is it important to look or sing like Elvis or talk like Elvis?

this is a Question i like to hear people view pionts to me i think its better not to over do it ive seen some guys wear pretty tribble wigs ,i genrally dont wear any ,and i think its better to sound like Elvis vocally with your own style then to over do it or talk like Elvis as if you are Elvis i like to talk in my own voice... and dont like to wear the glasses on stage , ive seen some over the top ,people walk around in jumpsuits , if u cannot offord a exat replica why not make your own suit and save,, i made my own ..its like somthing Elvis may of worn ... i sort of got 4 more new ones i getting made lt.blue red royal and black... i like to play around with idears.

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Permalink Reply by Moira Stephens on July 19, 2008 at 11:52pm: You're welcome! As poor as some of the movie storylines are, there are many good songs from them. I have seen 5,000 Miles to Graceland, not Bubba Ho-tep. Can't say that I recall the jumpsuits from 5,000 miles though. I agree that the American Eagle and the peacock jumpsuits are beautiful suits. You might enjoy checking out a jumpsuit index database website that I added to GaryElvis Britt's website. You'll find it here: http://www.elvisconcerts.com/concerts/dbsearch.php . There is also a concert database link on that site.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Jenny on July 24, 2008 at 4:33am: Bubba Ho-Tep was disgusting!!!!!!! Don't even bother.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by SELVIS on October 2, 2008 at 12:47am: I always say that if you want to do a tribute to the best. You should look your best ,and even more then that you have to have a good voice , the less you look or dress like him, the better singer you better be, but thats just me!! i take my hat off to all of you that are keeping the king alive he deserves it . Thank you; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Jenny on July 24, 2008 at 4:37am: I see a ETA who wears the glass' for just a couple song's I love them myself, I hate bad wig's !!!! Urghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Kathy G on July 21, 2008 at 2:14am: OK here is my take on the question at hand. I have worked with and watch and know lots of ETA's. I at first thought that each ETA should fit the mold I had set in my mind - mainly to be as good at the ETA that I first met and worked on stage with - I also decided that no one could meet that challenge. Then I began to discover that the most important thing about an ETA wasn't that he or she matched any certain set of rules or measurements. I have seen a good share of ETA's that don't look or sound near what Elvis did but they put on a show that was entertaining, honored Elvis and made the audience feel good. It doesn't matter if they have the perfect hair, the exact voice and an identical costume and their audience leaves feeling shunned or less than loved and appreciated. Yes there are contest that many enter and they do have the criteria for what they are looking for as a winner but then even with a checklist of dos and don'ts if you have a different judge in each town or each year - those rules will be interpreted completely different each time as to what that person on that day feels matches it. I think the most important thing in an ETA who is just performing for an audience of fans, is not the look, the sound or the amount of money spent, but it is the heart, the spirit of Elvis. Elvis loved his fans and they felt it. If you are truly honoring Elvis then that is the mark for me. Elvis had different hair styles and different sizes and different outfits. We love to set the categories, the eras, the styles but he was the same man and it wasn't the leather or the jumpsuits or the gold lame' that made fans still love him 30+ years after his death, it was his heart and his giving. If a guy gets up there and give his all to the crowd and loves them and allows them to have a great time, he is doing the thing that Elvis felt most important each show and giving that all is also what probably helped to take him away from us. He gave more than he should have at times and it caught up with him.

Yea I have seen 50's dressed guys do songs out of that era, 60's style guys do moves that where not done during those years and my favorite pet peeve is guys who do the pretty boy young Elvis face, not just that they have one but go thru the makeup and styling to look like the perfect face that early Elvis had and then where a 70's outfit or do a 70's show. Elvis was beautiful then too but he had a more mature and experienced face in his later years. I love a good 70's Elvis that was my era growing up with him but and Elvis song or Elvis show is just a bunch of good memories anyway you look at it. I have see girl ETA's, blonde ETA's, Preteen ETA's, not Southern USA ETA's and what we would consider Disabilities ETA's Elvis was none of these - if we try to pin it down to exact replica's then they should be poor boys from Mississippi and should know who to drive a truck. Unless it is a contest - there are several of those and even then I am still not sure it is not what is on the outside but the inside that counts most. I have seen some who buy the B&K suit, wear the exact jewels, and hit every note but never give the time of day to a little lady who grew up with Elvis and this is as close as she will ever get to seeing the real one. Elvis would be ashamed of that. Yeah there are some folks who do it for the attention and how many pictures people will take of them but even those allows some fan a chance to be close to something that gives a little bit of Elvis to them.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Kristy on July 21, 2008 at 11:53am: I believe that one of the most important things for an ETA to demonstrate to the best of their ability is the Heart & Soul of Elvis Presley.

