Elvis Presley: The King’s best impersonators | CNN

Elvis Presley: The King’s best impersonators

CNN Staff
2 minute read
Updated 6:49 AM EDT, Sun August 16, 2020
Devoted Elvis fans come in all shapes and forms. Discover 20 of the men, women, and children who impersonate the King, and learn more from the photographer, Erin Feinberg.
Devoted Elvis fans come in all shapes and forms. Discover 20 of the men, women, and children who impersonate the King, and learn more from the photographer, Erin Feinberg.
Courtesy Erin Feinberg
Erin Feinberg: "This project found me. I was in Memphis, Tennessee for the first time with my boyfriend, who was recording a record there a little over ten years ago. Unbeknownst to us, we were there during 'Elvis Week,' when Elvis fans from all over the world come to pay homage to the King during the week leading up to the anniversary of his death (on August 16th)."
CNN: How did this project start? —
Erin Feinberg: "This project found me. I was in Memphis, Tennessee for the first time with my boyfriend, who was recording a record there a little over ten years ago. Unbeknownst to us, we were there during 'Elvis Week,' when Elvis fans from all over the world come to pay homage to the King during the week leading up to the anniversary of his death (on August 16th)."
Courtesy Erin Feinberg
"Sideburns and pompadours were swarming the streets, and I just happened to be staying at the hotel where the biggest Elvis impersonator contest in the world is held every year! After watching some of these contestants perform, I knew I had to come back the following year and document this scene. I began this project as an Elvis fan, and as I describe in the introduction of my book, 'with each Elvis Week I attended, I drove away a bigger fan of the real Elvis.'"
(continued) —
"Sideburns and pompadours were swarming the streets, and I just happened to be staying at the hotel where the biggest Elvis impersonator contest in the world is held every year! After watching some of these contestants perform, I knew I had to come back the following year and document this scene. I began this project as an Elvis fan, and as I describe in the introduction of my book, 'with each Elvis Week I attended, I drove away a bigger fan of the real Elvis.'"
Courtesy Erin Feinberg
"At first, it was the colorful, elaborate outfits and their hairdos that caught my attention. My initial reaction was to laugh when I saw all of these impersonators gathered in one place. But then as I spent time among them, I was captivated by their passion and I began to gain an appreciation for their craft. They put so much into it -- both time and money."
What is it about the impersonators that makes them such interesting subjects for photographs? —
"At first, it was the colorful, elaborate outfits and their hairdos that caught my attention. My initial reaction was to laugh when I saw all of these impersonators gathered in one place. But then as I spent time among them, I was captivated by their passion and I began to gain an appreciation for their craft. They put so much into it -- both time and money."
Courtesy Erin Feinberg
"Of course, there is a range of talent. Some of these contestants are actually great singers and I really enjoyed hearing my favorite Elvis tunes performed. And then there were others who looked the part, yet couldn't sing at all! But it was always their passion that made for great photographs."
(continued) —
"Of course, there is a range of talent. Some of these contestants are actually great singers and I really enjoyed hearing my favorite Elvis tunes performed. And then there were others who looked the part, yet couldn't sing at all! But it was always their passion that made for great photographs."
Courtesy Erin Feinberg
"I spent a lot of time with each person I photographed. I learned what inspired them to become an impersonator, or 'tribute artist' as many prefer to be called. Underneath the pompadour wigs and flashy outfits, I discovered integrity and commitment."
Were you surprised by any of the impersonators that you met? —
"I spent a lot of time with each person I photographed. I learned what inspired them to become an impersonator, or 'tribute artist' as many prefer to be called. Underneath the pompadour wigs and flashy outfits, I discovered integrity and commitment."
Courtesy Erin Feinberg
"They came from all walks of life, with a common goal of embodying a bit of their idol. In that Memphis hotel ballroom, these contestants also introduced me to the subtleties in Elvis' voice, his phrasing, his moves, and his fashion. And after hearing renditions of pretty much every Elvis track ever recorded... I came away with a deep love for his later work, especially those gospel tunes that emphasize his powerful voice and his vulnerability."
(continued) —
"They came from all walks of life, with a common goal of embodying a bit of their idol. In that Memphis hotel ballroom, these contestants also introduced me to the subtleties in Elvis' voice, his phrasing, his moves, and his fashion. And after hearing renditions of pretty much every Elvis track ever recorded... I came away with a deep love for his later work, especially those gospel tunes that emphasize his powerful voice and his vulnerability."
Courtesy Erin Feinberg
"That's a tough one to answer. I like so many of these subjects for different reasons. Elvis Priestly, whose real name is Dorian Baxter, is one of my favorites. I mean, he is a real priest in Canada! I was quite captivated by his life story and how his Elvis act evolved. I also loved this Japanese performer named Toki Toyokazu. He didn't speak English, yet he sang every song with enthusiasm and confidence."
Did you have a favorite Elvis? —
"That's a tough one to answer. I like so many of these subjects for different reasons. Elvis Priestly, whose real name is Dorian Baxter, is one of my favorites. I mean, he is a real priest in Canada! I was quite captivated by his life story and how his Elvis act evolved. I also loved this Japanese performer named Toki Toyokazu. He didn't speak English, yet he sang every song with enthusiasm and confidence."
Courtesy Erin Feinberg
"I also have a couple of favorites who were dreadful performers, but their passion and spirit was infectious and they always made me smile -- which is ultimately the goal. I particularly enjoyed the younger guys doing 50s Elvis like Kavan Hashemian, Cody Slaughter and Gino Monopoli."
(continued) —
"I also have a couple of favorites who were dreadful performers, but their passion and spirit was infectious and they always made me smile -- which is ultimately the goal. I particularly enjoyed the younger guys doing 50s Elvis like Kavan Hashemian, Cody Slaughter and Gino Monopoli."
Courtesy Erin Feinberg
