Dennis Wise is the ultimate fan and the ultimate Elvis performer, with more than 10,000 shows honoring the king. In Many Shapes and Colors: King's Spirit Infuses Multicultural 'Elvi' - Trin Yarborough, Page 1 Elvis devotee ready to perform - Stephen Forbes, Samoan Elvis sings his last, Alphonso Keil dies, Talking with an Angel, Page 1 - 4, By Ruth Jackson, 20,000 for one day Elvis Festival in New Zealand by Gail Bartley, Thousands 'all shook up' at Auckland's Elvis in the Gardens - TARANNUM SHAIKH, Pasifika programme Sunday 13 March, Sunday programme, > Samoa, 2.10pm Elvis of Samoa, "Hong Kong legend 'Melvis' dead at 68, local branch of International Elvis Presley Fan Club says", Warren makes time for grandson by Stuart Michael, LIFESTYLE, Tony Warren still rocking by Sonja Mustaffa, From Memphis to Vegas / From Vegas to Memphis, Elvis Sings The Wonderful World of Christmas, From Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis, Tennessee, Amazing Grace: His Greatest Sacred Performances, Command Performances: The Essential 60s Masters II, Suspicious Minds: The Memphis 1969 Anthology, The King of Rock 'n' Roll: The Complete 50's Masters, From Nashville to Memphis: The Essential '60s Masters, Walk a Mile in My Shoes: The Essential '70s Masters, Peace in the Valley: The Complete Gospel Recordings, The Frank Sinatra Timex Show: Welcome Home Elvis, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Elvis_impersonator&oldid=1139034895, Articles lacking reliable references from June 2020, All articles with vague or ambiguous time, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 13 February 2023, at 00:58. Jim called Dennis, who was then selling Toyotas at a Honolulu dealership, and asked if hed want to come to Arkansas and try out for their band. In the following month, he was off to compete at the Wintersun Festival in New South Wales. If I could still do two shows a night, six nights a week, Id do it, Wise says. Fans Also Viewed Monster Jam See all 201 Events Monster Energy Supercross See all 13 Events Ed Sheeran Pop singer Bruno Mars, only six years old at the time, has a small role as a young Elvis impersonator. What Danny is doing with his new idea is just not right, he told the Miami News. We want to hear it. One of his biggest fans is Dennis Wise, a man who even had his face and hairline changed through plastic surgery to look more like Elvis. He did say, Well, what can we do? Its become the most collected U.S. stamp with more than 124 million saved and more than 500 million sold. American Sound Studio was gaining a reputation in the industry as the Box Tops had just recorded \"The Letter\" there so James relocated to Memphis. It was his seventeenth and last number-one single in the United States. The Complete History of Elvis Impersonators in 10 minutes [from the documentary Almost Elvis] BlueSuedeFilms 1.65K subscribers Subscribe 43K views 14 years ago The complete history of Elvis. He is considered to be one of the first notable Elvis impersonators and even Presley himself supposedly said that Kaufman was his favorite impersonator. My whole life has been dedicated to Elvis.. He is played by Frank Wagner. international record is an honor shared only by Las Vegas entertainers Elvis Presley: The King's best impersonators. 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The Oxford American Book of Great Music Writing, "LadyLuck Music Tribute Artist Radio Station", "Elvis Presley: The King's best impersonators", "Elvis Wade: A Tribute To The Legends Of The 50s, 60s & 70s | Things to do in Orlando", "The Sad End of the First Elvis Impersonator", "Policing Elvis: Legal Action and the Shaping of Post-Mortem Celebrity Culture as Contested Space. Rhyne survived, and overcome by guilt, ODay brought her to Florida to help with her recovery. [4][5], Contrary to popular belief, Elvis impersonators have existed since the mid-1950s, just after Elvis Presley himself began his career. Rock and Roll Heaven, the touring extravaganza he conceived and promoted, didnt just pay homage to one deceased icon, but four of them: Elvis, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, and Jim Croce. \"Suspicious Minds\" was widely regarded as the single that returned Presley's career success, following his '68 Comeback Special. My parents come to talk about our unique musical family. It is a story of theft and betrayal, revolving around a plot to rob the Riviera Casino during a convention of Elvis impersonators in Las Vegas. I was there in 1977 when Elvis died.. They began using the contest along with their Elvis brand, licensing anyone wanting to charge a fee to hold an Elvis contest. But . He has been performing as Elvis since around 2000. Get ready, music lovers, because Record Store Day 2023 is right around the corner! 