Elvis and The USS Arizona Memorial

March 25, 1961 found Elvis at the Bloch Arena at Pearl Harbor. His performance and support raised money and awareness which enabled the USS Arizona Memorial to be completed the following year. This was Elvis’ last live, non-movie performance until his 1968 television special.

Andy Stankovich

Elvis The Voice

www.ElvisTheVoice.com

One of the world's great Elvis Presley tribute artists

"Almost Elvis"…..The Unusual and Bewildering World of Elvis Impersonators! (Part 19)

But what is the motivation from the fans perspective? Why the fans interest? - why the longevity?

Why are so many fans still captivated by watching Elvis impersonators? Why do people flock to see impersonators of varying professionalism?

Arguably, the answer lies in a deep-seated psychological need on the part of many fans to re-live the magic, emotional security and joy that Elvis brings them. Symbolically (as in Henderson's Elvis/Dionysus comparison) the impersonator experience for fans mirrors the feelings produced listening to or watching Elvis at home, but extends these to the arena of the "live performance".

The sexual athleticism, the sultry good looks, the reassuring musical sound, these all integrate to create the "needed" experience. Watching an impersonator allows many fans to escape the prosaic or mundane parts of their life, albeit for only a few hours, and escape to the realms of their fantasy world where Elvis reassures and enriches their psyche.

The impersonator therefore serves as a very important (and good enough) psychological tool or link between the fan and Elvis - as John Paget perceptively titled his documentary, they're….'Almost Elvis'.

END OF SERIES

This series of articles are reprinted with the kind permission of www.elvisinfonet.com

Thanks again Nigel!!

Andy Stankovich

Elvis The Voice

www.ElvisTheVoice.com

One of the world's great Elvis Presley tribute artists

"Almost Elvis"…..The Unusual and Bewildering World of Elvis Impersonators! (Part 18)

Why Elvis?: A pivotal question to be considered is why is the Elvis impersonator industry a phenomenon? Why has it lasted so long and continued to grow from year to year?

There are impersonators of other artists: The Beatles, Marilyn Monroe, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, Neil Diamond, Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton to name a few all have a number of acts who 'impersonate' them.

The difference between these stars and Elvis is the vast numbers of people 'doing Elvis', so many that it is an industry. So what is it about Elvis that creates this industry? William McCranor Henderson offers one explanation for the phenomenon comparing Elvis to the Greek God Dionysus:

"Like Elvis, Dionysus was young and nocturnal and inspired mindless passion from women, who went crazy in his presence. Even in those primitive days, orgiastic passion was seen as hostile to social order. But worship of Dionysus was so widespread that eventually it was tamed (as was Elvis), made public and official, and became the ritual basis for what we know as Greek tragedy."

In Henderson's theory Elvis the mortal possesses a special charisma that sees him raised to immortal status ('the ultimate meritocracy'). But wait there is more to Henderson's comparison:

"But most fascinating to me was the mask, the key functional link between Dionysus worship and its evolution into the secular ritual of tragedy (Greek tragic actors, like the priests of Dionysus, wore larger-than-life masks). The wearer of the mask (and here, of course, I wasn't thinking "mask" so much as Wig, Shades, jumpsuit) was himself - and yet not himself."

Henderson's theory allows us to more clearly see the allure of being an Elvii and the ongoing fascination in Elvii by the fans. By donning their Elvis attire, Elvii assume the power (charisma) of their god (Elvis).

This series of articles are reprinted with the kind permission of www.elvisinfonet.com

Andy Stankovich

Elvis The Voice

www.ElvisTheVoice.com

One of the world's great Elvis Presley tribute artists

"Almost Elvis"…..The Unusual and Bewildering World of Elvis Impersonators! (Part 17)

Unusual Impersonator Crusades: One of the more unusual activities involving an Elvis impersonator happened earlier in 2002. Los Angeles based impersonator, Mark W. Curran, undertook a 30 day trek across America's famous Route 66 in his 'Elvis Across America Roadathon'. His objective was to draw attention to the heritage values of the highway and places along the route.

And speaking of touring, another of the more unusual happenings involving Elvii occurred during (President) Bill Clinton's "King of the Road" pre-election bus tour in 1992. Texas Republicans interrupted the tour across the state with Elvis impersonators following his route. The white jumpsuited Elvii sang and distributed bologna sandwiches as part of "The Don't Be Fooled Tour" - "Bill Clinton thinks he's Elvis, but we've got the real thing" stated GOP spokesperson Mark Sanders. We indeed live in a strange world!

