We did a couple of state fairs where there were, like, four people in the audience.. Since Joplin imitators were rare back then, Caywood adds, I was the only person who could do that at the time., Caywood, a native Californian who sang in a sassy rasp reminiscent of Joplins, didnt know the full story. 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. (Rhyne, by then remarried and known as Deborah Erin Bertalan, died of complications from a brain tumor in 2011. The comedy centers on the family life of Dad, an Elvis impersonator who was paralyzed in a car crash and is forced to spend the rest of his life in a wheel chair. He wound up in one called the Flim Flam Band, where his future wife Effie saw him perform covers in her hometown of Ocala, Florida, in the early Seventies. First of all, you dont believe it. By 1977, the band found itself gigging in Arkansas, doing what their guitarist Jim Wise calls Stevie Wonder and disco stuff. ODay was also learning how to work the system. Some of his contemporaries included Rick Saucedo of Chicago and Johnny Harra, a Kansas City native who moved his show to Texas in 1977. Elvis has spanned over forty years. The mementos may be gone. (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. Jim wasnt sure what to make of it, but he did see one upside. But . Marcia is a schoolteacher, teaching the history of music. Dennis's television credits include appearances on "Good Morning CONTINUE ON TO: Eric Lott, "All the King's Men: Elvis Impersonators and White Working-Class Masculinity." The two married in 1974, and ODay eventually adopted her two children from a previous marriage. He was the winner of the competition. They began using the contest along with their Elvis brand, licensing anyone wanting to charge a fee to hold an Elvis contest. 19 verified bookings. At the time, he was referred to as the greatest Elvis impressionist around. SELECT OPTIONS SAVE TO CART Dean Vegas and Paul Fenech from Australia were also booked for the event. I would tell those people not to do it. And I said, Well, you know, I guess I could do something. Caywood was up for singing Joplin tunes: I thought, Cool, that sounds fun! Im famous for picking up and moving my entire life. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then Danny O'Day is well, he was in a category all his own. 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. In an episode of How I Met Your Mother Marshall and Lily are serenaded by a Korean Elvis. 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.. Dennis Wise knows exactly where he was when Elvis Presley died Aug. 16, 1977. The first singer to go through the surgery was Elvis impersonator Dennis Wise; a former car salesman from Hawaii who traveled to the U.S. to try his luck as a tribute act. That was a very strange day, Wise says. Wise is the ultimate fan and the ultimate Elvis performer, with more Tickets are $18 and can be purchased at the casino cashier or by calling 702-507-5980 starting January 7, 2020. At an early stop on the tour, one reviewer noted that few of the performers resembled their dead counterparts that much. (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. Its pretty common now, Wise says. Dennis got his nose broken when he was in the Marines, he says. At Gambles suggestion, his girlfriend, a North Carolina native named Deborah (or Erin) Rhyne, had her nose straightened and hair dyed black to resemble a female Elvis. (Im going to be Elvis in the early 1950s, when he was feminine-looking, she said.). In the mid-1970s, Andy Kaufman made an Elvis impersonation part of his act. What followed was anything but conventional, even during an era, the Seventies, when genuine rock stars would pop up on campy network TV specials. The 24th season of the American adaptation of Big Brother featured Daniel Durston, an Elvis impersonator from Las Vegas, Nevada. His performance may be considered the first significant Elvis impersonation. Dennis's Decades before hologram tours, one rogue '70s promoter found another way to put Elvis, Janis, Jim Morrison, and other late icons back onstage. A.J. "You're no longer the other guy, you're the 'King.' 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. It's almost like being in your zen, your spot.". As she later told the Orlando Sentinel, the whole show gave her the creeps due to real weird girls who started hanging out during my shows, biker types. She complained to ODay about her female-Elvis role, but he wasnt listening: Nothing I said seemed to sink in, Rhyne said. The plan was scuttled when someone accidentally tossed out the whole mess. To this day, you can easily see tributes to ABBA, Rush, or Eighties and Nineties hip-hop. ODay then arranged for the performers, still bandaged up and looking like mummies with large eyeholes, to be publicly unveiled on a network daytime show, America Alive! 