Every Man (And Woman) an Elvis: Imitators Honor Presley on the King’s 67th Birthday

By Buck Wolf Jan. 8, 2002

I am weak. I have given in to temptation. I have once again written about Elvis.

I officially retired Elvis from The Wolf Files two years ago, when the King would have turned 65. Now, on Jan. 8, it's the 67th anniversary of his birth. Big deal, you say? But just wait … The entire world will flock to Memphis in eight months. At least it will seem that way.

August marks the 25th anniversary of the King's passing. Elvis may have died a fat middle-aged man strung out on drugs. But he will always be the quintessential American rock star, enshrined as a dashboard statuette and rendered in black velvet.

Once again, Elvis beckons, and I am giving in. In celebration of Elvis' birthday, I bring you some of the most unusual Elvis impersonators. Fat white men once held a tight grip on the Elvis impersonation market. But these days you can find Mexican, Asian, Serbo-Croatian and even lesbian Presley clones in their white spangled jumpsuits. Elvis Herselvis and the Straight White Males, one of the strangest Elvis impersonation acts.

Indeed, the range of Elvis impersonators is as diverse as America itself. By some estimates, there are as many as 35,000 Elvii, performing, often for free, at all sorts of venues. "Many of these are just the guys who get dressed up and sing in the parking lot of Sears," says Gordon Forbes III, who directed and produced the documentary Elvis And The Men Who Would Be King.

But for many, like Trent Carlini, it's a full-time job that's taken him to venues all over the world. In Chicago last year, Carlini even held a workshop to teach Elvis impersonation to the poor, showing them how to snarl their lips and thrust their pelvises to the beat of "Hound Dog." "There's a simple reason why blacks, whites, Asians, want to be like Elvis," Carlini says. "Elvis was cool, and that's what everyone wants to be."

For the record, Elvis swivels his hips only during drum fills. The lip curl should be used not as a sneer, but a shy smile. And when you throw a scarf to the ladies in the audience, make sure it's heavy, so it carries beyond the front row. Carlini might not approve of all of the following impersonators. Elvis was a king, not a court jester, and shouldn't be played for laughs.

Still, here are some of the more unusual Elvii.

The Elvis Gallery

The Asian Elvis — There are actually dozens, if not hundreds, of Asian impersonators. But Robert Kim, also known as Yoshi Suzuki, has received two endorsements that are hard to match. He is the only impersonator to record an entire album with Presley's backing singers, the Jordanaires.

And Presley's own hairdresser, Larry Geller, chose Suzuki for the audio version of his book, If I Can Dream. "It started as a joke. I did The Gong Show as 'The Japanese Elvis' and I won first prize," Suzuki says. From there, he appeared in Honeymoon In Vegas, and on CNN and The Tonight Show. "Elvis would have loved Suzuki," Geller says. "It's funny that an Asian guy can do Elvis so well. But Suzuki doesn't have to play for laughs to make a point."

Cop Elvis — Talk about commitment: Just two weeks ago, a New Zealand policeman chose to turn in his badge rather than stop imitating his hero. Constable Brian Childs of Wellington, the reigning Australasian champion Elvis Presley impersonator, resigned from the force after being ordered by police bosses to choose between his blue uniform or his blue suede shoes.

Political Elvis — Bruce Borders might not be the King. But he was mayor of Jasonville, Ind., a town of 2,500 people. "The competition tried to use Elvis against me," Borders says. "But the voters knew I was serious." He remained an Elvis performer through his eight years in office, beginning in 1988. "I was re-elected to one four-year term and still did about 70 gigs a year. After that, I quit to concentrate on selling insurance and being Elvis," he says. "I just didn't have the time for politics."

Extreme Elvis says he performs as his hero would if he were still alive. (Photo courtesy www.extremeelvis.com) Extreme Elvis — What would Elvis be like if he were alive today (and still gaining weight)? A 350-pound San Francisco performance artist, who lets fans rub his Buddha belly, says he has the answer. Presley traditionalists have complained that "Extreme Elvis" has been known to strip on stage.

"I'm misunderstood, just like the King," Extreme Elvis says. "If you see the way Elvis was going with his act, you know what I'm doing is true to my hero." Extreme Elvis says he's celebrating Presley's birthday by taking a cocktail of Zoloft, Viagra and Geritol.

Elvis Herselvis — When Leigh Crow, aka "Elvis Herselvis," sings "Girls, Girls, Girls," she brings a whole new meaning to the Elvis standard. Crow performs in heavy-gauge chains and black pants with an "Elvis" license plate for a belt buckle.

"It's not so strange. Elvis was the original gender-bender," Crow says. "In the 1950s, people were afraid of the way he danced. They thought he was gay. He broke down walls."

Evangelical Elvis — Gary Stone, 53, says performing as Elvis is the way he gives back to the community. As an Elvis evangelist, he wears a white rhinestone jumpsuit, cape and boots, performing "Suspicious Minds" at church groups, nursing homes and youth rallies. "Elvis would be older than some of the nursing home people I've performed for," Stone says. "People forget, he was a charitable man who loved gospel music."

Black Elvis — A perennial finalist in the "Images of Elvis" contest, Robert Washington makes people forget very fast that his complexion is quite different than that of his hero. As one show business manager put it: "Washington really brings out the craft. He brings black and white people together. Can there be a higher compliment?"

Buck Wolf is entertainment producer at ABCNEWS.com.