Mecca, the Vatican and Heaven: For many impersonators (and fans) there is an almost religious significance to their performance. Not only is Memphis regarded as Mecca, Graceland as the Vatican and Las Vegas as Heaven, but the issue of redemption is also raised. Without delving into the religious connotations of present day Elvis worship (which is a study in itself) it is enough to note that the Catholic traditions of rituals, relics and icons are ever present in the way the Elvis world is conducted (and this neatly leads us into our final two areas of consideration).

This series of articles are reprinted with the kind permission of www.elvisinfonet.com

Andy Stankovich

Elvis The Voice

www.ElvisTheVoice.com

One of the world's great Elvis Presley tribute artists

"Almost Elvis"…..The Unusual and Bewildering World of Elvis Impersonators! (Part 16)

The Impersonator Library: More than 1,500 books have been published about Elvis. Within the world of Elvis literature a sub-genre is devoted to the impersonator phenomenon, including fiction titles. The publications traverse a broad range of territory from behind-the-scenes narratives to photo-journal compendiums of different impersonators and academic explorations of the phenomenon. Notable publications in the book sub-genre that is Elvis impersonation are:

• All The King's Men, Joe Kelly


• Be Elvis!: A Guide to Impersonating The King (Rick Marino)


• Elvis Lives The Business of Being Elvis (Pamela Thomas-Williams)


• I Am Elvis: A Guide to Elvis Impersonators (Leslie Wells editor)


• The King & I: A Little Gallery of Elvis Impersonators (Karin Pritikin and Kent Barker)


• Impersonating Elvis* (Leslie Rubinowski)


• In Search of The King (Craig Gelfand)


• i, Elvis: Confessions of a Counterfeit King* (William McCranor Henderson)


• Stark Raving Elvis, William McCranor Henderson**


• Biggest Elvis (K. F. Kluge)**


• The Elvis Image (Janice M. Schrantz Cabaj)


• The Elvis Murders (Art Borgeau)**


• Walk A Mile In Their Shoes (June Moore & Melody Sanders)

* serious/academic examinations of the phenomena

** fiction releases

The Impersonator Musical Legacy: Many of the top impersonators release their own CDs that are sold at their concerts or from their websites or fan club headquarters.

In the UK, Johnny Earle released his new single, 'Glory, Glory' (An American Trilogy) in September 2002. On the song he is backed on the song by The Jordanaires.

• The Impersonator Websites: Similarly many top impersonators have their own website. They range from one page overviews to more detailed sites with tour dates, music samples and news pages.

This series of articles are reprinted with the kind permission of www.elvisinfonet.com

Andy Stankovich

Elvis The Voice

www.ElvisTheVoice.com

One of the world's great Elvis Presley tribute artists

"Almost Elvis"…..The Unusual and Bewildering World of Elvis Impersonators! (Part 15)

Academia and the Elvis Impersonator: While many fans dismiss the Elvis impersonator phenomenon, academia has considered it to be worthy of serious contemplation. Apart from a number of 'academic' books on the subject (see 'The Impersonator Library'), the Second Annual International Conference on Elvis Presley in 1996 included the session: 'Sharing the Light: Impersonating Elvis'.

Almost Elvis - the Impersonator Documentary: In 2000 the documentary film, Almost Elvis by John Paget was released on video. It is an absorbing work following the trials and tribulations of a group of impersonators working their way through the regional heats of the Images contest until the climactic final in Memphis during Elvis Week.

The documentary was voted the 'Best Documentary at Worldfest' award (Houston International Film Festival) and shown at the 51st Melbourne International Film Festival (2002). Also in 2002 it was re-issued on DVD with value-added bonus features. An interesting aspect revealed in Almost Elvis is the strong comraderie between the contestants. The documentary rates as one of the most interesting and professionally produced to be released on any aspect of the Elvis phenomenon. If you want to see inside the world of the Elvii this is recommended viewing.

This series of articles are reprinted with the kind permission of www.elvisinfonet.com

Andy Stankovich

Elvis The Voice

www.ElvisTheVoice.com

One of the world's great Elvis Presley tribute artists

"Almost Elvis"…..The Unusual and Bewildering World of Elvis Impersonators! (Part 14)

Increasing Professionalism & The Impersonator Creed: The Professional Elvis Impersonators Association (PEIA) introduced its charter in 1999. It comprises: What will the PEIA do for me? A set of guiding principles PEIA creed Code of Ethics PEIA Affiliations PEIA structure Articles of Membership Officers/Board Members Members of the PEIA receive a Membership Certificate and discounts on background music, travel and accommodation.