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. 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.". Jeff Yagher played an Elvis impersonator (as well as Elvis himself) in an episode of The Twilight Zone called "The Once and Future King". ODay who used the word clone while agreeing that that wasnt quite the right scientific term for what he had paid doctors to do even boasted hed found a chemist in Los Angeles who could alter someones pigment. The gimmick baffled some who had known ODay. He talked about re-creating Buddy Holly, Jimi Hendrix, and the members of Lynyrd Skynyrd whod died in a plane crash the year before. On the 15th of May, 2011, he entered the Elvis Down Under competition in Upper Hutt. [46] Among the LP albums he recorded were his 1976 album, Mr. Fatu Sings Elvis, which was recorded live at The Hawaiian Inn,[47] and Manatua Mai A'u (Remember Me), released on the Tam-Bay label. Of course theyll come., Rhyne sang credible Ronstadt covers, while her new husband dug into his performing past to mimic Rogers husky delivery. Returning to Ocala, he found his marriage falling apart and began working construction jobs. Caywood had a small implant in her chin that just made it look a little more pointy so minor, like outpatient stuff., Gamble had the most minimal work done: The surgeon basically made a cut above his lip to make it look as if hed had surgery. Other honors bestowed upon Wise ODay was finally the headlining star attraction hed always longed to be, if not the way hed quite planned it. Elvis Has Left the Building a film in which a woman kills multiple Elvis impersonators. 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. With more than 600 Presley tunes in his Ultimately, just as in the living-person rock business, money changed everything. By Laura Fitzpatrick Friday, Jan. 08, 2010. "[17], However, the Elvis industry includes "professional Elvis impersonator registries." By coincidence, Wise had a brother, Dennis, who knew how to sing like Elvis. He spent years touring the U.S., living a rock and roll lifestyle while playing his favorite music. there are currently no upcoming events. "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. Dennis Nelson even performed alongside Presley when they first met, also in 1954. Millions of high-quality images, video, and music options are waiting for you. 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. The international guide I am Elvis, for instance, contains "photos, repertoire, and personal testimonies that serve to materialize the phenomenon of Elvis impersonation and further institutionalize it, including female Elvii, child Elvii, Black Elvii, El Vez the Mexican Elvis, and scores of British, German, Greek and Indian Elvii. [54] He was born in Samoa in 1944, came to New Zealand as a boy. In addition to the classics, Im throwing in some songs Elvis did onstage that arent heard as much. Graceland started buying up everything in the area. To hear his family tell it, Danny Dixon ODay could have been a star. The plot of the Father Ted episode "Competition Time" revolves around the three main characters Father Ted Crilly, Father Dougal McGuire and Father Jack Hackett entering the "All Priests Stars in Their Eyes Lookalike Competition". Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. A season one episode of Full House had the character Uncle Jesse (John Stamos) play Elvis in a concert. But several weeks later, he made his post-surgery television debut on Good Morning America, and at press conferences began imitating Presleys Southern drawl and polite use of maam and sir. His brother Jim watched one of his TV appearances in a bar. I dont see a morbid aspect, he said. of Elvis Presley. Erwin, D.H. and Droser, M.L., 1993. We all went, What the hell? But for Patten, who attended the service, it was ODays new normal: Again, it was Danny doing what Danny did., A month later, ODay popped up at a Rogers press conference in Virginia, where he and a seemingly amused Rogers good-naturedly tugged at each others beards. The original unaired pilot even had Johnny Bravo as a literal Elvis Presley impersonator. BY THE NUMBERS $52 million Amount the Elvis estate made. 29 cents Cost of the Elvis stamp issued in 1993. Whether he knew it or not, ODay saw the future our future. Fans who wish to pay homage to the King of Rock n Roll might enjoy attending Wises annual show commemorating the passing of Elvis. Finding the right plastic surgeon to tweak Wises lips and cheeks and straighten his nose was tougher. Hes great.. 