Whether he knew it or not, ODay saw the future our future. We're dealing with a man who can never be replaced. I always do a show celebrating his birthday and remembering him on the anniversary of his death.. According to social historian Eric Lott, "the widespread embarrassment and innuendo surrounding Elvis impersonation points more directly to the homoerotic implications built into such acts. 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. You can see Dennis Wise on Friday, August 16 and Saturday, August 17 at O'Day's first foray into the world of tribute acts came in 1977, when he met Dennis Wise, who sounded close enough to Elvis that O'Day convinced him to go under the knife and have his nose, cheeks, and lips made to look more like the King's. 'True' impersonators believe that they are 'chosen' by The King to continue His work and judge themselves and each other by their 'Authenticity' and ability to 'Channel' Elvis' true essence. ", O'Day landed him a week-long gig in Florida for an eye-popping $15,000 (roughly $60,000 today), but the professional relationship soured after Wise said he never got paid and sued. He has taken part in the Porthcawl Elvis Festival. Just as he arrived, ODay was hauled off to jail for being behind on his child-support payments. We did a couple of state fairs where there were, like, four people in the audience., Overall, the short-lived careers of Danny ODays Rock and Roll Heaven tribute band made a pretty minute dent in music history. Thats up from $49 million in 2007. Erwin, D.H. and Droser, M.L., 1993. It was like the stream of consciousness off the top of his head. Symptoms of the condition included the patient dressing up like Elvis, wearing a white/grey jacket with a red music note at its back, matching trousers, sunglasses and Elvis' famous hairdo. Dennis Wise began listening to Elvis at the tender age of 5, often belting out his favorite song "Heartbreak Hotel." His tribute to Elvis turned professional just one year after the. American Sound Studio was gaining a reputation in the industry as the Box Tops had just recorded \"The Letter\" there so James relocated to Memphis. 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. As far back as the Seventies, touring and club acts meticulously did their best to look and sound like the Doors or the very much alive Bruce Springsteen, and tourists in Manhattan flocked to Beatlemania, a Fab Four tribute that ran on Broadway for two years. [34], An Elvis impersonator in Arkansas, who legally had his name changed to Elvis Presley,[35] unsuccessfully ran for the positions of Arkansas Commissioner of State Lands in 2014, Arkansas State Senator of District 26 in 2016, and U.S. Representative of Arkansas's District 1 in 2018. His Bizarre 1970s Plan Involved Elvis, Plastic Surgery >Las Vegas Entertainment Today Home Page The new-tech twist is the hologram, which has brought Michael Jackson, 2Pac, Frank Zappa, and Whitney Houston back to a semblance of life. But for ODay, it probably didnt matter: He already had a bigger, grander, and wilder scheme in mind. The final Elvis impersonator made a splash by parachuting in on top of a car. Editor's note: This story was updated to reflect the correct date that Elvis Presley died. My mother has been singing with him for j. 2016 Rampart Casino at The Resort at Summerlin. Elvis was only the beginning. Elvis Presley: The King's best impersonators - CNN Style But he hit a snag: According to his musicians, the Vegas casino establishment wanted ownership of the idea and were less interested in working with ODay himself. I was heartbroken, very upset. Returning to Ocala, he found his marriage falling apart and began working construction jobs. The Martin twins dressed-up as twin-Elvises in an episode of The Suite Life where they were appearing on a gameshow called "Risk It All! 2023 Getty Images. Fans who wish to pay homage to the King of Rock n Roll might enjoy attending Wises annual show commemorating the passing of Elvis. Wise still feels he and ODay could have gone all the way with the act: He had Disney World, all these people calling us he had it in the palm of his hand and let it go, he says. When he woke up, his swollen face wrapped in bandages, Wise had implants in his cheeks and a curled-up lip, and he was on his way to resembling the King more than his 23-year-old self. I got more publicity over that than John Travolta did in 1978. Travolta was popular at the time because of Saturday Night Fever and Grease.. $52 million Amount the Elvis estate made in 2008, according to Forbes. to earth and that separates a lot of entertainers", states Dennis. The plan was scuttled when someone accidentally tossed out the whole mess. He also has an Elvis tribute act. Now, he travels the world with his Elvis Tribute Show. He said this guy is putting together a show and they need a Janis Joplin, Caywood recalls. These days, O'Day (who died in 2003) is "the smallest of footnotes in pop history books," but he was also remarkably prescient, writes Browne: "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." "First of all, you don't. 