LIMESTONE COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT) — Good music transcends age and life experience, with a unique capability of bringing people together, and a teenager from North Alabama is taking classic songs and playing them for his generation.
15-year-old Mason Lee loves music, especially the classics.
“I play the piano, bass guitar,” Lee said. “I play the guitar. I play alto saxophone in the band. I play tenor sax, bass clarinet in the band, and I can play a little bit of the drums.”
He has a particular appreciation for the music and performance style of Elvis Presley. He describes himself as a tribute artist.
“You do kind of like what an impersonator does on stage, but instead of being exactly like him, you’re just trying to help keep the memory of Elvis alive,” Lee said.
Lee and his family visited Elvis’ home, Graceland, eight years ago.
“I’d never seen anybody doing anything like he was doing before, and I thought it was something special,” Lee said.
After that visit, Lee began singing Elvis’ songs. He returned to Graceland for camps that included opportunities to perform. This August, Lee was invited to take part in the first Junior Elvis Tribute Showcase. The performance was a part of Elvis Week, an annual weeklong tribute to Elvis held in Memphis around the anniversary of the singer’s death.
Lee said he intends to continue performing.
“A lot of it is just to keep his memory alive and hope that new generations hear his music and like his music and get into what he did,” Lee said. “Not just music, but how he gave to his fans and how he gave to people and cared for others.”
Lee is a drum major with the Ardmore High School Marching Band, and for this year’s show, he plans to bring some of his performance skills to the field.
“We’re doing a blended classics show, so we have Chuck Berry and Beethoven and AC DC,” Lee said.
He said, during the Chuck Berry portion of the show, you can expect to see a little rock and roll flair. The band’s first marching performance will take place during Friday’s football game.
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