91 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. A few months after Elvis died Wise traveled to Little Rock, Ark., to audition as an Elvis tribute artist. In "Meltdown," an episode of the British TV series Red Dwarf, Clayton Mark portrays a 'wax droid' version of Elvis who, under the command of Arnold Rimmer along with other 'wax world' historical figures, is engaged in battle with the evil historical figures. The King is as popular today as he was when he died suddenly at the age of 42 in the Memphis mansion on Aug. 16, 1977. His brother had arranged an His marriage to Rhyne fell apart. (When the ceremony was over, they had some difficulty eating the wedding cake.) [36], Steve Fitter is an Elvis impersonator from Waikato. Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account. He Used Plastic Surgery to Raise Rock Stars From the Dead, These Musicians are Supplying Ukraine With Drones, Burt Bacharach, Master Pop Composer, Dead at 94, New Bootleg Series Installment Maps The Long Road To Dylans Resurrection. Following the transformation, he made his TV debut on Good Morning Americain early 1978. But that doesnt mean his interest in the King has waned. The first thing that comes to my mind is that plastic surgery is the highest form of flattery., He was way ahead of the curve, says Jeff Pezzuti, founder of Eyellusion, responsible for recent hologram tours of Frank Zappa and Dio. When ODay proposed the idea of surgical transformation to them, the newly hired hands were either eager or puzzled, depending on the singer. A number of books are available on the topic of Elvis tribute artists. Chips Moman had asked James to come to Memphis to write songs for American Sound Studio. The group (not to be confused with the Upsetters who gigged with Little Richard) released a full LP as well as a tribute album to the late Otis Redding, whom they backed up on tour for a short period. There Wise lay, on a table in an Orlando hospital, surrounded by photos of the King. Editor's note: This story was updated to reflect the correct date that Elvis Presley died. This is a publicly distributed handout. ODay later admitted the idea was also suggested by Rhyne and that he had his own doubts: I said, What, are you crazy? As incredible as it may sound, Elvis Presley would have celebrated his 74th birthday today probably quietly at Graceland lest he throw out a hip. He has been performing since the late 1960s and in the 1980s was performing at the Copper Grill in The Weld on Jalan Raja Chulan, Kuala Lumpur, and in later years at the Royal Selangor Club in Dataran Merdeka.[66][67]. Mark portrays the 1950s rock-a-billy era complete with exact replicas of all of Elvis' performance guitars and stage clothes from 1954 to 1958, as well as old 1950s RCA microphones and even a full-size Nipper dog statue on-stage (Mark is the only impersonator that uses RCA's Nipper). I wanted to give him some stability, so we decided to find a home in the Entertainment Capital.. He would be in the traditional Elvis dress from the waist up, but from below the waist was in Bermuda shorts and bare feet. Dennis Wise, 54, has been an Elvis impersonator for more than 30 years, beginning with a garage band he started with his brother. king's untimely death at the age of 42. They mainly fall under three main levels of impersonation, which are: 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. Wise says he never saw a dime, nor ever saw ODay again. The new-tech twist is the hologram, which has brought Michael Jackson, 2Pac, Frank Zappa, and Whitney Houston back to a semblance of life. I forget the script, Gamble says, but it was Elvis coming down from heaven to bring back some friends.. 3000 Miles to Graceland is a 2001 thriller film, starring Kurt Russell, Kevin Costner, Courteney Cox Arquette, David Arquette, Bokeem Woodbine, Christian Slater, and Kevin Pollak. Besides performing throughout New Zealand, he has performed in Australia, Hawaii, Fiji and the United States.