This won’t be the most profound post ever to appear on my blog. While I do try to hold your attention with my deep thoughts, keen insights and acquired wisdom, every once in a while I simply want to share a laugh. Something you’d post on your Facebook page as a Throw Back Thursday (TBT). But I don’t have a legit Facebook account and I share my life selectively. For some reason I think you’ll LOL at this.
When I was about half my current age, I had this extreme fascination with Elvis Presley. Not only did I love his music to the point of wearing out cassette tapes in my car, but I also admired/idolized him as a person – his poor southern upbringing, his drive and determination, his military service, his taste for women and cars, worldwide fame and superstar status. It’s hard to name a larger, more iconic entertainer from any time in history.
To be honest, if asked who I would want to trade places with on earth, it would be Elvis. Not a president, not an athlete, not Elon Musk – for me, Elvis Presley.
Back to the timeline, during the 90’s and 00’s, I had read several books on Elvis’ life and death. I was gifted the box set of his 31 movies and I watched them all. So I became something of an Elvis expert. You won’t meet many people who can say they’ve toured Graceland three times. One time passing through the Jungle Room at Graceland I faked kneeling to tie my shoe and while on my knee I ripped up a single strand of green shag carpet. To this day it’s tucked into my wallet for good luck (or maybe bad luck depending on your moral compass).
I collected a lot of memorabilia, some with his authenticated autograph valued at around $1000. You would frequently see me with a TCB ring or belt buckle. I also picked up a few costume wardrobe pieces. I wanted these so that I could do a tribute impersonation bit, maybe a side hustle. Thankfully, that urge past in short order, but not before doing two shows.
One performance was at a talent show where a Neil Diamond impersonator sang before me and Janice Joplin after. I wore mostly black with an authentic vintage sparkly diner jacket. This attire was chosen to sing Burning Love. “I’m just a hunka hunka burnin’ love…” The venue was dark and cozy with dimly lit cocktail tables where I wandered through the crowd and sat on the pretty girls’ laps. For those three minutes I actually felt like “The King.”
A second performance was at our company’s 2001 Christmas Party. The theme of the daytime, outdoor party was Casino where tables of poker, blackjack and craps were set up in the parking lot. Naturally, my song choice was Viva Las Vegas. There were 100 employees in attendance, give or take. You might be asking where I got the courage to perform under these circumstances. I can point to two factors: 1) I was the 7th person hired in this company, had worked there over ten years and was an SVP only two rungs down the ladder from the owners – so not much fear of authority or hierarchy. 2) just minutes before going on stage, I downed a pint of vodka straight from the convenience store bottle, no mixer. That went to my head instantly like anestesia and lubed all inhibitions away. I did the show in a drunken stupor. In fact, about 15 minutes after the performance my trusted friends hauled me away from the party where I puked up that pint of vodka and sobered barely enough to go straight home and avoid an HR incident.
Ok fast forward to today. I am presently in Wisconsin visiting my brother, at whose house I store my few American possessions. Rummaging through a bin of motorcycle gear, I stumbled across a 25-year-old VHS tape labeled “Elvis.” I remembered immediately what it was and decided it was worth digitizing, if not for a laugh, for posterity sake, something to pass on to my kid. For me, viewing this clip brought back some good memories and put a smile on my face. I enjoyed my Elvis years – memorizing lyrics, collecting memorabilia, visiting Graceland and Tupelo, costuming and performing. I was not born Elvis, but pretending to be him a few times was a real karate kick! Hope you enjoy this 3 ½ minute video.
THANKYOUVERYMUCH
deuceorama 