I asked him to show me his license and he refused.) According to Rhynes sister-in-law, Wanda, Rhyne was happy, for a time: Danny was the love of her life. [39] His day job is at BGT Laboratories in Ffostrasol, which makes antidote products including snake anti-venom. \"Suspicious Minds\" was widely regarded as the single that returned Presley's career success, following his '68 Comeback Special. He was popular in the South, but not so much around the rest of the country. Look how well records by dead rock stars sell. Elvis impersonator - Wikipedia 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. 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 man who played Elvis' boss at the Crown Electric company was Red West, a real life schoolmate and best friend of Elvis. episode "All Shook Up", Hammer (David Rasche) investigates a string of Elvis impersonator murders by participating in a contest as one. [65], Malaysia has Tony Warren who is known as "the Tom Jones of Malaysia". Dean Vegas and Paul Fenech from Australia were also booked for the event. "That was a very strange day," Wise says. Of course theyll come., Rhyne sang credible Ronstadt covers, while her new husband dug into his performing past to mimic Rogers husky delivery. Thats up from $49 million in 2007. 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. Barnum, a man who could, in Wises words, sell ice cream in hell. If that meant hiring someone to turn living singers into facsimiles of deceased ones, so be it. Spirit of Elvis rocks on - Las Vegas Sun Newspaper 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. Gradually Elvis became a bigger part of the act. 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. It's only fitting that he would In 1956, shortly after Elvis began to rise in popularity, Smith began jumping on stage and imitating Elvis. Lilo and Stitch is a 2002 animated Disney movie that has Stitch, a blue alien, impersonate Elvis for a scene. His mother introduced Joplin, Missouri native Dennis Wise to the music 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. In an episode of Due South, Season one, episode 10, "The Gift of the Wheelman", It's Christmas time and the police station is filled with Santas, elves and Elvises. Gary James' Interview With Elvis Impersonator Dennis Wise Dennis Wise made Page One news in papers across the country back in 1978 when he under went 6 hours of cosmetic surgery to re-construct his face to resemble Elvis Presley. The next night, they and a new batch of clones appeared onstage, and suddenly ODay was Kenny Rogers and Rhyne was looking a bit like Linda Ronstadt, then at the peak of her pop career. Hes great.. Elvis Presley An Interview With Elvis' Stepbrother, David Stanley David Stanley was just 4 years old when he moved into Graceland after his mother Dee married Elvis' father, Vernon. Gamble, a high-school dropout whod worked as a carpenter and in local theater productions of musicals like Bye Bye Birdie, reveled in his Kingness. Bags were removed from under OConnells eyes, and wrinkles from his cheeks. repertoire, Dennis can answer most any request. Dennis Wise has been paying tribute to Elvis for more than 30years. "It's almost like you're on autopilot," Garon said, of drifting into the Presley persona. 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. Nelson even performed alongside Presley when they first met, also in 1954. After spending the next two years on the road, he and his wife, Marcia, decided to settle down in Las Vegas. [56] Also during the 1960s, he played rhythm guitar with The Zodiacs and then The Kavaliers, a group fronted by his brother Freddie. I just thought, Well, I dont know what does that mean? says Gamble. to earth and that separates a lot of entertainers", states Dennis. We just want to bring back 1970's Dennis Wise Enterprize ELVIS Impersonator jacket Men's Large So O'Day moved on: to "Rock and Roll Heaven," a tour he dreamed up that would feature not just an Elvis, but Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, and Jim Croce, too. The idea was to say I was trying to develop the sneer, I guess, he says. Debbie loved all that. This has seen some impact on what Elvis impersonators and contests have on the media and marketing industry. He is a published author and has appeared on New Zealand television in ads, Like Minds, Like Mine. Shawn Klush - Top 10 Elvis Impersonators - TIME Palaios, v.8, pp.623624. The King Is Dead, But Wise Works to Keep Spirit Alive These days, O'Day (who died in 2003) is "the smallest of footnotes in pop history books," but he was also remarkably prescient, writes Browne: "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." But for ODay, it probably didnt matter: He already had a bigger, grander, and wilder scheme in mind. He was so popular because he was kind and down Drive. 