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Elvis Lives! (well, sort
of) This same recording artist also
had a Top 40 hit single last year - of a song that barely got any
attention when it was included in one of his Elvis Presley may have "left the building" (quite literally). But as the 68th anniversary of his birth (Wednesday, Jan. 8) approaches, it seems as if we can't help falling in love with him - again. And it's not just hit records that
are keeping "The King" stuck like glue in the public eye. At last count,
there were more than 35,000 people Brad Crum of Carsonville is proud to be one of those faux Elvises.
Best known locally as the leader and drummer of the veteran local rock band "East Coast Invasion" (now known as "ECI Rock"), Crum has been honing his own Presley tribute show for 3 years. He's invested hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars in his act and said his greatest reward is seeing people who liked "The King" to begin with - or even new fans - come away happy with what he's doing. "If what I do makes one person smile, then it's all worth it," he said. Longtime fan, short-time impersonator. Crum's Elvis tribute show is not the name of his latest infatuation. He began following Elvis in the early 1960s and often sang his songs around the house. And like most other Americans, Crum said he was stunned to hear of Presley's death from heart failure at age 42. Even at the time - 1977 - some of "The King's" hits already were part of the repertoire of "East Coast Invasion," which Crum had formed in 1968. But it wasn't until 2000 that Crum decided it was now or never to do more than just sing Presley's songs. He began incorporating an Elvis tribute segment in his band's shows, complete with new clothes, sunglasses, hairstyle - and movements. Today, Crum offers the tribute as part of his band's shows, or separately, with a karaoke background. He also offers "Elvis-grams" - singing birthday, anniversary or romantic messages.
But Crum's not caught in a trap and can't walk out. For him, the Presley tributes are an opportunity to sing in public and pay homage to a man whose memory he respects. "(Presley) was so different ...and there's really been no one like him ever since," he said. "He had a charisma that a lot of singers never had. I think that's one of the reasons he's lasted so long," he added. Playing it straight. While some Elvis impersonators may want to play "E" for laughs, Crum won't be cruel. "You do his voice and his moves as authentically as you can and you don't try and come off sleazy, because that's not what (Presley) did," Crum said. "And you don't say anything derogatory about what you're doing while you're in character." Crum's goal is to look like an
Elvis, walk like an Elvis and talk (or at least sing) like an Elvis. As an
Elvis in disguise, he knows his audience "The real Elvis fans will know if
you sing the wrong lyrics or do the moves wrong," he said. For Crum, this has meant hours of homework, listening to Presley's songs and studying his film and television appearances. It's also meant a heavy financial investment - more than $6,000 at this point - in clothing and jewelry that emulate Presley's stage outfits from his Las Vegas and Hawaii shows of the 1970s.
"At my age, I can't be a convincing 'young' Elvis, so I chose to impersonate him when he was closer to my real age," Crum said. A machinist by trade, Crum fashioned all of his stage jewelry - several rings with zirconia stones and necklaces that are replicas of Presley's own - one with a cross, the other with a lightning bolt and the words "TCB" (Taking Care of Business). For his newest outfit, Crum hired - at a cost of more than $3,000 - the same firm that created the outfits for the Elvis-themed film, "3,000 Miles to Graceland." The outfit includes a cape with the studded "eagle" pattern on the back. (Crum also has a powder blue jumpsuit - another replica - and a more conservative suit for appearances in churches where he sings some of the gospel songs that Presley cherished through his life.) But there's one area where Crum can't impersonate the king - his legendary appetite. "Before he gained weight, Elvis weighed 175 pounds. I'm a little more than that but I'm about the same height (6 feet)," Crum said. "So I have to watch what I eat or I can't fit into the suits." And just in case anyone was wondering, Crum's "Elvis" hair and sideburns are his own. Mostly positive reaction. So, has the public treated Crum like a fool, treated him mean and cruel, in the growing number of shows and "Elvis-grams" he's been asked to do in the past year? For the most part, they don't want his act returned to sender. And it's not just "E's" longtime fans who are loving him. "I've been surprised at the number of teenagers and younger kids who like the shows," Crum said. "Some of them even come up and ask for autographs." Inevitably, the messier aspects of Presley's personal life rear their heads, and Crum has gotten stung by criticism that his show glorifies a man some people consider a drug addict. Crum doesn't excuse Presley's drug use. But he said he understands that a book soon will be released claiming that Presley took medications, in part, because he'd been diagnosed with bone cancer toward the end of his life. (The book was written by Charlie Hodge, a close associate of Presley's for many years.) But Crum doesn't deny that Presley also may have taken drugs for other reasons. "I think he was frustrated toward the end of his life, and he struggled with depression over the deaths of his brother and his mother," Crum said. "I don't think the pain of those losses ever went away." A gathering of "Kings." Still, Crum chooses to focus on the more positive aspects of Presley's life, and he's not alone. He's participated in several competitions with other Presley impersonators. He finished in fifth place in Dewey Beach, DE. and sixth in Branson, MO. The competitions have been a good and educational experience, Crum said. "Most of the other
impersonators I've met have been really nice people who are just trying to
do the best they can," Crum said. "I've been able to Crum's all-Elvis concerts are patterned after Presley's 1970s shows and include songs such as "See See Rider," "The Wonder of You," "Love Me Tender," "Kentucky Rain," "My Way" and "American Trilogy" (which includes "Battle Hymn of the Republic.") And it isn't just Americans who are Elvis-happy, as Crum discovered when he did a show in - of all places - China. He was in Shanghai on business when his boss arranged for him to sing in a nightlcub. "I started singing 'Steamroller Blues," and everybody went crazy, even though I was singing in English," Crum said. At this point, Crum said he'd like to perform the tribute shows (and sing with "ECI Rock") until he turns 65. But he doubts that had Presley lived, he'd still be performing today. "I think he would have just stopped. He might even have become a recluse. He would have tried to have a life apart from performing," Crum said. Presley fans don't have
the man, but they still have the music and people such as Crum who want to
keep both the man and his music alive. Readers who'd like more
information on Crum's Elvis appearances may call 362-9856 or access the
Web at http://avs.epix.net/elvis
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Upper Dauphin Sentinel ©2000
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By Duane Good,
Editor 
