There are an estimated 35,000 Elvis impersonators in the world. They personify all the Elvis incarnations from the young rebel hero of the Sun Record days to the tacky, Vegas show guy with the beer gut. There are Elvis conferences and festivals in every country in the world. Ontario's contribution to the phenomenon is the annual Elvis impersonators' weekend in Collingwood. Photographer Louie Palu tracked down some of these would-be Kings at the Collingwood Festival. The photographs provided Sault writer Mark Dunn with a chance to come to terms with his own inner Elvis.

Photo: Copyright Louie Palu. It may not be used without prior consent.

Elvis left the building for the last time on August 16, 1977. Jimmy Carter had just become President of the United States. In Canada, Margaret had just left Pierre for the Rolling Stones. It was the pinnacle of the Disco era and the first test flights for the space shuttle Enterprise. The two most popular movies that year were Saturday Night Fever and Star Wars (although Annie Hall swept the Oscars). All across North America wide lapels and gold chains were the mark of cool. Over in England, however, a band called the Sex Pistols was busy destroying all the vain icons of an era of excess.
I was eight years old that year. I didn't know a whole lot about Elvis other than the obvious fact that if he was the king of anything, it was excess. The picture on the front page of the local paper told the story. There he was dressed in a white, jewel-encrusted cape with a wrestler's gold belt clamped around his waist. The headline read - 'Long Live the King' -but he could have been Liberace's stocky brother for all I knew.
The older folks had a different take. Grown ups wept over his death. They reminisced fondly about the impact of the King's appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, or mused over the impact of Hollywood and the army on the King.
The late news broadcast clips of the young Elvis, backed by the Jordanaires, shaking and gyrating for teenagers who wore plaid skirts and horned-rimmed glasses.
It was a strange sight. Neither the stories nor the news clips explained what all the fuss was about.
Trying to make sense of it in terms of my own experience I wondered, what if it had been Star Wars' hero Hans Solo who had died rather than the ex-truck driver from Tupelo? Was Elvis the Hans Solo of his generation - the super-cool, uber-dude that all the girls wanted and all the men wanted to be like?
But the more I thought of it, the more I realized that Hans Solo didn't quite fill the bill. The fact was, my generation had no one like Elvis. Sure, we had Alice Cooper and Kermit the Frog, but these fell short somehow. None of them had an eighth degree black belt like Elvis.

But He's Not Forgotten
During a career that lasted just over twenty years, Elvis the Pelvis made 31 movies and released close to one hundred albums. But the Elvis empire really took off after his death, spawning Graceland, the largest and wealthiest celebrity theme park ever known.
Every year, 600,000 people make the pilgrimage to Graceland to walk where Elvis walked, to take a peek at his bedroom and the infamous bathroom where he departed this earth.
In Memphis, Elvis is the main employer. There is the 128-room Heartbreak Hotel offering an authentic Elvis experience at $100 to $400 per night. There's an Elvis Restaurant that serves all of the King's favorite meals, including deep fried banana and peanut butter sandwiches.
Elvis Presley Enterprises is the corporate body that manages his estate and markets the image of Elvis. It is presided over by his daughter, and former wife of Michael Jackson (the other king of American excess), Lisa Marie Presley. The name Elvis and all representations of Elvis are owned by EPE.
The image of Elvis has appeared in comic books, novels, television commercials and postage stamps. Several major Hollywood flicks have featured Elvis and Elvis impersonation as central themes, including the recent '3000 Miles to Graceland', which featured big-time actors like Kevin Costner and Kurt Russell as well as 'Graceland' starring Harvey Keitel.

Aliens and Anagrams
Shortly after his death, Elvis apparently went on a world tour. Like the saints of old, Elvis had the ability to be in several places at once. You could follow his exploits for years in the supermarket tabloids. Sometimes he worked at a gas station on a deserted stretch of highway. Other times he could be found flipping burgers, attending church, or even taking the time to rescue stranded motorists.
The sightings may have been the expression of collective grief. But the myth that has arisen around him hasmanaged to draw on the strangest and weirdest elements of American culture. Musician Mojo Nixon cashed in on the freak show nature of the Elvis phenomenon with his song 'Elvis Is Everywhere'.
For example, there are those who claim Elvis was a CIA operative, and that his death was faked so that he could go underground as a spy. Maybe the proliferation of Elvis impersonators is a cover-up to distract us mortals from Elvis' true mission - which has yet to be revealed
Other Elvis enthusiasts turn to the anagram for deeper insight or proof of conspiracies. In 1969, Elvis himself even tried his hand at the anagram; "My name's got 'evils' and 'lives'. It's probably better not to wonder too much about it," mused the King.

Elvis is Everywhere
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Elvis Presley must be the most flattered human in history. The late comedian Andy Kaufman was one of the first, and certainly one of the strangest, Elvis impersonators, making his television debut in 1972 with a Latvian Elvis. Other strange acts have followed, including the novelty group Dread Zeppelin, an Elvis-fronted reggae band that covers songs by the legendary, heavy-rock band Led Zeppelin.
But a distinction should be made between imitation and impersonation. Nearly every 1950s pop star, from Gene Vincent to Cliff Richard, imitated Elvis. Even today, singer Chris Isaak seems to have imitated Elvis in appearance and vocal style.
But no other popular entertainer has spawned a legion of impersonators like Elvis. Impersonation is a tradition that hearkens to religious reenactments, or touches on the primitive attempt by the hunter to personify the essence of his prey by impersonating it before the hunt.
Since the death of the King there have been a steadily growing number of impersonators - from the talented to the extremely tacky. There are countless Elvis conferences and festivals held each year in every part of the world. The largest Elvis event in Canada, the Collingwood Elvis Festival, will be held this July. The three-day celebration, which is sponsored by Molson and Loblaws among others, will attract fans and impersonators from around the globe.
Elvis impersonation is such a specialized and competitive niche in the entertainment industry that agencies have been formed to represent the performers. The Elvis Entertainment Network (EEN) is a talent agency that represents 97 professional Elvis impersonators and tribute artists in North America and Europe.
Nance Fox, the president of the EEN, says the agency was established to ensure that Elvis tribute artists maintain a level of professional decorum fitting the King.
Nance points out that the actual technical term for Elvis impersonators is an ETA (Elvis Tribute Artist). According to Nance there are 35,000 ETAs in the world.
Nance says the more popular personas of these ETAs run the spectrum of Elvis' career; "from the gold lamé he wore in the 50s, through the black leather he wore in the '68 Comeback Special, to the fabulous jumpsuits that reflected his Vegas years."
Is there a formal training program to become an Elvis? Nance says no but points out that "Great ETAs, such as Doug Church (Vice Pres. of EEN and aka 'The Voice of Elvis') do coach some performers. At our 2nd Annual Convention, we will be holding seminars in such subjects as Voice, Karate Moves, Makeup and Hair. The ETAs attending are very excited about them."
What makes the Elvis phenomenon last?
"Putting aside the obvious reasons - his good looks and great voice - Elvis sang from his heart. His music appealed to the emotions of people all over. Even today, the emotions he sang about are common to all people. His music will live forever"
And what does Nance think Elvis would make of the thousands of lookalikes running around the globe?
"When he met an Impersonator, Elvis' comment was 'You're a brave man!' Elvis loved his fans. I believe he would be complimented and pleased to see all the ETAs. I also think he would have a chuckle at some of the poorer ones."

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