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. Dragging along the white suits theyd been forced to wear onstage, the musicians piled them atop one another and set the clothes afire, resulting in what Caywood recalls as an unholy muck of cow patties, dirt, and melted polyester.. Way before technology, there wasnt anything else you could do.. I always do a show celebrating his birthday and remembering him on the anniversary of his death.. We use cookies. Kwok Lam-sang, known as Melvis, was a long-time Elvis impersonator in Hong Kong. Guess where the money went? Wise wound up suing ODay for negligence (claiming his professional reputation has been damaged) and breach of fiduciary duty, demanding a minimum settlement of $2,500. "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. The play features a Chinese Elvis impersonator called Timothy Wong, who transforms the lives of the characters in the play. 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. In Annalee Newitz and Matt Wray, eds.. Sweeney, "The King of White Trash Culture," p.262. The plus sides, he still has some good moves, accomplishes an acceptable Elvis appearance and performance, but his voice doesn't sound much like Elvis. When the band broke up my brother returned to the mainland but I stayed on in Hawaii a couple of years. I was heartbroken, very upset. Wise isnt totally focused on Elvis. He has every album Elvis ever recorded and pictures by the thousands. Luckily, Gamble says, he was able to point to a Rock and Roll Heaven billboard with his face on it, and he got away with just a warning. 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. Wise had come to Orlando at the request of a newly acquired personal manager, Danny O'Day of Ocala. 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. 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. 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. Thomas into a local club, took the money, and then disappeared; it turned out he didnt actually rep Thomas at all. Growing up in Baltimore, he played drums in a few local bands. On the 15th of May, 2011, he entered the Elvis Down Under competition in Upper Hutt. "[26] According to Marjorie Garber's academic study, Vested Interests: Cross-dressing and Cultural Anxiety (1992), Elvis impersonation is so insistently connected with femininity that it is "almost as if the word 'impersonator', in contemporary popular culture, can be modified either by 'female' or by 'Elvis. I kind of took after him.. SUMMERS: So it is deep cuts and classics all weekend at the Birmingham Hilton. released "Just Pretending" by Kurt Burrows is full of tips on how to talk, sing and dress like Elvis. Priscilla Presley's favourite Elvis impersonator - YouTube He would say, We ought to do this! and I would be, Oh, my gosh!. We were traveling the country, doing two shows a night six and seven nights a week.. Somebody hit him in the face and knocked him out. There have been at least three prominent Elvis impersonators of Samoan descent. It also featured Clearance Giddens, a black Elvis. An Elvis impersonator is an entertainer who impersonates or copies the look and sound of American musician and singer Elvis Presley. The voice, the lip curl, the jumpsuit he's a dead ringer. Wow your guests with a visit from the King of Rock and Roll! Dennis Wise Tickets, 2022-2023 Concert Tour Dates | Ticketmaster You dont miss your water until the well runs dry. We want to hear it. They began using the contest along with their Elvis brand, licensing anyone wanting to charge a fee to hold an Elvis contest. [37] In February 2013, he was set to appear at the annual fourth tribute to Elvis Presley event, held at the Auckland Botanic Gardens in Manurewa, Auckland. He was there in 2016 for the event,[62] and in there in 2018.[63]. Ironically, the makeover would be inspired in part by Erin Rhyne, the female Elvis in Rock and Roll Heaven and the member of the troupe whod been the most damaged by it. He didnt like that, the state fairs, says Effie. The small western New South Wales town of Parkes in Australia has been hosting the Parkes Elvis Festival since 1993, which includes a special "Elvis Express" train from Sydney to Parkes. DENNIS WISE FANTASIES LP (ELVIS IMPERSONATOR) AUTOGRAPHED SLEEVE - eBay It was a Method-acting thing, says Caywood. "There are heavily-bearded Elvii, four-year-old Elvii, and Elvis duos; Italian Elvii, Greek Elvii, Fat Elvii, a Lady Elvis, even a Black Elvis. He recalls seeing cocaine backstage, and during a Tahoe drive, Gamble stocked his black Lincoln with a cooler of beer and some Jack Daniels and was, of course, pulled over by cops for some infraction. [23], The largest gathering of Elvis impersonators occurred on 12 July 2014 when 895 impersonators gathered in the Harrah's Cherokee Casino Resort in Cherokee, North Carolina.[24]. There must have been 100 people from the press all over the world taking pictures, he says. ODay wasnt there, so Gamble had to content himself with walking off with a piece of stage gear. Different Elvis artists have been in the main role with very detailed outfits, wigs and props. would play the song much too loudly and much too often. James felt it was a confusing time for him and that all three were caught in this trap that they could not walk out of. And lastly, Dennis is a bit aged these days and many of his promo photos are of younger years. A lot of guys stick to your basic Elvis songs, like Jailhouse Rock, but what I try to do is to expand it to let people know this is what Elvis did gospel, rock n roll, R&B. Leilani, who had referred to himself as a "rock 'n' roll-singing Polynesian guy", had formed a rockabilly