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). Another popular theater event has been the "Elvis Story" over the last five years. ODays first choice bailed when his name leaked to the press. American protest singer Phil Ochs appeared in concert in March 1970 at Carnegie Hall wearing a 1950s Elvis-style gold lam suit, made for him by Presley's costumer Nudie Cohen. Arona Mane Shows Off His Production on Thandi Phoenix's new single 'Hot Sauce'. would play the song much too loudly and much too often. 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. Later that year, Don Cruise, Moman's partner, told James that Elvis had booked their studio to record what would become the From Elvis in Memphis album. In the Sledge Hammer! It's only fitting that he would choose a career that pays tribute to the King of Rock and Roll. James's wife has suspicions of his feelings. 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. [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. Dennis Wise has the honor of performing over 10,000 shows. And he has four . He and his brother formed a garage band in the early 70s. [39] His day job is at BGT Laboratories in Ffostrasol, which makes antidote products including snake anti-venom. Editor's note: This story was updated to reflect the correct date that Elvis Presley died. Dennis can recreate the songs, moves and looks from all Era's of Elvis' career, 50's, 60's, and 70's. His heavy show schedule of an average of 200 shows a year with tours in Colorado, California, Nevada, Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Florida, Wyoming, Nebraska and Iowa in the past year alone proves that Dennis is the most sought . in Roxy's at the Fiesta Rancho located at 2400 N. Rancho But dad drove a truck and was gone all the time and so Mom always listened to Elvis records. As a result, Sophia's wedding reception is filled with Elvis impersonators (one played by a young Quentin Tarantino)[30] instead of members of her own family, and Rose exclaims, "Either I got the Elvis list mixed with the guest list for the wedding or everyone in Sophia's family appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show!". On "the thriving phenomenon of Elvis impersonators", see also Gilbert B. Rodman, Elvis After Elvis: The Posthumous Career of a Living Legend (1996). I kind of took after him.. Wise isnt totally focused on Elvis. Dennis Wise is the ultimate Elvis Presley fan. From left: Hazebrouck, Caywood, Rhyne, Gamble, and OConnell at their post-surgery press conference, 1978. He was only 42 years of age. Croce hadnt heard of the tribute until contacted by Rolling Stone, and neither the Joplin estate nor the surviving members of the Doors remember these clones from more than 40 years ago. [45] The following year in August 1977, he was appearing at the Colonial Inn, fronting a nine-piece band called Coastal Connection. Dennis Wise thought that was the end of it all and he would return to Hawaii, but instead, ODay asked him to meet at his hotel. Joplin had overdosed eight years before, and Caywood knew the repertoire well. These talented artists can pose for photos, perform Elvis's greatest hits, emcee corporate events, and sometimes officiate weddings just like in Vegas. Events tend to attract large numbers of amateur Elvis impersonators and Elvis fans. "[25] In her paper, "Women Who 'Do Elvis'", Case Western Reserve University researcher Francesca Brittan deals with female Elvis Presley impersonators and finds them to be "campy, cheeky, and often disturbingly convincing. Elvis was only the beginning. 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. They dont know what theyre getting into. But nothing would stop them, or ODay. lvis Presley had been dead for six months when the plastic-surgeons knife plunged into Dennis Wise. What Danny is doing with his new idea is just not right, he told the Miami News. Later that year, he was joined by the rest of the clone army for their post-surgery reveal on the daytime show America Alive! Some ETAs perform under stage names, mostly using names associated in some way with Presley's life or career (such as Presley's character names in his movies). And with that, another lightbulb flicked on. 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. He plays original music with Enjoy the Zoo, a group whose members grew up in Las Vegas. "First of all, you don't. Dennis expertly recreates Elvis's movements, phrasings, and He knew the time was coming when the bond between rock icons and fans would grow so intense that an industry could rise to exploit that union. [11][bettersourceneeded] This joke may have its origins in Charlie Chaplin, who once did enter a lookalike contest and is often reported to have also placed third, although Chaplin's actual ranking in the contest is not known.