Sunburst Convention Brings Tribute Artists Together

Attendees for the Sunburst Convention 2013. Photo by Michael Cairns 

Toward the end of last year the world of tribute artists was buzzing with excitement as many of us prepared to attend the annual convention for celebrity impersonators known as Sunburst in Orlando, Florida. This year was my first time attending, so I've decided to dedicate a few blog posts to my experience at this event and about some of the wonderful people I met there.

One of the first things that struck me was the feeling of fraternity and sorority among tribute artists. Although I was there for the first time and had met no one prior, except for a few Facebook encounters, I felt immediately accepted. Folks were happy to share their experiences.

It was interesting to walk into a room filled with "celebrities". A person not knowing what the event really was would have been immediately star struck. Had they seen the performance showcases they would have been convinced that they somehow lucked out and wandered into a Hollywood Gala.

As a tribute artist himself often performing as Austin Powers, Sunburst organizer Greg Thompson knows how to best put the event together in a way that benefits the community. He arranges for booking agents and vendors to attend the event to meet and mingle with the performers - a win-win for everyone.

While the convention is only for a few days and I went in knowing nobody, I left feeling that I'd connected with a new group of friends that I expect to be part of my life for many years to come.

(Note: the next few blog posts will discuss some of the people I met at Sunburst.)

For more information about the Streisand tribute show, "My Name is Barbra" visit www.MyNameIsBarbra.com.