The white-suited, blue contact-wearing men posing with fans outside the showroom of the former Las Vegas Hilton don’t want to be called Elvis impersonators.
The correct term is Elvis tribute artist or ETA for short to distinguish their studied performances from the dime-a-dozen characters trolling the Strip.
“It’s not a gag,” explained Jason Sherry, producer of this weekend’s Elvis Festival in Las Vegas, one of several sanctioned by Presley’s estate that lead up to Elvis Week in Memphis in August. “It doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy it. But we’re not making a mockery of Elvis.”
Some three dozen ETAs took to the stage over the weekend to see who could do the most convincing portrayal. Prizes included $2,500 in cash for the top performer and a chance to represent Las Vegas in the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist competition during Elvis Week.
Eli Williams, a Vancouver, British Columbia, resident who placed second in the contest, said he took up karate just like the King.
Like many ETAs, Frank Werth, a salesman from Hays, Kansas, buys his suits from B&K Enterprises, a company that employs the man who designed jumpsuits for Elvis himself.
An intricately embroidered suit might cost $4,000, while the matching cape could run $500.
The intergenerational allure of Elvis was on display among the dozen or so people of all ages who came from Penticton, British Columbia, to Las Vegas to watch hometown boy Adam Fitzpatrick, 29, take home top honours at the contest.
