"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