JOSH CROSBY will play at the annual Elvis Festival in Garden Grove.

By Jill Lloyd

Josh Crosby, 45, of Garden Grove, a performer at the 23^rd Annual Elvis Festival, was born after the King of Rock and Roll died. But he became familiar with him early on in his life as Elvis’s music was always playing in the house when he was a child along with Ricky Nelson, the Beach Boys and the Everly Brothers.

But there was something extraordinary about Elvis he thought. “For about a week in my childhood, the guitar Elvis played in the ‘68 Comeback Special was in our house, and I didn’t know why but I remember we were not allowed within 20 feet of it. It had something to do with Scotty Moore, touring guitarist for Elvis who formed the Blue Moon Boys. And my stepfather who was obsessed with Elvis and into music,” Crosby said.

“Plus, we also had the Jordanaires, the gospel quartet that sang with Elvis, at our house a few times,” he added. “But I also remember watching the movie Jailhouse Rock and loving it. Just the young, raw Elvis. I remember buying his set, The Complete 50’s Masters, and absorbing everything.  I loved everything about that era of his career. He used his voice like an instrument, adding things to his words to convey emotion. “

Crosby found his voice too while he was still young, singing Stray Cats songs and the soundtrack from the movie Grease when he was five years old.   And then it was Michael Jackson’s Thriller album that “kicked me into high gear,” he said.

He joined the jazz choir his junior year at Downey High School. He said, “we sang four part harmony Manhattan Transfer covers and made an album my senior year.”   Crosby also formed a doo wop group with three friends in which they performed a lot of 90’s rhythm and blues and Boyz II Men songs.

In 2011 he joined the band The Copy Cats, an Orange County based rockabilly cover band. Crosby sings lead vocals and plays guitar.

“I’m drawn to the hillbilly mixed with gospel and rhythm and blues.  So, I love old country music and blues as well,” he said.

He has the tattoos to boast his diverse taste in music: Elvis, Johnny Cash, James Dean, Frank Sinatra and Hank Williams. And one of actress and singer Jayne Mansfield.

When he isn’t performing with his band, Crosby does solo gigs at local restaurants and pubs. And off stage, he works as a drug and alcohol counselor for the Orange County Health Agency.

Crosby’s inner Elvis– since outwardly he doesn’t look, sound, or move like the King– will take to the streets … Main Street in Garden Grove that is, during the Festival on Sunday, Oct. 8, as a featured entertainer from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Themed  “The Spirit of Elvis” the all-day tribute to Presley, who died August 16, 1977 is California’s only Elvis Festival, and brings together a myriad of activities, including solo and band  performances, the King of Cadillacs and Other Elvis Classics such as Thunderbirds, Panteras and other passenger cars from 1977 and earlier as well as any “pink” car honoring Presley’s favorite color; Elvis fan clubs: Jailhouse Rockers of California and Blue Suede Shoes of California; vendors with memorabilia and collectibles; stilt Elvis; Abbit the Average Elvis; food trucks with special “Elvis” menu items and Main Street restaurants and merchants  and an Elvis Life Story display by Dignity Memorial™ , the Festival’s returning presenting sponsor.

The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and admission is free as well as parking, which is available at the Concorde Career College and Coastline College lots adjacent to the event, which is on Main Street between Acacia Parkway and Garden Grove Blvd.

For more information visit the Facebook Page for the Annual Elvis Festival Garden Grove, send an email to elvisfestival@yahoo.com or call 714-267-4657.