An Elvis impersonator is an entertainer who impersonates or copies the look and sound of American rock singer Elvis Presley. Professional Elvis impersonators, commonly known as Elvis tribute artists (ETAs), work all over the world as entertainers, and such tribute acts remain in great demand due to the iconic status of Elvis Presley. In addition, there were several radio stations that exclusively feature Elvis impersonator material. Some of these impersonators go to Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee, on the anniversary of Presley's death to pay tribute to the beloved artist.
While some impersonators perform a wide variety of Presley's discography, his songs from the 1950s and 1970s remain fan favorites.Eric Lott, "All the King's Men: Elvis Impersonators and White Working-Class Masculinity." In Harry Stecopoulos and Michael Uebel, eds., Race and the Subject of Masculinities (Duke University Press, 1997), p.198.
Origins
Contemporaneous Contrary to popular belief, Elvis impersonators have existed since the mid-1950s, just after Elvis Presley himself began his career. The first known Elvis impersonator was a young man named Carl 'Cheesie' Nelson from Texarkana, Arkansas, who in 1954 built up a local following on WLAC radio with his renditions of "That's All Right, Mama" and "Blue Moon of Kentucky." Nelson even performed alongside Presley when they first met, also in 1954. The friendship between Nelson and Presley is documented in the book "Elvis in Texas".
The second known impersonator was a 16-year-old boy named Jim Smith. In 1956, shortly after Elvis began to rise in popularity, Smith began jumping on stage and imitating Elvis. Smith's physical resemblance to Elvis and his mannerisms happened to catch the attention of Canadian DJ Norm Pringle of Victoria, British Columbia, who had been playing "That's All Right, Mama" and "Heartbreak Hotel" on the radio. Smith was featured several times on Pringle's regular TV show, though Smith only lip synced to the music, since he could not actually sing or play the guitar at that time.Victoria Daily Times, December 9, 1957
Many other Elvis impersonators appeared while Elvis was still alive, evolving mainly out of small town talent competitions which took their influences from major music artists of that time. Some of his contemporaries included Rick Saucedo of Chicago and Johnny Harra, a Kansas City native who started in 1958 and moved his show to Texas in 1977.
Dave Ehlert from Waukegan, Illinois began performing as Elvis in 1967, 10 years before Elvis died. Ehlert performed throughout the Chicago Metro Area until Elvis's death, then traveled the country with his act. He was on hand for the first anniversary of Elvis' death at the Prince William County Fair in Manassas, Virginia on August 16, 1978 and has continuously performed his Elvis tribute act for almost 50 years, including performances in Las Vegas and (beginning in 1993 and lasting for several decades) headlining an Elvis tribute show in Branson, Missouri.
Posthumous Only after Elvis' death on August 16, 1977, did impersonating Elvis start to become popular in the mainstream. The large growth in Elvis impersonators seems tightly linked with his ever-growing iconic status.
American protest singer Phil Ochs appeared in concert in March 1970 at Carnegie Hall wearing a 1950s Elvis-style gold lamé suit, made for him by Presley's costumer Nudie Cohn. His performance may be considered the first significant Elvis impersonation. Jeremy Spencer of British blues-rock band Fleetwood Mac became known for his high-energy Elvis tribute performances during his tenure with the band. Spencer would perform as Elvis (often in a gold lamé suit) as the main part of a mini-set in which he also did other impersonations of figures such as Buddy Holly and slide guitarist Elmore James.
In the mid-1970s, Andy Kaufman made an Elvis impersonation part of his act. He is considered to be one of the first notable Elvis impersonators and even Presley himself allegedly said that Kaufman was his favorite impersonator.Waking Andy Kaufman, The Village Voice In his act, Kaufman would precede with several failed impersonations before unexpectedly launching into a skilled impersonation of Elvis Presley.Steven Connor, The Cambridge Companion to Postmodernism (Cambridge University Press, 2004), p.108. As Kaufman gained fame, the impersonation was used less and less.
Myth In 2005, Weekly World News alleged that Presley himself entered an Elvis lookalike contest at a local restaurant shortly before his death and came in third place. This claim is unfounded.Weekly World News, July 11, 2005 The joke may have its origins in a similar myth about Charlie Chaplin entering such a contest, which too has been disproved.
Types of impersonators There are many different types of Elvis impersonators and Elvis tribute artists. Most fall under the following categories:
Look-alikes, who concentrate more on visual elements of Elvis fashion and style using accessories such as wigs and fake sideburns (if necessary), costumes and jewelry. A common example of this type are male Elvis fans (although they may not sing or have a performing career) who limit their impersonation only to combing or styling their hair or growing sideburns in the style of Presley in their everyday lives. Sound-alikes, who concentrate on changing their voice to sing or talk like Elvis. Notable examples of this type include country artists Ronnie McDowell, Jimmy Ellis and rock 'n' roll artists including Terry Stafford and Ral Donner. Kurt Russell did this type of Elvis impersonation in his 1994 film, Forrest Gump, even though he was uncredited for his voice role of Elvis. Donner served as voice-over narrator in the 1981 documentary This Is Elvis, changing his speaking voice to sound like Presley. McDowell recorded covers of Presley's songs in the style of Presley for use in several made-for-TV Presley biopics, such as Elvis (1979) and Elvis and Me. Combination, who use a combination of both the visual and aural methods listed above. Country singer Billy "Crash" Craddock was an example of this in the 1970s. Actor Kurt Russell was an example of this type in 1979 film Elvis and in his 2001 film, 3000 Miles to Graceland. Professional ETAs normally fall under this type. Pastiche, who look like, sound like, and write songs in the style of Elvis. David Daniel, called the Great Pretender, performs dozens of originals in the style of Elvis.
