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Yes, some folks have seen Elvis in
the flesh or spirit, depending on
interpretation of their sightings.
If you haven't been blessed with
that privilege, you can see the
next best thing. You can see
Elvis sort of live, through
tribute artists, in Las
Vegas most nights of the
year. |
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In the glittering capital of the
casino and showtime universe,
currently there are seven (note
the 7-Eleven connection) shows
featuring Elvis impersonators at
the top of their form plus a
remarkably lookalike Elvis in
Madame Tussaud's Wax Musuem (in
the Venetian Resort Hotel), where
you can hug, touch and have your
picture taken with the like-ness
of the King.
Live show
locales include: |
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The
New Frontier, where "The King
in concert" show at 4 p.m.
stars Tim Welch as Elvis in the
famous Hawaii satellite concert.
The 7 p.m. show, "All Shook
Up," features Welch in the
ultimate tribute to the King.
Welch is rated Number 1 Elvis
impersonator in Las Vegas by the
Elvis-A-Rama Museum. |
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Bourbon
Street Casino, where Michael Conti
as the King, performs at 5 p.m. in
"Viva Elvis!," and at
8:30 p.m. in "Aloha
Elvis." |
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The
Boardwalk Casino, with the show,
"The Dream King,"
starring Trent Carlini as
Elvis. |
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The
Riviera, where you can catch Jim
LeBoeuf's "Tribute to
Elvis" show every weekend. |
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| · Imperial
Palace, where the "Legends in
Concert" show features
tributes to Elvis as well as
Madonna, the Temptations and other
stars. |
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Stratosphere
Tower, where the "American
Superstars" show features
Elvis, Madonna, Hank Williams
Jr. and Michael Jackson
impersonators. |
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·Also, at the
newest Elvis shrine, the
Elvis-A-Rama Museum,
at
3401 Industrial Road just
off the strip in the vicinity of
the Treasure Island resort, the
$10 admission ticket includes
hourly live tribute shows by Elvis
impersonators in the museum's
showroom. In the museum you'll
feel the King's presence as you
study the personal
memorabilia |
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on
display -- from Elvis' childhood,
his Army tour, movie career and
the magnificent Vegas years from
1969 to 1976. You'll see some of
his cars and boats; love letters
he wrote from Germany to a
girlfriend in Memphis; his
sparkling "Peacock" and
"Cisco Kid" Las Vegas
jumpsuits. And there are lots of
collectibles to buy, from caped E
teddy bears to movie posters,
videos and CDs.
For the
latest info on these and other
Vegas shows, visit www.ilovevegas.com,
the website of What's On magazine,
legendary font of Vegas data. |
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Hanging
Out |
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In the mid 1960s, when Elvis was
often in Hollywood making movies,
he would vacation in Las Vegas. He
liked the sizzle of the nightlife
and preferred the lounge acts to
the lavish shows in the larger
hotel/casino rooms. His favorite
performers at this time were Fats
Domino, Chuck Berry and Della
Reese, who belted out blues and
torch songs. E's favorite comedian
was Don Rickles. Elvis and Rickles
became genuine friends, probably
because both men had a deep love
for their mothers. * |
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Brikany
Speer Impersonator? |
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Elvis Impersonators are rightly
called "tribute
artists." They are loving
disciples and propagators of the
Elvis legend and lifestyle. They
play a reverent and important role
in keeping the eternal
flame of the King burning |
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 brightly.
They bring joy and love to
millions of fans, 50% of whom may
be at risk of becoming withdrawn
and mournful psychotics without
the uplift of the professional
impersonators. |
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 Let's thank
these men, women and children of
all colors and creeds and heights
who wear the cape and the scarf.
God bless them. And God bless
America.
For more information about Elvis
Impersonators, check out the
websites listed below.
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Note: these
sites are listed here strictly for
your convenience. |
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www.flyingelvi.com
(cyberhome of the world famous
skydiving elvi who were launched
into stardom in the hit movie,
Honeymoon inVegas)
www.tcbelvisstyle.com
(site of a dedicated impersonator
from North Carolina)
www.elvisentertainers.com
(booking agency for a number of
"tribute artists")
www.almostelvis.com
(a superfan site with links to
impersonators)
www.jumpsuitsfitforaking.com
(a vendor who sells outfits for
people of all persuasions who want
to dress up to look like Elvis)
Be
Elvis! A Guide to Impersonating
the King
By Rick Marino, Adam Woog, October
2000 |
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The
Psychology of Elvis Impersonation |
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By Dr.
Simian D. Sembler, PhD, DDS, APE,
OBE |
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I've asked myself many times, why
do people impersonate Elvis? As a
matter of fact, I've asked myself,
why do people impersonate anybody?
And, too, I've asked myself, is
impersonation the sincerest form
of imitation? The answer to all
these questions is, of course, why
not? |
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If there is a tree in a
field and you are there, why
not impersonate
it? Well, because I'm not up
to the task, you might
say. But I would say,
why are you not up to
the task?
You'd have to be stupid
beyond words to |
 Dr.
Sembler
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not be able
to impersonate a tree.
