Elvis Presley has been dead for 30 years. Yet his legacy lives on in the form of the thriving phenomenon of Elvis impersonators. An Elvis impersonator or lookalike is an artist who copies or imitates the iconic American musician in looks and mannerisms. Elvis impersonation constitutes imitating his visual image by wearing an Elvis wig with the trademark sideburns and quaffed hair, putting on a rhinestone-studded jumpsuit and assorted jewelry. The artist also impersonates Elvis by singing and talking just like him.

Elvis impersonators earn their livelihood by making an appearance at parties, carnivals and casinos, dressed as the King himself. They even take the stage as Elvis, in the numerous Elvis Tribute Shows that take place around the world. It’s not easy impersonating someone as famous as Elvis Presley. He has a unique personality and nuances to his character that have to be perfected down to the T. Also, his voice has a timbre and inflection that takes years to perfect. The key to a standout performance is getting all the details into place. Those who are able to do it well, reap rich rewards. It’s what differentiates the really good impersonators from the mediocre ones.

The first Elvis lookalike to make a mark was Bill Haney. He had started out as an Elvis lookalike during Elvis’s lifetime itself. In fact, he was the only Elvis tribute artist that Elvis himself ever went to see. Another noteworthy Elvis impersonator during Elvis’s lifetime was Andy Kaufman. Elvis counted him as his favorite impersonator.

The number of Elvis impersonators is ever increasing. At last count, there were at least 200,000 Elvis tribute artists all over the world, up from the 170 there were in 1977, when Elvis died. The popularity of Elvis impersonators has spawned numerous Elvis lookalike contests, festivals and events celebrating the magic of Elvis. These contests attract thousands of Elvis fans hopeful of making it in an industry already chock-a-block with lookalikes.

The biggest contest of them all is the one held at the annual Elvis convention at Blackpool in England which has been licensed by Elvis Presley Enterprises as the official Elvis lookalike contest. Elvis’s Graceland Estate also had an Elvis lookalike contest in 2007 to mark the King’s 30th death anniversary.

Being white and young is not a pre-requisite to the job. There are black Elvii (the plural of Elvis), Mexican Elvii, Greek, Jewish, Chinese Elvii and even a Sikh Elvis. There was also an Elvis lookalike who was a dwarf. Female Elvis lookalikes named Elviras are also making a mark in the field of Elvis impersonation.

The popularity of Elvis impersonators can be gauged from the fact that the winner of a 2007 American reality show on T.V. called ‘The Next Best Thing on ABC’ was – you’re right- an Elvis lookalike. Another lookalike came in the top 5. There are many radio shows which incorporate an Elvis impersonator feature in their program. These shows have Elvis impersonators answering listeners’ questions in an Elvis voice or crooning Elvis songs. The industry boasts of an official Elvis Impersonator Registry, where Elvis tribute artists can register themselves as members of the thriving industry.

Although some Elvis impersonators admit that it is sometimes considered as a tacky line of work, the smiles and applause of the audience makes it worthwhile. Some impersonators dislike the term and prefer the term Elvis tribute artist instead. But what matters in the end is making people happy. It is not all glory but real hard work that has kept the heart and spirit of Elvis alive thirty years after his death. And the credit for this, all goes to the Elvis tribute artists.

Johnny Thompson is author of Elvis Entertainers.For more information about Elvis Impersonator, Elvis Tribute visit http://www.elvisentertainers.com

‘You either have rhythm or you don’t. And when you have it, you’ve got it all over.’ These words have been uttered by none other than the king of rock ‘n’ roll Elvis Presley. And although the king himself is no more, these words hold true today more than ever. They put into perspective the efforts of thousands of Elvis tribute artists who are engaged in keeping his legacy alive in the form of the Elvis tribute shows.

Anyone who has ever attended an Elvis tribute show in Las Vegas will testify to the excitement and exhilaration that pervades the performance venue. These shows are a sincere attempt to capture the true essence of the king, and best represent the Elvis legacy. In keeping with Elvis’s own energized and charismatic performances, an Elvis tribute show is guaranteed to be high energy and very physical.

A lot goes into pulling off the perfect act which wows the audience and brings it to its feet screaming with adulation. Elvis was never just a voice. It was the whole package of music, look, performance and charisma that had millions of people under his spell for twenty long years. Recapturing all this and more, in front of a critical audience, requires a special effort.

Getting the look right is not so difficult. A lot of manufacturing companies duplicate the authentic rhine stone studded jumpsuits using the original, exclusive designs of Bell Belew and Gene Doucette. A good Elvis wig takes care of the trademark side burns and the quaff. Assorted jewelry on the fingers and around the neck, and the artist is all set to take the stage.

The real test of the tribute artist begins when he takes the stage. The artist has to get all the thousands of nuances that make up Elvis, just right. The artists put their all into each hip shake, rattle and roll. The deep soulful eyes, trademark snarl, pout and unique body stance have to be perfected down to the T. Lip synching doesn’t have much of an impact. So the artist has to work on his voice, tone and inflection to sound just like Elvis. A good, live band also goes a long way in building the right tempo.

The show itself is very high octane. The audience is awestruck by the uncanny resemblance that the tribute artist bears to the King. And then the artist starts his note- perfect rendition of Elvis’s million selling hits like Jailhouse rock, Heartbreak Hotel, Blue Suede Shoes, and the audience goes crazy dancing to the foot tapping music. All tribute artists prefer to have the concluding act as the legendary Vegas spectaculars and the tempo reaches an ear-shattering crescendo. Reactions are extreme and have to be seen to be believed. Some members of the audience appear thunderstruck, while some are even drawn to tears.

It’s amazing that the King’s legacy lives on even thirty years after his death. The popularity of the King, that has sustained this line of work, is beyond comprehension. Each tribute artist puts his all into every performance. Some people may say that a tribute artist has no identity of his own and is known only by his Elvis impersonation. But what keeps him coming back to it year after year, show after show, is seeing the reaction on people’s faces. He does it because he loves the devotion and adulation he sees on people’s faces. He does it because of his love for Elvis and his music.

Johnny Thompson is author of www.johnny-thompson.com.For more information about Elvis Impersonator, Elvis Tribute Artist visit http://www.elvisentertainers.com/