"And how can one not love that there were some very bold women doing an Elvis act too, like Helen Gately who performs all over the world! I chose to include in the book my most favorite of the kids who were often more familiar with the Elvis catalog than their parents. The edit was indeed challenging -- as you can tell, I have a lot of favorites!"
(continued) —
"And how can one not love that there were some very bold women doing an Elvis act too, like Helen Gately who performs all over the world! I chose to include in the book my most favorite of the kids who were often more familiar with the Elvis catalog than their parents. The edit was indeed challenging -- as you can tell, I have a lot of favorites!"
Courtesy Erin Feinberg
"Well, who wouldn't want to be KING for a day? There were moments when one of the performers would connect with an audience member and sometimes it didn't matter that he didn't really look or sound like Elvis... in that particular moment he was Elvis."
Why did you choose to call the project "King for a Day"? —
"Well, who wouldn't want to be KING for a day? There were moments when one of the performers would connect with an audience member and sometimes it didn't matter that he didn't really look or sound like Elvis... in that particular moment he was Elvis."
Courtesy Erin Feinberg
"You see, everyone is playing a part and it's so much fun when you allow yourself to go with it. I even began to get a bit of jumpsuit-envy after spending so much time around these people. I mean, I wouldn't mind throwing on one of Elvis' cool outfits for a day!"
(continued) —
"You see, everyone is playing a part and it's so much fun when you allow yourself to go with it. I even began to get a bit of jumpsuit-envy after spending so much time around these people. I mean, I wouldn't mind throwing on one of Elvis' cool outfits for a day!"
Courtesy Erin Feinberg
"Well it was the most fun I've ever had on a project. Each day was filled with laughs, and a lot of singing! But there were more serious and poignant moments too. One of the most special of these memories was going to the candlelight vigil at Graceland... on the day of his death. Admittedly, I had a preconceived idea that this would be a corny event, but it turned out to be a very moving experience."
Do you have a favorite memory of the project? —
"Well it was the most fun I've ever had on a project. Each day was filled with laughs, and a lot of singing! But there were more serious and poignant moments too. One of the most special of these memories was going to the candlelight vigil at Graceland... on the day of his death. Admittedly, I had a preconceived idea that this would be a corny event, but it turned out to be a very moving experience."
Courtesy Erin Feinberg
"Well, he was the very first rock and roll star, so inherently he's going to be an icon. He is such a permanent part of the American experience and that's fascinating to people everywhere."
Did you get a better understanding of what makes Elvis such an enduring icon for fans? —
"Well, he was the very first rock and roll star, so inherently he's going to be an icon. He is such a permanent part of the American experience and that's fascinating to people everywhere."
Courtesy Erin Feinberg
"The power of the music is what fuels this passion of course. I mean, if he hadn't been an amazing singer and performer what would there be to celebrate? But at the same time, there's no denying that if Elvis hadn't died so young and so tragically the global fanaticism wouldn't have endured this strongly."
(continued) —
"The power of the music is what fuels this passion of course. I mean, if he hadn't been an amazing singer and performer what would there be to celebrate? But at the same time, there's no denying that if Elvis hadn't died so young and so tragically the global fanaticism wouldn't have endured this strongly."
Courtesy Erin Feinberg
"Music is my favorite art form and it is such a huge part of my life. And since so much of my freelance work has been in the music business, it's just a natural subject matter for me to explore. My first book "Diehards" was an exploration of fan subculture and for over a decade I photographed music audiences across all genres of music."
A lot of your work focuses on music. Is there something about it that brings photography alive? —
"Music is my favorite art form and it is such a huge part of my life. And since so much of my freelance work has been in the music business, it's just a natural subject matter for me to explore. My first book "Diehards" was an exploration of fan subculture and for over a decade I photographed music audiences across all genres of music."
Courtesy Erin Feinberg
"I don't know if music necessarily brings photography alive, but it certainly awakens and animates people -- and that's what I set out to capture. I don't really go out looking for a project but more often stumble across something that intrigues me."
(continued) —
"I don't know if music necessarily brings photography alive, but it certainly awakens and animates people -- and that's what I set out to capture. I don't really go out looking for a project but more often stumble across something that intrigues me."
Courtesy Erin Feinberg
"I have two long-term photo projects that I see eventually in book form -- but the subject matter of these shall remain a secret for now! I'm also currently working on a documentary film called 'The Best Seat in the House.' It's a film about music from the drummer's perspective, and it follows my personal journey learning how to play drums from the greatest drummers in the world."
Do you have any future projects in the pipeline? —
"I have two long-term photo projects that I see eventually in book form -- but the subject matter of these shall remain a secret for now! I'm also currently working on a documentary film called 'The Best Seat in the House.' It's a film about music from the drummer's perspective, and it follows my personal journey learning how to play drums from the greatest drummers in the world."
Courtesy Erin Feinberg
"That's hard to answer! My favorite songs change with time, place or my mood. But let's see... off the top of my head here are my favorites from each era: 50s Elvis: Mystery Train. 60s Elvis: Suspicious Minds. 70s Elvis: Trouble."
What's your favorite Elvis song? —
"That's hard to answer! My favorite songs change with time, place or my mood. But let's see... off the top of my head here are my favorites from each era: 50s Elvis: Mystery Train. 60s Elvis: Suspicious Minds. 70s Elvis: Trouble."
Courtesy Erin Feinberg
<em>Go to </em><a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Ferinfeinberg.com%2F" target="_blank" target="_blank"><em>Erin Feinberg's website</em></a><em> to discover more about the photographer's work.</em>
Go to Erin Feinberg's website to discover more about the photographer's work.
Courtesy Erin Feinberg
Elvis Presley: The King's best impersonators

