“An Evening with Roy & Friends" at the Ohnward Fine Arts Center -- December 31.
Tuesday, December 31, 7 p.m.
Ohnward Fine Arts Center, 1215 East Platt Street, Maquoketa IA
His touring act boasting beloved songs popularized by Roy Orbison, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Sam Cooke, & and the Belmonts, Conway Twitty, Ricky Nelson, and Bobby Darin, award-winning tribute artist Jesse Aron brings An Evening with Roy & Friends to Maquoketa's Ohnward Fine Arts Center on December 31, the New Year's Eve show taking audiences on a magical trip through time with some of the most legendary voices in rock-and-roll history.
A Wisconsin native and resident, Aron has been performing a tribute to Elvis Presley since 1997, entering his first singing competition in 2003 at Potawatomi Bingo Casino in Milwaukee. The performer won first place twice out of the week's four days, and since then, Aron has performed all over North America from Las Vegas to Texas to New York, also headlining at many different venues throughout Canada and the United Kingdom. Aron is the 2009 Images of the King World Champion and a four-time top-two finalist at the world’s largest Elvis contest in Collingwood, Ontario, Canada, the singer winning in 2013. The tribute artist is also recognized by Elvis Presley Enterprises and earned a spot in the E.P.E.-sponsored Ultimate Tribute Artist Contest semi-finals six times since the event's inception.
In February of 2023, Aron won grand-champion honors at the Windy City Tribute to the King Competition, earning him the title King of the Windy City. Four months later, the artist reached another huge goal as an ETA competitor and won The Tupelo Elvis Festival in Elvis Presley’s Mississippi birthplace. Earlier this year, Aron competed in the Smoky Mountain Elvis Festival in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and walked away as grand champion, earning him another spot in the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Competition during Elvis Week. Recently, Jesse has added a celebration of Roy Orbison and other rock greats in An Evening with Roy & Friends, a touring show that has emerged as one of the country's premiere Roy Orbison tributes. Over the years, Aron has received letters of commendation from two governors of Wisconsin, recognizing the musician as a role model and credit to his state for his actions in producing and performing benefit concerts for veterans, as well as for the Special Olympics, a cause dear to his heart.
Jesse Aron's tribute show An Evening with Roy & Friends takes place in Maquoketa on December 31, admission to the 7 p.m. New Year's Eve event is $35-38, and more information and tickets are available by calling (563)652-9815 and visiting OhnwardFineArtsCenter.com.
