1/5 There is singing and dancing on Memorial Day.
Mark Elbers, also known as the ‘Nuenense Elvis’, was commemorated on Sunday by about three hundred people in Steensel. Family, friends and fans gathered to sing and dance on the day that was completely dedicated to the singer. “It’s a day with a smile and a tear.” Elbers died a year ago at the age of 52 from the consequences of corona.
It is busy on Sunday at party center Lekkerr Steensel. Hundreds of people gather for the memorial day for the singer from Nuenen. Harald van Ballegooijen organized the day. “He was a unique person as a singer, but also as a person,” he recalls. “Mark never knew how popular he was and what he meant to Elvis fans. It’s great that so many people came.”
The idea for the commemoration arose around old recordings of the Nuenen Elvis. “We made a CD with old recordings of Mark and we wanted to release it for fans. We wanted to do this during a kind of memorial day. We put a message on Facebook and in a few days there were already 300 registrations.”
“We celebrate the life of Mark Elbers.”
So Harald and his team had to quickly find a location that was big enough for all the guests. It became a location where Elbers often performed. “After some searching, it was fortunately possible in Steensel, at the place where Mark gave many dinner shows.”
Herald is impressed by all the artists who have volunteered to sing on Sunday. “It’s a busy program. We celebrate the life of Mark Elbers. There are ten performances, an Elvis fan election and archive footage of Mark is shown. It’s a day with a smile and a tear.”
“We’re not going to forget him.”
The whole day is dedicated to Elbers. He is still there in mind for the fans every day. It is therefore the intention that the singer is commemorated every year from now on. “We hope to be able to continue doing this every first Sunday of November. A day dedicated to Mark. We will not forget him.”
Elbers was lead singer of the band ‘Calling Elvis Tribute’. In 2011, he also performed with Elvis’ regular pianist, Glen D Hardin, during an Elvis evening in The Hague. On November 12, he died in hospital from the effects of corona.
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