Story highlights

Photographer Erin Feinberg has captured more than 100 Elvis impersonators for her new book

The book "King for a Day" features "tribute artists" from all walks of life

Feinberg explains what she learned about the enduring appeal of the King of Rock and Roll

CNN  — 

New York-native Erin Feinberg is a master observer of musical subcultures, and has snapped diehard tribes of metal-heads, prog-rockers, and punks. But the photographer says she didn’t set out to find the world’s most committed musical idol worshipers – they found her.

It has been a little over four decades since his death on August 16, 1977. Yet for his legion of fans, the King remains as seductive as ever.

Each year, in late summer, tens of thousands arrive in Graceland for Elvis Week, an annual seven-day festival, during which his hardcore fans pay homage at his home in Memphis, Tennessee. Among them – unmistakeable in their jumpsuits, pompadour hair-dos, sideburns – are hundreds of professional “tribute artists” and scores of amateurs. And here is where, among these most committed of fans, the photographer explains she found herself one morning.

In the years since, she has compiled “King for a Day,” a book capturing over 100 Elvis impersonators from all walks of life and corners of the globe, and got tantalizingly close to understanding why so many still want to climb inside the King’s skin.

In the gallery above, Feinberg explains how she found herself caught up in the world of Elvis-idolatry, what she learned to love about the King, and her favorite impersonator.

This story originally published in January 2020 and was updated ahead of the 43rd anniversary of the late singer’s death.