[42]. Some ETAs record CDs to sell at their shows, which of course contain many of the Elvis standards, but could also include some of their own songs as well as songs of other artists. Most fall under the following categories: There are different levels of impersonation, which depends largely on who is doing the impersonation and for what purpose. He has performed more than 10,000 shows as an Elvis impersonator. Dennis Wise knows exactly where he was when Elvis Presley died Aug. 16, 1977. After James' recording failed commercially, the song was handed to Elvis Presley by producer Chips Moman, becoming a number one song in 1969, and one of the most notable hits of Presley's career. 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, and/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. This tribute to His admiration for Elvis has spanned over forty years. Nelson even performed alongside Presley when they first met, also in 1954. But thanks to that original operation, Wise still makes a respectable living re-creating Elvis in the Deja Vu Dance and Show Band, a multi-artist tribute act in Vegas. He uses a sophisticated lighting system to help convey the many moods of the Elvis oeuvre: rock, blues, country, gospel, and R&B. A fast and unbiased roundup of whats happening in the world today. The pub and everything in it, including Hamilton Beach mixers, towels, and soap dispensers was sold in 1988. dead celebs list, except for the year the Kurt Cobain catalog was sold. Theyre yelling at me, How do you feel? What are you thinking?, Wise says he didnt tell anyone in his family, including his parents or brother, since he feared they would think he was nuts. It took a long time to get over that.. $12.95 Cost of his first guitar, bought in 1946 at the Tupelo Hardware Store, $17.50 Tickets to dinner show at the Hilton, including lobster or steak, in the 1970s, 837 Consecutive sold-out shows at the International and Hilton, $43.7 million Worth of show tickets sold in Las Vegas (more than $150 million in 2008 dollars), 1956 Heartbreak Hotel, I Want You, I Need You, I Love You, Dont Be Cruel / Hound Dog, Love Me Tender, 1957 Too Much, All Shook Up, (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear, Jailhouse Rock, 1960 Stuck on You, Its Now or Never, Are You Lonesome Tonight?. He would say, We ought to do this! and I would be, Oh, my gosh!. They didnt know they were talented musicians. In Miami, the tour was booked into the Persian Room at the Marco Polo Hotel, but when not enough tickets were apparently sold, it was downgraded to the Swingers Lounge Disco. The film version also stars Ossie Davis as Jack, a black man who claims to be John F. Kennedy. He The Getty Images design is a trademark of Getty Images. Danny as Kenny Rogers? Wise says. 7:30 pm. Yeah, I thought, Oh, this is so weird, many times, Caywood says. Palaios, v.8, pp.623624. Way before technology, there wasnt anything else you could do.. In an episode of the American sitcom The Golden Girls, the characters of Blanche and Rose are considering hiring an Elvis impersonator for their "Hunka Hunka Burnin' Love Fan Club," yet Rose mixes up the Elvis list with the guest list for the wedding of the character of Sophia. For Elvis tribute artists like Trent Carlini, Jesse Garon, Darren Lee and Pete "Big Elvis" Vallee, the message they try to relate on stage is one of fun energy and high intensity, a routine that Elvis himself would be proud of. On their way out of Nevada after the tour ended, a few of the singers and band members made a pit stop in the desert. He died at age 64 in July 2008, after battling cancer. Item Information. There have been at least three prominent Elvis impersonators of Samoan descent. All Rights reserved. The 10-piece band will include his wife, Marcia, as a backup singer; their son, Shane, on drums; and Dennis brother, Jim, on guitar. Their fellow townspeople understand this sentiment, but in the final scene they are shown burning those selfsame photographs, which display both Oscar and Emma dressed as Elvis. It's almost like being in your zen, your spot.". Climaxes of the play are surreal fantasy scenes in which Dad's hallucinatory Elvis dreams are bursting into popular Presley songs as a reminiscence of his one-time persona of Elvis impersonator. But ODay had one more tour to launch, and in a way, it was his eeriest one yet: He would become one of his own clones. The band shifted into Also Sprach Zarathustra (the theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey), the traditional orchestral opener for Presleys shows, and Gamble, in full Elvis sunglasses and jumpsuit, welcomed everyone to the performance. For this paper, he interviewed many impersonators and draws parallels with minstrelsy. Must be 21 to attend this Las Vegas event. Update information for Dennis Wise More at IMDbPro Contact Info: View agent, publicist, legal on