Do folks in DFW still love the king? The king, as in “Elvis Presley,” that is. Event producers for the first ever Texas Tribute to Elvis Festival are hoping that there are still a lot of “love me tenders” between Presley’s memory and his fans.

The Texas Elvis Festival and Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist contest organizers are bringing the inaugural affair to Southfork Ranch from March 4-6, 2016, to the place where the television show “Dallas” was filmed, coincidentally a television show that Presley’s wife, Priscilla Presley, starred in.

“So there is the Elvis connection,” said Steve Horn, producer and organizer of the Texas Elvis Festival and president of Tees Events USA. “Elvis started out in Texas, so Texas is a good place.”  

The contest will also be a preliminary, leading up to the final Ultimate Elvis contest to be held in Memphis in August of this year. But, it won’t just be Texans vying for the chance to head to Memphis. Horn said that so far, there are Elvis Tributes coming from the USA, Germany, Switzerland, England, Hungary, Ireland, Canada, Brazil and Scotland. He said there will be fans attending from all over the world, too.

“This is our first festival in Texas, so hopefully there will be a couple of thousand or more attendees, but this festival will grow,” Horn added.

Of course, the competition will be stiff and the judges have been handpicked, all having been friends with and worked with Presley. Judges include Charles Stone, Elvis’s Tour Producer; Sam Thompson Elvis’ bodyguard; and Greg McDonald, Elvis’ friend, who is also the manager of Ricky Nelson and Mary Holladay from The Holliday Sisters - Elvis’ backup singers.

“My situation for becoming a judge in a contest is a bit different from most I think, as I worked with Elvis Presley and know exactly what to look for,” Stone said. “I do enjoy being a judge as seeing the talent of the guys entering the contests, in my mind, is what contributes to keeping Elvis’ legacy alive.”

Stone said when he judges an Ultimate contest that there are always certain things he looks for. The vocals, sure, but he said he also wants to see a respectable appearance and stage presence. 

The Texas Tribute to Elvis will also feature performances, so event goers will be able to not only check out the contest live, but also enjoy additional tribute artists during the three-day event. There will be conversations about Elvis where special guests are interviewed live on stage to tell their memories and stories, and there will even be an after show Elvis Disco with DJ Argo from Elvis radio for three-day ticket holders.

Elvis’ former girlfriend, actress/songwriter Linda Thompson, will take part in the “Conversations on Elvis” segment. The Blackwood Quartet will be performing over the weekend as well as the Holladay Sisters.

“Elvis is a worldwide phenomenon and 39 years after his passing, he is still an icon and always will be,” said Horn. “His music carries on through the generations. The Tribute artists do a fantastic job of keeping Elvis' music alive and bringing a taste of Elvis for those who have not been lucky enough to see Elvis perform live.”

Tickets for the Texas’ Tribute to Elvis Festival are $85 for one day and $185 for three-days, not including tax. For more details, visit www.texaselvisfestival.com.