They also receive information about national conventions, showcases and banquets where their services may be required. The PEIA supports various charities including the Special Olympics and Muscular Dystrophy Society.

An overriding objective of the PEIA is its guiding principles - to recognise the professional status of its entertainers and to promote fellowship. An important aspect of the Elvis impersonator world is its creed. If you want to be taken seriously (particularly by your fellow impersonators) as an 'Elvis' artist there are various things you need to satisfy. Concepts of leadership, presenting an appropriate image in all aspects of life, performing in a professional manner and "continuing the legacy of Elvis Presley" are all stressed.

The PEIA Code of Ethics builds on the creed by introducing socio-cultural concepts - members are not to use or support the use of illegal drugs, they will strive for achievement and practice integrity, respect the property of others, meet their financial obligations in a timely manner, challenge other PEIA members to abide by these ethical expectations and confront those who violate them.

So who is the PEIA? According to its structure (see www.elvisentertainers.com) its "supreme ruling body" is a Board of Directors consisting of Elvis impersonators, Agents, Producers and other professionals in the field. Board members are listed as Johnny Thompson (President/Founder) and Eugene Nash (Vice-President). The charter provides also for a Secretary and Treasurer but no names are listed against these roles.

With only two Board members listed on its web site I wondered how the PEIA could carry out its review, disciplinary and judicial responsibilities as formal letters require the signature of "no less than three Board members".

This series of articles are reprinted with the kind permission of www.elvisinfonet.com

Andy Stankovich

Elvis The Voice

www.ElvisTheVoice.com

One of the world's great Elvis Presley tribute artists

"Almost Elvis"…..The Unusual and Bewildering World of Elvis Impersonators! (Part 13)

The Elvis Impersonator Phenomenon: Marginal or Substantive? There are various elements of the world of the Elvii that suggest it is a substantive and enduring part of the Elvis world:

The Number of Impersonators: Estimates of the number of Elvis impersonators in America and worldwide vary dramatically from a few thousand to tens of thousands. One impersonator group has suggested that by 2005 there will be 25,000 Elvis impersonators in the USA alone.

The www.elvisentertainers.com site includes contacts for more than 100 Elvii in the USA and Canada. Regardless of their actual number, the fact is that not only have Elvis impersonators lasted for over 25 years, they have flourished and their numbers grown significantly in most western and importantly, Asian, countries.

Australia for instance has around a dozen impersonators whose name regularly appear in club and concert hall gig guides. In Asia fan club meetings are literally full of budding jumpsuited musical Kings!

The Impersonator Associations: The demand for Elvis impersonators in the USA is high enough that a number of organisations have formed to promote, raise the standard of performance and offer the services of impersonators. These include:

• The Elvis Presley Impersonators International Association


• Impersonators Central (Las Vegas)


• Professional Elvis Impersonators Association - PEIA (aka www.elvisentertainers.com)


• National Association of Amateur Elvis Impersonators

These organisations take themselves very seriously and are generally well organised (although the National Association of Amateur Elvis Impersonators appears to have been discontinued).

A number, such as the PEIA, have a detailed creed and code of ethics. The PEIA Creed includes:

"I have an obligation to all associations, groups, and businesses who purchase my entertainment services, and to provide those services in a professional and ethical manner."

This series of articles are reprinted with the kind permission of www.elvisinfonet.com

Andy Stankovich

Elvis The Voice

www.ElvisTheVoice.com

One of the world's great Elvis Presley tribute artists

"Almost Elvis"…..The Unusual and Bewildering World of Elvis Impersonators! (Part 12)

Do you like impersonators? - two fan perspectives

"Take them with a pinch of salt"

“Yes, some of them do a great job"

Welcome to the Weird and Wacky, But Equitable World of the Elvis Impersonator!

George Plasketes, in his seminal work 'Images of Elvis Presley in American Culture 1977-1977' described the profession of impersonating Elvis as "an equal opportunity enterprise". Plasketes hit the nail perfectly on its head. The world of the Elvii can be a very strange one indeed.

Apart from 'western' impersonators, Elvii take on many quite amazing forms, many of which are hardly in good taste but perhaps symbolise the broad under-strata that the Elvis persona appeals to.

There are:

female Elviii, notably Elvis Herselvis (a lesbian), Ella Vis and Janice K,

the ethnic Elvii - Israeli Elvis, Indian Elvis, and

various types of Oriental Elvii.