IMDbPro Known For The Alaska Experiment Self 2008 The Mike Douglas Show Self - Elvis Presley Impersonator 1978 Hide all | | Edit Filmography Hide Self (3 credits) 2008 The Alaska Experiment (TV Series) Self - Take the Long Way Home (2008) . Marriott and the JW Marriott system are not associated with any part of The Resort at Summerlin (the Resort) other than the JW Marriott Las Vegas hotel (the Hotel) at the Resort. According to Rolling Stone, less than 50 people turned up to their debut show in Atlanta. I do two annual shows one for his passing and one for his birth (Jan. 8), the 54-year-old tribute artist says. I got more publicity over that than John Travolta did in 1978. Travolta was popular at the time because of Saturday Night Fever and Grease.. Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. Dennis Wise, 54, has been an Elvis tribute artist since before Elvis died (or allegedly passed on if you are one of those who believe he is in hiding). One of the most popular modern plays dealing with Elvis impersonation is Lee Hall's Cooking with Elvis (1999). In 40 years, its become more acceptable to do something like that, compared to back then, says Eyellusions Pezzuti. Elvis has spanned over forty years. In Fallout: New Vegas, the Kings are an Elvis-themed gang based out of the "King's School of Impersonation". A both serious and humerous collection of the world's greatest Elvis impersonators. Tickets are $18 and can be purchased at the casino cashier or by calling 702-507-5980 starting January 7, 2020. Way before celebrity holograms were a thing, concert promoter Danny ODay decided to pay tribute to dead musicians in the craziest way possible getting plastic surgeons to transform a group of tribute artists into clones of Elvis Presley, Jim Croce, Janis Joplin, and Jim Morrison for his conceived tour, Rock and Roll Heaven.. The four singers he found also got surgery (it was said to have cost O'Day $500,000, though Browne also notes the surgeries were less invasive than what Wise experienced) and press, but the audience didn't materialize and a planned Vegas run allegedly fell apart over O'Day's unwillingness to let "the Vegas casino establishment" take the reins of the show. Shed previously worked in a health-food store, but for Rock and Roll Heaven, she developed a fleeting taste for Southern Comfort, Joplins drink of choice. O'Day's first foray into the world of tribute acts came in 1977, when he met Dennis Wise, who sounded close enough to Elvis that O'Day convinced him to go under the knife and have his nose, cheeks, and lips made to look more like the King's. As it turned out, Duke OConnell, the drummer in an ODay-managed cover band called the Copycats, had been singing Doors songs in that group. (Photo by Getty Images) Save PURCHASE A LICENSE Get personalized pricing by telling us when, where, and how you want to use this asset. It was amazing. Stinson doesn't skimp on his Graceland shows. (Rhyne, by then remarried and known as Deborah Erin Bertalan, died of complications from a brain tumor in 2011. They bought us out as well. Danny has played music all over NC ,SC & Parts of VA. Danny has played many venues such as: The Barn Dinner Theate. At a hotel pool in Florida, an on-message ODay introduced his clones to a writer from the Miami News and regaled the reporter with tales from his rock & roll crypt. But long before Las Vegas residencies, biopics, and massive publishing buyout deals, ODay imagined a world in which classic-rock nostalgia would be a lucrative business. Caywood remembers ODay as a big ol shyster, but the tour launched her into roles in productions of Evita and Jesus Christ Superstar, as well as an extended run at a Palm Springs club (singing both new and classic pop hits) until her recent retirement. The play features a Chinese Elvis impersonator called Timothy Wong, who transforms the lives of the characters in the play. Meet the World's Greatest Elvis Impersonator By Nick Greene, the mag Mar 9, 2015 Ambassador Talent Services / Ambassador Talent Services by Shawn Klush, as told to Nick Greene Even when he's not. from the cities of Augusta, Georgia and New Orleans, Louisiana. Dave Ehlert from Waukegan, IL began performing as Elvis in 1967 a full 10 years before Elvis died. It was a Method-acting thing, says Caywood. [57] Keil was influenced by Elvis impersonator Andy Stankovich who he saw live. James's wife has suspicions of his feelings. He was a former dancer with a Polynesian troupe. Session guitarist Reggie Young played on both the James and Presley versions.The