Obviously, what's important in the contest circuit is a bit different that what is acceptable for an ETA performance. I think the ETA has a bit more flexibilty when he/she is performing versus competing. I don't think that an ETA's performance should be based on whether or not they spent thousands of dollars on jumpsuits. Elvis spent thousands of dollars on jumpsuits, because, let's face it, he was Elvis. He could afford it, and it was his stage outfit.

I've seen several performances where the VOICE has been dead-on, but the suit wasn't an exact replica. Who cares? The audience had a blast and truly enjoyed the show. That's what it is about.

I've also seen contests where the suits were a bit better, the voices were great, and the audience had a blast and enjoyed the show. There again, that's what it is about - the audience enjoying the show!

People who really love Elvis, who really desire to pay a tribute to the whole package of Elvis, should be applauded. Those are the ones who will talk to the fans, interact during the show, and have a truly great and caring attitude.

I mean really, we'll never see Elvis' CLONE.....no one can look, sound, move, and dress exactly like him. So we enjoy seeing the tributes because it is FUN and entertaining. An ETA shouldn't be criticized for not being exaclty like Elvis....he should be applauded for trying to bring the JOY of Elvis to new fans and new generations.

On another note, I've seen comments to discussions that pretty much knock the efforts of the younger tribute artists. (no wonder that would offend me, seeing as my son is one of them) My take on that is that these kids - and yes, I mean the females, too - LOVE Elvis! That is the whole point of being an ETA! Obviously they understand that Elvis never sang onstage in a jumpsuit when he was nine or ten years old! But when they perform at school or other events that aren't strictly Elvis events, there are other kids that walk away wondering "what is this Elvis all about?" THOSE are the kids that will grow into adults and be the next generation of Elvis fans! These kids are reaching a whole group of people that otherwise may not learn about Elvis! So what they are doing is a GOOD thing!! I bet the woman who wants her ETA to be "adult and male" never got on a stage alone in front of thousands of people sweated and sung her heart out like these kids!!! My Hat is off to ANYONE who loves Elvis and has the guts to let the world know!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Carli Love on July 21, 2008 at 12:02pm: thanks so much kristy.

I appreciate you.

I cannot help that i was born a girl lol. so as long as i love Elvis, I wil pay tribute to him no matter what.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Moira Stephens on July 21, 2008 at 5:54pm: Kristy,
You're wrong about "I bet the woman who wants her ETA to be "adult and male" never got on a stage alone in front of thousands of people sweated and sung her heart out like these kids!!!" I used to sing and was on television 13 times, sang in Washngton, D.C. at the national Christmas tree and did many shows over 10 years. However, even though I love Elvis and his music, I never felt the need to don a jumpsuit and belt out Elvis tunes.
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Permalink Reply by Moira Stephens on July 21, 2008 at 8:33pm: No, I've never sang an Elvis song in front of thousands of people. Does it really matter what songs I sang? lol You keep doing what you care to do. That's really the point. We have freedom to do what we want to do, like who we care to like, listen to what we choose to listen to, etc.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by ***ice-Elvis*** on July 25, 2008 at 10:17pm: thank you you made so much sense its great ,i agree with what your saying ,i genrally sing for older people without any payment free thats right ,one thing that touched my heart is that alday dying from cancer painted me a picture of elvis althogh she was in so much pain she never complined today that picture a oil painting is proudly on my wall ,i would never part with it cuse tht sentimatial value of what she did for me..eveytime i have abad day i look at it and think ..if i nver got adollor this painting is worth more then a million dollors to my heart; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Tarie Aron on July 21, 2008 at 7:17pm: I guess I never thought of it in the way that Kristy and Carli wrote...about expensive suits, and of not being able to sound or look like Elvis because you are a girl...I guess I was thinking of it more of in a professional sense...in the sense of being MOST like Elvis, what is important...and I still stand by saying the voice is what matters, however, I DO need to say that in paying tribute to Elvis, it IS the love of performing and showing your love for Elvis that matters. I guess I have been in the tribute business soooo long professionally (not just Elvis, I mean), and we focus very hard to re-create whom we are paying tribute to, that I forget that there are other ways to pay tribute to an idol. So, to all the girls out there..keep on doing what you love, and loving Elvis and showing the world the way you want, cuz we do love it :); ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Tarie Aron on July 21, 2008 at 7:33pm: And honestly..I dont think anyone on this site is trying to knock anyone else...it's a matter of preference...is someone prefers an adult male ETA, that's ok. If someone prefers a girl ETA, that's ok. If someone prefers a youth ETA, that's ok. We all have preferences in life...some men prefer to see me, a female, doing Marilyn Monroe, rather than seeing a male...this doesnt mean that there isnt some great talented males doing tributes to her...it just means that it is a preference. Just like I prefer steak over hot dogs...hot dogs are still good, but given the choice, I will take steak. I am sure you can all see where I am going with this. We all have favourite ETA's, fave tributes and preferences in what we like...but I dont think anyone on here meant any disrespect to other types of acts.; ▶ Reply to This