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Meet the Boy King, aka Elvis imitator Sean Sharp
MARTY MINCHIN
Elvis' legacy is in no danger of dying out -- at least in Union County.
Sean Sharp, who's 7 and lives in Indian Trail, is an award-winning Elvis impersonator. He's already got four years of experience under his wide Elvis belt.
Sean's mom, Lynn, said she and her husband, Warren, like Elvis, one of man artists they listen to. As a baby, Sean often was rocked to sleep with Elvis tunes playing in the background.
When Sean was 3, he chose an Elvis costume out of a catalog to wear for Halloween. It arrived early, and Lynn and Warren let him put it on for an Elvis impersonator show they were attending, thinking lots of fans would come dressed like the king.
But Sean was the only one in Elvis attire. After the show, the Elvis impersonator told Sean if he came to another show, he'd put him on stage.
So the Sharps made sure to be at the next show at Ovens Auditorium, and Sean made his Elvis stage debut.
"It was just the guy on stage and my 3-year-old son," Lynn said. "We could just see there was something that changed in his eyes in that moment."
Four years later, Sean has won the youth division of Elvis impersonator contests in Cornelia, Ga., and Birmingham, Ala. He's a regular at area nursing homes, fairs and festivals.
Sean said his favorite Elvis song is "Jailhouse Rock." He has three Elvis suits -- a red one, a black one and a white one. His repertoire includes 16 songs, which he memorizes by listening to them over and over.
"He's got a fabulous memory for stuff like that," Lynn said.
He's also added Ricky Martin's "Livin' La Vida Loca" to his song list, and he sometimes throws the tune into his Elvis performances.
Sean's favorite part of being a young Elvis?
"Getting up in front of people and dancing," he said. He also consorts with fellow Elvis aficionados in the Elvis Fan Club of Matthews-Mint Hill, of which he is a member.
Sean, a first-grader at Union Academy, also likes Conway Twitty and Reba McEntire, but usually falls asleep at night to Elvis.
Sean will be performing several times in the upcoming months, and if you'd like to see his show he'll be at Monroe's Blooming Arts Festival at 12:15 p.m. Sunday and the Monroe Square Gardens Generations Fair at 11 a.m. on May 14.
You can keep up with Sean at www.seansharp.4t.com. |