band in the early 90s and had performed in Hawaii. First of all, you dont believe it. Elvis Has Left the Building a film in which a woman kills multiple Elvis impersonators. This show will be a little different from the past few years, Wise says. His admiration for Wise heard a story maybe apocryphal that ODay had booked pop star B.J. choose a career that pays tribute to the King of Rock and Roll. Its got to be wrong. Dennis began his professional tribute to Elvis in 1978, a year after the ODay later admitted the idea was also suggested by Rhyne and that he had his own doubts: I said, What, are you crazy? Rock and Roll Heaven opened with the backup band playing an instrumental version of the Righteous Brothers dead-rocker hit of the same name. It was amazing. Following the transformation, he made his TV debut on Good Morning Americain early 1978. Dennis Colt, the first famous Elvis impersonator, circa 1978. (Actually, they didnt go on the road so fast: The first gig, at a club in St. Petersburg, Florida, perhaps aptly named J.P. Bottoms Lounge, never happened. Get our roundup of longform stories every Saturday. It was her motivation that helped him become an Elvis tribute artist. His Bizarre 1970s Plan Involved Elvis, Plastic Surgery The two wound up singing covers in another band, poetically named Xerox, and before long, they became romantically involved. (When the ceremony was over, they had some difficulty eating the wedding cake.) 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 unique iconic status of Elvis. What ODay himself dubbed his clone army only wound up fighting a few minor skirmishes: a handful of TV appearances, and gigs at clubs, state fairs, and casinos, earning enough notoriety to have possibly inspired not one but two Saturday Night Live parodies. 29 cents Cost of the Elvis stamp issued in 1993. But more than 40 years ago, Danny ODay took imitation to a place no one imagined before or since. When I take these people in, they already have a basic resemblance to the person I want them to look like, he said. Organize, control, distribute and measure all of your digital content. Droser in a 1993 paper derived from the Elvis impersonators the term Elvis taxon (plural Elvis taxa), which denotes a taxon that has been misidentified as having re-emerged in the fossil record after a period of presumed extinction, but is not actually a descendant of the original taxon, instead having developed a similar morphology through convergent evolution. He was from the same family that made up the Keil Isles. From left: Rhyne, ODay, and Hazebrouck performing as Linda Ronstadt, Kenny Rogers, and Jim Croce at a Florida club in 1981. impersonators; a cover of TV Guide magazine; and presentation of keys [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. An Elvis impersonator is an entertainer who impersonates or copies the look and sound of American musician and singer Elvis Presley. Elvis Presley Impersonators for Hire Near Me - The Bash Wise will perform his annual Elvis birthday concert Saturday at the Chrome Lounge at Santa Fe Station. 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. (AP Photo, File), Leonard Cohen's Kids: Dad's Ex-Manager Fiddled With Trust, Ed Sheeran on His 2022: 'I Felt Like I Was Drowning', After 'Grotesque Conduct,' $29M for Kobe Bryant's Family, Radio Station Shares 'Incredibly Worrisome' Update on Missing DJ, God Save the King From Trying to Find a Band to Play Coronation, Man Who Worked for Disney Longer Than Anyone Has Died, Manager on Sizemore: 'There Is No Further Hope', Chris Rock Gets Ready to Discuss 'The Slap', Judge's Sentencing Remark Shows Murdaugh Family Pull, 2 Familiar Faces Were on Turbulent Lufthansa Flight, Woman Declared Dead Decades Ago Suddenly Turns Up. Dennis Wise knows exactly where he was when Elvis Presley died Aug. 16, 1977. Hazebrouck, who was still performing as Croce, rejoined ODay and Rhyne for a Kenny, Linda, and Jim show. He said, Give me something! and a nurse came over and plunged this needle into me. Wise soon went under. Wises mother introduced him to Elvis music. The large growth in Elvis impersonators seems tightly linked with his ever-growing iconic status. My whole life has been dedicated to Elvis.. include being named by Dick Clark as one of the three best Elvis Send us a tip using our anonymous form. (The first was a 1981 skit about a sleazy Rock and Roll Heaven marketing company, featuring Eddie Murphy, that made a joke about the Three Js Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Jim Croce.) In 1978, the clone tour was cited in Rolling Stones year-end issue, under the header The Brides of Funkenstein. (Two aspiring women performers underwent plastic surgery: one to look like a female Elvis; the other, Janis Joplin.) But almost as soon as it arrived, Rock and Roll Heaven imploded, and ODay became the smallest of footnotes in pop history books. Last year, he earned $54 million, topping the list of dead performers who are still making money. Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. '"[13] Professional Elvis impersonation can be called a special branch of the entertainment industry. . In "Wedding Card," an episode of the Canadian sitcom Corner Gas, Oscar and Emma Leroy admit to having no photos of their wedding because "it was an Elvis wedding". James had written three songs that became number one hits in the Southern United States. Grow your brand authentically by sharing brand content with the internets creators. Even though James's recording initially had not been commercially successful, upon reviewing the song Elvis decided he could turn it into a hit. She wouldnt let go, he chuckles. "[17], However, the Elvis industry includes "professional Elvis impersonator registries." An advertisement for State Farm Insurance featured four Elvis impersonators, each of which performed the company's "magic jingle" in succession, causing representatives from the company to appear out of thin air. Elvis Presley: The King's best impersonators. Also recently[when?] [52], During the early 1990s, Sam Leilani from Reseda, L.A. made the news briefly. Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. But for Wise, the jailhouse only rocked for so long. Francesca Brittan, "Women Who 'Do Elvis': Authenticity, Masculinity and Masquerade", published in the. ODay also landed them an appearance on Tom Snyders late-night network talk show. "He was way ahead of the curve," says Jeff Pezzuti, founder of Eyellusion, responsible for recent. He has been performing as Elvis since around 2000. Elvis cant die. from the cities of Augusta, Georgia and New Orleans, Louisiana. Standing Outside Graceland, A sermon for Reformation Day/Sunday [33] A humorous example of mathematical extrapolation posits that if the growth of Elvis impersonators continued at the rate it did since 1977, by 2043, all humans on earth would be Elvis impersonators. From left: Hazebrouck, Caywood, Rhyne, Gamble, and OConnell at their post-surgery press conference, 1978. By the mid-Eighties, ODay was running out of schemes. Dennis Wise - IMDb It was in his blood, and I want to think it was the drinking that prohibited him from doing more with his life. For reasons that remain mysterious, ODay completely turned his back on show business and began working in sales for car dealerships in the greater Baltimore and Washington, D.C., area. This "[18] According to George Plasketes, there are "legions of impersonators. 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. My dad has been an Elvis Tribute Artist for over 30 years. He says he was patched up after the assassination in Dallas, dyed black, and abandoned by Lyndon B. Johnson. When he woke up, his swollen face wrapped in bandages, Wise had implants in his cheeks and a curled-up lip, and he was on his way to resembling the King more than his 23-year-old self. Chips Moman had asked James to come to Memphis to write songs for American Sound Studio. (Blame it on the club owner, ODay said in response.) Cram him into brown leather pants and he might pass for the Lizard King. He plays original music with Enjoy the Zoo, a group whose members grew up in Las Vegas. dead celebs list, except for the year the Kurt Cobain catalog was sold. CONTINUE ON TO: Its become the most collected U.S. stamp with more than 124 million saved and more than 500 million sold. Saturdays show will be a family affair. Elvis Extravaganza is a 60-minute 2009 Elvis impersonator documentary featuring amateur Elvis impersonators and their quest for the title of the "World's Finest Elvis Impersonator.". I was a small kid growing up in Joplin, Mo., he says. The music will be all Elvis, from the Vegas years. Elvis Impersonator from Winston Salem, NC (95 miles from Wake Forest, NC) Danny Crouse is a consummate performer who performs as a solo artist and can perform a variety of music! [50][51] Another single of his, released on the Fire Mountain label in 1980, "Just One Look" by "Darling" is a sought after collectors item. Dennis Wise - King for a Night - A Tribute to Elvis Presley Elvis Presley death mystery - ClassicBands.com So Jim said, Lets do a little Elvis thing in the show.. [54] He was born in Samoa in 1944, came to New Zealand as a boy. Wise trekked to ODays home in Ocala, just in time to see his boss roll up, living large. [21], Blackpool in the UK, features a busy Elvis wedding chapel[22] based at the Norbreck Castle Hotel, Queens promenade, where couples can have their wedding vows renewed by Martin Fox. [10] As Kaufman gained fame, the impersonation was used less and less. As far back as the Seventies, touring and club acts meticulously did their best to look and sound like the Doors or the very much alive Bruce Springsteen, and tourists in Manhattan flocked to Beatlemania, a Fab Four tribute that ran on Broadway for two years. In paleontology, researchers D.H. Erwin and M.L. For the first and not last time, his boss, Danny ODay, could boast, with one of his robust laughs, that he was the monster maker.. Wise says that, inspired by Dark Passage, the 1947 film in which Humphrey Bogarts escaped-con character undergoes plastic surgery to avoid recapture, he suggested altering his face to look more like the King. [45] The following year in August 1977, he was appearing at the Colonial Inn, fronting a nine-piece band called Coastal Connection. He almost never talked about his previous life or Rock and Roll Heaven with family (including a son, Andrew, who performs solo and with an Eighties tribute band around D.C.).