Level of impersonation There are different levels of impersonation, which depends largely on who is doing the impersonation and for what purpose. They mainly fall under three main levels of impersonation:
Elvis Tribute Artist (ETA) An Elvis tribute artist (ETA) is a full- or part-time, serious Elvis impersonator who is in the business of performing for a living. One such artist is Blake Rayne (real name Ryan Pelton), a Screen Actors Guild member who created his Elvis tribute act during pre-production of The Identical in 2012.
Enacting a typical '70s Elvis concert is a preferred choice of most ETAs; however, some ETAs may portray various phases of Presley's career in a single show. For example, an ETA may open his show with a '50s set dressed in appropriate attire (such as a gold lame jacket), reenactments of musical scenes from Presley's movies or reenactments of segments from the '68 Comeback Special; and after an intermission closes his show with a full-blown 70s concert dressed in an appropriate jumpsuit.
Some ETAs perform with a live band in the style of the TCB Band, complete with a brass ensemble and background singers to add to the originality; while others rely solely on karaoke for their performances. However, some ETAs may utilize both a live band and karaoke (either one or the other, in most cases depending on the type and size of the venue).
Some ETAs record CDs to sell at their shows, which of course contain many of the Presley standards, but could also include some of their own songs as well as songs of other artists.
Some ETAs perform under stage names, mostly using names associated in some way with Presley's life or career (such as Presley's character names in his movies).
Amateur Amateur impersonators are enthusiasts who impersonate Presley in contests, for a hobby, or at social gatherings (such as parties, reunions, etc.). Most of this type of impersonator aspires to become professional ETAs.
Fun or comedy This is usually done as part of a parody. Clownvis Presley is an example of a performing combining Elvis impersonation, comedy, and original compositions in the style of Elvis.
Impersonation derivatives "There are heavily-bearded Elvis, four-year-old Elvis, and Elvis duos; Italian Elvis, Greek Elvis, Fat Elvis, a Lady Elvis, even a Black Elvis. Impersonator impresario Ed Franklin boasts, 'We've had every type of Elvis there is in the world.'"Eric Lott, p.194. Professional Elvis impersonation can be called a special branch of the entertainment industry. "Michael Chapa, an Elvis impersonator who works in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, helped entertain more than 2500 of his relatives at what is believed to be the country's largest Hispanic family reunion ..."Kristine L. Blair and Libby Allison, Cultural Attractions/Cultural Distractions: Critical Literacy in Contemporary Contexts (2000), p.88.
There are also some Elvis impersonators who specialize in experimenting with gender, sexuality, race, taste and decency. According to social historian Eric Lott, "the widespread embarrassment and innuendo surrounding Elvis impersonation points more directly to the homoerotic implications built into such acts."Eric Lott, "All the King's Men: Elvis Impersonators and White Working-Class Masculinity," in Harry Stecopoulos and Michael Uebel, eds., Race and the Subject of Masculinities (Duke University Press, 1997), p.202. There are even some performers who satirize other Elvis impersonators.See Lois Tyson, Critical Theory Today: A User-Friendly Guide (1999), p.332.
According to Gael Sweeney, Elvis impersonation offers a spectacle of the grotesque, the display of the fetishized Elvis body by impersonators who use a combination of Christian and New Age imagery and language to describe their devotion to The King. 'True' impersonators believe that they are 'chosen' by The King to continue His work and judge themselves and each other by their 'Authenticity' and ability to 'Channel' Elvis' true essence. True impersonators don't 'do Elvis' for monetary gain, but as missionaries to spread the message of The King. Especially interesting are those who do not perform, per se, that is, they don't do an Elvis act, they just 'live Elvis,' dressing as The King and spreading His Word by their example."See Gael Sweeney, "The King of White Trash Culture: Elvis Presley and the Aesthetics of Excess." In Annalee Newitz and Matt Wray, eds., White Trash: Race and Class in America (1996), p.262.
However, the Elvis industry includes "professional Elvis impersonator registries." The international guide I am Elvis, for instance, contains "photos, repertoire, and personal testimonies that serve to materialize the phenomenon of Elvis impersonation and further institutionalize it, including female Elvii, child Elvii, Black Elvii, El Vez the Mexican Elvis, and scores of British, German, Greek and Indian Elvii."Sweeney, "The King of White Trash Culture," p.262. According to George Plasketes, there are "legions of impersonators. Airlines have offered discount fares for look-alikes on Elvis holidays... His omnipresence hauntingly hovers..."George Plasketes, Images of Elvis Presley in American Culture, 1977–1997: The Mystery Terrain (1997), p.3.