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. The first thing that comes to my mind is that plastic surgery is the highest form of flattery., He was way ahead of the curve, says Jeff Pezzuti, founder of Eyellusion, responsible for recent hologram tours of Frank Zappa and Dio. Its got to be wrong. Im impersonating her, but I was the same age she was when she died. But some of that melted away when ODay landed them a residency at Harrahs in Lake Tahoe, followed by a similar stint at that same casino in Reno in the early months of 1979. He uses a sophisticated lighting system to help convey the many moods of the Elvis oeuvre: rock, blues, country, gospel, and R&B. But a lot of the nightclubs were afraid it was just a freak show. Getty Images provides access rights only and does not license the copyright in the image. Wise isnt totally focused on Elvis. Shed previously worked in a health-food store, but for Rock and Roll Heaven, she developed a fleeting taste for Southern Comfort, Joplins drink of choice. The small western New South Wales town of Parkes in Australia has been hosting the Parkes Elvis Festival since 1993, which includes a special "Elvis Express" train from Sydney to Parkes. Kenny had a really unique voice. "The King" of Rock and Roll has been gone for more than 30 years, but on any given night in Las Vegas the spirit of Elvis Presley lives on. We were offered a job to go to Hawaii, Wise says. In 1956, shortly after Elvis began to rise in popularity, Smith began jumping on stage and imitating Elvis. Durston was the fifth houseguest evicted, lasting 37 days in the house. I just say, I want plastic surgery done on her nose and his chin and this and that and, oh, by the way, I just happen to have a picture here of exactly what we want done. When the six-hour procedure was finished, Wise was rolled out in a wheelchair, his face covered in bandages. In an episode of the American sitcom The Golden Girls, the characters of Blanche and Rose are considering hiring an Elvis impersonator for their "Hunka Hunka Burnin' Love Fan Club," yet Rose mixes up the Elvis list with the guest list for the wedding of the character of Sophia. If I could still do two shows a night, six nights a week, Id do it, Wise says. He died at the end of 2020. 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. Spencer would perform as Elvis (often in a gold lam suit) as the main part of a mini-set in which he also did other impersonations of figures such as Buddy Holly and slide guitarist Elmore James. From left: Hazebrouck, Caywood, Rhyne, Gamble, and OConnell at their post-surgery press conference, 1978. From a standpoint of being original and doing something that wasnt being done, I give him credit for putting his neck on the line. He could have made a killing in Atlantic City., Some involved in Rock and Roll Heaven wanted to forget it ever existed. For more information, please call (702) 631-7000. Airlines have offered discount fares for look-alikes on Elvis holidays His omnipresence hauntingly hovers"[19], In August 1996, Elvis Herselvis, a female Elvis impersonator and drag king, who had been invited to take part in the Second International Elvis Presley Conference held at the University of Mississippi in order "to test the limits of race, class, sexuality and property," was banned from this event by the conservative sponsors of Elvis Presley Enterprises.[20]. Jim called Dennis, who was then selling Toyotas at a Honolulu dealership, and asked if hed want to come to Arkansas and try out for their band. RAINBOW UMAMI: a Queer Club Remix Series: Celebrating Somewhere Sounds: Download Free Sample Packs. Growing up in Baltimore, he played drums in a few local bands. 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 spent years touring the U.S., living a rock and roll lifestyle while playing his favorite music. ODay scrambled and found a replacement after several tries. My whole life has been dedicated to Elvis.. The four singers he found also got surgery (it was said to have cost O'Day $500,000, though Browne also notes the surgeries were less invasive than what Wise experienced) and press, but the audience didn't materialize and a planned Vegas run allegedly fell apart over O'Day's unwillingness to let "the Vegas casino establishment" take the reins of the show. Dennis Wise - IMDb Its no longer a wrap: the Rock and Roll Heaven band after the bandages came off. 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. He would say, We ought to do this! and I would be, Oh, my gosh!. It also featured Clearance Giddens, a black Elvis. Wise says that, inspired by Dark Passage, the 1947 film in which Humphrey Bogarts escaped-con character undergoes plastic surgery to avoid recapture, he suggested altering his face to look more like the King. 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). ), For Caywood, Gamble, and Wise, the scars have healed or are now barely detectable; Gambles mustache covers up his lip cut. Honeymoon in Vegas is a 1992 comedic movie which was directed by Andrew Bergman. The band shifted into Also Sprach Zarathustra (the theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey), the traditional orchestral opener for Presleys shows, and Gamble, in full Elvis sunglasses and jumpsuit, welcomed everyone to the performance. Dennis Wise has been paying tribute to Elvis for more than 30 years. The shows are on the weekends before or after the dates so fans can sleep in. Hes consistently at the top of its top-earning Dennis Colt, the first famous Elvis impersonator, circa 1978. "[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. It is cured by visiting a psychologist, who tells the patient how ridiculous he/she look[31]. He was from the same family that made up the Keil Isles. On "the thriving phenomenon of Elvis impersonators", see also Gilbert B. Rodman, Elvis After Elvis: The Posthumous Career of a Living Legend (1996). Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account. Only after Elvis' untimely death on August 16, 1977, did impersonating Elvis start to become popular in the mainstream. "That was a very strange day," Wise says. According to Rolling Stone, less than 50 people turned up to their debut show in Atlanta. Organize, control, distribute and measure all of your digital content. (When the ceremony was over, they had some difficulty eating the wedding cake.) some memories. The film's soundtrack contains multiple Elvis songs with the titular Hawaiian girl named Lilo being a huge fan. If you cant read the first three lines on an eye chart, then I suppose physically he might fool you, he wrote of Croce, also pointing out that the clearest resemblance came by way of the bands non-altered lead guitarist, a dead ringer for Peter Frampton. When I heard that, it struck me as funny. To hear his family tell it, Danny Dixon ODay could have been a star. There are also three "how to" guides, Be Elvis! It's almost like being in your zen, your spot.". ), Billed occasionally as The Worlds Greatest Clones, ODay, Rhyne, and sometimes Hazebrouck soldiered on for a few more years, playing clubs in their new home base of Virginia and nearby Pennsylvania. 08/15/02:Las Vegas Entertainment Today - The Magazine Online "[26] According to Marjorie Garber's academic study, Vested Interests: Cross-dressing and Cultural Anxiety (1992), Elvis impersonation is so insistently connected with femininity that it is "almost as if the word 'impersonator', in contemporary popular culture, can be modified either by 'female' or by 'Elvis. It was very fresh at that point compared to now. A husband hired them to perform at his wifes 40th birthday party, since she was a Rogers fan. Danny pulls in with a brand-new Burt Reynolds Trans Am, he says. Must be 21 to attend this Las Vegas event. audition for Wise as an Elvis Presley impersonator. My parents come to talk about our unique musical family. (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. He had previously wanted to manage a Barbra Streisand impersonator but soon realized the audience wouldnt buy his first choice: At five feet two and 160 pounds, she didnt conjure Streisand physically. Priscilla Presley's favourite Elvis impersonator TYSONGREER SHADY 17.7K subscribers Subscribe 3.5K Share Save 306K views 1 year ago Show more Show more Shawn Klush World's Greatest Elvis 3:32. We were traveling the country, doing two shows a night six and seven nights a week.. And with that, another lightbulb flicked on. As it turned out, Duke OConnell, the drummer in an ODay-managed cover band called the Copycats, had been singing Doors songs in that group. The Complete History of Elvis Impersonators in 10 minutes - YouTube The author, professor of American Studies at the University of Virginia, has also written a long piece on Elvis impersonators and the EPIIA (Elvis Presley Impersonators International Association) to be published in his next book. Following the transformation, he made his TV debut on Good Morning Americain early 1978. He knew what was coming, but the reality of it didnt really hit him until the doctor, who seemed like a nice enough guy, started carving into his face. All of a sudden, it started hurting real bad, Wise recalls. In this country, we always want what we cant have, ODay once said. Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. He did say, Well, what can we do? They began using the contest along with their Elvis brand, licensing anyone wanting to charge a fee to hold an Elvis contest. Shawn Klush. The band ended up in Hawaii. Elvis has spanned over forty years. Me go in and have my face carved? But I was pretty ugly anyway. And the hype factor, always important to ODay, appealed to him, too: Man, the monster maker himself onstage. 1970's Dennis Wise Enterprize ELVIS Impersonator jacket Men's Large satin look . And lastly, Dennis is a bit aged these days and many of his promo photos are of younger years. \"Suspicious Minds\" was widely regarded as the single that returned Presley's career success, following his '68 Comeback Special. The group (not to be confused with the Upsetters who gigged with Little Richard) released a full LP as well as a tribute album to the late Otis Redding, whom they backed up on tour for a short period. Episode 26 - My Dad is an Elvis Impersonator - Feat. Marcia and Dennis Wise James had written three songs that became number one hits in the Southern United States. [23], The largest gathering of Elvis impersonators occurred on 12 July 2014 when 895 impersonators gathered in the Harrah's Cherokee Casino Resort in Cherokee, North Carolina.