As everyone knows (you do, don’t you?), last month marked what would have been Elvis Presley’s 75th birthday.
To celebrate, Joe Forrester of Manchester, and Jed Duvall of Glen Burnie, drew about 150 paying Elvis fans to the Carroll County Arts Council theater on January 9 to play a two-hour, 40-song tribute to the King of Rock Ôn Roll and, along the way, collect funds for the Wounded Warriors organization.
Forrester, 50, whose full-time job is that of director of sales for Gateway Military Sales LLC., a supplier of food and retail goods for military commissaries around the world, began his fascination with Elvis when he was in high school. He is one of eight children and has two of his own.
By the time he went to Carroll Community College, Towson University and married his childhood sweetheart, he had heard most of Presley’s songs, seen most of his movies, and put himself through college doing the King’s schtick at weddings, birthday parties and other gatherings.
He has, in fact, officiated as Elvis at weddings because he is an ordained minister. And in his spare time, he does a “living history” bit as a Union soldier at Civil War reenactments.
Duvall, 47, whose family settled in Anne Arundel County in 1655, does Elvis and Johnny Cash as a full-time occupation. His Presley act has included playing not only weddings, assisted living communities and other social gatherings, but also at least one funeral.
On the latter occasion, the deceased had asked in his will that Elvis sing at the service. Duvall complied and sang “Peace in the Valley” as the coffin was lowered into the grave. He has also appeared as Presley in a Manhattan boutique shop window.
Contrary to the popular impression, being an Elvis lookalike is not necessarily a requirement for being an Elvis enactor (Some Elvis impersonators are sensitive about being called impersonators). For example, the King was about 6 feet 1 inch tall, had high cheekbones, a pompadour hair style and (early in his career) a slender build.
Forrester is 5 feet 6, has unruly black hair and a sturdy physique. Duvall is taller – 5 feet, 11 inches – has high cheekbones (although his face is not as narrow as Elvis’) , black hair and a rather athletic build. In 2007, he won third place in the Lake George, NY, Elvis festival.
The hardest part of being a Presley enactor, said Forrester, is practicing, watching Elvis’ movies and learning his songs. That, and “staying in shape. I don’t want to be an out-of-shape Elvis.”
“Elvises come in all shapes and sizes,” said Forrester, who sometimes competes in Presley enactor contests, where he encounters women, black and even Asian impersonators. “Some have great voices, but no personality.
“The weirdest,” he said, “was a woman whose voice was like fingernails on a chalkboard.”
“There are some scary people out there,” said Duvall. “You don’t have to look or sound like Elvis,” said Duvall, “but when you can’t sing, that’s a deal breaker.”
Neither Forrester nor Duvall ever met Elvis.
“I was changing a flat tire when I heard he died,” said Forrester. “But I stayed up all that night, watching Elvis movies.”
Forrester estimates that there are about 40,000 Elvis impersonators doing their thing at this time, but few have met Presley or even been to Graceland. Forrester made the pilgrimage, but found Elvis’ Memphis home, which is kept just as it was when the singer died (he died in 1977 at age 42), closed at the time. Duvall visited and found it a “surreal” experience.
“I expected Elvis to walk down the stairs,” he said, “and say, ÔWhat are y’all doin’ in my house?’” – S.D.K.
