Tom said 'let's organise it for next year'... They only had themselves performing at the 2002 gospel service," Ian said.
"Of course it's grown and grown, and now there's many Elvis'.
"What Tom's done... he's done so much, it all started with him... He's a champion."
Ian last attended the Elvis Festival in 2019 and remembers how large the numbers were then.
"I felt like the numbers were down this year," he said.
"But there's been a pandemic, there's been floods and the cost of fuel is through the roof."
But Ian would be correct in comparing this year's numbers with those of 2019, since that was the year the festival had a record crowd of 27,000 fans.
Organisers have estimated 25,000 people turned out for the 30th anniversary, of course not a record but certainly up there among the best attended festivals.
Check out our full coverage of the Parkes Elvis Festival over the five days when the town and fans celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2023. It can all be found in the Elvis Festival section on our website:
We've also marked the milestone with a special series of stories that show just how far the festival has come and the people who've made it what it is today.
Check out the series here:
- Where it began: Founders reflect on Elvis Festival's incredible evolution 30 years on
- Elvis Festival was hands-on for locals 'but we loved it', says daughter of founders
- Parkes Elvis Festival nearly 'lost forever' after seven years, now it's almost 30
- Elvis really does live in Parkes and he was our first look-a-like winner
- John's secret identity as our first Elvis sound-a-like winner a secret no more
- Unique and with potential: Kelly's crucial role in saving festival and taking it to the next level
- McGraths quietly working away behind festival curtains for 30 years, now their kids are too
- Kristy and her team doing their part for Elvis Festival because she says it's important
- Praise be for 30 years of Elvis Festival as Gospel Service comes of age
- Others may have thought they were fools to rush in dressed as Elvis but rugby boys started a movement
- Meet Parkes' first Miss Priscilla as festival turns 30 and competition marks 16 years
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Christine Little
I love sharing people's stories, particularly local stories that are special and important to the people of Parkes. If there is one thing I have learnt in my 10 years of community journalism, it's that stories are everywhere. All it takes is a good story teller to make it worth reading. Email: christine.little@parkeschampionpost.com.au
I love sharing people's stories, particularly local stories that are special and important to the people of Parkes. If there is one thing I have learnt in my 10 years of community journalism, it's that stories are everywhere. All it takes is a good story teller to make it worth reading. Email: christine.little@parkeschampionpost.com.au