[24]. ODay had what felt like a foolproof method of making the operation seem as routine as possible. People were calling me from all over the world. impersonators; a cover of TV Guide magazine; and presentation of keys James's wife has suspicions of his feelings. Collect, curate and comment on your files. During Almost Elvis[29] is a 75-minute 2001 documentary film that follows a variety of professional Elvis impersonators such as they prepare for a large annual contest in Memphis, Tennessee. From left: Rhyne, ODay, and Hazebrouck performing as Linda Ronstadt, Kenny Rogers, and Jim Croce at a Florida club in 1981. They bought us out as well. He only lasted there about a year, and soon after opened another spot, ODays Pub. Nelson even performed alongside Presley when they first met, also in 1954. With his sandy-brown hair, six-foot-plus height, and strong voice, ODay had the goods: He had talent, and he could play almost any instrument there was, Effie recalls. choose a career that pays tribute to the King of Rock and Roll. By Laura Fitzpatrick Friday, Jan. 08, 2010. Kwok Lam-sang, known as Melvis, was a long-time Elvis impersonator in Hong Kong. The Complete History of Elvis Impersonators in 10 minutes [from the documentary Almost Elvis] BlueSuedeFilms 1.65K subscribers Subscribe 43K views 14 years ago The complete history of Elvis. I forget the script, Gamble says, but it was Elvis coming down from heaven to bring back some friends.. Their fellow townspeople understand this sentiment, but in the final scene they are shown burning those selfsame photographs, which display both Oscar and Emma dressed as Elvis. In the words of Jim Croces son A.J., as quoted in Rolling Stone, Jesus Christ thats some twisted shit. We feel you on that, A.J. Tribute artists get plastic surgery to look like dead celebrities [43][44] Following a break, he was back December 1976. 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.. favorite song was "Heartbreak Hotel", and to his father's chagrin, he It was amazing. More recent titles include photo essays, Living the Life by Patty Carroll and The King and I: A little Gallery of Elvis Impersonators by Kent Baker and Karen Pritkin. 91 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Bandstand.". Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. America," "Today," "Oprah Winfrey," "The Mike Douglas Show," "48 Hours", It contains interviews with many famous Elvis impersonators, and also gives you five free Sunfly Karaoke backing tracks, allowing you to download your favorite Elvis tracks to perform to. Some ETAs perform with a live band in the style of the TCB Band, complete with a brass ensemble and background singers to add to the originality; while others rely solely on karaoke for their performances. During the 1970s, a star attraction at the Aloha Lounge in Florida's Hawaiian Inn was Mr. Fatu. Way before technology, there wasnt anything else you could do.. My first gig was in March 1978 in Florida. In paleontology, researchers D.H. Erwin and M.L. Arona Mane Shows Off His Production on Thandi Phoenix's new single 'Hot Sauce'. Update information for Dennis Wise More at IMDbPro Contact Info: View agent, publicist, legal on IMDbPro Known For The Alaska Experiment Self 2008 The Mike Douglas Show Self - Elvis Presley Impersonator 1978 Hide all | | Edit Filmography Hide Self (3 credits) 2008 The Alaska Experiment (TV Series) Self - Take the Long Way Home (2008) . there are currently no upcoming events. [45] The following year in August 1977, he was appearing at the Colonial Inn, fronting a nine-piece band called Coastal Connection. Ramona Caywood then Mona Caywood Moore was playing bar gigs in Ohio, in a band called Stage Fright, when she received a call from a friend in the business. than 10,000 shows honoring the king. Following the transformation, he made his TV debut on Good Morning America in early 1978. What ODay himself dubbed his clone army only wound up fighting a few minor skirmishes: a handful of TV appearances, and gigs at clubs, state fairs, and casinos, earning enough notoriety to have possibly inspired not one but two Saturday Night Live parodies. When ODay proposed the idea of surgical transformation to them, the newly hired hands were either eager or puzzled, depending on the singer. Despite the media splash and countless articles that accompanied it, Rock and Roll Heaven didnt exactly rock the house when it launched. Their memories of Rock and Roll Heaven are decidedly mixed. 'The World's Greatest Elvis impersonator..EVER!' Rick Bonner 335 subscribers Subscribe 132 121K views 9 years ago A both serious and humerous collection of the world's greatest Elvis. David stayed with Elvis at Graceland for 17 years, and traveled with him until the end, August 16,1977. Hes great.. Something nobodys ever done before, recalls Effie. Pop singer Bruno Mars, only six years old at the time, has a small role as a young Elvis impersonator. Fans Also Viewed Monster Jam See all 201 Events Monster Energy Supercross See all 13 Events Ed Sheeran You dont miss your water until the well runs dry. 3000 Miles to Graceland is a 2001 thriller film, starring Kurt Russell, Kevin Costner, Courteney Cox Arquette, David Arquette, Bokeem Woodbine, Christian Slater, and Kevin Pollak. DENNIS WISE FANTASIES LP (ELVIS IMPERSONATOR) AUTOGRAPHED SLEEVE - eBay The article has been published in the anthology The Oxford American Book of Great Music Writing and the anthology Louise Brooks, Frank Zappa, & Other Charmers & Dreamers by Tom Graves. At an early stop on the tour, one reviewer noted that few of the performers resembled their dead counterparts that much. And it didnt do it merely with costumes or note-for-note vocal imitations: ODay hired plastic surgeons to physically alter his tribute singers to look as much as possible like the people they were honoring. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. Elvis Impersonator from Winston Salem, NC (95 miles from Wake Forest, NC) Danny Crouse is a consummate performer who performs as a solo artist and can perform a variety of music!