You do it by
just standing in the
field with your arms out and your
hair moussed. It won't
be long before a bird will claim a
favorite spot on you by defecating
there. Later nuts will grow on
you. |
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Or in another sense you will grow
nuts. In a nut shell, let your
psyche be your guide in life as in
your mind. |
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To be Elvis -- that is the supreme
achievement in impersonation, at
least for many, if not all, but
there are exceptions, of course.
When I, myself, impersonate Elvis,
first I trade my glasses for
shades. Then I put on a jumpsuit
and white leather shoes. I gyrate
my pelvis. I am E.
You can
talk about psychology. I'll shake
the package. And we'll see the
psychos come out of the woodwork
and the dark recesses of your mind
and those shiny silver receptacles
that are filled with sand and
cigarette butts. |
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About Dr. Sembler -
Considered the ultimate authority
in the universe on the subject of
impersonation, Dr. Sembler is the
author of 11 books on the subject,
the latest of which is Kopykatz (Silve
& Playwin Press, 2000, 457
pages, hardcover, softcore). He
speaks widely at conferences of
organizations as diverse as the
Association for Career and
Technical Education, the Society
of American Travel Writers and the
International Organization of
Rabbits and Toads. He has appeared
on Oprah, Jerry Springer, the
Larry King Show, The Discovery
Channel Animal Planet, America's
Most Wanted/Final Justice, and at
the Comedy Club in Hermosa Beach,
California, where he does
impersonations of George Burns,
Ernest Borgnine and Rosie
O'Donnell Jr. |
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Impersonators
ad infinitum |
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Elvis brings impersonation to new
heights and reverence through his
spirit that lives on. There are
more people in the world doing
Impersonations of Elvis than of
any other person who ever lived,
and that includes John F. Kennedy,
Richard Nixon, Bill Clinton,
Arnold Swartzenegger and Regis
Philbon.
Rich
Little was a very famous
impersonator 20 years ago. He did
Nixon, Cagney, Waylon Jennings,
Flip Wilson, the Andrews sisters
and many others. But he never did
Elvis. Where is he now? |
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Andy Kaufman, Nicolas Cage and
Kurt Russel did great Elvis
impersonations, and they are all
working in big-time showbiz to
this day. So it’s no
wonder other people crave to be
impersonated. Reportedly Barbara
Walters loves it when Darrel
Hammond does impressions of her.
Eddie Murphy impersonates
everybody and he does multiples.
He impersonates Billy Crystal and
Mama Cass at the same time.
In the
picture gallery below are some top
impersonators working now. Let’s
give them a hand for preserving
the personality of American
history! |
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President
Nixon with Sammy Davis Jr.
Impersonator |
Jesse
"The Body" Ventura
Impersonator |
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Elvis impersonators are part of
the wider family of History
Interpreters. These are actors and
actresses who play roles of people
from other eras at historic sites
around the country. Some of the
best work at Colonial Williamsburg
in Virginia, as well as nearby
Jamestown and in Richmond, the
state capital. |
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In historic Jamestown, Virginia,
for example, we encountered
interpretive actor James Furqueron,
who is director of Historical
Impressions, an organization of
educators, historians and
entertainers who produce and
present literary and living
history programs. In the garb of
an early English entrepreneur
checking out the New World,
Furqueron pulled a group of
tourists into the 17th century so
smoothly we hardly knew we had
gone through the time warp. But
there we were, conversing with
this man who was telling us about
his trip over from London and
asking us how things were with us
here in the colony. Furqueron has
also participated in re-enactments
of the meeting in a Richmond
church where Patrick Henry
delivered the patriots' immortal
call, "Give me liberty, or
give me death." |
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Whupping Ass |
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In June of the last year of his
life, 1977, Elvis landed in
Madison, Wisconsin, for a show. It
was after midnight and as he was
being driven from his plane to the
hotel, he saw two youths ganging
up on a service station attendant.
Elvis had the limousine stop and
he jumped out, assumed a karate
stance, and warned the youths that
he would take them both on. A
fight was averted due to the
intervention of the limo driver
and Elvis’s handlers. At
ringside before the show the next
night Elvis posed for pictures
with the assailants of the night
before. * |
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Elvis often
disguised himself to whup street
toughs. |
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Elvis
Loved All of Us |
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By Merrie
Leigh Weroll |
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A lot of performers who become
superstars get big heads. They
don't have time for their true
fans. They blow off all those who
came to all their shows and
screamed for them, and bought
their records, and saw their
movies and sent off for the fan
club pictures and bought the tee
shirts. |
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But Elvis wasn't like that. He
loved people. He threw scarves to
people in the audience. He gave
people Cadillacs. When he saw
someone being mean to somebody,
he'd jump in on the side of
somebody and whup the mean
person's ass. |
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Then he'd tell the mean person to
clean up his act and maybe invite
them to a show. He turned people's
lives around.
Short,
tall, skinny, plump, right-handed,
left-handed,
limper or straight walker, Elvis
loved us all. It's no wonder the
world loves Elvis.
It says
in the Bible, "If a man so
loves his fellow people, he is of
a likeness of the Lord and
King."
Yes, Elvis is the King. |
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World's
Smallest Elvis Impersonator |
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World's
only chimpanzee Elvis impersonator |
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