[12]. Kenny had a really unique voice. We started playing in clubs in Joplin and in Oklahoma and Id do a little Elvis skit in the act, Wise says. In 1985, he resurfaced in his home state of Maryland, managing a bar, Dannys, on Route 50 in Easton. Tourists would visit the mansion and then stop by Wises club for the tribute act. 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. include being named by Dick Clark as one of the three best Elvis Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. [65], Malaysia has Tony Warren who is known as "the Tom Jones of Malaysia". He did say, Well, what can we do? Recalling those early performances, the groups Janice Joplin impersonator, Mona Caywood-Moore, was quoted saying, they were bombs, man. In February 1980, friends, family, and roller-disco ushers gathered at the Fifth National Banque, a club in Norfolk, Virginia, for what ODays business manager would call the first clonehead marriage. Their faces covered in bandages, ODay and Rhyne took their vows; even the bride and groom figurines on the cake were swathed in bandages. 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. [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. A fast and unbiased roundup of whats happening in the world today. [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. ., Silhouettes by Paul Guzzo, Record Details, Catalogue: 3829/M15-3829, Elvis Lives! >Article Archives EXCELLENT CONDITION, SIGNED SLEEVE SAYS, "SHIRLEY BEST WISHES, DENNIS WISE". James felt Elvis needed a mature rock 'n' roll song to bring him back as Tom Jones was a hot artist at the time. ODay rounded up another Jim Croce and another Elvis and found a local Florida musician to go under the knife to more closely resemble Buddy Holly. Read more in our, Elvis Presley performs in Providence, R.I., on May 23, 1977. The pub and everything in it, including Hamilton Beach mixers, towels, and soap dispensers was sold in 1988. [16], According to Gael Sweeney, Elvis impersonation offers a spectacle of the grotesque, the display of the fetishized Elvis body by impersonators who use a combination of Christian and New Age imagery and language to describe their devotion to The King. "We're not here to try to take his place. A few months after Elvis died Wise traveled to Little Rock, Ark., to audition as an Elvis tribute artist. (When the ceremony was over, they had some difficulty eating the wedding cake.) In the late 90s he started up a group called Alphonso Keil and the Kavaliers. ODay heard about a local Florida band whose lead singer, Jesse Gamble (then Jesse Bolt), was a good Presley mimic, and even already owned a blue jumpsuit. [9] In his act, Kaufman would precede with several failed impersonations before unexpectedly launching into a skilled impersonation of Elvis Presley. 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. Admission is $10. He said this guy is putting together a show and they need a Janis Joplin, Caywood recalls. mannerisms. Dennis Wise Tickets, 2023 Concert Tour Dates | Ticketmaster Home Concert Tickets Dennis Wise Tickets 3.0 Dennis Wise Tickets Events Reviews (1) No Concerts Near Raleigh & Durham Select Your Dates Sorry. He is considered to be one of the first notable Elvis impersonators and even Presley himself supposedly said that Kaufman was his favorite impersonator. The Joplin, Mo., native had been an Elvis fan since age 5, when his mother would put on stacks of records and play them all day long. His mother introduced Joplin, Missouri native Dennis Wise to the music Thousands of "Elvi" gave it their best shot in the 2007 BBC competition show World's Greatest Elvis. Despite the media splash and countless articles that accompanied it, Rock and Roll Heaven didnt exactly rock the house when it launched. A lot of us in the entertainment business dont get a chance to do some of the normal things. repertoire, Dennis can answer most any request. In an episode of Married with Children, the character Peggy Bundy claims to have seen Elvis at a mall, prompting a large number of Elvis impersonators to come to her home so she can share her "experience.". He was always looking for his new project, says Patten. From left: Rhyne, ODay, and Hazebrouck performing as Linda Ronstadt, Kenny Rogers, and Jim Croce at a Florida club in 1981. Rock and Roll Heaven opened with the backup band playing an instrumental version of the Righteous Brothers dead-rocker hit of the same name. What if, instead of one altered rocker, he had an all-star ensemble of them? by Rick Marino, a well-known tribute artist, released in 2000 by Sourcebooks and the more recent, The Elvis Impersonation Kit by Laura Lee, released in 2006 by Black Dog and Leventhal Publishers. But none of it gave ODay even the slightest pause; by now, he was in full Barnum mode. ODay already knew the limitations of tribute bands. Also recently[when?] He Must be 21 to attend this Las Vegas event.