They also come in all shapes and sizes. There are numerous young impersonators, the grotesquely large lead singer of the group Dread Zeppelin, Tortelvis, the similarly large 'jelly doughnut' Elvis, Bearded Elvis, cross-dressing Elvii, BBQ Elvis, Altruistic Elvis and other 'specialist' impersonators such as Gary Stone (the Evangelistic Elvis) and environmentally friendly impersonator, Green E!

And it doesn't stop there as we can add to the list: Ski Instructor Elvis, Police Sergeant Elvis, Executive Elvis, Columnist Elvis, the Ghost of Elvis, Disabled but still singing Elvis and Physicist Elvis. A notable Elvii is Bruce Borders who in the early 1990s held down his day job as Mayor of Jasonville, Indiana and at night moonlighted as The King.

Then there is the father and son combination of Julian "Elvis" Campo and Angelo "Elvis" Campo. The list wouldn't be complete without mentioning Nude Elvis.

Robert Washington is an African-American who has featured prominently in the top places in the annual Images contest, but despite his obvious love and talent for his craft is arguably hampered from reaching the upper echelon because of his color.

And of course many fans are familiar with The Flying Elvi, the group of white jumpsuited parachutists who featured prominently in the Nicolas Cage movie, Honeymoon In Vegas.

Anyone who has seen the quarterly magazine from the International Elvis Presley Fan Club in Hong Kong is amazed at the amazing number of Elvis impersonators who work in the Hong Kong-Malaysia area. Even long-time fan club president, H.T. Long works regularly as one of Malaysia's leading Elvis impersonators.

This series of articles are reprinted with the kind permission of www.elvisinfonet.com

Andy Stankovich

Elvis The Voice

www.ElvisTheVoice.com

One of the world's great Elvis Presley tribute artists

"Almost Elvis"…..The Unusual and Bewildering World of Elvis Impersonators! (Part 11)

THE SCIENCE OF BEING ELVIS: Think it's easy to be Elvis? All you have to do is don a black wig, sideburns, shades and white jumpsuit? Sure for many Elvii this is the extent of their talent.

But for those who want to succeed, there is a lot more to their performance and it is a long, arduous road to the top! There are several elements that need to be addressed by aspiring Elvii if they are to reach the upper levels of the impersonator pyramid.

These include:

The Vocal Style: Elvis had a distinctive vocal style. His vocal inflections, humour during a song (integrated with his physical movements) and ability to sing songs from different musical genres are all elements impersonators need to master. The vocal skills needed to sing Hound Dog (rock) are different to those needed on the Hawaiian Wedding Song (ballad) as are the skills needed to convincingly sing It's Now Or Never (semi-operatic) and Stranger In My Own Home Town (blues).

The Attire (Jumpsuits): Elvis impersonators want their act to be as convincing and realistic as possible. For this reason many spend thousands of dollars having their costumes designed and hand-made with sequins and patterns calculated to mirror those on Elvis' original costumes, particularly his trademark white jumpsuits.

And not just one, but two, three, four and more depending on how successful (and ) the performer is. Popular costumes are Elvis' Aloha jumpsuit, the Peacock suit, black leather outfit and the colored jumpsuits like the 'Burning Love' suit and his black jumpsuit. Even 'Elvisoids' invest in jumpsuits yet they are most likely never to appear live except at karaoke nights. BK Enterprises in the US makes a respectable living out of servicing the needs of wanna-be and established Elvis impersonators.

The Movements: Elvis' performing style was an integral part of his appeal and presence. Not surprisingly then, to be a successful impersonator requires that a person practice, learn and perfect a range of 'Elvis' movements. And it would be foolhardy to believe that it easy to perfect these moves. The 'science' of performing Elvis involves a vast array of different 'moves' and 'poses' including: the lasso the squat the blind man's rock glass on palm arm-fling cut-off bowling cutoff open-handed punch cutoff air guitar fist pump shakey leg body palsey backhanded throwaway

The top bracket of performers spend countless hours watching and re-watching seminal tapes of Elvis in action, from the 1950s television appearances to Elvis: That's The Way It Is. The performers in the top echelon have achieved a high degree of integration of all these factors.

The concluding part of this article will appear in our next edition of the Spotlight on the King series. In it we will examine the 'equal opportunity' nature of the industry, the impersonator associations, the Elvis impersonator legacy and attempt to answer the question: why Elvis?

This series of articles are reprinted with the kind permission of www.elvisinfonet.com

Andy Stankovich

Elvis The Voice

www.ElvisTheVoice.com

One of the world's great Elvis Presley tribute artists

Happy Birthday To The King

Elvis would have been 72 today!


