Elvis tribute artist prepares for Augusta concert

AUGUSTA, Maine (WABI) - ”I put the needle on the record and I was hooked.”

Like so many fans, it only took Jessi Mallory once to hear Elvis Presley to become an instantly become a lifelong fan.

“My mom gave me my first Elvis record when I was four, I believe. And it was Elvis was golden records. And I remember I hadn’t seen him before. So the only picture I had of him was on the record itself. And I thought man, he looks pretty cool,” describes Mallory.

Pretty cool is what her fans are also saying about her latest gig. That’s because this Bangor-native has made a career out of paying tribute to The King and soon she’ll be recreating his only show performed in Maine in the exact same arena on the anniversary of his death.

“Which is really special because that was his only main appearance was at the Civic Center in Augusta so nervous, excited.”

That excitement about Elvis and the power his music has to captivate audiences for decades led her down a path that just seemed meant to be.

“It started as a goof! I dressed up for Halloween, as all of us to try to win a contest that everybody’s like, wow, you know, that’s pretty convincing,” explains Mallory. “And then I was like, ‘Well, I’m a singer. So you know, let’s give it a try. And growing up listening to Elvis all my life that kind of came natural.”

Ten years ago, it became clear to her that this needed to be a full-time commitment in her life when she realized how important his music is to her.

“In 2013 I was diagnosed with cancer, and I was getting treatment. And I remember getting chemo and looking out the window and thinking you know, when I get out of this, if I get out of it, I want to do something that I love and something that brings happiness to other people. And I decided that this was it.”

“He was just the kind of conduit I needed to reframe my thought process and try to make others happy to um, it makes me feel really really honored and it gives me a sense of purpose.”

And once she was able to she never looked back. Performing any chance she gets all over Maine and beyond, recording her own album and even gaining an international fan base.

Now, she has a lot to celebrate personally;

“I’m cancer-free!”

And professionally.

On Tuesday, Jessi will celebrate Elvis during the ultimate tribute; a night one could say she’s prepared since the moment she heard him sing for the first time when she was just a little girl.

“No matter how big or small the crowd is. I can’t imagine I get to feel what he felt on a really small scale. And I would hope that he knew the happiness he brought everybody but in that way, and like I said, I feel it in a really small, much smaller way but it does make me feel good. It makes me feel like I’m accomplishing something with my life.”

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