Elvis returns: United Way kickoff
By Becky Barclay
Published in News on August 23, 2015 1:50 AM
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News-Argus/MELISSA KEY
Stephen Freeman gives Linda Smith a kiss as he opens his Elvis tribute at the Paramount Theatre Friday evening. Sitting next to Ms. Smith is the woman who takes roses to each year's concert and gives them to Freeman. He calls her "Firecracker," but says firecrackers are illegal in North Carolina.
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News-Argus/MELISSA KEY
Members of The Hitmen of Goldsboro perform a cappella songs as they take the audience on a musical journey through time. They were the opening act for the Elvis Tribute, which kicks off this year's United Way campaign.
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News-Argus/MELISSA KEY
Stephen Freeman performs "All Shook Up" during his Elvis tribute show at The Paramount Theatre Friday evening. The concert kicked off this year's United Way campaign.
Debbie Snyder closed her eyes and concentrated.
As the music filled her ears, she was transported back to the day when she heard the real Elvis Presley live in Las Vegas years ago.
But the man on the stage for the fifth annual United Way of Wayne County benefit concert was actually Elvis tribute artist Stephen Freeman.
Freeman even looks so much like the real Elvis that she had to remind herself throughout the show that it was actually Freeman, Mrs. Snyder said.
The concert, which officially starts this year's United Way campaign, was held Friday night at the Paramount Theatre.
This was the fifth time Freeman has brought his Elvis show and the Echos of a Legend showband to Goldsboro for the kickoff.
He keeps coming back for several reasons.
"It's a great venue," he said. "And it's for a great cause. We always have a fantastic crowd, always energetic. We have several who have been here each and every year. It's kind of like a homecoming for us."
Freeman likes what United Way does, too.
"A lot of people work really hard to raise that money," he said. "Especially in these times, people don't give as much as they used to. It's harder to generate all that money. But the need is certainly out there. United Way is a good organization."
And although Mrs. Snyder has come to multiple shows that Freeman has done, she never tires of hearing him sing and seeing him dance -- just like the real Elvis.
"Stephen knows how to sing," she said. "He looks a lot like Elvis with his mannerisms. He's got the moves down."
Her friend Dottie Morgan has been to all five of Freeman's shows here.
"The first year I came because I love Elvis," she said. "He's fantastic. I think he's very humble. I don't think he realizes the talent that he really has. I grew up with Elvis. I saw him the year before he died in Fayetteville. I took my mother and she was in her 60s. I thought she was kind of old to go but she was into him also."
Accompanying Mrs. Snyder and Mrs. Morgan was Bonnie Crouse. It was her fourth year.
"My mom was an Elvis fan and she got me into Elvis," she said. "He was awesome. You close your eyes at Stephen's concert and you think you're actually listening to the real Elvis."
Rounding out the quartet was Norma McDonough, who' had been only once before.
"I fell in love with Stephen," she said. "I saw the real Elvis when I was in San Francisco. This one is just awesome. I'll be back."
Opening for Freeman was Goldsboro's own The Hitmen, a group of six men who sing a cappella. They have been together about 10 years.
"A couple of us knew each other," member Teague Horton said. "We had done a cappella before, and we realized we were bored and wanted to sing again."
The Hitmen perform at various charity events, weddings, church socials, parties and more.
"We are here tonight because we love to support to community," Horton said. "We felt like this was a perfect way to give back to the community."
The six men took the audience on a musical journey through time, starting with the 1950s' "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," moving on with James Taylor's "How Sweet It Is" and "Time of the Season" by the Zombies and ending with a hit from today, "Happy."
"We love to sing," Horton said. "It's a total natural high. There's nothing like live performing. The audience gives as much to us as we give to them."
During the benefit concert, this year's United Way campaign chairman Justin McLamb gave a short presentation, saying the campaign is off to a great start.
He said the frontrunners have already raised 22 percent of the goal of $1.18 to improve 5,260 lives of Wayne County people. Frontrunners are companies that run their campaigns early to set the pace for the overall campaign.
This year's frontrunners are the city of Goldsboro, Cooper Standard Automotive, 3HC, Daniels and Daniels, The Little Bank, Franklin Baking and Turner Equipment Co.
"I think United Way is doing a great job," McLamb said. "You can't go anywhere else in the county and be able to reach so many areas of the county."
McLamb sees firsthand how United Way funds help the local community, being vice president of the board for the Boys and Girls Club of Wayne County.
"The club is a large recipient of United Way funds, and I can see the impact United Way has by being involved in this organization. Now that I've been involved more in the past few months with United Way, I feel drawn toward improving as many lives as I can within the county, and United Way is a great way to do it."