Thirty three years after his death, Elvis Presley lives on through the impersonators who bring “The King of Rock and Roll” back to life. Thanks to them, Elvis’s voice, costumes, and movements come to life on stages and at private parties all over the world.
Both during his life and after his death in 1977, many of Elvis’s fans started to dress like him and mimic his moves and mannerisms. Andy Kaufman, a New York comedian, was one of the first people to imitate Presley. According to the late comedian’s homepage, his impersonation was Elvis’ favourite.
It is estimated there are 38,000 Elvis impersonators worldwide who love his music and pay tribute to him through their performances.
“By paying tribute you don’t lose yourself, you keep your own identity,” says Stephen Kabakos, an international award winning Elvis tribute artist from Toronto.
“What makes him appealing to me is that he had an awesome career in music,” Kabakos adds.
“His music always changed, I can’t get bored with it. He had a beautiful angelic voice and vocal dexterity that would make the greatest singers jealous. His music and the way he sang words—you can feel the meaning behind it.”
Kabakos’s mother was an Elvis fan and he started to listen to Elvis’s music when he was very young. By age 6 he owned an Elvis record and was performing Elvis songs for his relatives.
“I have been working pretty much my whole life on this tribute,” he says.
It was in 1996 at age 24, after participating in the Collingwood Elvis Festival in Ontario, that Kabakos put together a band and became a full time Elvis tribute artist. He now has a 14-piece ensemble and has performed all over Canada and abroad, winning many awards.