*****

Andy Stankovich

Elvis The Voice

www.ElvisTheVoice.com

One of the world's great Elvis Presley tribute artists

"Almost Elvis"…..The Unusual and Bewildering World of Elvis Impersonators! (Part 10)

The winners of the longest running contest, 'Images of the King', have been:

• 2002 - Brendan Bennett


• 2001- Stephen Kabakos


• 2000 - Ryan Pelton


• 1999 - Irv Cass


• 1998 - Travis Morris


• 1997 - Darren Lee


• 1996 - Mike Albert


• 1995 - Chris Young


• 1994 - Steve Chappell


• 1993 - Ray Guilemette


• 1992 - Mori Yasumasa


• 1991 - Doug Church


• 1990 - Kevin Mills


• 1989 - Clay Smith


• 1988 - Michael Hoover


• 1987 - Glen Bowles

The Collingwood, Ontario Elvis Festival celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2006.

Rick Marino, one of the leading impersonators in the US, has an interesting take on impersonator contests:

"Contests are too weird…I don't have anything to do with 'em anymore…So this dumb contest was full of wanna-be's, guys with spray-painted suits, lip-synchers."

Generally, performers in the top echelon do not appear in the contests. They have no need to, having already established their credibility and market presence.

This series of articles are reprinted with the kind permission of www.elvisinfonet.com

Andy Stankovich

Elvis The Voice

www.ElvisTheVoice.com

One of the world's great Elvis Presley tribute artists

"Almost Elvis"…..The Unusual and Bewildering World of Elvis Impersonators! (Part 9)

The Road to Impersonator Success: There are several prominent Elvis Impersonator competitions held each year. The two most well known are 'Images of The King' (aka [Worldwide] Images of Elvis) that reaches its peak, following regional eliminations, during Elvis Week in Memphis, and the competition held during the Annual Elvis Festival in Collingwood, Ontario (Canada).

The winners of these contests find immediate short-term success as doors open but without good management and promotion, medium and long-term success are not assured.

A newer contest started last year at the Isle of Capri Casino in Mississippi, while in Australia the Annual Elvis Festival in Parkes, NSW features 'sound-a-like' and 'look-a-like contests'.

The Memphis contest tends to be a more conservative affair while the Canadian one is progressive - in 2001 it introduced different competition divisions: professional, non-professional and youth.

Contest judges are often hated, particularly by losing contestants and over-zealous fans who have their personal favorites. To be a good judge one needs to have spent a long time studying The King. Elements to be looked for in the contestants include visual image, vocal range and strength, quality of costume, physical movement, posture, rapport with the audience and ability to have fun on stage.

This series of articles are reprinted with the kind permission of www.elvisinfonet.com

Andy Stankovich

Elvis The Voice

www.ElvisTheVoice.com

One of the world's great Elvis Presley tribute artists

"Almost Elvis"…..The Unusual and Bewildering World of Elvis Impersonators! (Part 8)

Similarly, Mick Gerace does not dress entirely like Elvis, although his black leather outfit is very reminiscent of Elvis' 68 Comeback attire and his white suit resembles the one Elvis wore in closing the 68 Special. There is also an iconic physical resemblance between Mick and Elvis.

Another performer who sings just like The King and is in this 'fuzzy' territory, is Belfast postman, James Brown. Brown's debut album in 1999, 'The King - Gravelands' is widely regarded, along with the Ronnie McDowell (with Scotty Moore, DJ Fontana and The Jordanaires) album, 'A Tribute to the King', as one of the finest tributes yet to Elvis with its eclectic mix of contemporary and classic songs done with a voice very similar to The King's.

It would be remiss of me if I didn't mention another form of tribute, albeit one external to the Elvis impersonator/tribute movement. It relates to the personification of Elvis in other well-known musical artists. As noted by George Plasketes, major examples include Chris Issaak, Bruce Springsteen and k.d. lang. Each of these has drawn both musical and iconic influences from The King - from vocal stylings and musical performance style to hair and clothing.

This series of articles are reprinted with the kind permission of www.elvisinfonet.com

Andy Stankovich

Elvis The Voice

www.ElvisTheVoice.com

One of the world's great Elvis Presley tribute artists

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to everyone from Andy Stankovich.

I wish you all a fullfilling, and healthy, and prosperous New Year ahead in 2007.

Thank you for your enormous support during the past year, and I hope to see you at one of my performances during the New Year, as that is what would enrich my life more than anything.

Please stay safe and love your family.

Andy Stankovich

Elvis The Voice

www.ElvisTheVoice.com

One of the world's great Elvis Presley tribute artists