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Drake Elkin (Rear Right) will appear on "America's Got Talent" this week. Elkin performs at the Hatfield and McCoy Dinner Show.  

   Drake Elkin, a McCoy clogger in the Hatfield and McCoy Dinner Show in Pigeon Forge, will be featured in the wild card round on “American's Got Talent” this week. Elkin is a member of the Season 7 Quarterfinals all male clogging group, “All That,” and he is requesting support from the community to vote for him in the two hours immediately after the show. The 8-member group will split a $1 million dollar prize if they win.

   The mind reading act of Eric Dittleman beat the group in the quarter-finals but Judge Sharon Osbourne played her wild card because she liked the group and kept them in the competition.  She told the group she was proud of them and that they deserved to go on to the next round.

  “It was an intense and brutal competition,” Elkin said.  “It was a very tough week because there were so many great acts,” he said.  “Thank you to everyone who voted!  I really appreciate your continued support.”

 Osbourne said to the group, “You are incredibly manly. You are fabulous, just fabulous.” 

Judge Howie Mandel told the group, “What you do is amazing.  I wish you the best of luck.  If you like them, vote for them.”

   Judge Howard Stern said, “I love your act.  I can't believe how entertained I am by this.  You certainly have talent and you are really fascinating to watch.  I love you, but this is going to be tough.  People don't realize the pressure of a live show - you make it or break it.”

 “The hardest part of the America's Got Talent show for me is that the rest of the group is together practicing in Myrtle Beach and I am here by myself practicing in Pigeon Forge,” Elkin said. “However, I am getting wonderful on the job experience at the Hatfield and McCoy Dinner Show and I think as a group we are strong enough to win the semi-finals and to win the show.”

    When Elkin began clogging at the age of 10, he really wasn't planning on a career as a clogger.

   “My older brother started clogging a year before I did and at the time I wasn't interested in clogging,” Elkin said.  “My Mom asked me if I would be interested in clogging and I kept telling her, 'no.' She took me to a class with other kids my age and I saw all the girls and I said I would give it a shot.  After two years I was able to travel and perform at festivals and that is when I noticed an older competition team who got to go on a two week trip to Europe and I thought to myself, 'I'm going to give it my all so I can get to do that.'”

   Elkin made the competition team and traveled for five years to performances all over the country and even got to perform on the stage of the Grand Ol Opry. 

   “I never got to go to Europe but here I am 15 years later performing on America's Got Talent!”

  The first clogging team Elkin joined at the age of 12 was The Rise N' Shine Cloggers in Ellettsville, IN. At age 15, he moved on to a more competitive team, The Clogging Sensation in Branson, Mo. under the direction of Stan Webb.  He competed with the team three to four times a year for six years and even competed in the Junior Olympics in Detroit (AAU).  Elkin won five gold medals and six silver medals.

The beginning of his connection with the clogging group “All That” stems from 2005 when Mike Curtis, the team leader of “All That” called and asked if he wanted to fill in with the group at the Carolina Opry Show in Myrtle Beach for the summer.

    “We all grew up competing against each other in the clogging world and then we began to work together,” Elkin said. “I danced at the Opry in Myrtle Beach for the summer and then I went back to my competition team for a year.”

    The team then dissolved as members of the group went off to school.

   “It was sad when the team dissolved,” Elkin said. “I didn't clog for three years and then one day in 2009 Mike called me again and asked if I wanted to do a show with his group, “All That,” in Hong Kong for eight days.  Of course, I said, 'yes!'”

    Elkin did not have steady clogging work after that until 2011 when a great friend, Jeff Driggs, told him about an opportunity for a clogging job at the brand new Hatfield and McCoy Dinner Show.  He auditioned, got the job and moved to Pigeon Forge.

 “I get to dance for a living and this job is a dream come true.”  Elkin said.  “I love the crowd. I love the fast pace and the high energy of the Hatfield and McCoy Show.   I give a lot of credit to my mother.  There were a lot of moments when I wanted to quit clogging, but my Mom would not let me.” 

    Elkin and his wife, Nikkole live in Sevierville.  His wife works for Camberra in Oak Ridge.