song is about a mistrusting and dysfunctional relationship, and the need of the characters to overcome their issues in order to maintain it. James said that late one night, he was fooling around on his Fender guitar and using his Hammond organ pedals for a bass line and came up with what he thought was a catchy melody. Graceland started buying up everything in the area. [48] His single "Love's Not Made of Time" by "God Will Rule" was produced by John Centinaro,[49] who would work with another Elvis impersonator, Johnny Charro. The novelty of the show, at a club in Melbourne, Florida, combined with all the press the surgery had received, commanded a rock-star-worthy fee $15,000 for the first week (about $60,000 today). Elvis impersonators are one of the most frequently booked look-alikes and tribute artists. Due to confusion about who is going as Elvis all three do it, appearing in sequence as Elvis at different stages of his career, winning the competition. Caywood wound up taking the gross heap home with her, with the thought of encasing it in glass and turning it into a coffee table. Drive. James at the time was married to his first wife, but still had feelings for his childhood sweetheart, who was married back in Houston. He was on hand for the first year anniversary of Elvis' death at the Prince William County Fair in Manassas, VA on August 16, 1978. It was her motivation that helped him become an Elvis tribute artist. By the mid-Eighties, ODay was running out of schemes. James had written three songs that became number one hits in the Southern United States. I bless you, Daniel ODay, she says, for opening up such a large part of my life that came out of that.. Las Vegas Sun, 2023, All Rights Reserved, Less Elvis in Vegas doesnt mean no Elvis in Vegas, Elvis has yet to leave the building (5-15-2008), Bartender mixes Elvis moves with Santa Fe drinks (4-13-2001), Vegas Vipers Home Opener Against DCDefenders, Durango Beats Liberty, 57-47, in Boys 5A BasketballChampionship. Ehlert performed throughout the Chicago Metro Area until Elvis died, then traveled the country with his act. He died at the end of 2020. There are many Elvis contests for amateurs, festivals and other events held across the world celebrating Elvis and his many impersonators. The film was directed by Don Coscarelli. I was 30 or 32 and wild and crazy anyway. And here, at Florida Hospital, on Jan. 31, 1978, Dennis Wise underwent six hours of plastic. However, its been rumored that they may have inspired this funny Saturday Night Live sketch, Behind the Music: Rock & Roll Heaven., News and Entertainment from Australia's favourite youth publisher, The Nirvana Nevermind babys lawsuit has been dismissed, A study compared celebrity worship and cognitive skills and the results arent good. When Wise reexamined his contract at the time, he realized hed signed with ODay for 50 years and that ODay was entitled to half his earnings. A promoter was looking for an Elvis act, says Wise, who auditioned by singing Trying to Get to You., I sang a few lines and the guy said, Thats enough, Wise says. He says he and the band werent paid in full for their work. What if, instead of one altered rocker, he had an all-star ensemble of them? In the Digimon Adventure anime, one of the main villains, Etemon has the character of an Elvis impersonator. [59][60] Like Alphonso Keil before him,[61] Angel regularly performs at the Parkes Elvis Festival, an event that now attracts 20,000. There are many different types of Elvis impersonators and Elvis tribute artists. Keeping his spirit alive are tens of thousands of professional Elvis impersonators around the world, and millions more who do it for kicks. Cram him into brown leather pants and he might pass for the Lizard King. He was so popular because he was kind and down Some of these impersonators go to Graceland on the anniversary of Presley's death to make their personal tribute to the artist. Symptoms of the condition included the patient dressing up like Elvis, wearing a white/grey jacket with a red music note at its back, matching trousers, sunglasses and Elvis' famous hairdo. Jeff Yagher played an Elvis impersonator (as well as Elvis himself) in an episode of The Twilight Zone called "The Once and Future King". From 1982 to 1984 he had a nightclub across the street from Graceland in Memphis. Dennis's television credits include appearances on "Good Morning "The King" of Rock and Roll has been gone for more than 30 years, but on any given night in Las Vegas the spirit of Elvis Presley lives on.